NY bowling great, Fulton resident Mark Roth has died

Bowling great Mark Roth has died at age 70. (Staten Island Advance)
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The Staten Island and national bowling worlds are minus one of their kingpins today.

Legendary professional kegler Mark Roth has passed away, it was announced by Professional Bowling Association (PBA) commissioner Tom Clark, who broke the news about 2:15 p.m. ET, after receiving word from Roth’s wife, Denise.

Mark Roth was 70.

Roth, who had suffered a stroke in 2009 and then had a heart attack in 2019, revolutionized the sport in the 1970s and 1980s with his power bowling.

Just three days ago, Denise Roth took to Facebook to ask for prayers for her ailing husband, who was in the hospital with congestive heart failure.

“Certainly sad news for the bowling community,” said Rab’s Country Lanes proprietor Frank Wilkinson. “Mark will be remembered as a pioneer of the game, a legend, whom everyone wanted to emulate. He should be thanked for revolutionizing the sport we all love. Mark, a gentleman and arguably one of the best to shoe up, also left a legacy in Staten Island that won’t be forgotten, that legacy includes his induction into the Staten Island Bowling Hall of Fame.”

Born in Brooklyn, Roth moved to the Island and settled in Meiers Corners for a few years before moving to New Jersey.

Roth, a right-hander, won 34 bowling titles with most of those coming in his prime as he was a regular on Saturday’s ABC Wide World of Sports’ bowling telecasts.

He was a resident of Fulton, N.Y.

“It’s a very sad day for me,” wrote bowler Tom Hess on Facebook. “Today one of my hero’s has passed. I always wanted to bowl like Mark Roth. The most powerful bowler of his generation. My thoughts go out to Denise Roth during this very difficult time. Heaven gained a great one today. RIP Mark Roth!!!”

Closer to home, longtime bowler and tournament director Donnie Walters was saddened by the news of his close friend and the PBA Hall of Famer.

“I had been praying for him the past couple of days, but I’m sorry to hear the news,” said Walters. “He will go down as one of the greatest bowlers of all-time. He could string those strikes together, but he never missed a spare either.

“I met him through Bob Simonelli when the two owned Mark Roth’s Lanes in Brooklyn. Just a nice guy.”

Former NFL great O.J. Simpson and pro bowlers and former Islanders Johnny Petraglia and Mark Roth were in attendance for the grand opening of Showplace Entertainment Center in September of 1987. (Staten Island Advance)

Roth had helped open Showplace Bowling Center in 1987 by making an appearance at the Travis center’s grand opening with fellow pro bowler and former Islander Johnny Petraglia and football great OJ Simpson.

Roth, once considered the best bowlers of all-time, has fallen on the list of greats, but still is considered one of the top five bowlers in the history of the sport.

“It’s a sad day for the bowling world today with the loss of Hall of Famer Mark Roth,” said Naz Laursen, the manager at Country Lanes. “I will never forget the first time I saw Mark bowl. Larger than life, unorthodox bowling style and big sweeping hook. I knew he would change the game forever and he did.

“The ‘Original Cranker’ brought excitement to the game of bowling. He truly was an innovator - physical game, lane surface and bowling ball technology took a huge leap forward in the wake of his arrival. His brash unapologetic style on and off the lanes made him a fan favorite, while his bowling skill earned him titles, records and his place in the PBA Hall of Fame. He leaves behind a legacy that will be difficult to match. He will truly be missed.”

His 34 crowns rank him sixth on the career-wins list behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47), Earl Anthony (43), Norm Duke (40), Pete Weber (37) and Park Bohn III (35).

Roth will go down as the first pro bowler to convert the seemingly impossible 7-10 split on national TV during a Wide World of Sports PBA telecast in 1980, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance.

After winning his 33rd PBA Tour title in 1987, Roth didn’t win again until 1995 when he won the IOF Foresters Open in 1995. That would be his last crown.

In 1998, Roth made his final TV appearance on the PBA Tour at the Peoria Open, but he lost the opening match to Tom Baker, 265–190, to finish fifth. Roth won two titles on the PBA Senior Tour.

“Mark was a great guy, and a great bowler,” said Island kegler Joe LaBargo. “He and my dad (Dom) bowled in the Met Major Classic League at Bowlmor Lanes back in the late 60s, early 70s. It was so great to have known him, and then see him tearing everyone up on the Saturday afternoon PBA shows. What a shame to hear this about him.”

Mark Roth’s awards and recognition

  • Inducted into PBA Hall of Fame, 1987.
  • Inducted into USBC Hall of Fame, 2009.
  • Inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 2014.
  • Four-time winner of the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award.
  • Holds the PBA record with eight titles in a single season (1978).
  • Ranked #5 on the PBA’s 2008 list of “50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years”.
PBA great and one-time Staten Islander Mark Roth was a beast on the lanes. (Staten Island Advance)

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