Richard Fink was an All-High 1st and 2nd team selection in baseball in 1972 and 1973. Hitting .565 in his senior season, Fink won the “Fred Braun Award” in 1973 recognizing him as Bennett’s male athlete of the year. Fink played Little League baseball at Shoshone Park and was inducted into the Hertel North Park Hall Of Fame in 1973. Playing the highest level of amateur baseball in WNY for 33 years, he played MUNY AAA for Mickey Rats, Travelers and Amherst in the Suburban League before retiring in 1997. Fink was captain of all three teams. Playing the last eight years for Amherst, Fink’s teams won the WNY championship 6 times. during this time he was the Kiwanis Tournament MVP in 1989 and the Amherst MVP in 1992 and 1995. His career culminated in 2007 when Fink was inducted into the WNY Baseball Hall Of Fame.
Fink also played hockey for Bennett in the inaugural season of the Explorer Hockey League. He was an All-Star selection and scored the overtime goal against Canisius H.S. that propelled Bennett into the playoff semifinals.
Scholastically, Fink maintained a grade average of 94 during his four years at Bennett, never missing an honor roll. He was also a member of the National Honor Society. Fink graduated from the University of Buffalo School of Management, on the Dean’s List with Distinction. Richard Fink resides in Getzville with his wife Karen and is still active playing basketball three times a week in some of Buffalo;s best amateur leagues.
Howard Rein was born and raised in Buffalo. He attended school 66 and Bennett HS. During Rein’s years at Bennett, he maintained good grades, was photography editor of the Bennett Beacon yearbook, President of the Key Club, and spent four years on the swimming and tennis teams.
Tennis was his passion. Rein was first team All-High at second doubles as a sophomore, first doubles as a junior, and second singles as a senior. He compiled an outstanding career record of 33 wins and only 1 loss during his high school career. Rein was also team captain and team MVP. After high school Rein attended UB as a pre- pharmacy major, however he and Chemistry 101 did not connect. Rein transferred to SUNY Binghamton , where he graduated from the school of Management with a BS degree in accounting.
Rein has practiced public accounting for 35 years, and is a senior partner in the firm: Freed Maxick and Battaglia. He is a certified Public accountant, certified fraud examiner, and President of Freed Maxick ABL Services, providing specialized audit service delivery to banks and financial institutions. Freed Maxick is the largest independent accounting firm in WNY with over 240 employees.
Rein is the proud father of 3 adult children: Jason, Andy and Katie, and has been happily married over 32 years to his wife Marge, also a tennis player whom he met in college. His wife and children have endured every imaginable Bennett HS story, listening politely to his high school pranks, schemes and past exploits.
