Remembering
Joe Napoli Sr.

Joseph Napoli Sr. was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his athletic career working out with the Brooklyn Dodgers at 16 years of age. Joe shared the field with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Roy Campanella, to name a few. He played baseball at Bradley University, leading the United States in hitting his senior year with a .490 batting average and a lifetime batting average is .392 – still stands as the school’s all-time high career average. Joe was a member of the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame and the Greater Peoria Hall of Fame.

Joe Napoli was a devoted humanitarian, a fearless attorney, a gifted athlete and champion, and a proud 2025 inductee into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Above all, he was a man whose generosity, strength, and unwavering commitment to helping others left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him.

In lieu of flowers, you can make a donation to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in memory of Joe Napoli Sr.