Bill Gallo(December 28, 1922 – May 10, 2011) was an Americancartoonistand newspaper columnist, known for his cartoons aboutsports,for the New YorkDaily News.

Bill Gallo
Bill Gallo accepting a career award at Ring 8 Benefit, January 2010
Bill Gallo accepting a career award at Ring 8 Benefit, January 2010
Born(1922-12-28)December 28, 1922
Manhattan,New York City
Died(2011-05-10)May 10, 2011 (aged 88)
White Plains, New York
Occupationcartoonistand newspaper columnist

Biography

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Gallo was born inManhattan,the son of ajournalistfather who died when Gallo was 11 years old.[1]Gallo's mother and father were natives of Spain.[2][3]When Gallo graduated from high school in 1941, he landed acopy boyjob on theDaily News.He worked there for seven months until he was called to serve inWorld War II.

Gallo joined theUnited States Marine Corpson December 8, 1942. He completed hisrecruit trainingatParris Island, South Carolina.Gallo served in combat in thePacific theater,fighting atSaipan,Tinianand onIwo Jima.[4]After the war, he returned to theDaily News.

Gallo also attendedColumbia Universityand later theCartoonists and Illustrators School(now known as theSchool of Visual Arts), under theGI Bill of Rights.[5]In 1960, Gallo was transferred to the Sports Department of the newspaper, where he began doing sports cartoons following the death of cartoonist Leo O'Melia.[6]

Gallo developed the characters Basement Bertha and Yuchie. One of Gallo's more famous works was his 1979 tribute sketch after the death of Yankees baseball great,Thurman Munson.

Gallo's work can also be found on the walls of the Overlook in Midtown Manhattan which is owned by Patrick Evangelista, Mark Evangelista and Jeff Perzan, as well as in the permanent collections of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.[6]

On the night of Tuesday, May 10, 2011, Gallo died from complications stemming from pneumonia. He was 88.[7]

Awards

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Columnist–writer
Gallo received the James J. Walker Award from the Boxing Writers Association, and the Champions Award from the Downtown Athletic Club. He was also inducted into theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame.
Cartoonist
He also received theNational Cartoonists SocietyMilton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Gallo was also awarded the Page One Journalism Award from the New York Newspaper Guild 20 times, the Power of Printing Award, the Elzie Segar Award (as outstanding Cartoonist in 1975), and the Achievement Award for Alumni from the School of Visual Arts. He also received the National Cartoonist Society Sports Cartoon Award for 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988.[8]In January 2010, Gallo was among the honorees, accepting an award for his boxing writing at the Ring 8 benefit in Howard Beach, New York.[9]The Ring 8 organization awards Bill Gallo college and vocational scholarships annually based on need to aspiring male and female scholars with a boxing background.

On May 7, 2011, he received theEllis Island Medal of Honor.Due to his health, he was unable to attend the ceremony on Ellis Island. TheDaily Newshonored his medal with a two-page spread that weekend.[10]

Notes

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  1. ^"THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, DAD".New YorkDaily News.June 19, 2005
  2. ^"Spain's World Cup victory is one that would have made News' Gallo's Papa proud".New YorkDaily News.July 13, 2010
  3. ^"HENRIETTA GALLO DIES AT 94, MOTHER OF NEWS CARTOONIST"[permanent dead link]New YorkDaily News.April 29, 1996
  4. ^Carpenter, Dennis (November 2006)."Once a Marine — Bill Gallo: In His Own Words".Leatherneck Magazine.p. 56. Archived fromthe originalon December 15, 2007.RetrievedOctober 19,2007.
  5. ^Spurgeon, Tom."Bill Gallo, 1922-2011,"The Comics Reporter(June 7, 2011).
  6. ^abBill Gallo Papersat Syracuse University
  7. ^"Bill Gallo, legendary Daily News cartoonist and columnist, dies at 88 after lengthy illness".New YorkDaily News.May 10, 2011
  8. ^NCS AwardsArchivedFebruary 9, 2011, at theWayback Machine
  9. ^"Ring 8 Annual Award Ceremony Contributed by Matthew Farrago, President Ring 8".Archived fromthe originalon March 23, 2012.RetrievedMay 11,2011.
  10. ^Vinton, Nathanial."Bill Gallo's last interview as News mainstay talks Sinatra, WWII and his incredible career".Daily News.RetrievedJuly 10,2011.
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