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Joseph Miceli, a welterweight boxer who fought 110 professional bouts against the likes of Kid Gavilan and Ike Williams, died Saturday at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore after a battle with lung cancer. He was 79.
Born Jan. 8, 1929, in Manhattan, Miceli rose from street fighter in his native Lower East Side to become one of the top 10 welterweight boxers in the world during the 1950s.
He beat Williams, then the world lightweight champion, in two of three bouts at welterweight between October 1950 and February 1951, though Miceli never got the chance to fight for a title himself.
Known for throwing a devastating left hook, Miceli fought in the golden age of televised boxing. His 37 televised appearances are the third-most in his era, according to boxing historian Ron Ross.
"His left hook was just a dynamite punch," said Ross, of Oceanside. "He went in against the very best of them and always gave the crowd their money's worth."
In 1961, Miceli finished his 13-year boxing career with a record of 60 wins, 42 losses and eight draws. He won 28 of his fights via knockout.
Miceli married his high school sweetheart, Catherine Tuzzo, in 1954. He served in the Army during the Korean War and, after moving to Brentwood in 1963, spent his post-boxing career working odd jobs and entertaining friends with magic and card tricks.
"He loved boxing," Catherine Miceli said yesterday. "That was his whole life."
In addition to his wife, Miceli is survived two brothers, Dominick and Johnny of Orlando, Fla.; his sister, Marie Carbone of Staten Island; his sons, Joseph Jr., of Brentwood, and Anthony, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Frank.
Visitation is today and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at The Branch Funeral Home, 190 E. Main St., Smithtown.
A funeral mass will be Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, 88 Second Ave., Brentwood, with burial to follow at First Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City.
source - - - http://www.newsday.com/services/news...,3077632.story
Born Jan. 8, 1929, in Manhattan, Miceli rose from street fighter in his native Lower East Side to become one of the top 10 welterweight boxers in the world during the 1950s.
He beat Williams, then the world lightweight champion, in two of three bouts at welterweight between October 1950 and February 1951, though Miceli never got the chance to fight for a title himself.
Known for throwing a devastating left hook, Miceli fought in the golden age of televised boxing. His 37 televised appearances are the third-most in his era, according to boxing historian Ron Ross.
"His left hook was just a dynamite punch," said Ross, of Oceanside. "He went in against the very best of them and always gave the crowd their money's worth."
In 1961, Miceli finished his 13-year boxing career with a record of 60 wins, 42 losses and eight draws. He won 28 of his fights via knockout.
Miceli married his high school sweetheart, Catherine Tuzzo, in 1954. He served in the Army during the Korean War and, after moving to Brentwood in 1963, spent his post-boxing career working odd jobs and entertaining friends with magic and card tricks.
"He loved boxing," Catherine Miceli said yesterday. "That was his whole life."
In addition to his wife, Miceli is survived two brothers, Dominick and Johnny of Orlando, Fla.; his sister, Marie Carbone of Staten Island; his sons, Joseph Jr., of Brentwood, and Anthony, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Frank.
Visitation is today and tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at The Branch Funeral Home, 190 E. Main St., Smithtown.
A funeral mass will be Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, 88 Second Ave., Brentwood, with burial to follow at First Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City.
source - - - http://www.newsday.com/services/news...,3077632.story
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