John Mara

Early life and education

Mara was born in New York City and grew up in White Plains, a nearby suburb. He is the eldest son of Ann Mara (née Mumm) and late Giants owner Wellington Mara.

Mara graduated from Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, and graduated cum laude from Boston College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1979.

He specialized in labor and employment law and litigation at two Manhattan firms prior to joining the Giants.

Career

New York Giants

Mara joined the Giants in 1991, serving as general counsel, and later as executive vice president and chief operating officer, until his father's death in 2005, when he assumed the team's presidency.

Mara and Steve Tisch were at the forefront of the planning and negotiations for MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010.

Under Mara and Tisch, the Giants won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.

Criticism

Despite winning two Super Bowls during his tenure as owner, Mara was criticized in the late 2010s and early 2020s for being too loyal to longtime Giants employees.

In September 2021, he was booed by fans while speaking at Eli Manning's number retirement and Ring of Honor ceremony, and did not address the crowd that November when the team retired Michael Strahan's number.

Mara was also criticized for keeping Dave Gettleman throughout his four-year tenure, instead allowing Gettleman to retire at the end of the 2021 season.

During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the team's poor performance saw airplanes fly over MetLife Stadium during games with messages including "fix this dumpster fire" and "fire everyone".

Additional work in NFL

Mara has served for 15 years on the NFL Competition Committee, which suggests rule and policy changes to all NFL teams. He is the current chairman of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee. He played an important role in the negotiations for the 2011 and 2020 collective bargaining agreements.

Mara, alongside Steve Tisch and Woody Johnson, brought Super Bowl XLVIII to MetLife Stadium in February 2014.

Personal life

Mara is the third generation of his family to own the Giants. His grandfather, Tim, founded the team in 1925. Tim's sons, Wellington and Jack (John's uncle), inherited the team in 1959, when Tim died. Among NFL franchises, only the Chicago Bears (controlled by the Halas-McCaskey family since 1921) have been in the hands of one family longer than the Giants.

He and his wife, Denise W. Mara, married in 1980 and have one son, John Jr., and four daughters, Lauren, Courtney, Christine, and Erin. He is an uncle to actresses Rooney Mara and Kate Mara.

Mara serves on the board of directors of Saint Vincent's Hospital in Harrison, New York, and Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York.

Health

On September 29, 2025, Mara revealed that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.

References

References

1. Goldstein, Richard. (October 25, 2005). "Wellington Mara, Co-Owner of New York Giants, Is Dead at 89". The New York Times.
2. "John K. Mara, Esq.". New York Giants.
3. "John K. Mara, Esq.". New York Giants.
4. Battista, Judy. (February 4, 2008). "Giants Stun Patriots in Super Bowl XLII".
5. "SB 46: Giants squeak past Patriots again, 21-17".
6. (October 27, 2021). "Could Giants' John Mara target Chiefs' front office for Dave Gettleman's replacement? There are a couple good options". Advance Local Media, LLC..
7. (September 26, 2021). "Giants owner John Mara booed as loss to Atlanta Falcons drops New York to 0-3 to start the season". ESPN, Inc..
8. (November 28, 2021). "John Mara skips speaking at the Michael Strahan jersey retirement ceremony". NBC Universal.
9. (12 January 2022). "Giants' John Mara doesn't seem to think Dave Gettleman needed to be fired (instead of letting him retire) — and he's wrong".
10. (January 6, 2021). "New York Giants keep Dave Gettleman, as GM and co-owner John Mara both say team is 'on the right track'". ESPN, Inc..
11. "Giants plane banner: Second aerial message demands New York owner John Mara to 'fire everyone'". Sporting News Holdings.
12. "Another Giants fan plane banner demands John Mara to ‘fire everyone’". NYP Holdings, LLC..
13. (February 5, 2016). "John Mara talks rule changes and concussions".
14. "In his footsteps: Living up to legacies of Rooney, Halas, Mara". NFL Enterprises LLC..
15. (September 14, 2025). "What to Know About John Mara: Meet the New York Giants Owner and Uncle to Rooney and Kate Mara". Verizon.
16. "Examining the Mara family tree as the NY Giants seek their fourth Super Bowl against Patriots". [[New York Daily News.
17. Best, Neil. (November 6, 2012). "John Mara Jr. chooses theater career over working for Giants". [[Newsday]].
18. (July 22, 2012). "Christine Mara, Christopher Ward". [[New York Times]].
19. (February 2008). "Sister Joan Magnetti, Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka, and members of the Mara family".
20. (2018-08-29). "Giants' John Mara's niece, Kate Mara, defends players who kneel for anthem".
21. "Statement from Giants President & CEO John Mara". New York Giants.