Sports Business Jounral
by John Genzale
March 17, 2008
When Carlo DeVito began writing the biography “Yogi” (Triumph), he thought that Yogi Berra, the former Yankees catcher and American icon, and his friends would be eager to participate. The Mara family did when DeVito wrote Wellington Mara’s biography. And DeVito’s take on Berra is glowing. But during his second conversation with Yogi’s old St. Louis friend, Joe Garagiola, he said he was asked: “Why are you doing this? Why do you want to hurt Yogi?” DeVito came away with the belief that Berra family and friends are “protective of Yogi as a brand.” DeVito, who owns a Vermont winery and makes maple syrup, finds similarities with Yogi’s history with the soft drink Yoo-Hoo and his Italian-immigrant family history. DeVito said he was driven to write the biography because of Berra’s universal appeal. As a demonstration, he tells of a business lunch with the late David Halberstam and Gay Talese. “Halberstam insisted on hearing about Berra before he would talk business.”
