Vincent Joseph Naimoli (September 16, 1937 – August 25, 2019) was an American businessman, and the first owner of the Major League Baseball team the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Biography Naimoli's father was an Italian immigrant who worked for the New York City Subway system and became a self-taught stationary engineer. Naimoli was born in Paterson, New Jersey and attended Paterson Central High School. He attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1959 and earning a master's degree in mechanical engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1962. Naimoli received a Master of Business Administration degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1964, and attended Harvard Business School's six-week advanced management program in 1974. Until the end of his life, Naimoli attended Fighting Irish athletic events regularly. Naimoli has three daughters from his first marriage, and one daughter from his second marriage. Naimoli was a member of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Board of Trustees. The Naimoli Family Baseball Complex on the Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University was dedicated on October 5, 2011. Tampa Bay Devil Rays Naimoli was the founder and first owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a name which was later shortened to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008. Naimoli negotiated a naming-rights deal with Tropicana Products for Tropicana Field, with the team paying for improvements to the stadium and other auxiliary facilities. Naimoli oversaw a design for the stadium with asymmetrical outfield dimensions and dirt base paths, and seats located close to the field of play. FieldTurf was added before the start of the 2000 season. Thriftiness Naimoli was known for his thrifty ways. He refused to purchase internet access and an email system for the Rays to keep costs down, as he felt email was a fad. He also made waves with his enforcement of a policy of not allowing outside food to be brought into the ballpark by team patrons which erupted into an incident in which an elderly woman with diabetes was prevented from bringing food into the park to regulate her sugar levels. As a result, the woman had to sit in her tour bus for the duration of the game. Naimoli had been attempting to sell his 10-acre mansion in the elite Avila community for at least three years to move into a smaller property. Philanthropy As a long-time resident of Tampa, Naimoli received the very first "Bridging the