Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

diego, here is Clarence Henry

[dagosd2000]

Hey Frank and Pug
Got a good one. I never told you guys the first time I ate pizza. It went like this. I was four and living in Chicago. My father took me and my mother and sisters to a pizza place in Melrose Park. A lot of guys with no necks hung out there. Pug will verify this. IThe place was like one of these " pizza garden" restaurants with a big patio in front with lots of tables. I remeber it was summer and sittin' outside was fine with everybody.

Well the dago who owns this joint is a guy my father always called "Johnny Haircut". I look back on it now and I think the "pizza garden" thing was probably a front for a numbers game or they had slot machines in the back.Anyway I can smell pizza cookin' in the kitchen and I know that I'm gonna' love it by just the smell. Me and my sisters and my mother and father are waiting for the pizza when all of a sudden in comes roarin' these biker dudes. They must have been on Harleys because I never seen motorcycles that big and that made such a loud noise.

Well there must have been a dozen of these dudes and they looked scary and I could tell they were scarin' the customers as well. "Johnny Haircut" goes out to stop them from coming inside and I hear a bunch of arguin'. "Johnny Haircut" turns to go back inside and says to my father,"Come with me."

In a flash here comes "Johnny Haircut" and my fathet from the kitchen with two "Tommy Guns". They start shooting these guns over the biker dudes' heads. Man,you never saw a bunch of guys scramble to get back on those bikes and get out of there. One guy fell a couple of times trying to get back on his motorcycle.

Well I don't know whether to shit or what. There's "Tommy Gun" smoke driftin' over everyone's heads. You could hear a pin drop. I think everyone was in too much shock to continue eating. My father goes back inside with "The Haircut" and comes back to the table and says"The pizzas should be coming out pretty soon"
Just like that. "The pizzas will be coming out pretty soon.'" Like nothing just happened. Well my littlest sister is crying and my mother wants to leave. My father acts all bewidered.
"I thought yous wanted pizzas?"

Just then this kid comes out of the kitchen wearing an apron. He's holding a couple of boxes with pizzas inside. You'll never believe what this kid says to "Johnny Haircut"
"Were those the guys that wanted the pizzas to go?"
"The Haircut" and my father laughed so loud you could hear them on Lake Michigan.

[dagosd2000]

Hey Expug has a picture on Boxrec .
Im the guy with the gray hair.




http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/i ... iggins.jpg

Pug

You sure you wasn't one of those guys sittin' on that bench with Mickey Cohen?

[kikibalt]

Hey Expug has a picture on Boxrec .
Im the guy with the gray hair.




http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php/i ... iggins.jpg

Pug

You sure you wasn't one of those guys sittin' on that bench with Mickey Cohen?

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank and Pug
Got a good one. I never told you guys the first time I ate pizza. It went like this. I was four and living in Chicago. My father took me and my mother and sisters to a pizza place in Melrose Park. A lot of guys with no necks hung out there. Pug will verify this. IThe place was like one of these " pizza garden" restaurants with a big patio in front with lots of tables. I remeber it was summer and sittin' outside was fine with everybody.

Well the dago who owns this joint is a guy my father always called "Johnny Haircut". I look back on it now and I think the "pizza garden" thing was probably a front for a numbers game or they had slot machines in the back.Anyway I can smell pizza cookin' in the kitchen and I know that I'm gonna' love it by just the smell. Me and my sisters and my mother and father are waiting for the pizza when all of a sudden in comes roarin' these biker dudes. They must have been on Harleys because I never seen motorcycles that big and that made such a loud noise.

Well there must have been a dozen of these dudes and they looked scary and I could tell they were scarin' the customers as well. "Johnny Haircut" goes out to stop them from coming inside and I hear a bunch of arguin'. "Johnny Haircut" turns to go back inside and says to my father,"Come with me."

In a flash here comes "Johnny Haircut" and my fathet from the kitchen with two "Tommy Guns". They start shooting these guns over the biker dudes' heads. Man,you never saw a bunch of guys scramble to get back on those bikes and get out of there. One guy fell a couple of times trying to get back on his motorcycle.

Well I don't know whether to shit or what. There's "Tommy Gun" smoke driftin' over everyone's heads. You could hear a pin drop. I think everyone was in too much shock to continue eating. My father goes back inside with "The Haircut" and comes back to the table and says"The pizzas should be coming out pretty soon"
Just like that. "The pizzas will be coming out pretty soon.'" Like nothing just happened. Well my littlest sister is crying and my mother wants to leave. My father acts all bewidered.
"I thought yous wanted pizzas?"

Just then this kid comes out of the kitchen wearing an apron. He's holding a couple of boxws with pizzas inside. You'll never believe what this kid says to "Johnny Haircut"
"Were those the guys that wanted the pizzas to go?"
"The Haircut" and my father laughed so loud you could hear them on Lake Michigan.

diego,

Were you able to eat the pizza after all the shooting?

[Expug]

Pug

You sure you wasn't one of those guys sittin' on that bench with Mickey Cohen?

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:






Love The Melrose story Dagos.
Its still a helluva town.
Changed a little bit though.

[Rick Farris]

Crawford, Conrad, and "The Wild, Wild West" (Part 2) . . .

"Irish" Frankie Crawford had made quite a name for himself in L.A. boxing, by the time actor Robert Conrad purchased his contract. Crawford's long-time trainer, Jake Shagrue, would remain the voice in his fighter's corner, however, the actor wanted to be part of the action, and would carry the bucket and towel.

Crawford had proven himself among the best in the world, including future lightweight king and L.A. superstar, Mando Ramos. Crawford handed the young Ramos his second loss as a pro in a grudge match held at the Olympic. The bout was very close, but Crawford got the nod.

Having weighed in seven pounds lighter than the growing Ramos, Crawford stood his ground, and used every trick in the book, legal or otherwise, to control his strong, young opponent. In the end, Crawford got the nod, and Ramos would get revenge later in a rematch.

Crawford was close to a title shot, and he offered actor Conrad a chance to be seen with one of the roughest small men in boxing. Conrad would take Frankie everywhere, especially on Friday nights, where he'd show off "his fighter", like he was a champion race horse. Conrad began to take a noticeably more aggressive posture when in the company of guys who could "back him up". He thought nothing of starting a beef, and then relying Crawford, or one of the stuntmen he ran with, to intervene.

Those of you who remember Robert Conrad, when he was doing this show, recall he was a very good looking man, and he and his boys loved the women (and who doesn't). In Crawford's presence, Conrad felt as big as any man. Suddenly, Bob Conrad decides he's going to take out a pro license and give pro boxing a go. He boasted of an amateur career in Chicago, back when he went by his real name, Conrad Falk. Little eveidence could be found to support this, and his claim of having won the open class middleweight title in the Chicago-N.Y Golden Gloves tourney, back when he was a teen.

Suddenly, Bob Conrad decides to have the studio set up a boxing gym on an adjacent sound stage. A gym where his new stallion, Frankie Crawford, could train side-by-side with the actor, who would take a break each day to train under the guidance of Frankie's assistant trainer, Jimmy Gambina. All of Crawford's sparring partners would get extra parts in the TV series, this made Conrad happy, and further insulated his ego from reprisal.

Conrad had the studio publicity dept. take B&W still photos of him in a boxing pose. I saw one in the office of Mickey Davies, in 1971. I laughed when I saw the photo and read the inscription:

To my pal Mickey,
Keep punchin' pal . . .

BOBBY CONRAD . . . Chicago/165 pounds.

Pretty strange, I thought. Mickey Davies waved off the picture, "The man is crazy", he said.

About this time, Crawford is invited to the "party house", and this is when he and John Brumshagen met for the first time.

When John answered he door, he knew exactly who Crawford was. John had grown up in North Hollywood, where he had been a standout track athlete at N.H. High School. Brumshagen had just turned 21, and was a couple years younger than Crawford, and remembers noticing the featherweight because he was introduced in the ring, on TV, as being from North Hollywood.

From this meeting, thru the rest of the boxer's life, John Brumshagen would stick by the featherweight contender thru thick and thin. That's the kinda guy Brumshagen was, and still is. In later years, he and I would become close friends, and would also work together in the film industry.

The experiences I share, are a combination of personal memories and John Brumshagen's recollections. I've interviewed my buddy extensivly on Crawford, and his tales combined with mine, create an image of somebody that is both briliant and tragic. He was a hard guy to get to know. He was different, even more so than most boxers. He had a very strong sense of honor, but often, he'd confuse things, and he loved to fight. The bigger the opponent, the better, at least in the street.

With Mando Ramos' permission, I'll share a couple stories he told me, about Crawford. And a time When Crawford, Ramos, Ruben Navarro and Raul Rojas all met in Las Vegas and went out drinking together.


Anyway, more to come . . .

-Rick Farris

Keep it going Rick,very interesting.

One time way back I was watching the Mike Douglas Show. He was doing the show from San Diego for a week. The setting was Torrey Pines State Park. Bob Conrad was his guest host. One of the guests is a "kite sailerr" . The "kite sailer" is explaining to Douglas and Conrad how he's going to run off the cliff and go floating out over the ocean.Next thing you know Conrad is climbing aboard this guy's kite and they both go out into the air. Douglas is about to "shit". But here's my take on why Conrad did this. One of the guests was Elke Sommer. I think he was trying to impress her.

DAGOS, you're no doubt right. Conrad is a real piece of work, and he has a rep among those of us who have worked with him. You know, there was an organized crime element in the Valley, and I know that Crawford met a lot of people thru his association with Bob Conrad. I also know that his "trainer" Jimmy Gambina, liked to act like he was a "connected" guy.

The story I heard, and maybe it's crap, or partly accurate, or who knows?, is that Ralph Gambina was a relative of the Gambino crime family. Adding fuel to this speculation is the fact that Ralph Gambina (Jimmy's father) always "managed" fighter's that were owned by Frank Sinatra, such as Andy and Alfredo Escobar. You'll see pics in old "Knockout Magazine" issues, such as Frank posts, showing photos of Gambina, Sinatra and the Escobar brothers. One with an imagination likes to try and put two + two together, but who knows? Not all is at it appears, as you know.

Thanks for your interest, I enjoy your stories and I'm learning about things beyond boxing, thanks to you.

More on Frankie to come, and an interesting sparring session that kinda made Robert Conrad realize that boxing might not be his cup of tea.

-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

Hey Frank and Pug
Got a good one. I never told you guys the first time I ate pizza. It went like this. I was four and living in Chicago. My father took me and my mother and sisters to a pizza place in Melrose Park. A lot of guys with no necks hung out there. Pug will verify this. IThe place was like one of these " pizza garden" restaurants with a big patio in front with lots of tables. I remeber it was summer and sittin' outside was fine with everybody.

Well the dago who owns this joint is a guy my father always called "Johnny Haircut". I look back on it now and I think the "pizza garden" thing was probably a front for a numbers game or they had slot machines in the back.Anyway I can smell pizza cookin' in the kitchen and I know that I'm gonna' love it by just the smell. Me and my sisters and my mother and father are waiting for the pizza when all of a sudden in comes roarin' these biker dudes. They must have been on Harleys because I never seen motorcycles that big and that made such a loud noise.

Well there must have been a dozen of these dudes and they looked scary and I could tell they were scarin' the customers as well. "Johnny Haircut" goes out to stop them from coming inside and I hear a bunch of arguin'. "Johnny Haircut" turns to go back inside and says to my father,"Come with me."

In a flash here comes "Johnny Haircut" and my fathet from the kitchen with two "Tommy Guns". They start shooting these guns over the biker dudes' heads. Man,you never saw a bunch of guys scramble to get back on those bikes and get out of there. One guy fell a couple of times trying to get back on his motorcycle.

Well I don't know whether to shit or what. There's "Tommy Gun" smoke driftin' over everyone's heads. You could hear a pin drop. I think everyone was in too much shock to continue eating. My father goes back inside with "The Haircut" and comes back to the table and says"The pizzas should be coming out pretty soon"
Just like that. "The pizzas will be coming out pretty soon.'" Like nothing just happened. Well my littlest sister is crying and my mother wants to leave. My father acts all bewidered.
"I thought yous wanted pizzas?"

Just then this kid comes out of the kitchen wearing an apron. He's holding a couple of boxws with pizzas inside. You'll never believe what this kid says to "Johnny Haircut"
"Were those the guys that wanted the pizzas to go?"
"The Haircut" and my father laughed so loud you could hear them on Lake Michigan.

diego,

Were you able to eat the pizza after all the shooting?

Frank
Do you think my father was going to leave like something bad happened? Hell no. We ate the pizza. From then on it was love at first bite.

[kikibalt]

Another Frank Sinatra owned fighter "managed" by
Ralph Gambina was Cisco Andrade.

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank and Pug
Got a good one. I never told you guys the first time I ate pizza. It went like this. I was four and living in Chicago. My father took me and my mother and sisters to a pizza place in Melrose Park. A lot of guys with no necks hung out there. Pug will verify this. IThe place was like one of these " pizza garden" restaurants with a big patio in front with lots of tables. I remeber it was summer and sittin' outside was fine with everybody.

Well the dago who owns this joint is a guy my father always called "Johnny Haircut". I look back on it now and I think the "pizza garden" thing was probably a front for a numbers game or they had slot machines in the back.Anyway I can smell pizza cookin' in the kitchen and I know that I'm gonna' love it by just the smell. Me and my sisters and my mother and father are waiting for the pizza when all of a sudden in comes roarin' these biker dudes. They must have been on Harleys because I never seen motorcycles that big and that made such a loud noise.

Well there must have been a dozen of these dudes and they looked scary and I could tell they were scarin' the customers as well. "Johnny Haircut" goes out to stop them from coming inside and I hear a bunch of arguin'. "Johnny Haircut" turns to go back inside and says to my father,"Come with me."

In a flash here comes "Johnny Haircut" and my fathet from the kitchen with two "Tommy Guns". They start shooting these guns over the biker dudes' heads. Man,you never saw a bunch of guys scramble to get back on those bikes and get out of there. One guy fell a couple of times trying to get back on his motorcycle.

Well I don't know whether to shit or what. There's "Tommy Gun" smoke driftin' over everyone's heads. You could hear a pin drop. I think everyone was in too much shock to continue eating. My father goes back inside with "The Haircut" and comes back to the table and says"The pizzas should be coming out pretty soon"
Just like that. "The pizzas will be coming out pretty soon.'" Like nothing just happened. Well my littlest sister is crying and my mother wants to leave. My father acts all bewidered.
"I thought yous wanted pizzas?"

Just then this kid comes out of the kitchen wearing an apron. He's holding a couple of boxws with pizzas inside. You'll never believe what this kid says to "Johnny Haircut"
"Were those the guys that wanted the pizzas to go?"
"The Haircut" and my father laughed so loud you could hear them on Lake Michigan.

diego,

Were you able to eat the pizza after all the shooting?

Frank
Do you think my father was going to leave like something bad happened? Hell no. We ate the pizza. From then on it was love at first bite.

I like that name "Johnny Haircut" those were colorful names these guys came up with...

[dagosd2000]

Hey Frank,do you have HBO? I'm watching this program on their family channel. It's called "The Music In Us: Children" It's blowing my mind. They got these little kids on there like 10 and 12 years old. They play instruments. They showcase a kid. There's a little girl that plays Latin Jazz on the flute,a little boy who plays bayou accordian,a kid that plays bop on the trumpet.These kids are as good as any pros. It's on again early in the morning. I'm going to tape it and show it to my granddaughter(the Flamenco dancer.She could have qualified for that program). It is really inspiring to see kids like that with so much talent and love for music.

[Rick Farris]

Notice To All Regular Posters . . .

Guys, you all know who you are, and if you're not sure, just consider yourself welcome, as well.

First off, I'm on the board of directors of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. I'm one of six on the selection commitee who gets to decide on "who" gets on the ballot, and from there, a couple hundred boxing personalities from around the world vote for their choice. That's basically how the induction process of the WBHOF works.

Anyway, this years World Boxing Hall of Fame annual induction banquet will be held in mid-to-late October, somewhere in the L.A. area, possibly the Commerce Casino.

Any of you who would like to attend, please come as my guest and bring your wife, girlfriend, mistress, gay lover, or whoever you want to accompany you. I will have a couple tables set aside, and if you are certain you will attend, let me know and I'll see you receive two tickets. You will not have to pay $100 for your seat, it's on me. Just don't let me send them unless you are sure you can attend.

You all have some time to think about it. Toward the end of September, I will repost this, and from there, should you want to join a few of your on-line friends live, just let me know here.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

diego,

Were you able to eat the pizza after all the shooting?

Frank
Do you think my father was going to leave like something bad happened? Hell no. We ate the pizza. From then on it was love at first bite.

I like that name "Johnny Haircut" those were colorful names these guys came up with...

A list of some of father's pals:Jackie"The Lackey" Cerone,Sam "Momo" Giancana,Paul"The Waiter" Ricca(he didn't like to be called that),"Milwaukee" Phil,"Mike the Gigolo" ,"Pool Room" ,"Knuckles","Machine Gun","The Enforcer". My grandfather was "Diamond Joe",but his friends called him"Dimey" A real jovial bunch.

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank,do you have HBO? I'm watching this program on their family channel. It's called "The Music In Us: Children" It's blowing my mind. They got these little kids on there like 10 and 12 years old. They play instruments. They showcase a kid. There's a little girl that plays Latin Jazz on the flute,a little boy who plays bayou accordian,a kid that plays bop on the trumpet.These kids are as good as any pros. It's on again early in the morning. I'm going to tape it and show it to my granddaughter(the Flamenco dancer.She could have qualified for that program). It is really inspiring to see kids like that with so much talent and love for music.

Yeah, I got HBO, I'll see if I can catch it in the morning, thanks diego for the heads up.

[dagosd2000]

Notice To All Regular Posters . . .

Guys, you all know who you are, and if you're not sure, just consider yourself welcome, as well.

First off, I'm on the board of directors of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. I'm one of six on the selection commitee who gets to decide on "who" gets on the ballot, and from there, a couple hundred boxing personalities from around the world vote for their choice. That's basically how the induction process of the WBHOF works.

Anyway, this years World Boxing Hall of Fame annual induction banquet will be held in mid-to-late October, somewhere in the L.A. area, possibly the Commerce Casino.

Any of you who would like to attend, please come as my guest and bring your wife, girlfriend, mistress, gay lover, or whoever you want to accompany you. I will have a couple tables set aside, and if you are certain you will attend, let me know and I'll see you receive two tickets. You will not have to pay $100 for your seat, it's on me. Just don't let me send them unless you are sure you can attend.

You all have some time to think about it. Toward the end of September, I will repost this, and from there, should you want to join a few of your on-line friends live, just let me know here.


-Rick Farris

Rick,
Count me and the Misses in. Wouldn't miss it for nothin'. Let me know the details .Thanks Dagos

[Expug]

Frank
Do you think my father was going to leave like something bad happened? Hell no. We ate the pizza. From then on it was love at first bite.

I like that name "Johnny Haircut" those were colorful names these guys came up with...

A list of some of father's pals:Jackie"The Lackey" Cerone,Sam "Momo" Giancana,Paul"The Waiter" Ricca(he didn't like to be called that),"Milwaukee" Phil,"Mike the Gigolo" ,"Pool Room" ,"Knuckles","Machine Gun","The Enforcer". My grandfather was "Diamond Joe",but his friends called him"Dimey" A real jovial bunch.

There is an actor who was in Goodfellas named Mike Starr.
He played a small part as the guy who ran the security at the Luftansa terminal that Deniro and Pesci and crew ripped off.
In the movie he has a scene in a club where he is talking to Deniro and Pesci about the heist beforehand and Deniro asks him, what about security?
Starr laughs and tells him "security is a joke, Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
Funny scene.
Anyway Im at work at a Blackhawk game at Chicagos United Center and Im doing security down by whats called the talent corridor where only players family , press and friends can have access.
Im talkin to this real cute gal who is a reporter for Fox Sports and she is eyeballing a pack of gum in a Detroit Redwings equipment bag.
So she asks me "Brian do you think they would mind if I grabbed that pack of gum?".
I told her go right ahead. Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
I ripped off Mike Starrs line from "Goodfellas " trying to be cool.
She thought it was real clever. Hell that movie was twenty years ago . She wouldnt know I stole it.
So after our little conversation, I walk away to take care of something , I turn the corridor and guess who I run into?
MIKE STARR. What the hell. Hes got a buddy on the Red wings and hes in town making a movie.
I walked up to him introduced myself and told him I had just used his line from Goodfellas to be Mr. Cool in front of some dame.
He got a huge kick out of it.
Hes been back to a couple games since.
We yuck it up .

[dagosd2000]

I like that name "Johnny Haircut" those were colorful names these guys came up with...

A list of some of father's pals:Jackie"The Lackey" Cerone,Sam "Momo" Giancana,Paul"The Waiter" Ricca(he didn't like to be called that),"Milwaukee" Phil,"Mike the Gigolo" ,"Pool Room" ,"Knuckles","Machine Gun","The Enforcer". My grandfather was "Diamond Joe",but his friends called him"Dimey" A real jovial bunch.

There is an actor who was in Goodfellas named Mike Starr.
He played a small part as the guy who ran the security at the Luftansa terminal that Deniro and Pesci and crew ripped off.
In the movie he has a scene in a club where he is talking to Deniro and Pesci about the heist beforehand and Deniro asks him, what about security?
Starr laughs and tells him "security is a joke, Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
Funny scene.
Anyway Im at work at a Blackhawk game at Chicagos United Center and Im doing security down by whats called the talent corridor where only players family , press and friends can have access.
Im talkin to this real cute gal who is a reporter for Fox Sports and she is eyeballing a pack of gum in a Detroit Redwings equipment bag.
So she asks me "Brian do you think they would mind if I grabbed that pack of gum?".
I told her go right ahead. Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
I ripped off Mike Starrs line from "Goodfellas " trying to be cool.
She thought it was real clever. Hell that movie was twenty years ago . She wouldnt know I stole it.
So after our little conversation, I walk away to take care of something , I turn the corridor and guess who I run into?
MIKE STARR. What the hell. Hes got a buddy on the Red wings and hes in town making a movie.
I walked up to him introduced myself and told him I had just used his line from Goodfellas to be Mr. Cool in front of some dame.
He got a huge kick out of it.
Hes been back to a couple games since.
We yuck it up .

That's a funny story Pug. Sometimes I wonder if Scorsese was that good a director. For example he had all those Italians in those movies:it was like they didn't have to work that much to act their parts. They grew up like that. Seeing all those wiseguys in the neighborhood. Sometimes Scorcese wouls set up a scene and tell the actors to improvise. That's how that scene in Goodfellas was where Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta are in that club and Pesci gets upset and says"Why do you think I'm funny? I'm here to amuse you?" All improvised on the spot.

One interesting side light on Goodfellas. Usually the Mob guys were indifferent to those Italian gangster movies. My father didn't like them much. However,one time the Mob was a little upset. They didn't like the way their wives and kids were represented in Goodfellas. Scorcese drew the wives as being loud and kind of vulgar. The Mob guys had a legitimate beef. Their wives were very quiet and were apart from all their husbands activity. They were with their children. I remember Sam Giancana's wife when I was a kid. We'd go there for Sunday dinner once in a while. She was very timid and reserved. My mother was very shy and did not involve herself or us kids with what my father was doing. I didn't know anything until I was sixteen years of age.

[Expug]

A list of some of father's pals:Jackie"The Lackey" Cerone,Sam "Momo" Giancana,Paul"The Waiter" Ricca(he didn't like to be called that),"Milwaukee" Phil,"Mike the Gigolo" ,"Pool Room" ,"Knuckles","Machine Gun","The Enforcer". My grandfather was "Diamond Joe",but his friends called him"Dimey" A real jovial bunch.

There is an actor who was in Goodfellas named Mike Starr.
He played a small part as the guy who ran the security at the Luftansa terminal that Deniro and Pesci and crew ripped off.
In the movie he has a scene in a club where he is talking to Deniro and Pesci about the heist beforehand and Deniro asks him, what about security?
Starr laughs and tells him "security is a joke, Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
Funny scene.
Anyway Im at work at a Blackhawk game at Chicagos United Center and Im doing security down by whats called the talent corridor where only players family , press and friends can have access.
Im talkin to this real cute gal who is a reporter for Fox Sports and she is eyeballing a pack of gum in a Detroit Redwings equipment bag.
So she asks me "Brian do you think they would mind if I grabbed that pack of gum?".
I told her go right ahead. Im the midnight to eight man.Im the commandant."
I ripped off Mike Starrs line from "Goodfellas " trying to be cool.
She thought it was real clever. Hell that movie was twenty years ago . She wouldnt know I stole it.
So after our little conversation, I walk away to take care of something , I turn the corridor and guess who I run into?
MIKE STARR. What the hell. Hes got a buddy on the Red wings and hes in town making a movie.
I walked up to him introduced myself and told him I had just used his line from Goodfellas to be Mr. Cool in front of some dame.
He got a huge kick out of it.
Hes been back to a couple games since.
We yuck it up .

That's a funny story Pug. Sometimes I woder if Scorsese was that good a director. For example he had all those Italians in those movies:it was like they didn't have to work that much to act their parts. They grew up like that. Seeing all those wiseguys in the neighborhood. Sometimes Scorcese wouls set up a scene and tell the actors to improvise. That's how that scene in Goodfellas was where Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta are in that club and Pesci gets upset and says"Why do you think I'm funny? I'm here to amuse you?" All improvised on the spot.

One interesting side light on Goodfellas. Usually the Mob guys were indifferent to those Italian gangster movies. My father didn't like them much. However,one time the Mob was a little upset. They didn't like the way their wives and kids were represented in Goodfellas. Scorcese drew the wives as being loud and kind of vulgar. The Mob guys had a legitimate beef. Their wives were very quiet and were apart from all their husbands activity. They were with their children. I remember Sam Giancana's wife when I was a kid. We'd go there for Sunday dinner once in a while. She was very timid and reserved. My mother was very shy and did not involve herself or us kids with what my father was doing. I didn't know anything until I was sixteen years of age.

I remember that scene with the wives.
I also remember thinking it was a a stretch.
I remember that Tony Accardo used to always talk about keepin his head down.
Keepin a low profile.
Its hard to imagine a boss like that putting up with any of his crews wives being loud and obnoxious.
My wife and I sat a table away from Accardo at Horwaths resteraunt on Harlem ave. one time 25 years ago or so and he was with his wife and another couple.
Perfectly polite and quiet.
He had a cane that he had propped up against the table that had a gold Tuna fish handle.Probably the only outward sign of extravagance.

[Rick Farris]

Crawford, Conrad and "The Wild, Wild West" (Part 3) . . .

Actor Robert Conrad was living the Hollywood dream, he was starring in one of the highest rated shows on network television, and that automatically equates to a lot of power in tinsel town. He played the macho "James West", a one man army who could whip as many bad guys as challenged him, and did so without ever messing up his dark hair.

In Hollywood, fantasy and reality seem to run parallel, but eventuall, reality will strike, and strike hard. One day, on stage five, at the CBS Studio Center, that's exactly what happened.

It was late 1968, and Robert Conrad had just experienced, for the first time, working the corner of his featherweight contender Frankie Crawford. In September, Crawford and Conrad flew to Indianapolis, where Frankie flattened a losing club fighter named Tommy Fix.

When they returned to L.A. Crawford would sign to fight one of the greatest featherweights in the world, Dwight "The Hawk" Hawkins, and Conrad took advantage of the fight's publicity to get a little of his own. Conrad had Crawford training for the Hawkins fight right at the studio, where the actor would jump into the ring with his fighter, serving as a "warm up" sparring partner.

Now you gotta understand that a guy like Conrad may have an inflated ego, but Crawford knew who buttered his bread, and always was careful to box very lightly with the star. Frankie knew that Conrad didn't possess the most important thing to a fighter, heart. By nature, the actor was a bully, and somehow, thru the magic of Hollywood, he really believed he had boxing talent. He may have been able to "act" like how he thought a fighter might act, but when it came to trading blows, the man was a lost ball in high grass.

One day. Conrad invited the studio publicity department to set up a press meeting at the gym/stage, where he would be working out with Crawford. He wanted the world to know he was punching it out with a contender everyday, and the press was invited to an open workout.

Prior to the sparring session, as Crawford sat on a table wrapping his hands, he overhears a reporter ask Conrad how he thought he might fare with Crawford in a "real fight". Conrad told the reporter that Crawford was a world class boxer, and on that alone might have an edge, however, he told the reporter that he weighed more than thirty pounds more than Frankie, and with his size advantage, it might be a pretty close fight.

Crawford was furious, but didn't say a word to the actor. Frankie was a guy who let his fist do the talking and, a couple seconds after the opening bell for the session, the pissed off Irishman let loose with three consecutive left hooks, all bouncing off the chin of the Conrad. Conrad hit the canvas with a thud, and had a ref began to count, he'd have reached a hundred before Conrad came around.

When the actor awoke, everybody attending the "exhibition" had left. His handlers helped him to his feet, and sat him down on a stool that had been placed right in the middle of the ring. As he gathered his senses, he found his boxer standing before him, shaking a finger in his face. Crawford informed Conrad if he even were to suggest he could whip in in a fight, next time he'd kill him.

A couple of weeks later, Irish Frankie Crawford was KOed by Dwight Hawkins, and shortly there after, Robert Conrad and Frankie Crawford were no longer in business together. However, getting rid of the ghost of Frankie Crawford would prove to be a lot harder than just selling a contract. Frankie could be a haunting presence.

More on this later.

-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Notice To All Regular Posters . . .

Guys, you all know who you are, and if you're not sure, just consider yourself welcome, as well.

First off, I'm on the board of directors of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. I'm one of six on the selection commitee who gets to decide on "who" gets on the ballot, and from there, a couple hundred boxing personalities from around the world vote for their choice. That's basically how the induction process of the WBHOF works.

Anyway, this years World Boxing Hall of Fame annual induction banquet will be held in mid-to-late October, somewhere in the L.A. area, possibly the Commerce Casino.

Any of you who would like to attend, please come as my guest and bring your wife, girlfriend, mistress, gay lover, or whoever you want to accompany you. I will have a couple tables set aside, and if you are certain you will attend, let me know and I'll see you receive two tickets. You will not have to pay $100 for your seat, it's on me. Just don't let me send them unless you are sure you can attend.

You all have some time to think about it. Toward the end of September, I will repost this, and from there, should you want to join a few of your on-line friends live, just let me know here.


-Rick Farris

Thanks Rick,

Count my wife and I in.

Thanks
Frank

[bennie]

Does this gesture stretch to us Brits, Rick?

[yancey]

I have so enjoyed this thread. Many of these names, such as Aileen Eaton and Don Fraser and the Olympic Auditorium , I remember reading about
in the Boxing magazines when I was a very avid fan in the '60s and '70s.
I remember well those two Patterson-Quarry fights from that era.

Tell me, is the great West Coast boxing manager/trainer, Johnny Flores, former manager for Quarry, still around and active?

[kikibalt]

I have so enjoyed this thread. Many of these names, such as Aileen Eaton and Don Fraser and the Olympic Auditorium , I remember reading about
in the Boxing magazines when I was a very avid fan in the '60s and '70s.
I remember well those two Patterson-Quarry fights from that era.

Tell me, is the great West Coast boxing manager/trainer, Johnny Flores, former manager for Quarry, still around and active?

Yancey,

Johnny Flores died some years back, I'll let Rick tell you as to how he died, he know more about it then I.

[kikibalt]

Joe Rivers

[kikibalt]