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All the United States New Jersey Shamong Mighty Joe the Gorilla
AO Edited

Mighty Joe the Gorilla

This 25-foot-tall gorilla made his way from the Wildwood boardwalk to a Pine Barrens gas station and deli.

Shamong, New Jersey

Added By
Andrea Leigh
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  Andrea Leigh / Atlas Obscura User
  Andrea Leigh / Atlas Obscura User
  Andrea Leigh / Atlas Obscura User
  Andrea Leigh / Atlas Obscura User
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About

There's a gorilla in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a 25-foot statue that stands outside a gas station on Route 206. his name is Mighty Joe, and he is currently the mascot of Mighty Joe's Gas, Grill & Deli. But before he came to his current home (and his current name), the massive gorilla statue lived another life.

The fiberglass gorilla was built in Spain and shipped to the U.S. for about $50,000. Originally he towered above the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey, when he went by the names Kongo-Pongo and Magilla. For a time, he resided outside a Wildwood go-kart track as George.

In the early 2000s, the gorilla went up for sale. Mighty Joe's owner Larry Valenzano purchased the deteriorating primate for $2,000 and spent another $10,000 repairing him. In 1999, Valenzano had 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 acquired the gorilla, it too was given a new name in Joe's memory.

The refurbished gorilla made his debut on Route 206 in 2004. He stands inside a white fence, with a sign affixed to his front explaining the history of how a 25-foot gorilla came to be in the Pine Barrens.

Related Tags

Gas Station Gorillas Statues Roadside Attractions

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Added By

Andrea Leigh

Edited By

Collector of Experiences

  • Collector of Experiences

Published

May 27, 2021

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Sources
  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11147
  • https://weirdnj.com/stories/roadside-oddities/mighty-joe/
  • https://www.nj.com/burlington/2017/07/the_story_of_gorilla_joe.html
Mighty Joe the Gorilla
1231 US-206
Shamong, New Jersey, 08088
United States
39.810165, -74.736783
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Jersey

New Jersey

United States

Places 158
Stories 33

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