Larry Fornicola spent his youth in Centre County, Pennsylvania.

He graduated from Bellefonte High School in 1951, where he posted a 156-5 wrestling record while winning two conference and district titles and two state AAU championships.

His wrestling success continued at Penn State University where he won the 1955 NCAA championship in the 137-pound weight class. He was also a member of the 1953 Penn State University team that won the national championship under Hall of Fame coach Charlie Speidel. Fornicola was a four-time winner of the Wilkes-Barre Open, winning the Outstanding Wrestling Award in 1956. After graduating from Penn State, he finished fourth in the 1956 Greco-Roman Olympic Trials, second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman at the 1957 AAU Tournament, and won two Army Freestyle championships.

Fornicola moved into coaching, starting with a two-year stint as second-team coach at Army where he compiled a 20-1 record. He went on to initiate the wrestling program at Allentown Dieruff High School where his record over eight seasons was 40-33-3. He coached two state champions, five regional champions, and nine District II champions.

Fornicola then coached 25 years at Keystone Junior College, establishing a record of 216 150-5. He coached three Mid-Atlantic team champions, nine junior college state champions, 30 Mid-Atlantic district champions, 14 National Junior College Athletic All-Americans, 60 National Junior College Athletic Association All-Stars and three National Junior College champions.

In 1968 Larry was appointed head coach for Junior College Olympic tryouts, and in 1978 was head coach of the US Greco-Roman team for the Pan Am Games. On three occasions Larry was named National Junior College Athletic Association Coach of the Year. He was selected for the first All-Penn State Wrestling Team.

Larry was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches, Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches, District II Wrestling Coaches, District VI Wrestling and the Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

In addition to coaching, he helped wrestlers in other ways, directing the Keystone Wrestling School for 20 years, and the Empire State Wrestling School in New York.

Fornicola has served as a clinician at Iowa State, Michigan State, Kent State, F&M, and Dan Gables Tiger Clinic. In addition to his sports career, Fornicola has been active in the community. He is past president of the Mountain View School Board, board member of the Endless Mountain Riding Club, leader in 4-H Club and former member of the Fractoryville Civic Club. Keystone Junior College named its Wellness Center in honor of Larry Fornicola. Fornicola and his wife Bernie are parents of five children and grandparents of seven. After a lengthy battle with Multiple Myeloma, a form of cancer, Fornicola passed away in January of 1993.

For his dedication to the sport of wrestling, and his excellence as a coach and athlete, Larry Fornicola is honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for a lifetime service to wrestling.