// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the boxer say at Gleason's Gym? I'm punching above my weight class.
Gleason’s Gym is a boxing gym in DUMBO, Brooklyn. It was founded in 1937 by Peter Robert Gagliardi, a former bantamweight who fought under the name Bobby Gleason. The gym was originally located in the Bronx, moved to Manhattan in 1974, and relocated to Brooklyn in 1987. It is owned by Bruce Silverglade.[1][2]
History
[edit]Gleason's Gym was founded in 1937 by Peter Robert Gagliardi, a former flyweight and bantamweight boxer who fought under the name Bobby Gleason. The gym was originally located in the Bronx. It moved to Manhattan in 1974 and to Brooklyn in 1987. Since the 1980s, it has been associated with owner Bruce Silverglade.
Gleason's name is regarded as the oldest New York City boxing gym and a training site for prominent boxers including who have been associated with the gym, including Muhammad Ali, Jake LaMotta, Roberto Durán, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Heather Hardy, and Ronica Jeffrey.[3][2][4][5] A 2004 article in ''The Brooklyn Rail'' noted Roberto Durán's popularity at the gym, stating that when he trained there the street sometimes had to be cordoned off because of fans.[6] Muhammad Ali was also among the boxers associated with Gleason's.[7] In 2016, NY1 described the DUMBO gym as one of Ali's former Brooklyn training sites and reported that boxers gathered there to watch part of his memorial service. The article also noted Ali's signature on the gym wall.[8]
Under Silverglade, the gym expanded beyond professional boxing to include amateur, recreational, white-collar, and community boxing programs.[9] Today, Gleason's Gym embraces the trans community by hosting the Trans Boxing club led by coach Nolan Hanson.[10]
Film and television
[edit]The gym has also served as a filming location for film, television, and commercial productions. Gleason's has been used by actors preparing for boxing roles, including Robert De Niro for his interpretation of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull;[11][2] for her role in Million Dollar Baby, Hilary Swank trained with Hector Roca at the gym.[12][13] Gleason's has also appeared as a television location. In 2015, part of episode 18, season 4, of the television comedy series "Impractical Jokers" was filmed at the gym.[14] Owner Bruce Silverglade told the New York Post in 2024 that more than a dozen movies and commercials had been shot at Gleason's, attributing its use as a location to its traditional boxing-gym appearance.[2]
Books
[edit]
Gleason's has been the subject of several books. Ted Lewin's illustrated book At Gleason's Gym depicts the gym and its boxers.[15] Owner Bruce Silverglade and trainer Hector Roca co-authored The Gleason's Gym: Total Body Boxing Workout for Women, which includes a foreword by actor Hilary Swank.[16]John E. Oden discusses the gym in chapter 6 of his book White Collar Boxing: One Man's Journey from the Office to the Ring'[17]
Recognition
[edit]On August 21, 2024, a street sign was dedicated to Gleason's Gym. The corner of Water and Adams streets was officially named "Gleason's Gym Way" during a special ceremony held that day.[18][19][20][21]
References
[edit]- ↑ "GLEASON'S HISTORY | United States". Gleason's Gym. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- 1 2 3 4 "NYC's Gleason's Gym – where Robert De Niro trained for 'Raging Bull' – keeps punching up its profile". 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "THE RIGHT HOOK; ONCE-NOVEL WHITE-COLLAR BOXING TURNS MAINSTAY | New York Post". 2005-10-02. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "GLEASON'S CHAMPIONS | United States". Gleason's Gym. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ MCBRIDE, JOSEPH (2024-04-24). "Tyson's boxing gym hosted Paul for workout and owner comments on his behaviour". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "Gleason's Gym: Where the "Sweet Science" Thrives | The Brooklyn Rail". brooklynrail.org. 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ Jacobs, Harrison. "The owner of the world's most famous boxing gym reveals what Muhammad Ali was like". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ Douglas, Na'eem (11 June 2016). "Brooklyn Boxers Remember Muhammad Ali at Gleason's Gym, Where the Champ Once Trained". NY1. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
- ↑ Anbouba, Margaux (2024-06-29). "Punching Up: Meet Trans Boxing, A Class In Brooklyn For All". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ Margaux Anbouba (June 29, 2024). "Punching Up: Meet Trans Boxing, a Class in Brooklyn for All". Vogue. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ↑ Duggan, Kevin (2019-06-21). "Gleason's Gym in Dumbo still packs a punch • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ Mladinich, Robert (2005-02-24). "Boxing Hilary Swank at Gleason's Gym". The Sweet Science. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ "SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS – HILARY SWANK'S TRAINER TAKES OFF THE KID GLOVES | New York Post". 2004-12-14. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ dataharvest. "Gleason's Gym". Retrieved 2026-07-09.
- ↑ At Gleason's Gym, Ted Lewin. 2007. ISBN 978-1-59643-231-4, ISBN 1-59643-231-4. Published by: Roring Book Press, New Mildford, Connecticut. United States.
- ↑ Hector Roca & Bruce Silverglade, The Gleason's Gym: Total Body Boxing Workout for Women. 2006. ISBN 978-0-7432-8687-9. Published by: Fireside (Simon & Schuster, Inc.), New York, NY.
- ↑ John E. Oden, White Collar Boxing: One Man's Journey from the Office to the Ring. 2005. ISBN 1-57826-207-0. Published by: Hatherleigh Press, Long Island City, New York. United States.
- ↑ Nicole Rosenthal (September 5, 2024). "NYC's oldest boxing gym, where Robert De Niro trained for 'Raging Bull,' keeps punching up its profile". New York Post. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ↑ Mary Frost (August 22, 2024). "Brooklyn's famous Gleason's Gym celebrates street co-naming". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ↑ Gabriele Holtermann (August 22, 2024). "Gleason's Gym gets co-naming on corner in DUMBO". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ↑ Ryan Songalia (August 22, 2024). "Gleason's Gym street co-naming in Brooklyn". The Ring. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-22.