the merger of the NFL and American Football League. He remained team president until his death on October 25, 2005. Wellington was also named after the Duke of Wellington, and his nickname "The Duke" was branded on Wilson's NFL game balls, because of his father's role in making Wilson the NFL's game ball supplier, a partnership that started in 1941 and has continued uninterrupted since; however, from 1970 to 2005, "The Duke" was not used on the balls, until it was restored after Wellington's death for the 2006 season. Feud and sale of 50% of the team to the Tisch family Timothy J. Mara represented the interests of his mother and sister following his father's death. He joined the club in 1964 as vice president and treasurer. His first major role with the Giants was overseeing the construction of Giants Stadium. In 1973, amidst a string of losing seasons, Mara suggested that the club hire Andy Robustelli to oversee football operations. In 1976, Tim and Wellington Mara had their first major disagreement over the signing of Larry Csonka - Wellington wanted to sign him and Tim did not. The two later clashed over the hiring of assistant director of operations Terry Bledsoe, as Tim believed that Bledsoe would be a puppet for his uncle. By the end of the 1978 season, the Giants had won only 74 of their last 212 games. On December 18, 1978, Robustelli resigned as director of operations and Tim and Wellington Mara could not agree on a successor. Wellington wanted to promote Bledsoe while Tim wanted to hire Dallas Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt or Los Angeles Rams general manager Don Klosterman. After a 45 day stalemate, Commissioner Pete Rozelle intervened and a compromise candidate, Jan Van Duser, was chosen. However, Van Duser did not want the job. 13 days later, a second compromise candidate was agreed on and George Young was named general manager of the Giants. Under Young's management, the Giants won Super Bowls Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. Following the public dispute, Wellington and Tim Mara stopped talking to each other and the owner's box at Giants Stadium was divided by a partition. Neither side of the family had enough money to buy out the other one. In 1991, Tim Mara, Helen Mara Nugent, and Maura Mara Concannon sold their shares in the club to Preston Robert Tisch for $70