SAN DIEGO -- George Pernicano, one of the five original minority owners who purchased the San Diego Chargers in 1963, died at his home in El Cajon, California, early Thursday.
Pernicano was 98.
He helped Jack Murphy and other prominent San Diegans convince Barron Hilton, the owner of the Los Angeles Chargers, to bring the team to San Diego in 1961.
Pernicano owned a 3 percent stake in the team.
“George was more than a Chargers icon; he was a San Diego institution,” Chargers owner-chairman Dean Spanos said in a prepared statement. “Everyone in NFL circles loved George and he loved being around the team and the players.