John "Bingo" Correia
Graduating class: 1956
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2006
Hall of Fame Category: Athlete
John "Bingo" Correia is a 1956 graduate of Fairhaven High School. He attended Rogers School and showed a strong interest in sports even then. He played stick ball on Atlas Street before it was paved and baseball at the Atlas Tack Recreational Field before it was determined to be contaminated.
At FHS "Bingo" played the guard position for three years on the football team. In 1955 as a senior he was named to the All-Bristol County team. An interesting story about "Bingo" is the manner by which he joined the football team. As a freshman he played the snare drum for the marching band so that he could watch the football games, and then when his sophomore year came around he asked his parents if he could sign up and play football. His house was divided: his father said "no" and his mother said "yes".
On the evening of the Open House at FHS in the fall of 1953 "Bingo" and his mother went to speak with Coach Mel Entin, who was Bingo's Biology teacher. In their discussion the subject of football came up and when the 120 pound Bingo expressed an interest in playing football, Coach Entin told Mrs. Correia that she would have to "fatten up" her boy. Bingo ended up trying out at 120 pounds and wound up playing on the line, and was known for his tough play day in and day out, whether it was practice or a game.
Bingo also played for the basketball team for three years, and was also a standout shortstop for the baseball team in the two seasons that he played. He was named to the All-Bristol County Baseball Team in 1956.