Maurice “Mo” Vaughn is his name and baseball is no longer his game. Since retiring from the New York Mets in 2003 Mo Vaughn has co-founded the company OMNI New York LLC (ONY). The mission of ONY is to purchase low incoming housing and renovate them to create a better standard of living for the community. ONY currently owns and operates over 2,000 units in Brooklyn, the Bronx, the state of Wyoming and across New York state. Mo’s newest purchase is the West Village complex in Ithaca New York and ONY is investing $9 Million in renovations. West Village has a total of 235 units and the Ithaca Housing Authority (IHA) received 235 enhanced housing vouchers.
Mo has come to Ithaca several times in the last year since his purchase and was most recently here on Wednesday July 17th to speak with youth at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC). At the event Mo told the children about his life, being a major leaguer. He told the group he was first drafted in the 3rd round out of high school but his mother insisted he go to Seton Hall University to pursue his education. Mo received a degree in Communications and in 1989 he was drafted in the first round to the Boston Red Sox. Finally in 1992, Mo was moved up from their farm system to play in the Major Leagues. He had great years in the mid to late 90’s when in 1995 he won a Silver Slugger Award and the title of American League MVP. Mo was also a 3-time All-Star player.
In 1999 he moved on to the Anaheim Angels and in 2001 to the New York Mets. Mo suffered many injuries including a terrible knee injury which forced him to retire in 2003. Mo said “I didn’t want to retire, but I had to move on to something else, I wanted to do something to help others.” In December of 2004 with the help of co-founder Eugene Schneur, ONY was formed.
Mo said “This is what I see as the most important part of my life.” He explained to the group what ONY does and how he got started with help from his partners. He went on further to talk to the children about education and how it was his ticket. “You may want to be professional athletes and that’s great, but you at least need a fall back” he said. “I was retired at the age of 35, I had to have that fall back and because I had an education I did.”
He further went on to talk about how youth need role models and authoritative figures they can come to. “You may not have a mother or a father or either but you have great adults right here…” he said and went on to mention several names of GIAC staff and counselors. He also touched on the issue of race and how the youth should not see each other as different or unlike them. He stated the most important thing the youths had was their brain and that no matter what they do in life they will be successful as long as they do their best at it.
Mo talked a lot about ONY and how it feels good to give back to the community. After 14 years of working for himself he now feels this is the most important thing he has done in his life. Mo is an amazing man and a wonderful speaker who reached the youths with a positive message. The community at large appreciates his investment to low income housing and his desire to give back.
