New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito generated plenty of buzz for the way he performed on “Monday Night Football” earlier this week.
And perhaps the only one to captivate the audience more that night was his agent Sean Stellato.
Prior to DeVito leading the Giants to a win in the final seconds over the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium, the camera captured Stellato standing next to DeVito on the sideline with a cell phone pressed to his ear. But Stellato wasn’t dressed like a typical sports agent.
Stellato, a proud Italian like his quarterback client, sported a black pinstripe suit and topped off the outfit with an all-black fedora, making it look like he had just stepped out of a scene from a mafia movie.
The striking look immediately caught traction online and quickly made Stellato a viral sensation before the Giants and Packers even kicked off.
“My phone obviously has been blowing up,” Stellato told NESN.com. “But if you go back and look at my Instagram or social (media), this is how I dress. There’s nothing synthetic about this look. It’s strictly organic. I don’t know, I guess everybody needs something to talk about. … We’re very proud Italian-Americans and we’ve embraced our heritage and the core values and what it stands for to be Italian. And fashion and being a little louder sometimes is a trait that we all carry as Italianos.”
Stellato, who is a native of Salem, Mass., said he was unaware at first that his outfit had caused quite the commotion online until his daughter alerted him to it.
By that point it was hard to ignore his growing online celebrity as he tried to focus on the game. More texts from family and friends flew in, some with pictures of Stellato photoshopped to make it look like he starred in “Goodfellas.”
“It was cool, it was funny,” Stellato said. “I know people are going to respond in a way. It’s like when you’re playing in a game as a player, you block out all that stuff out from the crowd, who’s yelling at you. I know people are having fun with it, but like I said, it wasn’t synthetic. What you see is what you get. I’m proud to be Italian, I’m proud of having some passion when I dress and at the end of the day it’s all about Tommy. I’m just here as a confidant and someone that he can confide in and trying to create value on and off the field.”
But Stellato’s 15 seconds of fame didn’t stop there. Anytime DeVito delivered a strong play for the Giants — and there were plenty with the undrafted rookie completing 17-of-21 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 71 yards on 10 carries — the cameras panned to Stellato, who sat in the stands next to DeVito’s father, Tom.
After a 26-yard scamper from DeVito set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Saquon Barkley less than five minutes into the third quarter, Stellato and the elder DeVito’s enthusiasm boiled over into pure joy. The two celebrated the touchdown by exchanging emphatic kisses on the cheek.
“As Italians, I’ve been in situations where you kiss the cheek,” Stellato said. “It’s something I happily reciprocated to him because we are like family. … It was a surreal moment. It was a moment of excitement. There’s just so much mountain that has been climbed to this point.
Stellato understands the climb is far from over for him and DeVito. But on Monday night, he and DeVito were on top of the mountain with the entire football world looking at them.
It’s a place Stellato feels DeVito can reach on a permanent basis and one that might have belonged to Stellato for a fleeting moment.
“It was a fun experience. Electric atmosphere. Monday Night Football,” Stellato said. “I’m just so happy for my client. He had an opportunity to continue to solidify himself in this league and to see him do it at home in front of his family and friends, it was refreshing to see. He’s work so hard for this moment.”
