“Gloves up Philly!” I ask. This is the Joey Giardello Statue. It stands here at East Passyunk Avenue. It’s at South 13th Street and Mifflin Street. The statue is a bronze monument to a boxing legend.
Today, we honor Joey Giardello. He was a South Philly hero. The Joey Giardello Statue captures his spirit. It’s a tribute to his legacy.
Joey Giardello’s real name was Carmine Tilelli. He boxed under a different name. He took the name Giardello in Brooklyn. He used someone else’s birth certificate. He kept the name when he started boxing in Philadelphia.
Giardello was world middleweight champion from 1963 to 1965. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. He entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.
John DiSanto had the idea for the statue. He runs phillyboxinghistory.com. The Veteran Boxers Association sponsored the project. Harrowgate Boxing Club also helped.
Carl LeVotch sculpted the Joey Giardello Statue. He grew up near Giardello. LeVotch saw him as a neighbor in Cherry Hill. He wanted to capture Giardello’s character. He felt the ring shaped Giardello’s face. LeVotch called it a work of art.
The statue shows Giardello over a cartouche. The cartouche bears his name. It shows his championship belt. There is a small figure of Pollux on it. Pollux was a mythological boxer.
Rosalie Tilelli is Joey Giardello’s wife. She approved the statue’s design. She called LeVotch a genius. She said he made Joey come alive again.
The statue project raised over $50,000. The estimated cost was $75,000. Joey Vento of Geno’s Steaks donated $20,000.
LeVotch worked on the statue at the VBA Clubhouse. It was in Port Richmond. He created a miniature version first. It was about two feet tall.
The bronze statue was finished in 2011. It was unveiled on May 21, 2011. The statue found its permanent home here.
The Joey Giardello Statue is more than bronze. It represents Philly boxing history. It honors a good man. It celebrates a South Philly champion. Remember Joey Giardello. He was South Philly’s golden boy. He went all the way to the top.