Anthony Giordano, Madison Street Marble Champ, Has Hoboken Roots

Written by Dennis Sevano

HOBOKEN, NJ — He was not averse to high risk sporting behavior playing varsity football as a freshman at Demarest before entertaining the new Hoboken High School among his other ball chasing activities, but shooting marbles?

In the mid and late fifties, tag, kick the can, box ball, redlight-greenlight were some favorite low end and non-contact sports along with marbles!

Among “Bubbi” Giordano liked playing marbles which never fit his Robert DeNiro profile. Faithfully going to mass at St. Francis and obliging the third and Madison Street creed, be good, but if you’re going to be bad, don’t get caught. Tony had that inner “Good Trouble” spirit which was difficult to contain even with his no nonsense dad, a boxing authority and strict loving mom. The Giordano senior members allow him to roam outside of his St. Francis Catholic boundaries softly rebelling through contact sports.

Tony Giordano discovered Pop Warner Football and the coaching staff discovered him. The young team won a National (USA) Football Championship in 1959 and second place in 1960. “Bubbi” found his competitive edge beyond shooting marbles.

Leaving the football season he entered Little League baseball in the Mile Square with his signature trade mark of not wearing a baseball cap. Onward to an All Star Team in 1959 capturing the District 7 team trophy equivalent to the Hudson County Little League title with the likes of Cuhane, Wendelken and Radigan a feat that tends to fade fast from the Hoboken landscape. First forwarding he became an essential piece to Babe Ruth baseball when he played with ILA gaining a first championship in 1961.

Anthony lived in and believed in Hoboken competition. At that point the family moved from west of Willow Avenue at Madison Street to east of Willow to Garden and Ninth Street with brother Carmen and sister Susan, an outstanding athlete and coach herself.

Approaching the new Hoboken High some of his younger teammates went on to Catholic high school with St. Michael’s in Union City and St. Joe’s of West New York offering sports scholarships. Bubbi stayed put with his St. Peter and Paul buddy Ed Stinson.

He started varsity football as a freshman and emerged as a formidable foe from 1961 to 1965, playing both ways under the Marino/Ascolese years with special tutoring from Bobby Lisa. All County football first team in 1965 as well as securing the honor of Hoboken High School “Most Outstanding Athlete Award.”

In between, Bubbi played with the Cinderella High School basketball team of 1964/1965, losing the county championship by a point to Bayonne at the Jersey City Armory on a controversial play that still nags away with the older Red Wings.

Anthony let baseball slip away until his senior year when he made first team All County as a marble picking third baseman not forgetting his one major league-type home run in Union City Roosevelt Stadium, one that he giddingly remembers with no aluminum bats!

Meandering through a maze of small college choices, Anthony with his teammates Vinny Monica, Steve Pellechia and Larry Avitable made a bold decision to go west to a tiny school in Colorado called Adams State.

Regardless of whether they stayed or left, four Red wings made a dream to move to the Rocky Mountain area leaving behind the Hudson River. That in and of itself resulted in a friendship that’s hard to fully grasp. Tony excelled at small college football. Toward the end of his four-year stay he married his Hoboken High School girlfriend Elaine.

Finally Bubbi returned to the Hoboken Public Schools to coach and teach, but like the Rocky Mountain life, the Jersey shore attracted them both and they bought a house in Forked River.

Anthony received a call from an old friend with Hoboken ties from Asbury Park and landed a teaching position at Asbury Park High School, leaving Madison and Garden Streets behind. He became the track and field head coach.

Tony, born on New Years Day moons ago, made Asbury Park track and field a yearly stellar star program, experiencing championships too many to cite with his induction into the South Jersey High School Sports Hall of Fame.

In the end, you don’t get what you don’t fight for. Anthony Giordano became a rightful storybook success who went far beyond the Madison Street Marble Champ.

Note: Special thanks for Joe Paulillo's contributions

This story was written by Dennis Sevano. The views expressed here are the author’s own. Have fond Hoboken memories? Use this guide to post a column (it works for any town in NJ).