Ed Hinko was well known in the Utica area for his work in amateur and professional baseball.

Hinko served in the baseball community as a scout, league commissioner and umpire for over 45 years.

Hinko was born Ercole Gualillo Sr. on May 8, 1897, in Italy. His parents migrated to America when he was six months old and he grew up in Utica. He later changed his name to Edward Hinko, when he became a U.S. citizen.

"He was always interested in baseball," said Hinko's son Ercole Gualillo Jr. of Frankfort. "When he was 12 years old he started his own team - the Ed Hinko All Stars - and they played sandlot games."

Hinko started his managing career soon after that. "He was persuaded to manage an amatuer team for Kincaide -Kimball when he worked there, and was with baseball all his life after that," Gualillo Jr. said.

Hinko is most noted for his umpiring career locally and statewide. He started his umpiring career in local sandlot games while working for the Metropolitan Insurance Company.

He umpired in many different leagues - including the Canadian - American League (equivalent to the modern day New York- Penn League), all Colgate University baseball games and other local college and high school games. Hinko also umpired the first 10 Hall of Fame games in Cooperstown, before the American and National leagues brought their own umpires.

In 1924, Hinko was named commissioner of the Mohawk Valley Baseball Leagues, in which he controlled the umpires assignments for the games.

He also served as a scout for the New York Yankees during his umpiring years.

Hinko died on June 15, 1969 at the age of 72.