Gargiulo was born on July 19, 2000, in Yorktown Heights, New York.[2] He first played football in third grade and later was a standout at Somers High School, where he was a two-way lineman and also played basketball.[2] At Somers, he won a starting job as a sophomore and helped them win the state championship the next year, being named All-League and All-Section.[2] He received All-State honors as a senior and was chosen the league's most valuable player.[2] He was named to the state's Super 11 and Golden Dozen teams but was a zero-star recruit for college, ultimately committing to play for the FCSYale Bulldogs.[2][3]
College career
Gargiulo redshirted his freshman year at Yale in 2018, playing one game, and then won the starting job at left tackle in the 2019 season.[4] He started all 10 games in the 2019 season, and then missed the 2020 season as it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] He broke his fibula and right ankle early on in the 2021 season and missed the rest of the year.[6] He then returned for the 2022 season and was selected team captain, ultimately winning first-team All-Ivy League honors as well as being selected All-New England by the New England Football Writers Association.[7]
Gargiulo opted to play a final season of college football in 2023 and transferred to the South Carolina Gamecocks.[8][9] He started all 12 games in his lone year with the Gamecocks, the first five at left guard before shifting to center for the rest of the year.[10] Gargiulo was the team captain for South Carolina and received third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors at the end of the year.[10][11] He finished his collegiate career having started 36 games, totaling 17 at center, 14 at left tackle and five at left guard.[6] He played at the 2024 Hula Bowl and was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.[3][12]
Gargiulo was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft with the second-to-last pick (256th overall), becoming the first athlete from Somers High School ever to be drafted by an NFL team.[3][15]
On August 27, 2024, Gargiulo was waived by the Broncos during their final roster cuts.[16] The next day, he was re-signed to the practice squad.[17]