Jan 26, 2014
When the players returned from their second break of the day, action was delayed for a short while in honor of Mike “Little Man” Sica, a beloved local player who died of cancer last November. Sica was a regular player in our East Coast World Poker Tour events, with a couple of cashes to his credit.
While he wasn’t able to play in the WPT Borgata Poker Open this past September, Sica still showed up to support his friends and the game he loved. When Anthony Zinno (pictured above, seated behind the money) won that event, he invited Sica to join him in the winner’s photo.
That’s Mike Sica in the grey suit directly behind Zinno.
A group of seven players led the memorial here in the Borgata tournament poker room, each offering a favorite memory or their thoughts on Sica.
Chris Reslock was the first speaker, followed by Mike Dentale (2nd from left), Mike Borovetz (far right), Anthony Zinno (2nd from right), Allen Kessler (far left), Lee Childs, and Will Failla. Even though it was a somber affair, most of the memories were about better times and the always-smiling “Little Man” that most Borgata regulars knew so well.
Zinno also printed up some blue memory bands in Sica’s honor, and distributed them for free to anyone in the room who wanted one. The memory bands say “Mike ‘Little Man’ Sica” on one side, and “God Bless” (one of Sica’s most frequent expressions) on the other.
Will Failla wrapped up the memorial with a brief story about how Sica always remained positive, even after being eliminated in a big tournament on a bad beat. Failla then asked everyone in the room to observe a moment of silence in honor of Mike “Little Man” Sica.
Rest In Peace, Little Man.