Who

The eldest son of the late Wellington Mara, John Mara is co-owner and president of the New York Giants.

Backstory

Mara grew up in a football family: His grandfather, Timothy Mara, founded the New York Giants (for a fee of $500) in 1925, and his father, Wellington, spent his entire career working with (and later owning) the franchise. John didn't go directly into the family business: He spent a decade as an attorney, mostly with Shea & Gould, before joining the Giants in 1991. He became co-owner of the team, along with Steve Tisch, after the deaths of Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch in 2005. (Steve's brother, Jon Tisch, serves as treasurer.) After enduring a few frustrating seasons as quarterback Eli Manning failed to live up to expectations and the team had a string of defeats in the first round of the playoffs, Mara enjoyed his moment in the sun as Manning stewarded the Giants to a stunning victory against the Patriots in Super Bow XLII in 2008.

Drama

Unlikely his famously gentlemanly father, John Mara has a bit of a mean streak. He was fired from his job as an assistant for CBS in 1978 when, after a botched play by the Giants, he slammed his fist onto a table in frustration and accidentally damaged some equipment. He also had to be restrained from fighting with a professor who teased him about the underperforming Giants the following day. Tempers run in the family: His younger brother Steve Mara allegedly choked a co-worker who was gloating over a Philadelphia Eagles win over the Giants in 2006.

Personal

Mara lives in Harrison with his wife Denise and five children: Lauren, Courtney, John Jr., Christine and Erin. (John himself is one of eleven children.) The Maras also own three adopted rescue dogs, Ace, a Yorkshire terrier, Tucker, a bichon frise mix, and Sophie, a dachshund mix.

Board game

Mara serves on the board of directors of Saint Vincent's Hospital in Harrison, New York. He's also on the board of Harrison's School of the Holy Child, and Newark's Catholic Community Services.