Rocky Marciano was a relentless force in the boxing ring. He was a heavyweight who seemed to never tire. He hit men so hard their mouthpieces along with teeth flew out. He ended the careers of some fighters, and nearly the life of one. But where did that power and stamina―that heart―come from? It came from his father: the thin, bespectacled shoemaker who suffered from poor health.
Like Father, Like Son
Pierino Marchegiano was born in a small Italian village east of Rome along the Adriatic Coast. Life in Italy, though beautiful, was not sustainable. At 17, Pierino joined the more than 4 million Italians between 1880 and 1920 who immigrated to America. He found a job at a shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts, quickly learned English, and fell in love with his adopted country.September 23, 1952: Pierino’s ears perked up to the sound of the national anthem. As the music faded, the large crowd at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium roared in patriotic applause. His son Rocco Marchegiano (Pierino named him after his father) walked to the center of the open-air stadium, wearing a robe with his slightly altered name stitched on the back: Rocky Marciano.
