Petrilli Opens NewFed Mortgage Branch Office in Winthrop

Former Revere High School quarterback and All-Scholastic first baseman Al Petrilli has begun a new venture  next door in Winthrop.

Petrilli, 65, has joined NewFed Mortgage as producing branch manager and opened a branch office in Winthrop where he has lived for over thirty years with his family.

Al’s son, Al Petrilli Jr., 27, a member of the 2006 Super Bowl champion Winthrop High School football team, is a licensed loan officer at the new branch office. Petrilli saw action on the offensive line for the Vikings in the Super Bowl after starting All-Star center Rob Hamilton sustained an injury. He went on to attend Endicott College and graduated in 2012.

The father-and-son team both work out of NewFed’s state-of-the-art offices at the Atlantis Marina, 550 Pleasant St. Jeanette Cataldo of Cataldo Interiors Inc. said she created the new, upscale office “to reflect Winthrop being a seaside town in a contemporary way.”

NewFed’s president and CEO is Saugus native Brian D’Amico, who said he was pleased to have Al Petrilli on board. Coincidentally, Petrilli grew up in Revere across the street from Brian’s father, Jimmy D’Amico, now a successful real estate developer.

“We are very proud to welcome Al to the NewFed management team,” said D’Amico. “Al is an accomplished mortgage industry professional dedicated to his craft, and he will complement our mortgage origination efforts in Massachusetts.”

A New Beginning

Al Petrilli previously worked at MSA Mortgage, Winthrop, for 18 years. He started at NewFed on Jan. 1.

“It’s a great opportunity and a new beginning for me, and I’m ecstatic,” said Petrilli. “I feel revitalized, and I’m in management now. There is a lot more responsibility being a manager. Brian wanted to open a branch in Winthrop and it was exciting for my son and me because this is the closest thing we could have to having our own company. We’re fortunate to work with a guy like Brian D’Amico, who has been tremendous to me.

Petrilli added that D’Amico has set a strong foundation that will allow the company to grow and serve its clients in the area.

“With Brian investing in so much technology, personnel and marketing in the company, it makes our job easier to sell,” said Petrilli. “I have 18 years of experience assisting clients in Winthrop, Revere, and other communities and we hope to continue to have them reach out to us at our new office.”

 

An All-Scholastic Athlete

Petrilli was a terrific, left-handed quarterback and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic first baseman and captain at Revere High School before graduating in 1970. He went on to play football and baseball at Division 1 Boston University. BU played its final season at Fenway Park where Petrilli had the opportunity to take the mound as a pitcher. He served as a physical education teacher and an assistant coach in the Revere High football program under legendary coach Silvio Cella.

 

A proud father

Petrilli worked in the sporting goods industry for 20 years before deciding to switch careers to the mortgage industry following the passing of his beloved wife, Marie, to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1999. He had met his wife when he was a racquetball professional at the Boston Athletic Club in South Boston.

“When Marie died, that’s what made my profile change,” said Petrilli. “I had to figure out what could I do that would allow me the flexibility to be there for the kids (Al Jr. and Marielle, who were 8 years old and 6 years old, respectively, at the time).”

Petrilli paid tribute to his wife by founding the Marie C. Petrilli Cancer Research and Treatment Memorial Fund. The fund helps improve cancer patient care and recognize caregivers with scholarships and grants.

“That was my way of keeping Marie’s spirit alive,” said Petrilli.

Al said his mother, Theresa, helped raise his two children. His brother, David, and his sister-in-law, Kathy, also helped out the family.

Marielle, a 2010 WHS graduate and former cheerleader, graduated from Stonehill College and went on to attend an accelerated Nurse Practitioner program at Simmons College. She is a working as a nurse practitioner at a health center in Peabody.

Al Jr., a 2010 WHS graduate, received his degree from Endicott College.

“I’m a very proud dad,” said Al Petrilli.