Former mistress: The mother of his child, Donna Savattere, poses with the girl and her husband Nahill Younis

Happily married: Marino with his wife Claire, with whom he celebrated his 28th anniversary yesterday

Marino met his mistress while carrying out his role as a pregame analyst for CBS, where he has worked since 2003. Ms Savattere was 35 at the time of their relationship.

After Chloe was born, Mr Marino allegedly paid her millions of dollars to ensure her silence and take care of their daughter, the Post reported.

While the amount Marino paid her has not been disclosed, she moved to New York and spent her time in the Upper West Side and the Hamptons, where she became a fixture on the social scene.

The birth also came two months before Marino was inducted into the Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, after he was introduced by his eldest son Daniel, Marino praised his family for their support.

'To Claire and the kids, you guys are my true Hall of Famers,' he said. 'You guys are my whole life. You mean everything to me.'

Savattere has since married banker Nahill Younis, whom she met on a trip to the Bahamas. The couple had a son together before their wedding at their home in the Hamptons in 2009.

A wedding announcement for the couple in a Hamptons wedding magazine says: 'Donna was already a mother when Nahill met her, and Donna’s daughter quickly became an important part of his life.'

Family: Ms Savettere, now known as Donna Younis, with Chloe and her younger son

She explained their choice of using orange for decorations at their wedding, explaining: 'Nothing in our lives is traditional or about "following the rules".'

Mr Marino is believed to be in touch with his now-seven-year-old daughter.

Ms Savaterre was said to have revealed the secret to friends and showed them photographs of her and the quarterback together at restaurants and clubs.

She is also said to have made attempts to change the name of her and Marino’s daughter from Chloe Alexis Savattere to Chloe Alexis Younis, according to records.

Marino also has six children with his wife Claire: Daniel, 26, Michael, 24, Joseph, 23, Ali, 20, Lia, 17, and Niki, 16. The couple adopted Lia and Niki from China.

One of their sons, Michael, was diagnosed with autism when he was two, and the family has been striving to bring public awareness of autism since establishing the Dan Marino Foundation in 1992.

The football hero is set to appear on CBS this weekend as part of its coverage of Sunday's Super Bowl, where the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Baltimore Ravens.

Mr Marino is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in American football league history, holding or having held almost every major NFL passing record.

Although he was never part of a Super Bowl-winning team, he is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in American football. 

He was best known for his quick release and powerful arm and leading the Dolphins to the playoffs ten times in his seventeen-season career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.

Mr Marino starred as himself in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

The storyline involved a football player becoming obsessed with the quarterback who taught him how to kick.

In December 2011, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for the number of passing yards in an NFL season.

Brees' final pass of the 45-16 home victory over the Atlanta Falcons, a nine-yard touchdown toss to Darren Sproles, took him to 5,087 yards, beating Marino's 5,084 for the Miami Dolphins in 1984.

Hero: The Miami Dolphins quarterback was considered one of the best players in the history of football