He spent his childhood in Castano Primo and Bergamo (Milan, Italy) and was raised by his grandmother and an aunt before finally joining his family in Three Oaks, Michigan at age twelve.

After graduation from Three Oaks High, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, where, beginning in 1928, he played football for the Fighting Irish teams coached by Knute Rockne.

His first start for Notre Dame came during his sophomore year against would-be national champion, Georgia Tech, after Rockne's first, second, and third string fullbacks all fell to injuries.

[7] His career came to a sudden end on November 17, 1930 when he withdrew from school after divorce papers were filed, and news of his secret marriage was leaked to the press.

[13] Interpromotional wars were raging at the time, and on April 7, 1933 at Chicago Stadium, Savoldi was involved in a double cross on heavyweight champion Jim Londos.

Londos continued to bill himself as world champion, while Savoldi went to the New York area claiming the same, until he was defeated by Jim Browning on June 12 at Yankee Stadium.

Savoldi continued his wrestling career throughout the decade, touring New Zealand in 1936, appearing in Hawaii and Australia in 1937, and spending a lengthy time in Europe shortly before World War II.

Their mission was to escort Italian-American film producer Marcello Girosi (whose brother Massimo was commander of the Italian Navy) around the Mediterranean theater.

Savoldi may have provided security for OSS chief "Wild Bill" Donovan, when he met with General George S. Patton in Palermo on 10 July 1943.

During his third major mission, Savoldi worked undercover in Naples, where he infiltrated the local Camorra and helped break up one of the largest black market operations in all of Italy.

Savoldi spoke Italian in several dialects as well as French, Spanish, and some German, and his dangerous work behind enemy lines was highly regarded according to several, now declassified, documents.

The 1946 book Cloak and Dagger by Alastair MacBain and Corey Ford includes an entire chapter titled "The Saga of Jumping Joe", recounting Savoldi's participation in the McGregor Project.

Savoldi resumed his wrestling career before war's end, but his ability to move around in the ring would begin to diminish due to the onset of arthritis.