A collection of classic male physique photos from the 20th century with an emphasis on the thousands of men who posed for Athletic Model Guild (AMG).
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Proud Pose
I can't believe I've never posted these photos of Joe Napoli on this blog. Leave it to Pat Milo to give us our first (and as far as I know only) look of Joe at full mast.
He was GREG BRADFORD in the 1950s when he was in San Francisco. Dave Martin listed GREG as a Gymnast and BodyBuilder in 1955.. He became JOE NAOPLI when he relocated to LA in 1960. Modeled until 1973 or so then vanished. Does anyone know anything more about him? I really like to know more if there is any more to know?
Well you can count me in as one of those fans. I always had a thing for Joe, not just because he was handsome and had a great butt. He was usually smiling in his films and his photographs. So sad that he died young.
JOE/GREG was an incredible model. Your Buddy at Vintage Naked Muscle Men knows about GREG BRADFORD being JOE NAPOLI and has photos of GREG by Dave Martin. Maybe he has more info? The Niece seemed to indicate people did not live past 60 in their Family. I also liked how JOE smiled and was a happy person. JOE was very short like five feet 3 inches. He looked amazing and many people had no idea he was in his 30s from 1963 -1973. JOE vanished around the time he would have been 40 years old. If you ever find out more about him please share and I will do the same I promise.!! Thanks for your fantastic Vintage Blog it helps me every day with many things I need to verify.!!
He was indeed GREG BRADFORD when he was in San Francisco 1955-1959. Then JOE NAPOLI in LA in 1960 and later. I still do not Know what his real name was or what happened to him after 1973. Years ago his Niece contacted a Vintage Blogger to tell him that JOE NAPOLI died in 1991. She said that Uncle JOE was 58 when he died in 1991. That would mean he was born around 1933 and was 21 or 22 when he began modeling as GREG BRADFORD for Dave Martin in 1955. That all seems to fit. She did not want to give her name or reveal JOEs real name. I think she wanted people to know who were looking for him that he was deceased. I got the feeling that he never married or had children. His family must have known he was a nude physique model because he did that for almost 20 years before vanishing. I do know that JOE was from Columbus Ohio originally. If you can ever uncover more information about him I would love to know more. He was one of my favorite Vintage Models and I know he has many fans even today.!!
Milo was pretty adept at getting his males to pose in rut. Joe always seems to be cheerful and upbeat in his photos. It's interesting and a bit sad to learn of his fate.
One of my favorite Vintage Physique Models. JOE was always Cheerful and Smiling. He must have enjoyed doing it because he did it for almost 20 years.! He vanished when he was about 40 years old in 1973. I read years ago that the Producers of BEEFCAKE(1998) began looking for vintage models for the movie in 1995. They looked into JOE NAPOLI and learned he was no longer with us. I was disappointed he could not be interviewed for that Movie.
Thank you.! I hope that you can help me find out more about JOE NAPOLI and JOHN ADAMS. I have wanted to know more about both Men for a few years.! I think sometimes you need people working together to learn information about Vintage Models. One person may have that clue you need to solve the mystery.!!
According to the book Outide/Inside Bruce of LA Joe Napoli name was Joseph G. Nappi. born March 16, 1942 and that he attended Columbus & Aquinas High School, Pasadena City College and Southern Illinois Univ.-Carbondale. Excelled at gymnastics and diving. Posed for Bruce Bellas in Dec of 1964. -Rj inthe IE
If that birthdate of 1942 is correct that would mean he was 13 years old when he posed for Dave Martin in 1955 as GREG BRADFORD.?? I wonder if JOE shaved off some years when he moved to LA? The Birthdate makes no sense unless he was not GREG BRADFORD. But I read that most everyone believes GREG and JOE were the same person.
It could be Joe lied about his age to Mr Bellas, or Mr Bellas used a different DOB to protect the models ID. And it could very well be Joe and Greg ARE separate men. The back of the book 'inside/outside' has a section with bio info about some of Bruce of LA' s models. (ie- DOB, schooling, sports activities,where their from, addresses, date they were photographed) This info was taken from notes left by Bruce Bellas about his models. At that time physique photography of this kind was in a very gray area of the law, if not outright illegal. Precautions had to be taken to protect the models and the photographers. So they use aliases and/or embellished or faked bios, sad to say very common and frustrating for those looking for TRUE info on their favorite model. It was assumed that no explicit photos were taken by the professional physique photographers like Bruce, but this has been disproven by explicit photos coming from private collections. Apparently some of the physique photographers would have door-to-door "trunk-shows" of their more explicit work for their trusted clientele, who would not go to the legal authorities. Cambria I hope this info helps. -Rj inthe IE
I tend to think JOE Lied about his age to Bruce Bellas. He would have not wanted to disclose to Bruce that he was in his 30s in 1964. It would cost him work and he was surprisingly young looking. Licenses were often a piece of paper with no photo in the early 1960s. Dave Martin supposedly swore adamantly that GREG BRADFORD was the same Man as JOE NAPOLI. I still believe that Napoli was actually born in 1933 and passed away in 1991. I feel JOE kept his true age a secret when he moved to LA to model. The mystery of JOE NAPOLI continues.!
Der gutaussehend turner Napoli ist auf diesen fotos sehr stolz auf seinen harten phallus. Ich frage mich, ob Milo bei Napolis erektion geholfen hat. (vvs)
He was GREG BRADFORD in the 1950s when he was in San Francisco. Dave Martin listed GREG as a Gymnast and BodyBuilder in 1955.. He became JOE NAOPLI when he relocated to LA in 1960. Modeled until 1973 or so then vanished. Does anyone know anything more about him? I really like to know more if there is any more to know?
ReplyDeleteI never realized Greg was Joe. He also posed for Bruce. Thanks for helping me out on this!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWell you can count me in as one of those fans. I always had a thing for Joe, not just because he was handsome and had a great butt. He was usually smiling in his films and his photographs. So sad that he died young.
DeleteJOE/GREG was an incredible model. Your Buddy at Vintage Naked Muscle Men knows about GREG BRADFORD being JOE NAPOLI and has photos of GREG by Dave Martin. Maybe he has more info? The Niece seemed to indicate people did not live past 60 in their Family. I also liked how JOE smiled and was a happy person. JOE was very short like five feet 3 inches. He looked amazing and many people had no idea he was in his 30s from 1963 -1973. JOE vanished around the time he would have been 40 years old. If you ever find out more about him please share and I will do the same I promise.!! Thanks for your fantastic Vintage Blog it helps me every day with many things I need to verify.!!
ReplyDeleteHe was indeed GREG BRADFORD when he was in San Francisco 1955-1959. Then JOE NAPOLI in LA in 1960 and later. I still do not Know what his real name was or what happened to him after 1973. Years ago his Niece contacted a Vintage Blogger to tell him that JOE NAPOLI died in 1991. She said that Uncle JOE was 58 when he died in 1991. That would mean he was born around 1933 and was 21 or 22 when he began modeling as GREG BRADFORD for Dave Martin in 1955. That all seems to fit. She did not want to give her name or reveal JOEs real name. I think she wanted people to know who were looking for him that he was deceased. I got the feeling that he never married or had children. His family must have known he was a nude physique model because he did that for almost 20 years before vanishing. I do know that JOE was from Columbus Ohio originally. If you can ever uncover more information about him I would love to know more. He was one of my favorite Vintage Models and I know he has many fans even today.!!
ReplyDeleteMilo was pretty adept at getting his males to pose in rut. Joe always seems to be cheerful and upbeat in his photos. It's interesting and a bit sad to learn of his fate.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Vintage Physique Models. JOE was always Cheerful and Smiling. He must have enjoyed doing it because he did it for almost 20 years.! He vanished when he was about 40 years old in 1973. I read years ago that the Producers of BEEFCAKE(1998) began looking for vintage models for the movie in 1995. They looked into JOE NAPOLI and learned he was no longer with us. I was disappointed he could not be interviewed for that Movie.
DeleteI'm glad you found my blog! You're a real font of knowledge on vintage models. 😊
DeleteThank you.! I hope that you can help me find out more about JOE NAPOLI and JOHN ADAMS. I have wanted to know more about both Men for a few years.! I think sometimes you need people working together to learn information about Vintage Models. One person may have that clue you need to solve the mystery.!!
DeleteAccording to the book Outide/Inside Bruce of LA
DeleteJoe Napoli name was Joseph G. Nappi.
born March 16, 1942 and that he attended
Columbus & Aquinas High School, Pasadena City College
and Southern Illinois Univ.-Carbondale.
Excelled at gymnastics and diving.
Posed for Bruce Bellas in Dec of 1964.
-Rj inthe IE
If that birthdate of 1942 is correct that would mean he was 13 years old when he posed for Dave Martin in 1955 as GREG BRADFORD.?? I wonder if JOE shaved off some years when he moved to LA? The Birthdate makes no sense unless he was not GREG BRADFORD. But I read that most everyone believes GREG and JOE were the same person.
DeleteIt could be Joe lied about his age to Mr Bellas, or Mr Bellas used a different DOB to protect the models ID.
DeleteAnd it could very well be Joe and Greg ARE separate men.
The back of the book 'inside/outside' has a section with bio info about some of Bruce of LA' s models. (ie- DOB, schooling, sports activities,where their from, addresses, date they were photographed) This info was taken from notes left by Bruce Bellas about his models.
At that time physique photography of this kind was in a very gray area of the law, if not outright illegal.
Precautions had to be taken to protect the models and the photographers. So they use aliases and/or embellished or faked bios, sad to say very common and frustrating for those looking for TRUE info on their favorite model.
It was assumed that no explicit photos were taken by the professional physique photographers like Bruce, but this has been disproven by explicit photos coming from private collections. Apparently some of the physique photographers would have door-to-door "trunk-shows" of their more explicit work for their trusted clientele, who would not go to the legal authorities.
Cambria I hope this info helps.
-Rj inthe IE
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think JOE Lied about his age to Bruce Bellas. He would have not wanted to disclose to Bruce that he was in his 30s in 1964. It would cost him work and he was surprisingly young looking. Licenses were often a piece of paper with no photo in the early 1960s. Dave Martin supposedly swore adamantly that GREG BRADFORD was the same Man as JOE NAPOLI. I still believe that Napoli was actually born in 1933 and passed away in 1991. I feel JOE kept his true age a secret when he moved to LA to model. The mystery of JOE NAPOLI continues.!
ReplyDeleteDer gutaussehend turner Napoli ist auf diesen fotos sehr stolz auf seinen harten phallus. Ich frage mich, ob Milo bei Napolis erektion geholfen hat. (vvs)
ReplyDeleteIl est évident que Joe Napoli est fier de sa phallus dure et ferme.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Joe look proud of his hardon! I love that smile.
ReplyDelete