Mighty Joe Gorilla Statue: Shamong, NJ

Mighty Joe, a 25-foot-tall statue, is currently the mascot of Mighty Joe’s Gas, Grill & Deli. But before he made it to his current spot in the Pine Barrens, the massive gorilla statue was a world traveler. He was built in Spain. Originally, he stood tall over the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey, and went by the names Kongo-Pongo and Magilla. For a time, he was parked at a Wildwood go-kart track as George. In the early 2000s, the gorilla went up for sale. Mighty Joe’s owner Larry Valenzano bought the deteriorating gorilla. In 1999, Valenzano lost his son, a body builder who had gone by the nickname “Mighty Joe,” to a brain tumor. Valenzano renamed the family business in his son’s honor. After they purchased the gorilla, it too was given a new name in Joe’s memory.

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