Village hairdresser obtains game patent
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Anthony DiFrancesco, left, and his wife, Carol, recently obtained a patent for a game called "A.C.D. with Heart" after their son, Antonio, center. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville residents Anthony and Carol DiFrancesco had a tradition in their house. Every July, they gave their son, Antonio, a birthday party.

"Each year 100 to 150 people would come to the party," Anthony said. "I thought that if they were willing to give up a Sunday in the summer to come to the party, I wanted them to have a good time." So he started inventing games for attendees to play.

One game however would prove to be more than a one-day entertainment.

The DiFrancescos have recently obtained a patent for a game that crosses skee ball with putt-putt golf.

The game is called "A.C.D. with Heart" after Antonio, who is learning-disabled and mildly retarded, according to his mother. The shape of the game itself is reminiscent of a heart.

"We're very proud of him," said Carol of Antonio, who will turn 24 this year.

The ball is either rolled or hit through the apparatus and is directed to different scoring areas for points. There is also an attachment for a putting adapter for those who want to improve the putting aspect of their golf game.

If the game is manufactured, Anthony said he would like to see the game played in schools, tournament style, and noted that its universality could be appealing to all people regardless of age or physical size.

"What I like about it is you can be a little scrawny kid and still be champion of the schools," he said."

Anthony is a semi-retired hairdresser in the village who operates a shop out of his Main Street home.

The DiFrancescos are awaiting a prototype of their design, which they will then give to a broker to show to manufacturers such as Fisher Price.

"I'd like to keep it in the area if the game goes over how we want it to," Anthony said of selling the design to the East Aurora toy company.

Anthony also noted that, should the "A.C.D. with Heart" develop as they want it to, he would like to continue to design games, even though the journey to this point has been arduous.

"I don't know if I would have started this if I knew how much it was going to cost," Anthony said. "But I'm very proud of where it's gone, like a peacock with my feathers up in the air."

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