Early Life
Mario Joseph Gabelli was born on June 19, 1942, in The Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents. His father was a butcher and his mother a homemaker. Gabelli's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early; at age five, he started a shoe-shine business. He attended Fordham Preparatory School and later graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 1965 with a degree in accounting. Gabelli earned an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Rise to Success
Gabelli began his career in 1965 as a securities analyst at Loeb, Rhoades & Co. In 1976, he founded Gabelli & Co., an institutional brokerage house. A year later, he established GAMCO Investors, Inc. (Gabelli Asset Management Company), which has grown into a diversified financial services corporation. Gabelli's investment philosophy is rooted in the Graham & Dodd school of securities analysis, emphasizing a "Private Market Value with a Catalyst" approach.
Key Business Strategies
Gabelli's investment strategy focuses on value investing, identifying undervalued companies with catalysts for growth. GAMCO Investors provides investment advisory services and brokerage services to mutual funds, institutional investors, and private wealth management clients. His firm manages assets on a discretionary basis, investing in various securities, including value, growth, and convertible securities. Gabelli's approach to investing has been lauded for its long-term focus and rigorous research.
Philanthropy
Mario Gabelli is a generous philanthropist, with a primary focus on supporting education. He has made significant contributions to Fordham University, including the establishment of the Gabelli School of Business, and to Boston College, where the Presidential Scholars Program was renamed in his honor. Gabelli has also supported Columbia Business School, Roger Williams University, and other institutions. He signed the Giving Pledge in 2018.