Vintage Boxing Italian American Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Program featuring numerous signatures of attendees. This ‘Honor the Champ,’ program booklet was for an event celebrating DeMarco at Lombardo’s in Randolph, MA, on January 14, 1998, with the program also signed on the inside by DeMarco, and the front and back covers signed by other notable Boston and New England notables like Rico Petrocelli, Vinny Paz, Johnny Pesky, Frank Malzone, Larry Eisenhauer, and Ray Flynn and more.
Part of our exclusive Tony DeMarco Collection.
Leonardo Liotta, better known by his professional name Tony DeMarco, was an esteemed American boxer and renowned World Welterweight Champion. Raised in the North End neighborhood of Boston by his Sicilian immigrant parents Vincent and Giacomina, DeMarco's journey to the top of his profession began at just sixteen years old, when he competed under the name Tony DeMarco using a falsified baptismal certificate. Over the course of his career in the 1950s, DeMarco faced off against and emerged victorious against some of the most formidable fighters in his division, including Paddy DeMarco, Teddy "Red Top" Davis, Chico Vejar, and Don Jordan. However, his greatest triumph was on April 1, 1955, when he claimed the world's welterweight title with a technical knock out (TKO) in the 14th round of his match against Johnny Saxton. Despite being a successful champion, Tony DeMarco's legacy is defined by his two legendary championship bouts against Carmen Basilio in 1955. The matches were exhilarating and intense, captivating fans with their back-and-forth action. Ultimately, DeMarco suffered a TKO in both fights, despite valiantly defending his title against the top contender Basilio. The second fight mirrored the first, with Basilio dominating but not before DeMarco's powerful left hook nearly knocked him out. However, DeMarco was unable to capitalize on this opportunity and ultimately lost by TKO in the 12th round. Tony DeMarco's boxing career has left a lasting impact on Boston's history. Trained by local legends like Frankie Waters, DeMarco's matches at the Boston Garden drew record-breaking crowds. In fact, the city even named a street after him in the famous North End, perpendicular to Atlantic Avenue - "Tony DeMarco Way". His accomplishments were recognized by the Official National Italian American Hall of Fame in Chicago, where he was inducted. Despite his success, DeMarco humbly described himself as a "slugger". Notably, he once fought on the undercard for Rocky Marciano. In his final bout on February 6, 1962, DeMarco emerged victorious with a ten-round decision over Stefan Redl in Boston.
