# Tony Verna

Anthony F. Verna (November 26, 1933 – January 18, 2015) was a producer of television sports and entertainment blockbusters.

## Biography

Verna was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died in Palm Desert, California at the age of 81.

### Broadcast hallmarks

Verna's broadcast hallmark was an ability to continually come up with advances in the use of cameras, program content and creative interplay. It was this skill that prompted him to use a trick left over from radio days in order to outwit the technology of the times and allow for a play on the field to be re-broadcast "instantly."
Verna's varied career includes creating, producing and directing Pope John Paul II's billion-viewer television special "A Prayer for World Peace" and the historic music spectacular "Live Aid." As President of Caesar's Palace Productions, Verna was involved in all their spectacular entertainment projects.

### Notables who collaborated with Verna

Verna worked with and or and was friends with such notables as Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Grace Kelly, Mother Teresa, Edward R. Murrow, Larry King, Rod Stewart, Burt Reynolds, Dizzy Dean, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Christopher Reeve, Tom Selleck, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Kirk Douglas, Chevy Chase, Johnny Cash and John Denver.

## Major television events

Tony Verna produced and/or directed the following major television events:
1955 – Major League Baseball Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean 1960 – Rome Olympics
1962 – Josip Broz Tito----ski jumping---Yugoslavia 1963 – (Dec-7) Invented the instant replay first used for the Army–Navy Game 1964 – Directed Kentucky Derby (first of 12) 1967 – Las Vegas – Liberace Special 1967 – Johnny Unitas – Instant Quarterback 1968 – Rocky Marciano, Jonathan Winters Jogging 1968 – Directed Super Bowl#2 (first of 5) 1968 – Harlem Globetrotters–Soupy Sales 1968 – Roy Rogers, Dale Evans Special 1969 – Rocky Marciano Tribute 1970 – Created The Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders CBS 1970 – Created Instant Quarterback-John Unitas 1970 – Produced and directed Pro Bowlers Tour 1972 – Directed Mike Douglas Show- Moscow 1974 – Directed Canadian Stanley Cup 1974 – Directed 12th Kentucky Derby 1974 – Directed bios Jesse Owen, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio 1975 – Mexican soccer championships 1975 – Directed Le Mans Grand Prix, France
1976 – Hired by Saudi Arabia for Montreal Olympics
1977 – Created $50,000 Challenge Winner Take All – Telly Savalas
1978 – Soupy Sales – Harlem Globetrotters 1978 – London World Circus ---Karl Wallenda 1978 – Celebrity Daredevils, Christopher Reeve
1978 – Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders 1978 – NBC Rock n Roll Classic – Rod Stewart 1978 – Created Pete Rose Roast with Milton Berle-- 1979 – Billiards Mosconi-Minnesota Fats-Omar Sharif
1979 – Peoples Choice Award--Tom Selleck -Hawaii
1979 – ESPN--30 interviews with Roy Firestone 1979 – Created Weekend Heroes – Las Vegas 1979 – Directed ABC primetime All American Woman
1979 – President of Caesars Palace Productions 1980 – Ronald Reagan Network Interview 1982 – Charlton Heston-Paul Newman Debate-ABC 1984 – ABC Summer Olympics
1985 – Live Aid
1985 – Christmas Special-Mother Teresa
1985 – Christmas Celebration-Johnny Cash 1986 – Sport-Aid
1986 – Prayer For World Peace, Pope John Paul II 1987 – Omni 14 Great Minds Predict the Future 1989 – Our Common Future Special—Global
1990 – Earth 90 – Japan – John Denver 1990 – White House – George H. W. Bush 1990 – Ted Turner Goodwill Games-Larry King 1991 – Earth Day- Japan- Ray Charles 1994 – Created Superstitions Around The World – London 1996 – 2006 Consultant—Vatican and World Broadcasters

## Books

Tony Verna is the author of: 1970 – Playback 1987 – Live TV (commissioned by the DGA) 1993 – Global Television
2006 – Algebra 1 Murder II
2008 – Instant Replay: the Day That Changed Sports Forever

## Patents

Verna held U.S. Patents on the following:
* 2006 – Instant Footballer
* 2008 – Talking Replays