Joey Giardello
| Joey Giardello | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Carmine Orlando Tilelli |
| Rated at | Middleweight |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 16, 1930 Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Died | September 4, 2008 (aged 78) Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 134 |
| Wins | 101 |
| Wins by KO | 33 |
| Losses | 25 |
| Draws | 7 |
| No contests | 0 |
Carmine Orlando Tilelli (July 16, 1930 – September 4, 2008) was an American boxer who was the world middleweight champion from 1963 to 1965, and was better known by his professional pseudonym of Joey Giardello.
Giardello was born in Brooklyn, but lived most of his life in the East Passyunk Crossing area of South Philadelphia, where, as a young man, he joined many other Italian-Americans in the city in taking up boxing. He turned professional in 1948, not long after his 18th birthday. It was said that Giardello changed his name from Tilelli in an attempt to join the US Army under the legal age using his cousin's name. He then served, underage, in an Airborne unit for the short remainder of World War II. He built up a neat resume whilst serving, though suffered an initial setback: "He had a scuffle at a gas station which cost him his $100,000 Prize Fight money and five months in jail" during his early career.
As a pro, he quickly racked up an 18-0-1 record in his first 19 fights while facing less-than-stellar opposition. He fought just three men who had previously won a fight during that time. It caught up with Tilelli on January 16, 1950, when he was handed his first defeat by Joe DiMartino, a journeyman with a 6-10 record.
After that embarrassment, he began to face better opposition and by 1951, was beating some of the better middleweight boxers on the Philadelphia scene. He continued to do so for years afterward, but was blocked from receiving a shot at the world championship by the underworld figures who controlled the sport at that time. (On June 4, 1954, Los Angeles-based heavyweight boxer Clarence Henry, who was managed by Mafiosi Frank "Blinky" Palermo, was arrested in New York City for attempting to bribe Oakland, California middleweight Bobby Jones to throw his June 11 Madison Square Garden match with Giardello. Henry allegedly offered $15,000 (equivalent to approximately $133,773 in today's funds) to Jones to throw the fight. Once the third-ranked heavyweight contender, Henry was released after posting $2,000 bail and subsequently retired from the ring. Giardello beat Jones in a close decision.)
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