Only recently heard the news of Tiberio Mitri "The Trieste Tiger" being run over by a train in 2001. Another boxer who came to a bad end. From when my family lived in Italy, I don't think the rail system there is quite so extensive or dangerous that this sort of thing would be a common hazard. How does a 74 year old man wind up in that situation? Anyone here know exactly what happened? Did Mitri just wander onto railroad tracks or, in some sort of despair, did he throw himself on them?
Anthony
Tiberio Mitri Run Over By Train?
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Gherardo Bonini
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 49
- Joined: 29 Dec 2001, 20:00
Mitri's death
Mitri died on 12 February 2001, overwhelmed at 7AM by the train Roma-Civitavecchia. He lived in a roulotte, in miserable conditions, near the railways, probably he was walking between the rails searching food for the day. He suffered Alzheimer's disease, so his mental status was defectful, he was loosing memory (he did not realize anymore his first son was dead by drug overdose many years ago), perception and dignity. He lived as a vagrant. Only Nino Benvenuti took care to his (and Duilio Loi) situation, but Mitri died some days before the approval of new Law supporting former boxers and sportspersons fallen in disgrace. This Law is a consistent rider to Bacchelli Law, a deliberation which met the difficulties of former artists or vips who honoured the Italian image.
Friendly yours
Gherardo Bonini
Friendly yours
Gherardo Bonini
Mitri
Thank you, Sr. Bonini. As before, your answers enlighten us here.
What a tragic end for Tiberio Mitri, "The Trieste Tiger." Most of what my family has heard about Italy over the years since we lived there (first half of 20th Century) is that economic conditions had improved greatly. It is too bad that Mitri, once a champion, did not have that experience (at least in his later years). One good thing, to hear that Nino Benvenuti still looks after fellow boxers. And that this new Italian law may help retired celebrities.
Sugar Ray Robinson also comes to mind. Though he fought Hall of Famers from A(rmstrong) to Z(ivic), with many lesser-known in between, it reminds me again of those he never met (yet could have) in the ring. Some of those, like Archie Moore, were champions in their own right and busy in their own divisions. A few, Walter Cartier and Chico Vejar maybe, weren't quite good enough when SRR was in his big years. But others, such as Charley Burley and Joey Giambra, were very active middleweights and probably deserving of a fight with Sugar Ray.
Mitri might be in this category. Looking over the record, SRR had many bouts in his European tours. Included among his opponents were two whom Mitri beat, Jean Stock (twice!) and Cyrille Delannoit. So there should have been no question of Tiberio Mitri being "good enough" for a shot at SRR, Mitri even KO'd Randy Turpin (who gave Robinson trouble) in one round and went the distance (while losing) with the "Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta. Unless that itself was the reason, Sugar Ray may have looked at these tours as extended "road show" vacations, he and his managers didn't want too many European foes he could actually lose to.
Anthony
What a tragic end for Tiberio Mitri, "The Trieste Tiger." Most of what my family has heard about Italy over the years since we lived there (first half of 20th Century) is that economic conditions had improved greatly. It is too bad that Mitri, once a champion, did not have that experience (at least in his later years). One good thing, to hear that Nino Benvenuti still looks after fellow boxers. And that this new Italian law may help retired celebrities.
Sugar Ray Robinson also comes to mind. Though he fought Hall of Famers from A(rmstrong) to Z(ivic), with many lesser-known in between, it reminds me again of those he never met (yet could have) in the ring. Some of those, like Archie Moore, were champions in their own right and busy in their own divisions. A few, Walter Cartier and Chico Vejar maybe, weren't quite good enough when SRR was in his big years. But others, such as Charley Burley and Joey Giambra, were very active middleweights and probably deserving of a fight with Sugar Ray.
Mitri might be in this category. Looking over the record, SRR had many bouts in his European tours. Included among his opponents were two whom Mitri beat, Jean Stock (twice!) and Cyrille Delannoit. So there should have been no question of Tiberio Mitri being "good enough" for a shot at SRR, Mitri even KO'd Randy Turpin (who gave Robinson trouble) in one round and went the distance (while losing) with the "Raging Bull" Jake LaMotta. Unless that itself was the reason, Sugar Ray may have looked at these tours as extended "road show" vacations, he and his managers didn't want too many European foes he could actually lose to.
Anthony