NEW YORK – Carmine and Vincent Gagliano, two brothers from Brooklyn, were living the dream on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. It was like watching two kids in the candy store. They love the Yankees that much.
After arriving at the stadium, pitchers Max Fried and Gerrit Cole gave the Gagliano brothers a behind-the-scenes tour. They went into the clubhouse and the brothers were in awe when they saw Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
“Carmine and Vincent are really personable. They are really great kids. To be able to show them Yankee Stadium and give them the tour was awesome,” Fried said. “They knew everybody that was walking by and it was a special experience.”
During the fourth day of HOPE Week, the Gaglianos were honored by their favorite team before the game against the Angels for the way they battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The duo is part of a foundation called “Strength of Brothers,” and the Yankees awarded the foundation $10,000 to help raise awareness of the incurable disease.
Carmine and Vincent were diagnosed with the disease in 2016. Parents Jay and Cara Gagliano noticed that Carmine, then 7, was having trouble keeping up with his peers. Friends and family also inquired about the size of Carmine’s calves, which were noticeably larger than other children his age.
Jay and Cara took Carmine to the doctor for tests, and the family was informed that Carmine’s exceptionally high CPK levels (creatine phosphokinase – an enzyme found primarily in muscle cells) was indicative of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. They were given a second dose of terrible news when doctors told them that Vincent, then 3, was also likely to have the same disease.
The diagnoses prevent Carmine and Vincent from playing the game that they love, but they’ve stayed involved through announcing. In fact, Carmine, now 16, and Vincent, 12, announced the Yankees’ starting lineup over the public address system. They didn’t skip a beat and received cheers from the large Yankee Stadium crowd. They later joined the YES Network (third inning) and WFAN (fourth inning) broadcasts during the game against the Angels.
“HOPE Week has two words I keep seeing and reading: That’s persevere and excel. Those really hit home because that is exactly what we are driving for with my young boys. It’s a special time,” Jay Gagliano said.
Thursday was not the brothers’ only experience with the Yankees. On June 10, Carmine and Vincent, along with their older brother, Jayson (18), and their parents, visited the YES Network studios in Stamford, Conn. There, the boys met Cole, YES Network host Bob Lorenz and analysts Jack Curry and Dellin Betances, who showed the brothers what it’s like to take part in a pregame show production meeting. The group then went to the studio, where the boys practiced their craft at the main desk reading over highlights. At the end, Carmine and Vincent practiced reading off a teleprompter, where they were surprised to announce themselves as 2025 HOPE Week honorees.
While Jay Gagliano had a blast watching his two boys excel at Yankee Stadium, he was nearly emotional talking about his oldest son, Jayson, who is known to do anything for his younger brothers.
“We wouldn’t be anywhere without my oldest boy,” Jay said. “I don’t want to get all emotional right now, but he is an amazing kid. He is a tremendous help with his brothers at all times. He includes them in everything. He has been aces. God bless him. We were blessed with Jayson. He encouraged them to be Yankee fans. No choice there.”
DMD is a devastating disease, predominantly affecting boys, that progresses through the muscles and causes them to weaken over time, eventually impacting the whole body. Living with Duchenne makes the simplest tasks difficult, and in later stages, causes heart and breathing muscles to fail. Boys diagnosed with DMD are typically using a wheelchair by age 12, and most don’t live past their late twenties.
Within a few years of their diagnoses, the boys couldn’t play the games they loved. But their passion to stay involved and active among their peers remained as powerful as ever. They were determined to find a way to still be connected to sports.
In 2023, as a freshman at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, Carmine expressed his desire to be a part of the school’s freshman baseball team. After talking it over with his parents and the coach, the school made Carmine the team’s announcer. Equipped with a portable speaker and a microphone, Carmine attended all the games, announcing players coming up to bat and substitutions. Carmine took the mic and ran with it, incorporating walk-up songs for his teammates and playing sound effects when specific plays occurred. When the fall came around, Carmine was called upon to announce Xaverian’s basketball games as well.
“He’s so grateful to still be involved in sports and be around his friends,” said Cara. “Announcing the games came so naturally to him. When he was little, Carmine would set up a mini baseball diamond in the living room and play pretend games. But while he played, I would also hear him doing the play-by-play! It’s like this was almost meant to be.”
Vincent, a sixth grader at St. Bernadette Catholic Academy, could very well follow in Carmine’s footsteps. Nicknamed “Two Cents,” because he’s got an opinion on everything, Vincent is a major foodie and has made several Instagram videos preparing and sampling food with local chefs.
“He’s our little guy, but he’s got a lot of personality,” Cara said when talking about her youngest son. “He’s still ambulatory, which makes things easier. However, it’s also very difficult, because Vincent sees what his future could be like when he sees Carmine. But Vincent stays positive. We all do. As a family, we don’t discuss the potential negatives that lie ahead. We’re focused on fighting to find a cure.”
In 2024, Jay and Cara founded The Strength of Brothers, a nonprofit with the goal of raising awareness and, ultimately, finding a cure for DMD. Jayson has also played a major role in supporting his brothers, spearheading fundraising events and providing everyday assistance for the family, which included watching over Carmine at school.
“We have met so many amazing doctors along this journey, all on a serious mission to save all of the lives of DMD boys,” Jay Gagliano said. “We have befriended so many wonderful parents who also have beautiful boys with Duchenne and many organizations that are focused on finding a cure and anything to help slow down the progression of this disease. We have been deeply touched by our friends and families, who offer constant emotional support.”