Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli was the World Light Heavyweight Champion from 1950 to 1952. But the world knows him as Joey Maxim, a name he earned by having a left jab like the German Maxim Gun used in World War II.
We spoke with his nephew Tom Berardinelli in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. Tom worked as an arborist and in forestry for decades in Cleveland. Like his famous uncle, he was born and raised in Collinwood and later lived in the Euclid neighborhood. He told about his Italian heritage and the proud Italian American community in Cleveland including his family’s famous restaurant named for his uncle – Maxims.
Tom talked with host Dan Hanson about Italian American boxers such as Rocky Marciano, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano, Ray Boom Boom Mancini and his uncle Joey Maxim. He also told stories about other famous boxers such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Floyd Patterson and others. He told of the 1952 fight in Yankee Stadium where Joey Maxim defeated Sugar Ray Robinson in brutal, record heat.
He told of Cleveland boxing legend Jimmy Bivens and how his uncle was friends with Cleveland Irish boxer Johnny Kilbane who held the World Featherweight title from 1912 to 1923. He told a story of Muhammad Ali and his uncle and spoke about the Golden Gloves program and the new Cleveland gym named for his uncle Joey Maxim.
If you are interested in boxing, Italian heritage and the like watch Tom proudly tell his uncle’s story.
