Education
Columbia University.
basketball player television producer
Columbia University.
Forte"s life in the sports world began as an All-State basketball star at Hackensack High School in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was named to the Star-Ledger"s Team of the Century in 1999. From there he starred at Columbia University.
In the 1956-1957 season, he was named first-team All-American as a point guard, and beat out the legendary Wilt Chamberlain for player of the year.
He was short for a basketball player, but shot with deadly accuracy from the outside—the approximate location of today"s three-point circle. American Broadcasting Company Sports
After a brief career in the National Basketball Association, Forte began working in television, joining American Broadcasting Company Sports in the mid-1960s.
In 1970, Forte was named the first director of Monday Night Football. His ability to present the game as entertainment spectacle as well as sporting event, under the mandate of executive producer Roone Arledge, made the show a huge success in both sports and popular culture.
= Departure from American Broadcasting Company Sports Despite his professional success, Forte had a huge gambling addiction which he kept behind the scenes.
American Broadcasting Company executives feared his gambling activities were affecting his job which led to his departure from American Broadcasting Company in the mid-1980s at the time Howard Cosell also resigned and Arledge retired. He was also indicted by a federal grand jury on three-counts of mail fraud and tax evasion. He cooperated with the government and was spared prison time receiving a five-year probation sentence.
Post-American Broadcasting Company activities
In 1989, he directed the roller derby program RollerGames, which was highly rated and beat American Gladiators in the ratings.
The next year, he became a talk show host at San Diego"s XTRA, also known as "XTRA Sports 690." He co-hosted the Loose Cannons show with Steve Hartman. On the show, he openly discussed his addiction and offered to help others in a similar situation.
Death
Forte was working on-the-air days prior to his death on May 18, 1996. He had a joyous appetite and publicly celebrated a love for Italian food and other cuisines, however it was still a surprise when he suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 60.
In the aftermath, there was a controversy about his medical treatment which led to his survivors filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Doctor Steven Gross.
The family received a $1.7 million settlement.