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SNAPSHOT FOR 8/8/97: GINO LORICCO:

Occupation: Newtown Middle School eighth grade history teacher and boys'

basketball coach

How long in Newtown: A resident of Woodbury, Mr LoRicco has been teaching at

Newtown Middle School for the past three years.

Biggest change: I guess what I see as a teacher is that kids today are

incredibly hard-working, more than I ever was. They do a great job on

homework, and I'm impressed by that. You hear a lot of negative things about

kids, but the ones I've met here in Newtown are really great.

Family: My wife, Marcia, and I have six children. Five sons and a daughter.

The oldest is 7 and the youngest is two months.

Hobbies: I play a lot of sports. In 1988, my brother, my cousin and I went to

the Wiffle Ball, Inc World Series held in Wareham, Cape Cod. We made it to the

Final Four. Then we were on ESPN and Sports Channel after that happened.

Another hobby is that I like to write music and play the guitar and banjo.

I never have a moment when I'm bored.

Personal philosophy: Always work as hard as you can. Use your best effort.

Treat others the way you would want them to treat you.

I love children. My wife says it's because I'm still 12 years old,

emotionally. I prefer to say I'm childlike without being childish.

I guess what I like best about kids is that they're flexible, not set in their

ways. They're not so serious. They laugh a lot.