JOSEPH ANTHONY (JOEY) CARKIDO, 75 Former welterweight boxer was active in New York City

YOUNGSTOWN -- More than a half century ago, some of the best welterweights in pro boxing congregated in New York City in the gym of Frankie "Jay" Jacobs on Manhattan's lower east side.
Leonard "Boom Boom" Mancini, a lightweight, began the exodus from Youngstown to what sportswriters then called "Jacobs Beach."
Sunday morning, the last of that group, Joseph Anthony (Joey) Carkido, died at the age of 75, the victim of a lengthy battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Carkido was trained by Carmen Chicklo, who also worked with Tony Janiro, Tommy Bell and Joseph "Red" D'Amato. It was a natural move that Carkido would go to Jacobs Beach after a two-year standout career as an amateur fighting for Chicklo.
Carkido was 33-3, winning the Knights of Columbus 118-pound title in 1943 and following that up with Youngstown Golden Glove titles the next two years. Although he went to the Cleveland finals twice, he was beaten by Clevelander Jackie Keough both times.
Carkido began fighting when he was 14-years old, using his brother Louis' birth certificate to begin his amateur career.
When his friend Janiro beckoned him to go to New York, Carkido used that same birth certificate to turn pro in 1945 at age 16.
For nearly a decade, Carkido was one of the busiest fighters on Jacobs Beach, with 100 pro fights before he hung up his gloves.
He had a record of 77-23, fighting five former world champions, including Beau Jack, whom he beat in a 10-round decision in 1949.
Carkido also fought former champs Lew Jenkins, Charlie Fusari, Paddy Demarco and Johnny Saxton.
In 1948, Carkido set a record that still stands when he fought 17 times in Madison Square Garden.
When he returned to Youngstown, Carkido trained fighters for more than 30 years with Campbell's Tom Kristian his best known prot & eacute;g & eacute;. He took Kristian through an outstanding amateur and pro career.
Carkido was one of eight brothers who lived on the lower south side of Youngstown and all of them were standout amateur boxers.
Carkido, a longtime construction worker, lived on Sheridan Road with his wife, Jeannie, until four years ago when he entered a nursing home because of the progression of Parkinson's Disease.
There will be a Tuesday Mass at St. Nicholas in Struthers.