"Crazy" Giants fan gets others roaring at Super Bowl

Newsday's Mark Harrington is reporting live from Indianapolis as thousands of Giants and Patriots fans ready themselves for Super Bowl XLVI, many in Champions bar off the Marriott hotel.

6:37 p.m., Feb. 5

He's 5-foot-5, but nobody gets Giants fans roaring like "Crazy" Tony Urbinati of Coram. At Lucas Oil Stadium, he hung dangerously over a four-foot gap in the highest-level seating section, high-fiving everyone in a Giants jersey who ascends.

The 40-year season ticket-holder said his enthusiasm once branded him the mayor of section 301 at the old Giants Stadium. He's in Indianapolis this week compliments of his long-time friend and fellow Giants fanatic Steve Labonte of Bethpage.

Labonte surprised Crazy Tony two weeks ago, asking him what he was doing this weekend. When Crazy Tony said, "Nothing special," Labonte told him otherwise. "You're going to the Super Bowl," Labonte said he told him.

Crazy Tony, Labonte explained, had been overly generous with his own season tickets during the regular season. So the trip won't cost Crazy Tony a nickel. While he's talking, the crowd around him breaks out into a "Let's go Giants" chant, and he instinctively joins in.

David Calone, a Babylon resident and Long Island Power Authority trustee, is at the Giants game today with his father, Len Calone of Mt. Sinai. He couldn't bring the three children, but promised his daughter, Sarah, 6, that he'd carry along a strand of white ribbon that she asked him to wave so she could recognize him on TV.

Calone and his dad differ only slightly on how the game will end up. The son says Giants will win by seven, his dad says it'll be by three. Their seat neighbor, Bob Cataldo from Boston, had a different take. "The Patriots, 30 to 23," he said.

4:03 p.m., Syosset family among raring Giants fans
The Rotto family from Syosset was quick to join a raring crowd at an outdoor bar connected to the Giants hotel, where fans have been chanting, "Let's go Giants," and heckling passing Patriots fans. "This is unreal," said Harris Rotto, over the commotion.

"You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day," said his sister, Cassie.

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Their dad, Howard Rotto, said he expects a Giants win. "If they can handle [Patriots quarterback Tom] Brady the way they put pressure on [Green Bay quarterback Aaron] Rodgers they will win easily."

Pat Andreallo, a Giants fan from Olney, Md., stared down Patriots fans as they passed on the sidewalk. "It's Giants central," he said. "We're just hoping for a Big Blue win."

Meanwhile, some of the 70,000 fans who are expected to fill Lucas Oil Stadium have begun to file in. The domed stadium is covered Sunday, despite a cloudless sky and near-tropical weather.

2:35 p.m., Air Force officer roots for Giants
Greg DeMaio, an Air Force officer stationed in Indianapolis but from Newington, Conn. was cheered as he walked a Giants flag past the Champions bar crowd. "I feel like the Giants are going to blow the Patriots out," he said.

2:05 p.m., Fans stake out bar, team shuttles
Giants fans have set up a swelling outpost at the Marriott hotel where the team is staying. Around 50 fans are stationed at Champions, an outdoor bar connected to the hotel, and have been hollering at passing Patriots fans and beginning the chant. "Let's go Giants."

The air is thick with cigar smoke. A half block away, fans wait near the five team buses that will shuttle players to the stadium at 3:30. "I'm nervous," said Ben Malin from Bergen, N.J., standing with his nephew, Owen Jaquette. "I think it's going to be a close game."

Jaquette was less worried. "Giants," he predicted unequivocally.