Joseph Barbera was born March 24, 1911, in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City. He was the son of Vincente and Francesca, both immigrants from Sicily. He grew up in Brooklyn and had many interests in high school. Joseph tried his hand at theater, drawing, and boxing.

He even won the lightweight championship at his high school and considered it as a possible career. He had once said, "In those days, boxing was very glamorous and romantic. You listened to fights on the radio, and a good announcer made it seem like a contest between gladiators." His interest was short lived and Joseph started his career as a banker on Wall Street. 

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