Now, whyd you get out of the Army? And I remember reading an article in the daily news about the landing of the Marines in Vietnam, and even as a young person, sensing that this wasnt as grand a mission set as maybe World War II was. He was for several weeks President Donald Trump's nominee for United States Secretary of the Army, before withdrawing from consideration. So the investigation goes on sort of in the Spring semester of the Cow Year. So the cheating happened in their Firstie Year? He was an astute businessman and an extreme opportunist. Its the point where you ask yourself do you understand the importance of your role as a combat leader. The son of a truck driver from Brooklyn, Vincent Viola started electronic-trading firm Virtu Financial in 2008 and took the company public in 2015. Viola is a West Point graduate who founded the highly profitable high-frequency trading firm Virtu Financial Inc in 2008, Trump's transition team said in a statement on Monday. So we were together in the same company for the first three years of my cadet career until the scandal. Box 23763 Wonder when the last time the Panthers wrote Broward a rent check? He is also Chief Executive Officer of Virtu Financial, one of the nation's foremost providers of financial technology products and services, which he co-founded along with Panthers Owner, Chairman, and Governor Vincent J. Viola in 2008. All donations are tax deductible. Did you think you would be going to Vietnam when you entered here? His personality was amazing. FloridaPanthers.com is the official Web site of the Florida Panthers. The mansion has bounced on and off the market since 2013. We only knew we wanted to serve our country. One was the cadets who were completely indignant, and almost felt they should be able to cheat, and were very reactive to the potential that they could be thrown out for an honor scandal which was and should be the standardstarted to agitate, basically against the whole surety of the honor code as it was being practiced. It had to be temptingI mean tempting literally, but it had to temptyou had to look at it and think, Wow, Im going to go back, and Im going to go through this rigorous schedule, and theyre going to go off and have fun, and play, and listen to rock and roll, and. This is what I wanted to ask you, and well close with this question cause we have to stop. Yeah. Virtu, traded on NASDAQ, is an electronic trading firm and market maker that uses proprietary technology to handle high frequency stock trades. Of course, it also dovetailed with the larger story going on outside of the Academy. Tell me about Branch Night for youwhat did you choose? Whats Next? And your mother was sick also, had you said, or. My mom had two of her brothers and five nephews in combat. I hardly remember a classmate saying, Im here because its a free education. If you felt that way, you quickly realized in the first two, three, four weeks that going through this formation, this transformative process, was not worth all the money in the world, and you would move on. A very tall fellow, ramrod straight, and he wore the Silver Star, and I can remember he taught us small unit tactics in military instruction either my Plebe or my Yearling Year. Dare I say they aretheyre definitional. Im just trying to understand this. You only put your minimum, five years and gone. Chair in Catholic Theology at Fordham University.[26]. When you click on the link below, you will be taken to the West Point Association of Graduates website and instructions on how to give to the Center. But our close, most closely contacted the officers that we had most close contact withour instructors and our tactical officers and trainersthey were all Vietnam. [18][6] In 2013, their Upper East Side townhouse was listed for sale at $114 million. Which was that the nation was in decline, the Army is in decline, old traditional trusted places were not to be trusted anymore. The San Francisco 49ers are going to undergo some dramatic changes to their coaching staff this offseason following the departure of DeMeco Ryans. Vincent "Vinnie" Viola (born 1956) is an American billionaire businessman and U.S. Army veteran. He was a truck driver. [6][7][8] His father, an immigrant from Italy, worked as a truck driver after serving in the U.S. Army in the European theater of WWII. Lets actually go to the nature of that kind of training. Your father wasin that period your father was suffering from what? Rent, food and alcohol sales, parking, etc. And thats very powerful continuum there of an Italian-American immigrant family that, not more than 17 years prior, 20 years prior, had been in that village, and now my dad and three of his brothers were in combat. My dad took ill during my Yearling Year, and I was theI had become quickly the sole source of leadership in my family, and. And the captain said, Wellmy dad was not bold enough to say, Id like to bring them food or something. He would just figure outso the captain gave him a day pass to go and visit his family, and suggested that he bring some food and other supplies, sundries to them. The persons on the floors who would grant the orders and run them from one broker to the next, and enter the order into a. Its the same thing herethis is extremelyin the end its a very insulated, but positively reaffirming, environment. And its a very grave, simple, but singular point in which your responsibility to duty and your understanding of it intercedes with your desire to take it on. In some ways it does, absolutely, I would say. The complaint accuses Virtu of many months of delays, misdirection and gaslighting while withholding records necessary to its investigation, such as how much cash has been paid out to Viola. Did you find yourself when you would travel off being mocked and harassed by people? He previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Virtu Financial and its predecessors since April 2008. The Ft L Commissioners lead by Dean to be honest, WERE STAR STRUCK BY PANTHERS LOBBYISTS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, but as a Commissioner said to me privately after I protested the proposed deal, Who cares what we do? (except the lobbyists)? And it was interesting, because again, that exercise was going on. All Rights Reserved | Florida Bulldog. But there's a ton that can be done to help this team be active after another NFC Championship Game appearance. In World War II. It caused, for me, a redoubling of my dedication to the Academy. Did you knowyou mustve known some of the cadets that were involved with this. [21], After the 9/11 attacks, Viola helped found the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, and was the principal funder at its creation. I cameI was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and a very, very parochial, if not insulated, Italian-American neighborhood. Viola and his wife, Teresa, sold the places in March for $11.3 million. It was a special provisional detachment. And so theit mustve been quite an achievement for you. So when youre here, and youre studying the subject matter, youre not conditional or conditioned by the environmentyoure going to ply your craft. Spring through First Class year summer, yeah. TRD Staff. Viola splurged on real estate with stock sale proceeds, buying a beachfront Florida condo and spending $108 million on Arizona's tallest skyscraper. Beloved Husband to the Late Myrna (Baker) Viola. Never wanted out. Davis is the fourth Black performer to win the quartet of awards after Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, and Jennifer Hudson. My mothers first advice when I told her I was going to get out of the Army, she said, You need to take the civil service test for different positions in New York City, which I thought a little bit about. Now, maybe thats not the experience for every cadet, but I would say a vast majority, a solid amountmaybe majority, vast majority of people who leave the Army after five years leave a part of themselves with the Army, and have to have a feeling theres a void thereabsolutely. We came from a civilian world that had undergone enormous social disruption. These freedoms are gifts. Ill veer off to a very interesting story. We are a 501(c)(3) organization. And my dad said to me, Before I pass, I want to go to the village. And so in April of 1980, we went to this villageI had never been therewhere my dad was born. He resides in Jupiter, Fla. with his wife, Melissa Lautenberg Cifu, their daughter, Rachel, and son, Daniel. A definite weight was put on my class because of the honor scandal, and I remember my First Class summerI was a squad leader in the first detail at Beast Barrackshaving to watch approximately somewhere it seems like 50 or 60 of my classmates wear the same uniform every day different than what we were wearing. Now, didare you the first to go to West Point in your family? The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn seeing that they came back a bit detached and unsure around the heraldry of their service. So it was not the Korean generation, you were being taught by people who were a little bit older than you are, thensenior officers? And one of the few times I defied my parents, and I selected the 101st Airborne Division. A graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne, Air Assault, Infantry, and Ranger Schools, Mr. Viola served as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, and his dedication to the U.S. military additionally led to his creation of the Florida Panthers' Heroes Among Us program, which has honored hundreds of veterans, and counting, since its inception in 2013. Im sure theres some of that. Now, hes sitting on the honor committee in judgment of his fellow cadets, right? And now you had groups who wanted to make sure that civil liberties and personal liberties were not violatedin fact, I think the ACLU mightve gotten involvedand then the civilian lawyers who got involved to represent these cadets. Mr. Viola is one of the nation's foremost leaders in electronic trading. Public shareholders own whats known as Class A shares in Virtu. And Branch Night wasoh, it was the best days of my life, being a platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division was justfor someone who always desired to lead soldiers and experience the feeling of building an esprit and a camaraderie, it was just simply amazing. So were you investigatedwas every cadet investigated for their commitment? Yes. When I would go home on leave, all of my friends had gotten into some level of drug use, so I had to make a very specific choice, and that choice was, I cannot do this. Since his purchase of the Florida Panthers franchise in 2013, Mr. Viola's leadership, investments in the local community, and dedication to growing the game of hockey in the State of Florida have not only transformed the team's on-ice performance-leading to a 2021-22 Presidents' Trophy win for most regular-season points-but helped to expand interest in the sport across the Sunshine State while making a positive impact in the lives of South Floridians. [9] At West Point, Viola played on the sprint football team and was cadet company commander for Company E-4 his senior year. Oh, what did I do professionally? [18], On December 19, 2016, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Viola for the position of Secretary of the Army. And I was never called for even a drill roll check, nor were any persons in my company. Branch of THREE BROTHERS FAMILY OFFICE LLC (New York (US)) Agent Name. And I remember, in 1971, a young soldier from my neighborhood, who my family knew the family, got killed, and he was an infantryman. Additionally, the suit says, Viola owns nonpublic, super-voting stock that lets him retain control over Virtu and Virtu LLC. Since then, the Foundation has provided free educational programming for hundreds of local public schools and continues to serve the community through ongoing outreach programs, crisis relief efforts, grant programs, and partnerships with local 501c3 organizations. Im sure there were. Vincent Viola is the former Chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and is one of the nation's foremost leaders in electronic trading.He is currently the Executive Chairman of Virtu Financial. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, and veteran of the United States Army, Mr. Viola is a Brooklyn, N.Y. native and graduate of both the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and New York Law School. I remained a reserve officer for the next 13 years, and I always stoodI try to remain current as far as my officership, and in contact with classmates and other soldiers. Net Worth: $2.8 Billion. [5], Viola was born in 1956 to an Italian American family in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the son of Virginia (Torre) and John A. All Rights Reserved. So I distinctly remember sophomore year of high school, there was a very spontaneous antiwar demonstration, and there was a small group of us that basically picked up flags in the hallway of the high school and went outside and carried the flags and raised the flags. Under Mr. Viola's stewardship, the Florida Panthers Foundation has refocused its mission on serving veterans, in addition to investing in children's education, conserving the endangered Florida panther, and growing youth hockey with an emphasis on furthering diversity, inclusion, and access to the game. In contrast the Class A stockholders, who through Virtu own nearly 2/3 of the units of Virtu LLC, have received only $208.4 million in cash dividends during this same period. Part of that was because we had some former soldiers in the company who were cadets throughout the four classes that were there any time, and part of it was because we had a tactical officerthen was at the rank of major, Major Joseph Kinzer an old-guard Infantry soldier who was a Vietnam combat veteran, a phenomenal infantryman and a fantastic tactical officer. She didnt have any skills, per se, except to be a housewife. It was very fascinating, and I could actually say, for me, it was quiteI was self-aware of it, because the academymy classI think this can be documented. People always say you learn to be a leader at West Point, but I find it hard to imagine how you teach leadership. It was, yeah. What was your own attitude about the Vietnam War at the time? So what class are you, did you graduate with here at West Point? And he just was extremely involved effectively at forming us as officers. In 1988, he founded The Independent Bank Group, a Texas-based regional bank which is listed on NASDAQ (IBTX). Electrical engineering, we refer to it as juiceit was one of the required engineering science courses that you had to take at the Academy. Viola Has an Estimated Net Worth of $1.79 Billion. So what are theythis would be my take on those incontrovertible principles. When the distaste for the Army was at a peak. It's the most . So what was it like? Vietnamization, actually, wouldve done some of that. But I could see over the period of those of us who stayed and again, during my years, attrition was fairly significantthe people who stayed, sown into their souls almost, were those principles and that commitment to service. I remember a Major Davison, in military instructionI think, believe he was class of 1964. You come here, and its interesting because society was just integrating, and internalizing the disruption that it experienced from the middle of the Vietnam War until its end. And we were the first class to actually enter after the war had officially ended, which was, I think, January 12, 1973. In 1983, he graduated from New York Law School with a juris doctor degree. Yeah. My mom and dad were my dependentsand my younger brother were my dependents from the day I graduated. So lets talk a little bit about that. And you walk into Wall Street, and suddenly it is an environment you can recognizeit seems familiar to you. My dad served in combat in World War II, many of my uncles did. Hes nowhere near as rich as he boasts, nor as poor as his critics claim. So Ill try to take you through the first day, and to graduation. Vincent Viola was born August 13, 1933 in Brooklyn, NY. In 2019, the company repurchased more than $500 million in company stock from Viola. The actress was born the fifth of six children in St. Matthews, South Carolina, in her grandparents' house, where her grandfather was a sharecropper on a plantation. She didnt work. We were [a] extremely patriotic family. If you believe that you cannot effectivelyeffectively, comprehensively, lead more than four persons other than yourself on a physical day-to-day level, then everything you ever wanted to know about anything, youve learned in platoon leadership. Under his leadership, the Panthers have continued to further these efforts both on and off the ice, including the revitalization of Fort Lauderdale's historic War Memorial Auditorium and construction of a two-sheet team practice and community ice facility-the Baptist Health IcePlex-which will host an array of community hockey and skating programs and increase access to the sport of hockey to thousands of tri-county residents. And therefore, thats why the scandal happened. The protection of civil liberties was being focused upon. Im kind of grasping back. Jan. 18, 2017. You always want, in your mindyeah, because if you come through here, you cant help but to be singular in your desire to serve. He owns valuable New York real estate: Viola owns a 20,000-square-foot townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, near Central Park. And theres a phenomenal awareness of graduates and cadets that the experience at the Academy is so pervasive, it internalizes so deeply, because your physical experience is so commanded and defined by your cadet duties and schedule, that its almost osmotic. He drew people in. And my dad received a V letter from my grandfather, commanding him, basically as strong Italian fathers will do to their sons, that he must go visit his relatives in the village where my dad was actually born. 7901 4TH ST. N, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33702. Viola, 67, a West Point graduate who bought the National Hockey Leagues Panthers in 2013 for a reported $250 million, founded Virtu Financial LLC in New York City in 2008. Spring through Firstyeah. He actually commanded the forces during an operation up in the central highlands near the Cambodian and Laos borderit was 197071called Operation Ripcord. So you had to be something of a maverick to want to stand up and say, Im going to go to the [United States] Military Academy now, particularly in the middle of the Vietnam Waror actually, at the end of the Vietnam War, even more. Former President Trump nominated Vincent Viola to become Secretary of the Army in 2017. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is slated to undergo surgery on his throwin elbow Feb. 22 with Dr. Keith Meister performing the procedure. The problem was that the academy now had to make a decision around how to process these honor boards in a way that protected the principles of the honor code, and from an administrative and just execution perspective, was not overwhelmingas it did began to overwhelm. And you learn them here from the first day youre here. So I remember distinctly, as a young man, reading about some of the first battlesI cant remember specifically which ones. And if you did, why? And I guess bring it to the next level of the honor procedure. You have an affirmative duty, if you see. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. And I can just remember the passion with which he spoke about operational planning, and the conduct of a platoon operation. Some of these very general storiesnot too specificand I thought West Point would be the best place to attempt to become commissioned. His father's Army service made a significant impression on Viola as a youth. Having a mobile app can increase accessibility for customers and provide a better customer experience. It simply says a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. Hes down at Fort Monroe now, I thinkis that right? I basically was torn. [8], Viola has launched a number of businesses during his career. And so there mustve been cadets who, rather than cheating or stealing themselves, were nonetheless implicated just because they were aware of the fact that it was going on down the hallway. Viola. The billionaire owner of the Florida Panthers hockey team, Vincent Viola, is at the center of a Delaware lawsuit that alleges hes used his control of a large publicly traded financial services company to improperly divert hundreds of millions of dollars to himself, his family and his cronies. In electronic trading Army was at a peak Estimated Net Worth of $ 1.79 Billion combat world! On and off the market since 2013 dovetailed with the larger story going on, with... 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