Early Life
Mario Joseph Gabelli was born on June 19, 1942, in The Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents. His father worked as a chef, and his mother was a homemaker. Gabelli showed an early interest in the stock market, buying his first stocks at the age of 13. He attended Fordham Preparatory School, graduating in 1961. He pursued higher education, graduating summa cum laude from Fordham University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. He then earned an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Rise to Success
Gabelli began his career as a security analyst at Loeb, Rhoades & Co. after graduation. In 1976, he founded Gabelli & Co., an institutional brokerage house, using borrowed funds and personal savings. In 1977, he established GAMCO Investors, which later became Gamco Investors, an investment firm. Gabelli's investment strategy is characterized by a focus on value investing, aiming to identify and invest in undervalued companies relative to their intrinsic value.
Key Business Strategies
Gabelli's investment approach centers on identifying companies with strong fundamentals and a potential for growth. He employs a proprietary Private Market Value with a Catalyst™ methodology. GAMCO Investors provides investment advisory and asset management solutions for a wide range of clients. The company manages assets through various investment styles and has offices across the US and internationally.
Philanthropy
Gabelli and his wife, Regina, are committed to philanthropy, primarily focused on education. The Gabelli Foundation was established in 1982, and the couple has made significant donations to Fordham University, including a $35 million gift, the largest in the university's history, to support the business school, which now bears his name. Gabelli also supports other educational institutions like Roger Williams University and Boston College.