History of Easton Wrestling

John DiVietro ’55

Career Record: 20-6, District Champ, Regional Champ, State Medalist

College:  Tulane (football)

1955 – 165 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Semifinals (11-1)

1954 – 155 lbs.: District Runner-Up (9-3)

1953 – 138 lbs.: no postseason (0-3)

John DiVietro was an All State football player and wrestler for the Red Rovers. 

He earned a starting spot as a sophomore, getting spots starts in duals until Charles Dentith made the cut to 138 pounds for the postseason. 

As a junior, DiVietro was an anchor between 155 and 165 pounds, going 8-2 in the regular season.  He shutout John Meyers (Northampton) in the D11 semifinals, but drew nemesis Bill Stauffer (Allentown) in the finals, who defeated DiVietro for the third time that season. 

DiVietro came off of an All State football season in 1955 to dominate the local wrestling field.  He set an Easton record with pins in all nine of their regular season dual meets.  The streak continued in the postseason, when he pinned Barry Kratz (Nazareth) and Bob Silvetz (Bethlehem) to win a District 11 championship.  He ran his falls streak to twelve when he stuck Charles Hall (Hughesville) in the semifinals of the Northeast Regionals. He finally went the distance in finals, beating John Slavaterra (Wilkes-Barre GAR) 5-2 to earn a Regional championship.  At the PIAA tournament, DiVietro matched up with Bruce Gilmore (Reading) in the semifinals.  In an incredibly physical match, Gilmore and DiVietro both earned takedowns and finished regular tied 4-4.  They went scoreless on their feet in overtime, and each earned an escape in the tiebreaking portion of the match.  The three referees conferred, and determined Gilmore to be the aggressor and awarded him the spot in the state final.  Gilmore dominated the state final, winning 11-3 to become the first African-American to win a Pennsylvania state championship, and made it clear that DiVietro and Gilmore were the two best wrestlers in the state. 

After Easton, DiVietro was a three year two-way starter for the Tulane football team.