Helped by strong line play, Cleveland finished the 1947 season with a 12–1–1 record and defeated the New York Yankees to win the AAFC championship. The team won the championship again in 1948, winning all of its games and turning in professional football's first perfect season. The Browns again won the AAFC championship in 1949, but the league dissolved after the season and the Browns were absorbed by the more established National Football League (NFL). Gaudio retired after the 1949 season, when he was 24 years old. He came out of retirement to play for the Browns in 1951. After the team lost the NFL championship game to the Los Angeles Rams, he retired for a second time to focus on his family's construction business.