Joe Garcio, the son of a Delaware shoemaker, embarked on a journey that would take him from the East Coast to the sun-kissed streets of Hollywood. After drifting aimlessly for a while, Garcio's arrival in Tinseltown marked the beginning of his illustrious career as a prolific cowboy extra.
His remarkable ability to handle and shoe horses led him to appear in westerns, starting in the 1930s. He became a regular fixture in films, often working in posse scenes and Mexican settings. However, like many cowboy extras, Garcio's work was not limited to westerns alone. He found another revenue stream by appearing in big-budget films that required ethnic extras for exotic locations.
As the years went by, Garcio's bulky weight and short height led him to transition into roles such as bartenders and henchmen in westerns. He also started appearing as police officers, showcasing his versatility as an actor. Moreover, Garcio's experience as an actor's stand-in allowed him to work on films for longer periods, albeit with fewer opportunities. As a stand-in, he would typically collect a paycheck as an extra, often playing upgraded roles.
The advent of television westerns brought a surge in demand for Garcio's services. He found himself busy at Revue Studios, where he would often play townspeople in their western productions and appear as workmen and ethnic extras in their drama-based shows. His extensive network of studio connections and friendships enabled him to secure work on productions from other studios, including frequent appearances as a townsman on Bonanza and a bartender in rough-looking bars.
As the western genre began to decline in the late 1960s, Garcio decided to retire, leaving behind a legacy as a dependable extra, a skilled cowboy, and a cherished friend to many of his fellow cowboy extras.
