William (Bill) Gallo was born in Manhattan, NY on Dec. 28, 1922, son of Frank and Henrietta Gallo. His Father was a newspaperman and died at the young age of 36 when William was 11 years old.
Young Gallo began wanting to be a newsman following in his father's footsteps at an early age. "As long as I can remember printers' ink was a part of me" he says.
He studied art in High School and after graduation applied for copyboy's job in every newspaper, (there were eight at the time), in New York. He landed a job on the Daily News in 1941, where he stayed for seven months until he went away to the war.
After four years in the Marine Corps where he saw action in Roi-Namur (Kwajelin Islands), Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima with 4th Marine Division, Gallo returned to the News as a picture clerk in the caption/art department.
Under the GI Bill of Rights, he went to Columbia University and later to the School of Visual Arts (then, the cartoonist and Illustrators School). While working nights, he went to school days...all the time learning the newspaper business. Gallo was transferred to the Sports Department after a well-rounded education as newspapermen in 1960.
It was then that he started doing sports cartoonist and through the years would develop such well known Characters as "Basement Bertha", "Yuchie", "Bernie the Bulgarian", "Penthouse Polly", "General Von Steingrabber" and "Two Kids Talkin' Sports".
As a cartoonist, Gallo has won the "Reuben" in his category of Sports Cartoonist from the National Cartoonist Society 10 times. Gallo has won the page One Journalism Award from the New York Newspaper Guild 20 times. He also won the power of printing Award, Segar Award, and the Achievement Award for Alumni from the School of Visual Arts. For his boxing column, (Gallo is also a columnist), he was given the James J. Walker Award from the Boxing Writers', and the Champions Award from the Downtown Athletic Club. This year Gallo was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. He is the author of a new book, "Drawing a Crowd" memoir of his life as a newspaperman.
Gallo has been a Cartoonist/Columnist for the Daily News for the past 43 years.
He is married to Dolores and has two sons. The oldest, Gregory, is the Sports Editor of the New York Post. Bill Jr. is the Steeplechase Racing Secretary in Maryland. Gallo is the proud grandfather of four girls.
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See Bill Gallos' recent contributions below (click to enlarge/click image to close).
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