Jersey giant Johnnie Morant

[Ronnie Rep]

Phil Hill's from Trenton.

[njflex]

Don't forget Phill Hill

TRENTON NJ..BEAT ME REP..

[gracie bjj]

Phil Hill's from Trenton.

damn cant believe i forgot phil,hes one of the hugest dudes to come out of jersey,total monster.i talked to him on phone in 87 and hes real big on red meat,he told me eat tons of LEAN red meat if u wanna grow.a buddy of mines sister was freinds with phil and when he called her phil was there and hes like u wanna talk to phil,i was like yea cool,my buddy knew i was a bodybuilding junky so he knew id have a blast talking to phil

[Mr Anabolic]

damn cant believe i forgot phil,hes one of the hugest dudes to come out of jersey,total monster.i talked to him on phone in 87 and hes real big on red meat,he told me eat tons of LEAN red meat if u wanna grow.a buddy of mines sister was freinds with phil and when he called her phil was there and hes like u wanna talk to phil,i was like yea cool,my buddy knew i was a bodybuilding junky so he knew id have a blast talking to phil

Eat red meat if you want to grow?... lol

I hope he gave you his drug regime too.

[njflex]

njflex do they still have that dude  the mighty stephan bending nails and ripping phone books evry year at the jersey and suburban? i remember in the 90,s he was always there,bill grant was the MC also

???DON'T KNOW HAVEN'T SEEN THAT SHOW LONG TIME..NJ BBING IN 80/90'S HAD THESE GREAT SHOWS /TITLES

NATURAL MIDLANTIC CLASSIC ...STILL GOING RON CAPODANNO PROMOTER
SUBURBAN 'INSERT YR,GOOD TITLE TO HAVE
NJ STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS,,KEMPER SHOW,THE BEST TITLE TO HAVE IN NJ/NY AREA
SUMMER SHOWS..
MUSCLE BEACH,GOOD SHOW
PHYSIQUE'INSERT YR'SAME GOOD SHOW
JERSEY CLASSIC...RETIRED SHOW
BLUE THUNDER..RETIRED SHOW
SOUTH JERSEY..GREAT SHOW FOR LONG TIME...
RICH GASPARI CLASSIC...RETIRED SHOW
FALL SHOWS END SEASON NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
GOLDS CLASSIC BIG SHOW..PHIL HILL WON THIS TO QUALIFY 87 NATIONALS..
EAST COAST BIG SHOW STILL GOING STRONG..

[gracie bjj]

one summer night in 94 i remember it was awesome at diamond,u had morant there,dente there,matlock there,ducasse there,whitsett there,arntz there as well as shirley and john kemper it was almost like a mini muscle camp having all these awesome dudes around training in a gym,talk about a great atmosphere,u cant get much better than that imo

[old-school-lifter]

don't forget Harley Brite- craig richardons training partner

[HarleyBreite]

Dear old-school-lifter,
    Thanks so much for mentioning me along with all those great guys.  Although I am no bodybuilder, nor have I ever competed,  I have had the good fortune to train with IFBB Pro Craig Richardson for the past 15 years.
    I first entered a gym in the mid-1980's.  It was Westside Muscle in Rutherford, N.J.  The place was filled with great competitors such as Tom Shoebridge, Chris Catena, Vinnie Galanti, Rob Lopez and a host of others.  My training partner, Rick Jones (he competed and beat Mike Morris) and I soon began training with one of the true greats, Darryl Perry.
    I was at all those shows mentioned by gracie bjj and njflex and remember guys guest posing just before they hit all the magazines and became "famous."
    I later trained with Vinnie Galanti in preparation for his 1997 USA show in Texas where he placed a very respectable 4th Place.
    Soon thereafter, I met up with Craig Richardson and have trained with him ever since.
    I have had the most incredible experiences in having trained in so many different gyms, meeting so many bodybuilders and seeing it all from "behind the ropes."
    Bodybuilding is certainly not without its multitude of problems and divergent opinions, but for most of us, it has provided us with a bit more purpose and enjoyment in our lives, no matter what personal sacrificies we chose to make.
Harley

[njflex]

Harley,,,great guy period,,,yes we talked a lot on the craig Richardson thread yrs ago here,,class act all the way...thanks for stopping in,,,craig adjusted to the 212 class,,he still a beast,,wish he could have played size game but his metabolism was nuts just  to get bigger,,

[BigAnt]

???DON'T KNOW HAVEN'T SEEN THAT SHOW LONG TIME..NJ BBING IN 80/90'S HAD THESE GREAT SHOWS /TITLES

NATURAL MIDLANTIC CLASSIC ...STILL GOING RON CAPODANNO PROMOTER
SUBURBAN 'INSERT YR,GOOD TITLE TO HAVE
NJ STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS,,KEMPER SHOW,THE BEST TITLE TO HAVE IN NJ/NY AREA
SUMMER SHOWS..
MUSCLE BEACH,GOOD SHOW
PHYSIQUE'INSERT YR'SAME GOOD SHOW
JERSEY CLASSIC...RETIRED SHOW
BLUE THUNDER..RETIRED SHOW
SOUTH JERSEY..GREAT SHOW FOR LONG TIME...
RICH GASPARI CLASSIC...RETIRED SHOW
FALL SHOWS END SEASON NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
GOLDS CLASSIC BIG SHOW..PHIL HILL WON THIS TO QUALIFY 87 NATIONALS..
EAST COAST BIG SHOW STILL GOING STRONG..

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can't forget Joe Dodds Mr Trenton....

[BigAnt]

Harley Brite--Always very cordial, trains hard and has time to talk body building--A great guy!

[BigAnt]

Wasn't Juan Marquez from NJ?

[BigAnt]

And Greg "Rocky" DeFerro...was he from NJ?
R I P!

[thebrink]

santoriello

santoriello was so underrated , had great balance

[njflex]

Wasn't Juan Marquez from NJ?

YES...

[gracie bjj]

Dear old-school-lifter,
    Thanks so much for mentioning me along with all those great guys.  Although I am no bodybuilder, nor have I ever competed,  I have had the good fortune to train with IFBB Pro Craig Richardson for the past 15 years.
    I first entered a gym in the mid-1980's.  It was Westside Muscle in Rutherford, N.J.  The place was filled with great competitors such as Tom Shoebridge, Chris Catena, Vinnie Galanti, Rob Lopez and a host of others.  My training partner, Rick Jones (he competed and beat Mike Morris) and I soon began training with one of the true greats, Darryl Perry.
    I was at all those shows mentioned by gracie bjj and njflex and remember guys guest posing just before they hit all the magazines and became "famous."
    I later trained with Vinnie Galanti in preparation for his 1997 USA show in Texas where he placed a very respectable 4th Place.
    Soon thereafter, I met up with Craig Richardson and have trained with him ever since.
    I have had the most incredible experiences in having trained in so many different gyms, meeting so many bodybuilders and seeing it all from "behind the ropes."
    Bodybuilding is certainly not without its multitude of problems and divergent opinions, but for most of us, it has provided us with a bit more purpose and enjoyment in our lives, no matter what personal sacrificies we chose to make.
Harley

yes I remember Harley now seeing his picture,id see him at all the shows in mid 90,s,hes got a really good build

[gracie bjj]

id say the late 80,s to mid to upper 90,s was the best NPC competetors ive ever seen, even to this day. shows like the jersey where producing freak after freak,amazing guys back then and id say we will never see a crop like that again

[HarleyBreite]

Dear Big Dub,
    Just after competing in the Mr. Olympia a few years ago, Craig was admitted to the hospital for severe dehydration upon his return home to N.J.  It was at that time discovered that Craig was genetically predisposed to an occasional irregular heartbeat.  He was given some medication for 2 months and as corroborrated by all his medical tests, his heart is working just fine.  He no longer needed the prescribed heart medication and was given a clean bill of health (yes, even liver functions).
    The rumors as to anything other than that were simply just that, rumors.
    Craig, not completely thrilled with the continued trend of bodybuilding and being honest with his own limitations, then set his sights on the 212 pound class.  He has yet to hit his mark but is hopeful that 2015 will be a more successful year in terms of placing in shows.  
    It was well pointed out that Craig was not very successful in the "get as big as you can no matter what" arena.  Craig is 5'7 and competes somewhere around 215 lbs.  It is hard for him to get any heavier than 235 lbs.  The real issue for Craig is that when he diets down and gets very close to a show, his metabolism just takes off and we can't yet figure out just how to stop it.  For the 2014 NY Pro Craig actually hit the stage at around 202 pounds which is just ridiculously too low and completey uncompetitive.  
    Craig and I have always enjoyed training at Diamond Gym and still do on occasion.  For me, as a fan, the pictures on the wall are worth the trip itself.  That was a very crazy place back in the day.  Nick Lavatola, Glen Burkhardt, "Dr. Death" and all those pros created probably the closest environment to the original Gold's Gym in Venice during the early 1970's.
    The shows in the 1980's had great local battles with real posing routines.  Tom Potenza and Vinnie Galanti would battle it out with great physiques and routines that actually captivated and excited the fans, as opposed to some of the stuff going on today.  There was no S&M on stage.  The guest posers would battle with the actual competitors and jump into the crowd to pose with and take photos with the fans.  Back then, the fans mattered.  
    Today's gyms are laughable.  Nothing against soccer moms and guys who do men's fitness, but back then, you didn't dare get to the squat rack and not think about 4-5 plates on each side with real and honest movements.  Weight mattered back then but so did form.  I saw Gerard Dente crush 200 lb. dumbells on the incline at Strong & Shapely Gym.  He did it with conviction and purpose.  Today, I see so many guys wearing baggy jeans and swinging from pull up bars like trapeeze artists.
    I know everything changes but I am not sure that the sport I love has evolved as much as I had hoped.  It's sad that ESPN shows "dart" tournaments while bodybuilding can't even be found on Pay Per View.
    Just a few thoughts.
Harley

[njflex]

Dear Big Dub,
    Just after competing in the Mr. Olympia a few years ago, Craig was admitted to the hospital for severe dehydration upon his return home to N.J.  It was at that time discovered that Craig was genetically predisposed to an occasional irregular heartbeat.  He was given some medication for 2 months and as corroborrated by all his medical tests, his heart is working just fine.  He no longer needed the prescribed heart medication and was given a clean bill of health (yes, even liver functions).
    The rumors as to anything other than that were simply just that, rumors.
    Craig, not completely thrilled with the continued trend of bodybuilding and being honest with his own limitations, then set his sights on the 212 pound class.  He has yet to hit his mark but is hopeful that 2015 will be a more successful year in terms of placing in shows.  
    It was well pointed out that Craig was not very successful in the "get as big as you can no matter what" arena.  Craig is 5'7 and competes somewhere around 215 lbs.  It is hard for him to get any heavier than 235 lbs.  The real issue for Craig is that when he diets down and gets very close to a show, his metabolism just takes off and we can't yet figure out just how to stop it.  For the 2014 NY Pro Craig actually hit the stage at around 202 pounds which is just ridiculously too low and completey uncompetitive.  
    Craig and I have always enjoyed training at Diamond Gym and still do on occasion.  For me, as a fan, the pictures on the wall are worth the trip itself.  That was a very crazy place back in the day.  Nick Lavatola, Glen Burkhardt, "Dr. Death" and all those pros created probably the closest environment to the original Gold's Gym in Venice during the early 1970's.
    The shows in the 1980's had great local battles with real posing routines.  Tom Potenza and Vinnie Galanti would battle it out with great physiques and routines that actually captivated and excited the fans, as opposed to some of the stuff going on today.  There was no S&M on stage.  The guest posers would battle with the actual competitors and jump into the crowd to pose with and take photos with the fans.  Back then, the fans mattered.  
    Today's gyms are laughable.  Nothing against soccer moms and guys who do men's fitness, but back then, you didn't dare get to the squat rack and not think about 4-5 plates on each side with real and honest movements.  Weight mattered back then but so did form.  I saw Gerard Dente crush 200 lb. dumbells on the incline at Strong & Shapely Gym.  He did it with conviction and purpose.  Today, I see so many guys wearing baggy jeans and swinging from pull up bars like trapeeze artists.
    I know everything changes but I am not sure that the sport I love has evolved as much as I had hoped.  It's sad that ESPN shows "dart" tournaments while bodybuilding can't even be found on Pay Per View.
    Just a few thoughts.
Harley

Harley is the man....like I said craig has killer legs always,thats a nice shot there,i trained for few yrs in same gym as Potenza  and he had great shows with galanti in nj and jr,,usa's for a few yrs great guy and saw him recently.

[HarleyBreite]

Dear njflex,
    Tom Potenza and I were in the same Physics class in college and I always found him to be a bright, friendly and very helpful person.  He had no issues sharing his bodybuilding knowledge and technique with non-competitors like me.  He became a very successful businessman and was kind enough to invite me many years ago to his beautiful home for a Christmas Party.  Vinnie Galanti and Maz Ali, owner of Bodyworx Hardcore Gym and IFBB Judge were also there.
    Many years ago, Tom called me and said that he was leaving bodybuilding and wanted to enter martial arts.  He knew that I had been training martial arts for many years and wanted to ask my opinion on some things.  We had a very nice talk.  His bodybuilding work ethic translated well to the real world and I often admired his success, both on and off the posing stage.
    His routine to "Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the top five posing routines I have ever seen.  Beau Matlock coming out to guest pose in either the Mr. NJ or Suburban in Union, NJ the late 80's to a crowd that practically exploded with cheer was also unforgettable.  I wish someone had video or photos of that appearance as Beau looked as close to aethetic perfection as I could imagine.
    I was working on a deal with John Kemper to have him lend me all of his videos of all the Mr. NJ contests as I agreed to put them all on DVD and let him market them anyway he could.  I just wanted there to be an outlet where people could see what the NJ bodybuilding scene looked like throughout the entire 80's and even early 90's.  John loved the idea but unfortunately, passed way too early.
Harley
PS- Here is Craig at the 1997 USA in which he took 2nd Place to Jason Arntz by literally a tie-breaker

[njflex]

Dear njflex,
    Tom Potenza and I were in the same Physics class in college and I always found him to be a bright, friendly and very helpful person.  He had no issues sharing his bodybuilding knowledge and technique with non-competitors like me.  He became a very successful businessman and was kind enough to invite me many years ago to his beautiful home for a Christmas Party.  Vinnie Galanti and Maz Ali, owner of Bodyworx Hardcore Gym and IFBB Judge were also there.
    Many years ago, Tom called me and said that he was leaving bodybuilding and wanted to enter martial arts.  He knew that I had been training martial arts for many years and wanted to ask my opinion on some things.  We had a very nice talk.  His bodybuilding work ethic translated well to the real world and I often admired his success, both on and off the posing stage.
    His routine to "Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the top five posing routines I have ever seen.  Beau Matlock coming out to guest pose in either the Mr. NJ or Suburban in Union, NJ the late 80's to a crowd that practically exploded with cheer was also unforgettable.  I wish someone had video or photos of that appearance as Beau looked as close to aethetic perfection as I could imagine.
    I was working on a deal with John Kemper to have him lend me all of his videos of all the Mr. NJ contests as I agreed to put them all on DVD and let him market them anyway he could.  I just wanted there to be an outlet where people could see what the NJ bodybuilding scene looked like throughout the entire 80's and even early 90's.  John loved the idea but unfortunately, passed way too early.
Harley
PS- Here is Craig at the 1997 USA in which he took 2nd Place to Jason Arntz by literally a tie-breaker

I trained in maz's early version of bodyworx as a kid,great guy and always respected him,i was there when maz learned a lot of bbing from his good friend at the time he was a mr south America bber and looked like a frank zane clone,,i competed later on in 90's and maz was judging so it was good feeling remembering his gym and the time I was there as a kid.RICHARDSON WAS MAZ'S GUY FOR A WHILE..Potenza and billy scarnaty another great local and now masters pro were very helpful and guided me to my 1st show and I won the open middleweights in 91..

[gracie bjj]

ill never forget the first time I saw craig on stage at the subarbun or jersey in cranford high school back in 94-95, me and the entire audience where just sitting there with our jaws hitting the ground like OMG this guy is a future pro and no one had any doubts about it,then we all erupted in cheers for craig as he posed,if im not mistaken I remember bill grant,who was the MC,saying craigs just a teenager

[njflex]

ill never forget the first time I saw craig on stage at the subarbun or jersey in cranford high school back in 94-95, me and the entire audience where just sitting there with our jaws hitting the ground like OMG this guy is a future pro and no one had any doubts about it,then we all erupted in cheers for craig as he posed,if im not mistaken I remember bill grant,who was the MC,saying craigs just a teenager

YEAH I REMEMBER,,I WAS LIKE WTF...KID WAS SICK...

[Fortress]

WE HAVE SOME GOOD BODYBUILDERS HERE IN THE GARDEN STATE

http://www.diamondgym.pro/medias/gallery#

I conducted the interview and wrote the text to which that middle pic was accompanied at MuscleMag.

Nice guy, by the way.

[Fortress]

santoriello

I remember him doing a signing at some supps store in Toronto in the late '80s (I'd guess) ... and, like, NO ONE was there. Brutal. Then again, fuck him. He was a miserable prick to my friend and I, and we were seemingly his only "fans" that day.