(group cheering and clapping) (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (group cheering) (upbeat music continues) (balls knocking) (group cheering) (upbeat music continues) - "Botch," bocce... (laughing) Whatever you wanna call it.

- The bocce ball.

- The bocce courts.

- Botch, I call it botch.

Other people call it bocce.

- You know, you can pronounce it either way.

- Botch.

- You say, "we're going to botch - Well... - "We have to botch."

- Yeah, that's true.

- Yeah, botch.

- But then we would say, "the World Series of Bocce."

(upbeat music) (compelling music) - We had a bocce court in our ya - Yes, Dad built a bocce court in the backyard.

My father was hysterical to watc 'cause he busted... ...chops on everybody around, and he was just fun to watch.

- He had an over the top throw.

- And it was all the old Italian and all that, you know, comrader It was just, we loved it since we were little.

(compelling music continues) - I didn't let them play in the tournaments until they were out of high scho 'cause back then I didn't want them competing.

- Yeah, we played anyway.

(sisters laughing) - We've competed since '90 as a team of us four with Mom, and we've won 12 times.

and that's what gave us our Guinness World Records status.

- [Donna] I have three World Ser - [Sister] She's got got three w - [Donna] Before them.

- Yeah, so I have 15 [wins].

I retired on the 15th.

(laughing - In 2010, it gave us the award of the first team to be inducted in the Rome Sports Hall of Fame too.

- We did pretty good.

Go girls!

- It's the new team.

(all laughing) - Well, we come in second with Kristin a couple times.

- Yeah.

- [Donna] My mom played, my dad - [Tammy] It was always a family event.

We've been in it since it starte When we were little, we would go watch them.

- It's just something that anybody can play, but competition is quite different, quite different.

(compelling music continues) - This is a very unique event.

This is Italian lawn bowling, it's called bocce.

(jaunty music) - [Narrator] In another part of the game of bocce, an outdoor bowling game imported from Italy, still finds favor with the old-timers.

- I believe the game, the history of the game goes back to the Roman soldiers, where they were wasting time by throwing rocks at a target.

And that's how it started.

And then it turned into balls, and then turned into competition - Botch is the greatest sport, because you got kids that could from when they're two or three y and we have members in our club that are in their 90s.

- Yeah.

- It's easily adaptable, regardless of your age, or size, or gender.

You know, anybody can participat - Some people play in wheelchair some people play on crutches.

So as long as you can get up and down the court, anybody can do it.

That's the beauty of it.

- [Joseph] It is a simple game.

You look at it and think, oh, this is easy.

But then you go and play it.

- You have four green balls and four red balls, and you have a little ball, which is called the pallino.

- It's kind of similar to marble We'll flip a coin to start the g Whoever wins the toss gets the p They throw the ball, it's gotta go past half court, and stay in front of the point line at the end, and it's gotta be a foot off the sideboard.

And then the object is to roll t as close to that ball as possibl - Then the next team's pointer g whoever's closer, they stay back and the next team has to try to beat the point.

(jaunty music continues) - [Narrator] Body English comes to veteran players.

You must try to control the ball as long as it is in motion.

- After you roll that ball and it's on the ground, you wanna walk it to its positio I think it comes naturally once you really learn the game.

- [Narrator] Points are scored by the number of balls closest to the small ball, or pallino.

- And that could be one, sometimes it could be two, it could be three, or it could b - We got two.

- The game goes to 16, so that's kind of it in a nutshell.

- We started the World Series here over 40 years ago.

- The first World Series was at the Kennedy Arena, (compelling music) and the Facciolo brothers from the Rome Bowling Center pic and made it to what it is today.

- It started off as a very small primarily local teams.

But in 1974 when it first starte somebody from "Sports Illustrated" caught wind of it, and they did a story on the World Series of Bocce.

And there were many people that read the story and were very interested in it.

One of the teams was from Ohio, and when they got here and they played in the series, they caught the bug.

- A good friend of mine in 1974 December sent me the "Sports Illustrated" article about this World Series of Bocce thing in Rome, New York, And I'm thinking, well, we play botch, we love to play botch.

You know, let's get some guys to let's go up and kick some ass a little bit, you know, 'cause we're good.

But of course, we didn't have co We didn't know there were such a as bocce courts back then.

We'd put two guys at one end, two guys at the other.

The guys at the other end would stop the ball from going in the garden or the pool or whatever.

So when we first came here, the very next year, we were one of the first teams c We go out in the court and I tell my guys, I said, "All right, you're with me, you two guys go down there."

And the other team looked at me like I had two heads.

They go, "What are you doing?"

They beat us badly.

So on the way home we go, "We gotta build a botch court."

I did at my house, I started doing 'em in the city, I started doing 'em for people individually.

People just wanted bocce courts.

And it was like, fire.

- They went back to Ohio and it germinated there, and now Ohio is just as big a bocce scene as New York is.

(upbeat music) - [Mike] When they closed the Rome Bowling Center, the Facciolo brothers, they sold the rights to - the Toccolana Club.

(upbeat music continues) (hammering) - [Cameraman] A couple of club members here.

How's the project going by the w (hammering continues) [Cameraman] Today's the last day before the tournament begins, and they're still pouring concre but I think they're gonna just about make it.

Did you think this project would get completed?

- It'll be ready, it'll be ready - Oh good.

- Boy, it really looks nice.

- [Cameraman] You guys have done a heck of a job.

(upbeat music continues) - ...opportunity for all of us in the city of Rome.

- [Mike] It turned it into a big one of the biggest in Rome.

- I've been coming here since I was 14 years old, playing with my father, and it's a high level competitio - Now, this year it just passed all the numbers.

We had over 131 teams.

- The competition is intense, it You have to be on.

You're not gonna win a game unless all four guys are on.

You have to have good pointers, good hitters.

- It's tough, and you don't get much time in between games, and you really can't decompress.

You just gotta go right to the next game, to the next game.

(compelling music) (crowd chatters) I started right when I came back outta college when it was at Rome Bowling Cent I've always watched it when I wa playing lawn- you know, lawn bot Then my bowling friend said, "Let's get a team together."

My good friend Luann had a hand with the Facciolo brothers, even we helped run it a few year - [Teammate] Come on, hit it!

- The competition has evolved cr People are traveling so far, they're going to tournaments eve It's definitely getting harder.

Teams are getting better.

(dramatic music) (bright music) - So the prize money this year i there's $30,000 in prize money, and it's split up between the op and the women's division.

- The thing is, when you get toward the end, when you're playing for the bigger money, so to speak, you never think of the money.

It's only about winning and losi - I mean, friendly disputes break out on the courts.

- The other team kicked the balls down here and messed it up.

- [Ref] They lose the point.

- You better get somebody, 'cause that ain't right.

- It's not only team against tea but within the team too, right?

- What you wanna do, is hit the pallino and go to the back.

- I hit that ball, it's gone.

- How can you say that?

How could you say that?

- When people, when you argue wi when they give you a hard time, you get very close, and you get very angry.

You get mean.

(indistinct yelling) - You couldn't see that?

(indistinct yelling) - Too much, too much noise.

- Nope.

- It was too hard.

Tammy, not that hard.

(all laughing) - [Robin] A lot of agita.

- They tell me my, if looks coul - [Tammy] He asked how we felt when we were winning.

(upbeat music) - Sometimes, you know, when we're doing battle, like, picture somebody's face on the b No.

No, cut that, don't say that Somebody, you wanna kick their ass, you know?

That's their face on the ball and you wanna just smack it.

But no, don't say that.

(laughin Cut!

Cut!

(laughing) (indistinct chatter) - [Announcer] Can I have your attention please?

If you've lost your phone... and your wallet... - In the eastern part of the United States, I mean, this tournament, everybody wants to play in, and everybody wants to come to.

- You have to see this, you have to witness, you have to come to Rome.

And you have to come to Rome in - And it's not just the bocce it but you have a lot of spectators coming to watch.

- It's a big social event.

It's the biggest social event in Rome, period.

If you're gonna see somebody one time a year, you see 'em at the World Series - The food is great.

That's what the people love too.

They come down for that.

- I came all the way from Virgin to get some meatballs, and some tomato pie,.

The best.

And I'm not disappoint - [Mayor Izzo] (laughing) - Pizza fritte, no questions ask - And you put a little sugar on It's how, the way we like it.

- You know, for the Americans, it's fried dough.

For us, it's pizza fritte.

(laug - Can't forget the beer tent.

- WSB baby, let's go.

(upbeat music) - For the World Series, baby.

- For the World Series.

- They estimate it brings in, over the course of the four days now, 20,000 peo - Rome is not a big area, but financial, it's a biggie, because it's a big money maker w hotels, restaurants, even gas.

I mean, everything.

It touches a lot of industry.

- It's a huge boost for our club It's our single biggest fundraising event for the year.

So from an economic standpoint, - We had a security guard who was new to the event.

The first night, we asked him ab We said, "What'd you think?"

And he said, "I thought I was coming out to see my grandfather playing in his backyard," he said.

"But this is an event, this is a This is a great atmosphere."

And he goes, "I can't wait to come back again next year."

(upbeat music) (spectator clapping) (players laughing) - I'm gonna hit you out.

- [indistinct chatter] - We should have a league... - [groaning] C'mon Antoinette.

- We had a lot of fun when we pl - We did.

- We didn't do that bad.

- Oh no, no, we did good.

- I think I can see it.

- Where is it?

I don't see it.

- That was a whole different era, a whole... - Oh my God.

It was totally diff - We had a good time.

- We did.

(pensive music) - My father and his brothers tog they had such a strong bond.

- Yes, they did.

- Oh, they did.

They didn't need anybody on the - No, they didn't.

- [Palma] They had their brother they had each other.

- Yep.

- I remember when my mother and my aunt used to cook all the They didn't hire people to come in and cook.

Their wives- - [Antoinette] It was all family - It was all family.

- [Antoinette] The kids did the the grandkids did the courts.

- [Palma] Yeah, they all did the courts and stuff.

- One time they had it there, it rained so hard, and they were all there digging - Oh yeah, I remember that.

- Remember that, to get rid of t Everybody had to help.

(laughing - Everybody had to help.

- Grab a shovel.

- [Antoinette] Just what I wante (laughing) - And it's special to know that they were the first ones who started this World Series of Without them, we would not have what we have today.

- Yeah.

- It was more about the community getting together, and friendships.

- Making sure everyone had a goo that was what it was all about.

It wasn't about the money, it wasn't about any of that.

It was about having fun, enjoying yourself.

- I really miss it.

- [All] Yeah.

- They didn't do anything without each other.

- [Gracie] No, they didn't.

- No, they did not.

- [Gracie] They truly loved one - Yes, they did, they did.

- And people still talk about that to this day.

- It's nice to hear that people still remember.

- [Gracie] Oh, absolutely.

- [Nanette] They still remember where it started.

- Yeah.

(reflective music) - I have been coming to the Toocy since I've been like five.

I mean, I was part of the young that helped build the first bocc So I have a massive history in the Toccolana Club.

Like, you know, my dad's been bringing me there, since like, ever since I can rem - I got kids all over the country, San Diego, Florida.

And every World Series, they all come to Rome to play.

- I normally play with him and my son and my nephew, so it's like a family thing.

- My grandkids, they love to pla Once you play, you wanna play all the time, really.

- It's just fun, we play in our front yard.

It's just, I don't know, it's just, it's fun to keep that.

I'm a big traditional guy, so I think it'll continue.

(reflective music) - Over here.

Over here, Nicky.

Turn.

Look, now, remember you gotta ro Roll it at the small ball, roll at the little ball.

That's it, yes.

Oh!

(clapping) Right here, right here, good job Turn.

- I've been playing for about... - All our lives.

- ...25, no, 35 years.

35 years.

- Pretty much all started playing in the grass with our relatives.

- I picked up a bocce ball when I was four years old, and I had to use two hands to ro and my parents were playing in a so they'd bring me along.

I joined the league when I was 1 and have played competitively ev - This guy right here, played in the World Championships.

- In Argentina.

- In Argentina.

- Brian Polantz.

(bright music) - When the ball, when the other team's ball is close to the pallino, or even anywhere, and you hit it, That's what I like to do.

I've been playing since I was three years old, and then I played the World Seri And I'm 13.

Well, they know the game a lot better than you, like me, so it's like, I try to learn stuff while they're playing.

- It's becoming a game for young We see more and more young people playing in the tournament - That's it Joey, let it go, let it go Joey.

- Come on, Joey.

- [Donna] And they're good, they - Atta-boy.

- First we passed it on to our h when they met, when they came in the family, - but then the kids... - They love it.

- Same with my boys.

- They love it.

- My kids are spectating.

They're not quite old enough, but they're there watching and cheering.

- Mine have been in tournaments and leagues.

- They might not win, but they l (all laughing) - They're learning.

- Right now we've got more younger people playing than we ever had.

A lot of young people getting involved in it now.

- I've seen a couple kids this weekend that play very well.

I think it was a 14-year-old in his tournament.

Kind of reminded, you know, of me when I was that age.

So it was special to see that.

- You know, that's the next gene You know, you gotta keep it goin (indistinct chatter) but our club is in Wickliffe.

Club Molisani is our club.

- We're representing Club Molisa - I've been coming here for 30 y Our buddy Wayne Farinacci introd to the World Series of Bocce.

He came from year 2.

Everybody wants to win.

- I won it in 2016.

These guys have not won ever, but I was a champion over here 2 - What the hell are you talking You never won a tournament.

(group laughing) (all cheering) - The feeling of winning the World Series of Bocce is overwhelming me, 'cause that's what everybody wan but when you finally do it, you're like, "ahh."

I mean, it's great.

- [Announcer] Attention, please.

In the open division game number - In 1985, at 15 years old, my brother was 18, and we went to the final.

And then it took us many years to actually get back to the final in 2009 and win, so it's special for me.

- Going on our third today, I hope.

(laughs) - There's a lot of pressure.

Because there's so many fans.

Everybody's, you know, you're under the microscope, everybody's watching you.

And you don't wanna make a mista (compelling music) - There's a lot of players that, everybody can play.

You know, there's not too many- it used to be that guys were bringing coolers, bringing them next to the court, and you can get a lot of easy ga but there aren't as many easy games anymore.

- You wanna win so bad.

You don't play to lose.

(upbeat music) - [Ciotti Sister] Nice ball, Robin.

Nice ball.

(clapping) (upbeat music continues) (balls knock together) (teammates cheer) - [Pete] Nice ball, Marco.

(spectators clapping) (team cheering) (spectators clapping) (team cheering) (spectators clapping) - Good run, babe.

Good run.

- Yay!

- [Donna] It never grows old.

- [Tammy] Each win is just as good as the first one.

- [Robin] Yeah, as the one befor - Thank you!

- I think it just gets bigger and better every year.

- Yeah.

- We have contests now.

That's something new we started.

We named our spocking contest after the Facciolo brothers.

So their name is always in there connected with the World Series.

- We had a good time, we did.

- We had a lot of fun.

- Ooph!

- We didn't quite take it as ser - No.

- No.

- No.

- You know.

- But we did come close to winni - But we had a lot of fun.

- But we did, we had- - A lot of fun.

- To be honest, win or lose, the special thing about it is you see friends once a year, but you see 'em here every year.

You hope to see 'em every year, But that's the most special thin and I carried on the tradition from when my father played with - I mean, I love coming back her It's like a, it's an every year My kids love coming back here.

Get to see my parents, I get to see all the friends that I haven't seen in years, ri I mean, it seems like everybody wants to be part of like, the celebration of like the World Series.

- It's fun, all our family shows up to cheer us on, and then we have a celebration a - Pizza and wings.

- Pizza and wings afterwards at Mom's, yep.

- I just have a lot of pride in I think it's just great that four sisters can play together and have fun.

- Any people who play bocce, there's this culture where you get together, you play you argue, you have fun, you eat, you drink.

If it was just the game itself, I probably wouldn't have been pl as long as I have been, but when you factor in all the great people and the comradery, it's what makes the game what it is.

- For a city like ours to be able to pull off an event like this every single the club does such a tremendously good job with this.

As you can see, it's huge.

So we're really pleased.

- Anything that gets people toge I think being able to see people and talk to 'em is just a really important thing in life.

- Yeah, it's our heritage, and we're gonna continue.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (balls knocking) - You know, I hope it keeps goin and the next generation and the next generation can enjo (upbeat music) ♪ Everybody's waiting for the we ♪ Everybody's playing the game ♪ They gotta roll it away ♪ They gotta roll it away (upbeat music continues) ♪ Roll it away ♪ They gotta roll it away