Wellington Mara Wellington Timothy Mara ( August 14 , 1916 – October 25 , 2005 ) was the co - owner of the NFL ' s New York Giants from 1959 until his death , and one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of the National Football League . He was the younger son of Tim Mara , who founded the Giants in 1925 . Wellington was a ball boy for that year . Life and career . Mara was born in Rochester , New York , the son of Elizabeth " Lizette " ( née Barclay ) , a homemaker , and Timothy James Mara . He was an alumnus of the Jesuit schools , Loyola School and Fordham University in New York City . In 1930 , Tim Mara split his ownership interests between Wellington ( then 14 ) and his older brother Jack . Soon after graduating from Fordham University , Wellington moved into the Giants ' front office . He served as Assistant to the President and Treasurer , 1937 ; Secretary , 1938 – 1940 ; Vice - President and Secretary , 1945 – 1958 ; Vice - President , 1959 – 1965 ; President , 1966 – 1990 ; President and Co - Chief Executive Officer , 1991 – 2005 . For his first 28 years in the organization , he handled the franchise ' s football decisions . During the early 1960s , Wellington and his brother Jack , the owners of the NFL ' s largest market , agreed to share television revenue on a league - wide basis , dividing the amounts of money available in cities like New York with smaller market teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers . That concept of revenue sharing allowed the NFL to grow and is still being used today . This is certainly Mara ' s lasting contribution to his game . Under Mara ' s direction the New York Football Giants won six NFL titles ( including two Super Bowl wins ) , nine conference championships ( including six Eastern Conference championships in the days before the NFL - AFL merger and three NFC championships post - merger ) , and thirteen division championships . An eighth NFL title , fourth Super Bowl victory , fifth NFC championship ( eleventh conference championship overall ) , and fifteenth division title have been captured since his passing under the leadership of his son , John , and co - owner Steve Tisch ( who in turn is the son of Wellington ' s former co - owner from 1991 – 2005 , Bob Tisch ; Tisch also died in 2005 , with his death coming three weeks after Mara ' s ) . The Giants have also accumulated the third highest number of victories in National Football League history . Mara was also well liked by the Giants ' players , and was known to stick by them even when they struggled with off - the - field problems . When Lawrence Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 he credited Mara for supporting him even during the worst times of his drug addiction saying , " He probably cared more about me as a person than he really should have . " Taylor has since lived a clean life style and credits Mara with helping him fight his addiction . The Wilson football used in NFL games prior to the AFL merger ( 1941 – 69 ) was nicknamed " THE DUKE " after Mara . For the 2006 season and beyond , a new version of " THE DUKE " has been used in NFL games . He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997 . Mara was married to Anne Mumm . His granddaughters are actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara . In 2012 , Mara was elected into the New Jersey Hall of Fame . Death . Wellington Mara succumbed to lymphoma later that year at age 89 . He was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne , New York , after his funeral at New York ' s Saint Patrick ' s Cathedral . He is survived by his wife , Ann , 11 children , and 42 grandchildren . His team honored him after his death by defeating the team he always viewed as the Giants ' biggest ( and oldest ) rival , the Washington Redskins , 36 – 0 at Giants Stadium . The 80 , 000 fans in attendance gave his mention a standing ovation . Mara is considered one of the greatest owners in NFL history , establishing a legacy that sets the standard for current and future owners .