In memoriam: Barry Mano founded referee group, magazine

FFRF Member Barry Mano, who founded Referee magazine and the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), died after a brief battle with a rare autoimmune disease. He was 82.

A Racine, Wis., native who lived in Union Grove, Wis., Mano created the world’s only monthly magazine devoted to sports officials when he launched Referee in January 1976. Guided by the principle of being “by officials, for officials,” he spent half a century building it into the premier voice for the sports officiating industry.

In 1980, Mano founded NASO to provide protection, benefits, advocacy and professional development to officials at all sports and all levels. The association grew to more than 32,000 members and became the leading advocacy organization for sports officials in the country. Mano served as NASO president for more than four decades before stepping down in 2023.

He remained publisher of Referee and chief strategy officer of Referee Enterprises, Inc. (REI) until his death.

A basketball referee for 23 years who worked at the NCAA D-I level, Mano was inspired to create Referee after witnessing the media’s unfair treatment of his brother, Mark, an NBA official who was excoriated in the Chicago press after correctly waving off a basket during a 1972 Bulls-Lakers game. Despite being vindicated by the league, Mark had no way to defend himself — and no organization existed to speak on his behalf.

“I just felt there was a need to have a publication to address who we are,” Mano once said. “Because we were getting beaten up by the newspapers and nobody was speaking out on our behalf.”