Smithtown Sportscaster Opens Training Center

Last Saturday, a crowd gathered in Hickville's West Village Green Shopping Center for the grand opening of a broadcasting training facility, a project of Smithtown's  Vinny Micucci. At the Micucci Broadcasting Center, students learn the art of broadcasting from this seasoned Smithtown veteran.

Micucci began his broadcating career as a college student at Hofstra University, where he worked for the local Hofstra radio station, WHRU.

"I knew I could do it," Micucci said. "I just flat out knew that this was something I could do."

Soon after Micucci became one of the main voices on WHRU, broadcasting football and basketball games and at NCAA tournaments, which opened the door for other opportunities. He went on to intern at MLB.com, where he interviewed All-Stars like Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder. Micucci also covered numerous high-profile sporting events ranging from The World Baseball Classic to the World Series.

This experience led Micucci to another radio show gig on MLB's "Leading Off," where he was paired with John Marzano, a man who would become one of his mentors.

"[He] was a man you felt like you knew your whole life after five minutes of talking to him. A real down to earth guy," Micucci said. Marzano passed away two years ago.

"It is real sad," Micucci said "He helped me be myself. We developed a real on-air connection."

Micucci continued to work for MLB but recently decided to share his talent and love of broadcasting by opening a training center on Long Island, a short ride away from where he grew up in Smithtown.

The center offers workshop sessions, one-on-one training and teaches interviewing techniques.  Micucci also offers private voice lessons to help students improve their public speaking and special lessons for kids where they produce their own sports talk show with a real teleprompter, HD camera and voice-over booth. The prices for all these services are affordable.

The opening attracted many of Micucci's former colleagues, Smithtown classmates and even some celebrity athletes, like former New York Jet Wesley Walker.

"If you want to become a great broadcaster, especially a youth, I recommend this place highly," Walker said, as he signed autographs outside of Micucci's new center.