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Valley’s bowling pioneer
Interesting — that’s the word Linda Sabo used to describe her mother, Peggy Sabo DiBattista, an acclaimed bowler who passed away in Vista, Calif., on Oct. 28 at age 87.
DiBattista, born Peggy Ann Mulch, will be remembered as a local bowler whose achievements spanned the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, including years on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association’s national tour.
Much of DiBattista’s bowling success and life’s story took place in the Youngstown area before she moved away in 1986.
In 1961, DiBattista became this area’s first PWBA member. She was inducted into the Youngstown Women’s Bowling Association in 1978.
“She was born in a log cabin in the circle in Columbiana,” Sabo said of her mother whose parents were originally from California.
As a young woman, DiBattista spent time in Ohio and California. She was educated in 13 different schools, until her graduation from Huntington Park High in California in 1946.
“Peg led a very interesting life,” Sabo said. “I’m the only child of an only child who was living with Mom for the past 30 years. I’m still that Ohio person who took care of her family. We had a lot of fun; it’s hard being the only one left.”
Tragedy was part of DiBattista’s life.
“My dad, George J. Sabo, was killed in a head-on crash with a truck in 1961,” Linda Sabo said of the accident on Market Street. She was left fatherless at age 6.
She recalled that friends of her father, also a bowler, would congratulate George Sabo after reading newspaper clippings with headlines that read “Sabo rolls 280.”
Linda Sabo said that her father, who didn’t share the friends’ humor, would grumble that those clippings pertained to his wife.
“He was an immigrant and a foreman in the steel mill, so an old Hungarian like him didn’t think it was all that funny,” his daughter said.
DiBattista was 32 when her husband died. She married John DiBattista in 1963. DiBattista ran the pro shop at Gus Rigas’ Champion Lanes until the upstairs-downstairs alleys on Champion Street closed.
However, on April 1, 1963, Peggy DiBattista almost was killed in another car accident.
“She got in a terrible car crash and almost died,” Linda Sabo said of her mother needing multiple surgeries to rebuild her face after hitting the dashboard. “But she was a fighter and resumed bowling after her recovery.
“She continued to win PWBA and state titles and be a coach at the same time,” Sabo said of Peggy’s role as a Brunswick staff member.
One of the youngsters she helped locally was Joe Nuzzo, who eventually joined the PBA national tour.
As a teenager, Peggy Ann Mulch rolled a sanctioned 275 game at 17.
“She bowled in Los Angeles when bowling was a big deal because movie stars owned part of the lanes,” Sabo said. “Peggy was the 16-year-old that they snuck in and 16-year-olds aren’t supposed to be out at bars.
“That was much to the chagrin of my grandparents, but she made money from tournaments and side bets.”
Although Peggy was young, coaches recognized her natural ability and worked with her.
Sabo admitted that, because her mother’s home life wasn’t ideal, she was drawn to bowling as a diversion.
“She didn’t have the best home life, so she wanted to get out of a dysfunctional house,” Sabo said. “She wasn’t ready to find a guy and get married, either, but once she found her bowling family, her talent blossomed.
“Plus, she was willing to work hard and practice a lot. Like a lot of L.A. stories, someone without a lot of experience is discovered and the next thing you know is that you’re signed up and working.”
In 1950, she was selected to the Southern California all-star team and, in 1951, won the Citrus Belt Singles Classic, San Bernardino Singles Classic and Riverside Luxon Singles Classic in Los Angeles.
Peggy became familiar with sponsors, studios, stars and red-carpet openings. She often could be seen on TV during tour events and was a great spokeswoman because she also played tennis and badminton.
“Budweiser would sponsor teams and they’d travel and set up matches like those between tennis’ Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,” Sabo said. “Like Red Bull now, Budweiser had a bunch of bowlers they paid to travel and wear their logos and promote.”
It isn’t surprising that Sabo said she “grew up in bowling alleys” because her mother was an avid bowler traveling around the country.
“Like the Internet today, everybody bowled back then,” Sabo said of the favorite pastime of many middle-class Americans.
“Bowling in leagues was how people found out who was born and who died and who was mad at each other — kind of like Facebook. It was a social thing. Now, you just stay at home and get on the internet.”
Sabo, a 1973 Boardman High graduate, has mostly fond memories of Youngstown.
“We had a lot of good times and good friends back then,” she said. “We lived near Mill Creek Park, which is so awesome. I may be gone 30 years, but I could still drive Youngstown in my sleep.”