Rick Tucci of Pembroke Pines, Fla., has been named the 1997 Man of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling. 
 Tucci serves as the President of the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association (USWOA), and is considered one of the best wrestling referees in the world. He is also a member of USA Wrestling's Board of Directors and has been a leader in the sport for many years. 
 Tucci has been selected to officiate in three Olympic Games, the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., the 1998 Olympics in Seoul, Korea and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. He received the Golden Whistle Award as the top wrestling official at the 1988 Olympic Games. He was also selected to work the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Soviet Union but did not attend due to the U.S. boycott. 
 Tucci holds the new international ranking of "hors classe," the highest level of achievement for an international official. He is a member of the FILA Officiating Council, and also serves as a FILA instructor for the Western Hemisphere. 
 His value to the U.S. as a leading international official is immense. With his position and respect among his colleagues, Tucci has influence upon the sport at the highest levels. He is considered an ambassador of U.S. wrestling on the international scene. 
 Tucci has worked dozens of World Championship events, and has officiated all over the world. He is also active on the national scene, working all of the major U.S. wrestling events, as well as wrestling competitions on the local level. He became an international wrestling official in 1973, and received the rank of exceptionelle in 1975. 
 He has served as president of the USWOA since 1984. The USWOA is the national organization of wrestling officials affiliated with USA Wrestling. When Tucci became president, the USWOA had about 1,000 members, which has grown to over 2,600 members today. Tucci was named USWOA Official of the Year in 1992. 
 Tucci is a former Second Vice-President of USA Wrestling. He has served on many USA Wrestling standing committees.  
 Besides his work as an international official, Tucci has also been a highly respected high school and college wrestling referee. He has been honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with its Lifetime Achievement Award for officials.  
 He has a life-long involvement with the sport. A high school wrestler from Toms River, N.J., he went on to compete at West Virginia University. He served as the head wrestling coach at Miami Dade Community College from 1970-77. He is also active with the wrestling officials within the state of Florida and has worked with a number of youth wrestling programs. 
 Tucci is a teacher at Highland Oaks Middle School in the Miami area.