Classic American West Coast Boxing

[bennie]

Left to right - Dan Hanley, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Rick Farris, Greg
Patterson and Dan Hanley, Sr.

Great photo!!

Frank

Lovely shot.

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Mando Ramos

"Mando"
By Diego

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The people at Mando Ramos's memorial celebration

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diego with his portrait of Mando Ramos, which he presented to Mando's widow , Sylvia.

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Randy De La O with Mando Ramos Jr.

[dagosd2000]

"Here. Take my water."
I arrived at the Longshormen's Hall around Five. The place had a good crowd. It looked like a boxing crowd. Not the big Vegas type of crowd,but the crowd you'd see at the local arenas back in the day. In fact the Hall would have been great place back then to put on a card. Frank found me looking around and yelled out,"Diego!" I went over to the back table where they were eating.
"You sure Frankie? I'm just going to have a salad."
Frankie Jr. was sitting with his dad. Everyone seemed relaxed and enjoying themselves.
"No. it's OK. I want to look at the photographs at the front of the stage."
Frank asked me if I had brought the painting of Mando.
"Yeah,it's in the car .I'll get it. By the way is "Gato" here? I have his oainting too."
Frank shrugged.
"Haven't seen him so far."

I limped outside to get the painting of Mando that was in the trunk. I got to Wilmington early so i had some time to kill. There was a chiropractor's office down the street so I took a chance going over there that he might do something for my sore leg. Well he told me I sit wrong,have no flexibilty,my blood pressure is too high,and need to shed 40 pounds. He scared me. But it's probably what I needed to hear. No more fooling myself. I limped back inside with the painting.

Frank was on his feet looking for Mando Ramos's son. He was on stage hosting the ceremony. He looked just like his dad. Not the younger Mando. The kid who had the baby face. The kid who Aileen Eaton would often refer to as "My Baby".Mando's son looked like his dad later on. It's hard to imagine remembering the young Mando Ramos ever letting himself get that way later. Sylvia Ramos came up to the stage. A bright lady with blond hair. (Mando liked those blonds) and Frank took some pictures of the painting I presented to Sylvia with Mando's son. I can't express in words how much satisfication I felt from Sylvia and Mando Jr. when they accepted my painting. This will say it. Mando took the painting in his hands and looked at it a moment and turned to me.
"This will be put in a special place in the Ramos home."

Frank was showing me around,introducing me to everyone. He knows everybody and everybody knows Frank. I took a picture with Carlos Palomino. It happened real fast.Carlos didn't know who I was or what my name was either. I put my arm around his shoulder and Frank took the shot. I thanked Carlos. He looked up to me ,I think he was trying to recognize me.
"It was my pleasure," Carlos answered.

As Frankie was looking at all the memorabilia at the front of the stage,he returned to the table in the back and told his dad that he found Gato. I limped out to the car again.

Gato was in the middle of a crowd so I waited with Frank until it cleared.
"Gato. This is Diego. Roger Esty."
Gato saw the painting. He was like a little kid with a new toy. Ne took my hand with both of his and blushed.
"Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me. You are gifted. I do not have the words to tell you what is in my heart."
I had talked to Gato on the phone once. He called me from his place in Oceanside. He had fought in my wife's hometown of Jiquilpan ,Michoacan as a pro when he was 16 years old. He fought there 3 times. I told Gato that the people still remembered him.I invited him to come over with his girlfriend Barbara for some real 'comida Mexicana."

As we were talking at the Hall,Gato told me he hadn't been back to that part of Mexico in 40 years. That surprised me a little because he has family back there. I told them the town hasn't changed. Quiet,beautifull,innocent like,undisturbed,and serene. Told Gato that my burial plot is there. He was very moved. He told me he wants to go back. He would like to go with me. I told him our hime in Jiquilpan would be open to him and Barbara and that he could use my car. He again held my hand in both of his.

'Gracias. You are a true fiend. Excuse me if my English is not good. I only learned to read and write when I was 18. I was very poor and did not go to school."
I looked at Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez,Light Weight Champion of The World. He still held my hands and was looking at me with a gracoius smile.
"Don't worry amigo. I understand you perfectly."

[dagosd2000]

Randy De La O with Mando Ramos Jr.

Randy
If you're reading this,I want you to know that I didn't know you are "De La O",the writer. If I did I would have told you what a pleasure it is to read your articles.

BTW,Randy. During the Mexican Revolution of 1910,Zapatas best general was a man named "De La O". Any relation? Roger

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diego, with Mando Jr. presenting his portrait of Mando Ramos to Mando's widow Sylvia

[dagosd2000]

diego with his portrait of Mando Ramos, which he presented to Mando's widow , Sylvia.

Frank
Is it me or do I have 6 fingers on my left hand?

[Expug]

diego with his portrait of Mando Ramos, which he presented to Mando's widow , Sylvia.

Frank
Is it me or do I have 6 fingers on my left hand?

Look at them teeth!
Ya look like Anthony Quinn over here.

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diego with his portrait of Mando Ramos, which he presented to Mando's widow , Sylvia.

Frank
Is it me or do I have 6 fingers on my left hand?

Your're drunk, I only see 4 fingers....

[dagosd2000]

Pug
I want you to know those teeth are bought and paid for. Couldn't speak for Quinn.

Frank
I want you to know that I was not drunk. I was high on "crack". When I went back to the car to get Mando's painting,there were a couple of real nice fellas standing on the corner. They asked me why I was limping. When I told them I had a pain in my leg,they broke out this little pipe. They said try this and the pain will go away. Why it worked instantly! When I asked them what I owed ,they said the first one is free.

I'm driving back up to Wilmington in a little while. First I have to go to the bank and withdraw my savings.

[dagosd2000]

Randy De La O with Mando Ramos Jr.

I mentioned earlier that I used to have this nightmare way back of a knock at the door,I open it,and there's the Mando Ramos duing his fighting days saying,"Excuse me. I'm here to take out your daughter."

I'm looking at Mando Junior. I'm glad my daughters are out of the house and all happily married.

[dagosd2000]

The people at Mando Ramos's memorial celebration

Frank,Pug
Give me these kind of people to the "Wine and Cheese Set". Maybe that's why I'm drawn to my wife's hometown. Not many "put ons" or "fakes" there. Real people,real conversation,REAL FOOD,and REAL GOOD LOOKING WOMEN. When I asked Gato when the last time he had real Mexican homecooked food,he said 40 years ago. I got to have a talk with him. When I told him my wife made "Mole" last night. I think he liked hearing that better than the painting.

.

[bennie]

diego with his portrait of Mando Ramos, which he presented to Mando's widow , Sylvia.

Is that OUR Diego?

[bennie]

"Here. Take my water."
I arrived at the Longshormen's Hall around Five. The place had a good crowd. It looked like a boxing crowd. Not the big Vegas type of crowd,but the crowd you'd see at the local arenas back in the day. In fact the Hall would have been great place back then to put on a card. Frank found me looking around and yelled out,"Diego!" I went over to the back table where they were eating.
"You sure Frankie? I'm just going to have a salad."
Frankie Jr. was sitting with his dad. Everyone seemed relaxed and enjoying themselves.
"No. it's OK. I want to look at the photographs at the front of the stage."
Frank asked me if I had brought the painting of Mando.
"Yeah,it's in the car .I'll get it. By the way is "Gato" here? I have his oainting too."
Frank shrugged.
"Haven't seen him so far."

I limped outside to get the painting of Mando that was in the trunk. I got to Wilmington early so i had some time to kill. There was a chiropractor's office down the street so I took a chance going over there that he might do something for my sore leg. Well he told me I sit wrong,have no flexibilty,my blood pressure is too high,and need to shed 40 pounds. He scared me. But it's probably what I needed to hear. No more fooling myself. I limped back inside with the painting.

Frank was on his feet looking for Mando Ramos's son. He was on stage hosting the ceremony. He looked just like his dad. Not the younger Mando. The kid who had the baby face. The kid who Aileen Eaton would often refer to as "My Baby".Mando's son looked like his dad later on. It's hard to imagine remembering the young Mando Ramos ever letting himself get that way later. Sylvia Ramos came up to the stage. A bright lady with blond hair. (Mando liked those blonds) and Frank took some pictures of the painting I presented to Sylvia with Mando's son. I can't express in words how much satisfication I felt from Sylvia and Mando Jr. when they accepted my painting. This will say it. Mando took the painting in his hands and looked at it a moment and turned to me.
"This will be put in a special place in the Ramos home."

Frank was showing me around,introducing me to everyone. He knows everybody and everybody knows Frank. I took a picture with Carlos Palomino. It happened real fast.Carlos didn't know who I was or what my name was either. I put my arm around his shoulder and Frank took the shot. I thanked Carlos. He looked up to me ,I think he was trying to recognize me.
"It was my pleasure," Carlos answered.

As Frankie was looking at all the memorabilia at the front of the stage,he returned to the table in the back and told his dad that he found Gato. I limped out to the car again.

Gato was in the middle of a crowd so I waited with Frank until it cleared.
"Gato. This is Diego. Roger Esty."
Gato saw the painting. He was like a little kid with a new toy. Ne took my hand with both of his and blushed.
"Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me. You are gifted. I do not have the words to tell you what is in my heart."
I had talked to Gato on the phone once. He called me from his place in Oceanside. He had fought in my wife's hometown of Jiquilpan ,Michoacan as a pro when he was 16 years old. He fought there 3 times. I told Gato that the people still remembered him.I invited him to come over with his girlfriend Barbara for some real 'comida Mexicana."

As we were talking at the Hall,Gato told me he hadn't been back to that part of Mexico in 40 years. That surprised me a little because he has family back there. I told them the town hasn't changed. Quiet,beautifull,innocent like,undisturbed,and serene. Told Gato that my burial plot is there. He was very moved. He told me he wants to go back. He would like to go with me. I told him our hime in Jiquilpan would be open to him and Barbara and that he could use my car. He again held my hand in both of his.

'Gracias. You are a true fiend. Excuse me if my English is not good. I only learned to read and write when I was 18. I was very poor and did not go to school."
I looked at Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez,Light Weight Champion of The World. He still held my hands and was looking at me with a gracoius smile.
"Don't worry amigo. I understand you perfectly."

Obviously so. Great job, Diego. Great job all the BOTP boys.

[bennie]

Thanks for all the photos again, Frankie.