James J. Braddock Memorial Statue - “Little Cinderella”

You are looking at a ten-foot bronze statue of James J. Braddock, a local legend whose life story captured the imagination of the country during the Great Depression. Before he was the heavyweight champion of the world, Braddock was a North Bergen resident who struggled to feed his family, often working as a longshoreman and relying on government relief while nursing a series of hand injuries. His transformation from a down-and-out fighter into a titleholder earned him the nickname Cinderella Man from a sportswriter who saw his sudden, unlikely rise as a modern-day fairy tale. This monument stands in the park that bears his name, honoring the determination of a man who famously paid back every cent of the public assistance he received once he finally found success. Sculpted by Zenos Frudakis, the statue depicts Braddock not in the heat of a fight, but in a moment of quiet, human reflection that speaks to the resilience behind his fame.