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Red Sox celebrate street dedication of "Arthur's Way"

Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Red Sox pay tribute to Arthur D'Angelo, owner of The Souvenir Store and founder of '47 Brand

BOSTON, MA - The Red Sox and Mayor Thomas M. Menino today dedicated a street to Arthur D'Angelo, owner of Twins Enterprises, The Souvenir Store on Yawkey Way, and founder of '47 Brand, a company that produces licensed apparel for Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and over 650 colleges.

The private road, which intersects with Yawkey Way in front of Fenway Park, was named "Arthur's Way." It is adjacent to the Souvenir Shop. D'Angelo, 86, was also honored during a pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park, throwing the ceremonial first pitch. 

In 1939, at the age of 12, Arthur D'Angelo and his twin brother Henry immigrated to Boston from their native Italy. They made their Fenway Park debut selling 2-cent newspapers that year, the same year that another rookie, Ted Williams, was taking center stage at the ballpark.

The twin brothers graduated from selling newspapers to shining shoes and selling flowers and ice cream outside Fenway Park. In 1947, after the Red Sox won the American League Pennant in '46, the twins began selling Red Sox pennants, believed to be the first ever sold in Major League Baseball. Their "Twins Enterprise" is now known as '47 Brand, commemorating the year their business began. 

After the street dedication, the D'Angelo family and the Red Sox presented a check from '47 Brand of $1,422,547 to Mayor Menino for The One Fund, the charity formed to assist the victims and family members affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy of April 15, 2103. The Red Sox and '47 Brand partnered to create the iconic B Strong baseball caps and t-shirts whose proceeds benefited the One Fund. 

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