The Champ Will See Himself Set In Stone

Tony DeMarco is overwhelmed that a statue will be unveiled in his honor.

"I'm in awe of this," he said during a telephone call last night from his home in the West End. "I never thought this would happen to me."

But it will. On Saturday, October 20, the former undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World will be on hand to witness the unveiling of his statue in the North End. There will be ceremony at the site of the statue at 1 p.m. on the corner of Hanover Street and Cross Street.

Commissioned by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Privitera Family Charitable Foundation, and with the cooperation of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Tony DeMarco statue is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest and most beloved athletes ever to come out of the city of Boston.

Ellen Zappala of ATS Communications explained that the statue was created by renowned sculptor Harry Weber, whose body of work includes the iconic Bobby Orr and Doug Flutie statues.

"The new Tony DeMarco statue pays homage to the man who grew up on Fleet Street in Boston’s North End and won the undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World with his defeat of Johnny Saxton at the Boston Garden on April 1, 1955," she said. "His epic battles with Carmen Basilio are considered two of the 10 greatest matches in boxing history. Over the course of his very successful career, Tony DeMarco fought eight World Champions."

Tony said he had a lot of support as a young boy growing up in the North End.

"Each corner had a bunch of guys that we called the 'gang,'" he said. "Each street had its own group and we all grew up the same way: playing ball in the street with the older guys looking out for the younger ones."

Tony, now 80, said he is very lucky.

"My biggest honor was to have a street named after me," he said. "It was very prestigious and told me that I made the grade."

Today, Tony said, not many Americans are as entusiastic about boxing as they were when he was a young man.

"Now the champions are from all over the world," he said. "We still have a percentage but not as much. Americans seem to be interested in other sports."

At the ceremony on October 20, Tony said he will say whatever comes to mind.

"I'm thrilled and sincerely humbled by this," he said. 

The public is invited to attend the ceremonies for the unveiling of the DeMarco statue, where remarks will be made by dignitaries and members of the boxing world. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Tony DeMarco will take the podium to speak to his family, friends and fans in attendance.