Canastota`s very own Tony Graziano is celebrating his 103rd birthday, and the man is a veritable legend in such an eventful lifetime!

Tony was born in Verona, New York in 1922. He cherishes a photo of him in a group of five Army buddies. As fate would have it, Tony  was the only one to return home after the intense fighting, closing the carnage of World War two. He served in E Company of the 507^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which spearheaded the D Day Invasion of France on June 6^th 1944. Tony also took part in the Battle of the Bulge that December and other military actions, including the liberation of concentration camps.

On one occasion the plane in which he was in, caught fire so he and others had to jump before it had reached the drop zone. He became tangled in a tree top and a patrol of German soldiers shot at him, taking the heel off one of his boots, ricocheting a bullet off his helmet and shooting him in the shoulder. Tony survived by playing dead and then cutting himself free when they left. He`d come within a whisker of losing one of his nine lives!

Tony started in the restaurant business as a teenager and then decided to start his own in 1950. He christened it: Graziano`s Casa Mia. He ran it for seventy years! If a job is worth doing, it`s worth doing well. Tony was the Head Chef. Needless to say the food was excellent and the company was great, with photos of boxers giving the place a succulent flavor, so close to the International Hall of Boxing Fame, which he helped establish.  Tony also founded the Canastota Boxing Club.

Tony had boxed in the Armed Forces and became a major force in the sport. He himself boxed,  but with bare knuckles. He was inducted into the Bare Knuckle Hall of Fame in Belfast in 2012.  He owned gyms in Canastota, Rome, Syracuse and Utica. He helped sixty fighters as a Trainer, Manager and Promoter.

He got  Thomas Rocco Barbella and Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta out of Reformatory, out of trouble and on to the right path. Rocco changed his name to Rocky Graziano. The rest is glorious boxing history. Jake, who fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times,  made it to ninety five years of age.

Tony was Carmen Basilio’s first manager. He also managed and guided Carmen`s nephew Billy Backus to the welterweight championship of the World, defeating Jose Napolis in 1970. And he managed NABF super welterweight champion Rocky Fratto.

In his scant spare time, Tony was a keen fisherman. He once saved a rather large man, who had fallen in the water with an enormous splash, disturbing the fish! Tony using his considerable strength hauled him to safety. But then leaving, shunning a hero gram.

Tony has said: “Boxing isn`t the same today. in my day, every kid boxed!”

What a tremendous and fascinating man, who`s still going strong.