Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Boxingnut]

These are great photos Frank, albeit in tragic circumstances, thanks once again.

[Expug]

Guys, did Mando jr. ever become a fighter?
amateur or pro?

[raylawpc]

Mando Muniz, Carlos Palomino, Ruben Castillo and Paul Gonzales
And the gal in green...

Gee, Frank, you photos are normally composed so well, with the princpals centered in the middle of the shot. I wonder what happened with this one??

[dagosd2000]

And then, this Irish lad walked in

I hope my Uncle John behaved himself while he was there. :)

Pug,

Your uncle John came in asking what the party was about, I told him never mind what its about, just get something to eat, which he did, and before long he was sitting up front with the Ramos's, there for a while I thought he was going to go up to the stage and start singing "Oh Danny Boy", that was before he got together with diego.

Pug
You two guys are always talking about artculating. Frank said it all. Stranger walks in wonderin' what's going on. Frank tells him it don't matter ,get some food. Takes his picture. Imagine trying to pull that off at the Harvard Club? Everybody felt at home.

BTW,he sang"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'" I had to tell Frank to stop crying and pull himself together.

[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."

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

Wish all the guys could have made it. I'm lucky I live just down the coast. I wish I would have known of the closeness of the boxing community in LA. and become a part of it years ago.

[kikibalt]

Guys, did Mando jr. ever become a fighter?
amateur or pro?

NOOOOOOOOO!!

[dagosd2000]

Mando Muniz, Carlos Palomino, Ruben Castillo and Paul Gonzales
And the gal in green...

Gee, Frank, you photos are normally composed so well, with the princpals centered in the middle of the shot. I wonder what happened with this one??

Tom
These are only the photos Frank could post on here without the FCC closing up shop. You should see him with his camera. Such an unassuming man. He asks me when I came in if I found any cat houses in the area? I wonder what he meant by that?

[kikibalt]

Mando Muniz, Carlos Palomino, Ruben Castillo and Paul Gonzales
And the gal in green...

Gee, Frank, you photos are normally composed so well, with the princpals centered in the middle of the shot. I wonder what happened with this one??

Tom, you know what happened....

[kikibalt]

These are great photos Frank, albeit in tragic circumstances, thanks once again.

Thanks BN

[kikibalt]

Randy De La O with Rodolfo Gonzalez

[kikibalt]

Rodolfo Gonzalez with Ed Hernandez Sr.

[kikibalt]

Frankie Baltazar & Paul Gonzales

[Expug]

And then, this Irish lad walked in

I hope my Uncle John behaved himself while he was there. :)

Pug
This fella comes up to me while the Mariachi Band is playing and asks me is this where the Sons of Erin are celebrating the 120th anniversary of The Great Irish Potato Famine. I figure he's lost. I took him over to the table that was serving the food and put a couple of tamales and some tortillas on his plate. I saw him later with his shirt off.

I told him not to do any singing.
Dagos, I knew you and Frank would be unable to turn the faucetts off if he belted out "DannyBoy".
His rendition of that song can bring a tear to a glass eye.

[Expug]

"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.

Wish all the guys could have made it. I'm lucky I live just down the coast. I wish I would have known of the closeness of the boxing community in LA. and become a part of it years ago.

Would have loved to have made it also.
Dagos, the closeness of the boxing community in L.A. is really something special.
Clearly there have been alot of lifelong true friendships formed.
It doesnt happen everywhere.

[dagosd2000]

Here I'm with Mando Jr.

I wanted to show my wife some of the pictures Frank took last night. When I got to this one,of course she remembered Frank. When I went to explain who Mando JR. was,before I got two words out,my wife said "Si he look like his father."She saw Mando at the Father/Son in Commerce. She knew. There's something meaningfull with what she said. Right now I can only say it says a lot about Mando and a lot about my wife.

Gato is coming over to our place soon to sample my wife's Mexican cooking. Not only will he enjoy the food,but he'll feel at ease talking to my wife. If you're good people,my wife will sit and talk with you forever and you'll reciprocate. Have the time of your life. I'm not as smart as she is. If she likes you,I know you're OK. Passed the test.

With my wife picking up on I.D.ing young Mando,she must have seen something in his father.

[dagosd2000]

Rodolfo Gonzalez with Ed Hernandez Sr.

Ed and Randy were sitting with Frank and Frankie. Two of the nicest guys you could meet. Never met them before. Worth the drive going up there to meet people like that.

BTW,only one thing. As much as I've been to LA.,I might as well try to find my way around Singapore. I get lost everytime. This time on the way back. Wound up in Santa Monica. I need one them new devices that talke to you in your car when you're trying to find an address. Like:"Hey dumb ass. How many times do I have to tell you you should have made a left turn at the stop sign instead of a right."

[dagosd2000]

And then, this Irish lad walked in

I hope my Uncle John behaved himself while he was there. :)

Pug,

Your uncle John came in asking what the party was about, I told him never mind what its about, just get something to eat, which he did, and before long he was sitting up front with the Ramos's, there for a while I thought he was going to go up to the stage and start singing "Oh Danny Boy", that was before he got together with diego.

Pug
The part you should have seen was that Frank got on stage with your Uncle John and joined him in singing "Danny Boy'. I had to tell Frank to take off the sombrero.

[raylawpc]

Mando Muniz, Carlos Palomino, Ruben Castillo and Paul Gonzales
And the gal in green...

Gee, Frank, you photos are normally composed so well, with the princpals centered in the middle of the shot. I wonder what happened with this one??

Tom, you know what happened....

I know. I bet somebody knocked your arm just as you hit the shutter, and knocked the photo off center. At least, I bet that's what you told Connie . . .

[kikibalt]

Tom,

She hasn't seen it yet, and I hope she doesn't, so I don't have to explain anything.....

[kikibalt]

Rodolfo Gonzalez with Allen Syers

[kikibalt]

Allen Syers, Rodolfo Gonzalez with diego and his painting of "El Gato"

[kikibalt]

Rog with Carlos Palomino

[kikibalt]

By Randy De La O


Yesterdays Memorial service for the late Mando Ramos at the Longshoremen’s Memorial Hall in Wilmington was at times celebratory and at times somber. Celebratory because Mando was being remembered, stories were being shared, old fight clips were shown on a large screen, as well as personal photographs. Somber because as Mando Ramos Jr. was giving an emotional eulogy to his father, and as others stood up and spoke, you knew Mando was really going to be missed by those who loved him and knew him best. The fight clips shown during the service were a testimony to his greatness. Mando was one hell of a fighter. Thanks to Mando’s wife Sylvia for sharing the memorabilia and the memories with us. This boxing fan appreciated it.


The local boxing community came out to pay their respects to one of their greatest. In attendance were Frank Baltazar Sr, Frankie Baltazar Jr., Carlos Palomino, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Ruben Castillo, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, Orlando De La Fuente, Raul Rojas, Paul Gonzalez, Frankie Duarte and so many more, as well as hundreds of fans.

Mando Ramos belongs to history and to God now. Rest in Peace Champ.

[dagosd2000]

By Randy De La O


Yesterdays Memorial service for the late Mando Ramos at the Longshoremen’s Memorial Hall in Wilmington was at times celebratory and at times somber. Celebratory because Mando was being remembered, stories were being shared, old fight clips were shown on a large screen, as well as personal photographs. Somber because as Mando Ramos Jr. was giving an emotional eulogy to his father, and as others stood up and spoke, you knew Mando was really going to be missed by those who loved him and knew him best. The fight clips shown during the service were a testimony to his greatness. Mando was one hell of a fighter. Thanks to Mando’s wife Sylvia for sharing the memorabilia and the memories with us. This boxing fan appreciated it.


The local boxing community came out to pay their respects to one of their greatest. In attendance were Frank Baltazar Sr, Frankie Baltazar Jr., Carlos Palomino, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Ruben Castillo, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, Orlando De La Fuente, Raul Rojas, Paul Gonzalez, Frankie Duarte and so many more, as well as hundreds of fans.

Mando Ramos belongs to history and to God now. Rest in Peace Champ.

Frank
I was listening in when Randy asked you about the thread. Any chances of getting him on?

[kikibalt]

By Randy De La O


Yesterdays Memorial service for the late Mando Ramos at the Longshoremen’s Memorial Hall in Wilmington was at times celebratory and at times somber. Celebratory because Mando was being remembered, stories were being shared, old fight clips were shown on a large screen, as well as personal photographs. Somber because as Mando Ramos Jr. was giving an emotional eulogy to his father, and as others stood up and spoke, you knew Mando was really going to be missed by those who loved him and knew him best. The fight clips shown during the service were a testimony to his greatness. Mando was one hell of a fighter. Thanks to Mando’s wife Sylvia for sharing the memorabilia and the memories with us. This boxing fan appreciated it.


The local boxing community came out to pay their respects to one of their greatest. In attendance were Frank Baltazar Sr, Frankie Baltazar Jr., Carlos Palomino, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Ruben Castillo, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, Orlando De La Fuente, Raul Rojas, Paul Gonzalez, Frankie Duarte and so many more, as well as hundreds of fans.

Mando Ramos belongs to history and to God now. Rest in Peace Champ.

Frank
I was listening in when Randy asked you about the thread. Any chances of getting him on?

I don't think so, as he has his own web site, but I'll call him or sent him an email and ask.