Rocky Castellani
| Rocky Castellani | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Attillio Castellani |
| Rated at | Middleweight |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
May 26, 1926 Luzerne, Pennsylvania |
| Died | August 31, 2008 (aged 82) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 83 |
| Wins | 65 |
| Wins by KO | 16 |
| Losses | 14 |
| Draws | 4 |
| No contests | 0 |
Attilio N. "Rocky" Castellani (May 26, 1926 – August 31, 2008) was an American boxer.[1] He was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to Attilio Castellani (1889–1974) and Rose Isopi Castellani (1896–1938), who later moved to Margate City, formerly South Atlantic City, in Atlantic County in eastern New Jersey.[2] He fought in the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II as a Marine. He boxed in the Marine Corps and won the title of "Champion of All China and Guam".
The highlight of Castellani's career was probably his 1955 bout with Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Robinson. Castellani lost a close split decision and knocked Robinson down in the sixth round. A year earlier, he had lost a fight to Carl "Bobo" Olson for the middleweight title. He also lost to Gene Fullmer, Kid Gavilan, and Joey Giambra, but defeated Tony DeMarco, Joey Giardello, Johnny Bratton, and Ralph 'Tiger' Jones
He finished his career with a 65–14–4 record. After he retired, Castellani operated "Rocky's," a bar in Atlantic City.[3]
A biography of Castellani is entitled Young Rocky: A True Story of Attilio "Rocky" Castellani by Joe Kinney.[4]