Ann Theresa Calvello (August 1, 1929 – March 14, 2006) was a U.S. athlete and notable personality in the sport of roller derby.

Ann Calvello graduated from Presentation High School in San Francisco, CA in June 1947.

Calvello had competed in roller derby in seven decades: the 1940s through the 2000s. She broke into the sport in 1948 originally skating for a league called International Rollerspeedway. Calvello, who often sported dyed hair and wild makeup, was known for her temper along with her unconventional looks. She was nicknamed "Banana-Nose" by fans. She travelled the world skating in Europe, Guam, Philippines, Cuba, Australia and of course all over the United States. She broke her nose 12 times during her career. Her most famous rival on the track was the late Joan Weston.

Ann gave birth to a daughter, Teri Ann Langley-Conte, on August 11, 1953.

In 2001, Demon Of The Derby, a biographical documentary film about Calvello, was completed by Fireproof Productions. It has been released on DVD, and is occasionally screened at fundraisers organized by roller derby leagues.

In 2005, Calvello contributed many rare photos and clippings from her personal collection to the book Roller Derby Classics…and more! by Jim Fitzpatrick, published by Trafford Publishing. She also wrote the foreword to the book.

On February 27, 2006, Calvello was featured in an episode of the reality television show Rollergirls that was broadcast on the A&E Network. In the episode, filmed in 2005, members of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls travel to California in search of their hero.

Calvello last resided in San Bruno, California with her cats. She never officially retired from roller derby, but had not competed since 2000, although in 2002 she returned to the track one final time to win a match race with Kenneth Loge III on the finale of RollerJam. In early 2006, she was diagnosed with liver cancer, and died soon after.

[edit] References

• Mills, Ami Chen (1997-05-01). "Queen of the Jungle: Meet a 67-year-old Roller Derby queen who can't get her skates off". Metro (Silicon Valley weekly). http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/05.01.97/slices-9718.html. 
• Business Wire (via FindArticles) (2000-06-01). "Roller Derby Legend Ann Calvello to "Lace Up Skates" as a Special Guest On TNN's "ROLLERJAM" Series". Press release. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_June_1/ai_62415835. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• Tudor, Silke (August 29, 2001). "The Lioness in Winter: At age 72, Ann Theresa Calvello, the Roller Derby Queen, is the subject of a movie — and as salty as ever". S.F. Weekly, Vol. 20, Iss. 30. http://www.sfweekly.com/2001-08-29/news/the-lioness-in-winter/. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• "Original "Roller Derby Queen" Ann Calvello dies". San Francisco Chronicle; Associated Press. 2006-03-15. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/15/state/n173523S72.DTL. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• "Roller derby queen Ann Calvello dies after cancer bout". San Jose Mercury News. March 15, 2006. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/14102956.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp. 
• Morente, Christine (2006-03-16). "ANN CALVELLO, 1929–2006: Roller derby queen rolled for 7 decades". Oakland Tribune (via FindArticles). http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060316/ai_n16224309. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• Costantinou, Marianne (2006-03-16). "Ann Calvello -- the flamboyant villainess of roller derby". San Francisco Chronicle. p. B-7. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/16/BAG5VHP23N1.DTL. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• Martin, Douglas (2007-03-17). "Ann Calvello, 76, a Legend in Roller Derby's Rowdy Rinks, Dies". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/sports/othersports/17calvello.html. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• Deford, Frank (commentator). (2006-03-22) (streaming RealAudio or WMA via HTML front-end). Sweetness and Light: Roller Derby Queen was Best Bad Girl in Sports. [syndicated radio broadcast]. National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5294138. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 
• Mz. Behavin' (2007) (PDF). Remembering the Queen of Mean. Derby Gal. http://derbygalmag.com/galley/anncalvello.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-09. 

[edit] External links

• Demon Of The Derby: The Ann Calvello Story—promotional site for the film
• Ann Calvello Cub Club—fan club on Yahoo! Groups
• The National Roller Derby Hall of Fame—site with an Ann Calvello in memoriam
• Roller Derby Classics…and more! (Archived 2009-10-25)—promotional site for the book by Jim Fitzpatrick (with foreword by Ann Calvello)
• Ann Calvello interview from 2005
• The Great Ann Calvello Remembered