Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

1947 Pontiac

Frank
Two years ago I bought a new Hyundai. Black 4 door. I swear when I'm walking back to the parking lot I have to push the panic button on my key ring to recognize it. These cars all look the same.

[Rick Farris]

Hey Frank . . .

Johnnie Flores mother's maiden name was Ramirez.
The Ramirez family had a mortuary in ELA by the same name.
Johnnie said that when he was young, his cousins would throw some great parties there, which led to some funny stories.
He said that once a year, the Ramirez family would have a big family picnic and it would fill an ELA park.
Just curious, could the white building across the street from where the auto pics were taken be that mortuary?

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Debbie Reynolds & Van Johnson . . . MGM training


In 1980, Aaron Spelling was the most successful television producer in history. His "Love Boat" was floating within the top five TV shows on the air, as well as his other productions.

Spelling had come up with another idea for a TV show, it was called "Aloha Paradise", and would film at Universal where I had been working as an assistant Lighting Director on a number of the studios productions. The film industry was busy and there was no room for Spelling's new production on the 20th Century Fox lot, where he had several stages for "Love Boat", as well as "Charlie's Angels" and his other new project, "Dynasty".

The "Aloha Paradise" production would shoot at Universal Studios and vet cameraman, Arch Dalzell, a multi-Emmy winning cinematographer, would serve as Director of Photography. I would soon learn that Arch and my Grandfather had been drinking buddies back in the day, and had worked together on many of the great Warner Brothers features of the 50's. Arch brought in his veteran lighting gaffer who was close to retirement. I was assigned by Universal to be the gaffer's assistant and it turned out to be a great opportunity, one that would lead me to becoming a lighting director for Arch on his next project, a future Aaron Spelling production, "Hotel".

Aloha Paradise was patterned after Love Boat. We on the crew would say it was "Love Boat in dry dock." It's about an Island resort, each week new guests arrive and the script focuses on little dramas involving guests during their stay. Just like Love Boat, without the ship. The manager of the resort is played by Debbie Reynolds. Ironically, my mother went to Burbank High School with Debbie Reynolds, whose name back then was Mary Francis Reynolds, or "Franny", as she was known. There was a strong back-up cast, like the Love Boat had it's crew, so did the Aloha Paradise resort.

We had the typical "Love Boat", "Fantasy Island" (also a Spelling production) guest stars. In one episode, one of Debbie Reynold's old MGM contract player comrades, Van Johnson, was a guest star playing Reynolds charactor's wayward brother. I have to say this, the best actors I have ever worked with are not those who grace the silver screen today, with the exception of a handful of real pros, such as Clint Eastwood. The old actors had discipline. They came up in an era where the studios they were under contract to gave orders and they followed them. The studio put them with the finest dance choreographers and instructors, the finest in singing lessons, etc.

When they weren't performing before the camera they were taking dancing lessons, scheduled for still photos taken by those legendary studio gallery photographers such as Clarence Sinclair Bull or George Hurrell. They were fitted for wardrobe to wear not only on film, but for the personal appearances and PR work the studio had scheduled for them. If you missed one step along the way, one lesson, one appointment, it could cost you your contract. The word "Independent" had no meaning in the world of Hollywood when Debbie Reynolds and Van Johnson came up. Clark Gable didn't decide which script he was going to accept, like Brad Pitt does today. The one that Louis B. Mayer had in mind for him would do just fine.

Van Johnson had been a closet homo-sexual thruout his career in Hollywood. "A very lonely man, a very kind person," Reynolds commented to her make-up artist, "He lives in Paris." I asked Reynolds about his wearing red socks. Reyonolds told me that Van Johnson wore nothing but red socks unless a scene in a film absolutley required they be another color. Johnson's socks were rarely seen in his films, it didn't matter. It was his superstition, felt it brought him a good performance.

Van Johnson certainly put on a great performance in the final scene of the final episode of this short-lived series. The lighting gaffer had come down sick and suddenly retired before the last day of shooting. I had already been signed to be Arch's lighting gaffer on the "Hotel" project, so this would be a surprise chance to get my feet wet lighting his sets for the last episode.

In the final scene, Reynolds and Johnson, playing brother and sister, are in the bar, in the scene he's sharing the regrets of his life and must cry.

Before we get ready to shoot the director wants to run a quick rehersal. Before they start, a make-up artist brings Johnson a little bottle of drops for his eyes, to help him cry. Today, most actors would be dead in the water if asked to drop "real tears" in a scene. As the young lady raised the dropper to his eyes, Johnson pulled back and smiled, "What's that for . . . I don't need that honey, I'm MGM trained!" there was pride in his voice. "Watch this . . ."

The director called for the rehearsal to start. During the reheasal, Johnson cried real tears. When we rolled the camera for the master scene shot, once again he dropped tears. When we moved in for Johnson's close-up, he dropped real tears again. Then, when we reversed for Reynold's close-up, Johnson was off-camera standing beside the lens to read his lines for Reynolds to play off. No tears necessary for this, however, to make his point, Van johnson even cried real tears off camera for Debbie's close-up.

When the director yelled cut we were all amazed. The director and Reynolds hugged the actor. He and Reynolds were "one take" artists. The young director valued the gift of having true artists like Van Johnson and Debbie Reynolds in his cast. As Van Johnson stepped off the set, arm and arm with Debbie Reynolds, the young make-up artist stopped and handed him a tissue to wipe the water from his eyes.

The young make-up artist was impressed, she commented to the veteran actor, "I've never seen anybody do that before, make so many tears, how'd you do that?"

Johnson smiled, put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Honey . . . I'm MGM trained!"


-Rick Farris

[Dongee]

Rick:

If the mortuary you mentioned (in East L.A.) was the one owned by don Zeferino Ramirez my dad was very well acquainted with the entire family. They were very active in both civic and social affairs among Hispanics. I wish I had known that Johnnie's mother was a Ramirez when I was dealing, slightly, with Johnny Flores. Don Zeferino was a pillar in the community and he was the leading funeral director in his area.

hap navarro

[bennie]

My 40'th pro fight in Jakarta Indonesia 1985 Just before I came back and got married A great time at Bali...after this fight we partied at beautiful island of Bali for a week.

Herman Montes

Nice shot, Herman. Indonesian boxing was big round that time due to Ellyas Pical, their first ever world champion.
I remember that left hook you knocked out Cuevas with, all right.

[kikibalt]

Earl Gustkey dies at 69; former L.A. Times sportswriter


Los Angeles Times
Earl Gustkey was a Los Angeles Times sportswriter for more than 30 years. He brought vitality to the paper’s coverage of boxing, outdoor sports and the WNBA. “He was a sports editor’s dream,” columnist Bill Dwyre, The Times’ former longtime sports editor, said.
Gustkey covered boxing, outdoor sports and the WNBA during his 30-plus years at the newspaper.

By Jon Thurber
April 20, 2009

Earl Gustkey, a Los Angeles Times sportswriter for more than 30 years who brought vitality to the paper's coverage of boxing, outdoor sports and the WNBA, has died. He was 69.

Gustkey, who was diagnosed with leukemia in early March, died Friday of the disease at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Mont., according to his wife, Nancy Yoshihara.

Gustkey had lived much of the time in Bozeman, Mont., since retiring from The Times in 2001.

"He was a sports editor's dream," columnist Bill Dwyre, The Times' former longtime sports editor, said of Gustkey. "Not only was he willing to do everything, but he was enthusiastic about it. He covered boxing, he covered USC football. . . . I put him on women's basketball . . . and he was one of the prime reporters on the WNBA for years. He became kind of a league historian."

Gustkey, the paper's outdoor sportswriter in the mid-1980s, covered the Iditarod trail race as well as salmon fishing in Alaska. He traveled to Costa Rica on a fishing expedition for tarpon and snook and to Christmas Island for a piece on what was then one of the hottest fly-fishing spots in the world.

He was "a wonderful outdoors writer," Dwyre said.

Through much of the 1980s, Gustkey also covered boxing and, Dwyre recalled, from 1984 through the Barcelona games in 1992, he saw every match in Olympic Games competition.

He left the boxing beat in 1993 to cover USC football, but not before writing a column detailing the top 10 professional fights he had seen from 1982 to 1993.

Gustkey put the Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas bout in Tokyo on Feb. 10, 1990, which was won in a knockout by the "hopeless long shot" Douglas, at the top of his list. That was followed by the Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns fight on April 15, 1985, which Hagler won, also in a knockout. Gustkey wrote that it was "probably the best fight of the 1980s."

He was born Harry Earl Gustkey Jr. in Washington, Pa., on Feb. 20, 1940. At the age of 10, he moved with his family to Orange County and graduated from Newport Harbor High School.

He attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa before transferring to San Jose State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1962.

He worked for the Orange Coast Daily Pilot and the Oceanside Blade-Tribune before joining The Times' sports staff in Orange County in 1969.

Gustkey wrote a biography of former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel called "Roman Gabriel: Outstanding Pro" in 1974 and contributed the text for "Great Moments in Southern California Sports" (Harry N. Abrams, 1990).

His first marriage, to Cathey W. Fowler, ended in divorce.

In addition to Yoshihara, his wife of 29 years and a former editor and writer for The Times, he is survived by his sister, Jane McCreadie, of Chicago.

Memorial services are pending.

[email protected]

[kikibalt]

Hey Frank . . .

Johnnie Flores mother's maiden name was Ramirez.
The Ramirez family had a mortuary in ELA by the same name.
Johnnie said that when he was young, his cousins would throw some great parties there, which led to some funny stories.
He said that once a year, the Ramirez family would have a big family picnic and it would fill an ELA park.
Just curious, could the white building across the street from where the auto pics were taken be that mortuary?

-Rick

Rick...The Ramirez Mortuary was/is on Brooklyn Ave (Now Ceasar Chavez Blvd) in East L.A, the one on the photos I posted is on Whittier Blvd in Montebello.

A good Johnnie Flores story, he told me that one time he needed to dress up a fighter for a presser, and the fighter didn't have a suit or money to buy one, so Johnnie took him to the Ramirez Mortuary and borrow a cheap suit that the mortuary has on hand to sell to poor familys...

[kikibalt]

1947 Pontiac

Frank
Two years ago I bought a new Hyundai. Black 4 door. I swear when I'm walking back to the parking lot I have to push the panic button on my key ring to recognize it. These cars all look the same.

Rog, 60 years ago I could tell the make and year of a car just by looking at it, like you said now days all car look alike....

[kikibalt]

"Old Memories" car club

[Rick Farris]

Rick:

If the mortuary you mentioned (in East L.A.) was the one owned by don Zeferino Ramirez my dad was very well acquainted with the entire family. They were very active in both civic and social affairs among Hispanics. I wish I had known that Johnnie's mother was a Ramirez when I was dealing, slightly, with Johnny Flores. Don Zeferino was a pillar in the community and he was the leading funeral director in his area.

hap navarro

Hap . . . Yes, that was the family.

Johnnie had some interesting stories about the Ramirez family and the mortuary. The kids started very young working in the business, doing make-up, etc. Thanks for the info on Don Zeferino. Johnnie would tell of the annual family re-union. It would fill a big park in East L.A.

-Rick

[Rick Farris]

Hey Frank . . .

Johnnie Flores mother's maiden name was Ramirez.
The Ramirez family had a mortuary in ELA by the same name.
Johnnie said that when he was young, his cousins would throw some great parties there, which led to some funny stories.
He said that once a year, the Ramirez family would have a big family picnic and it would fill an ELA park.
Just curious, could the white building across the street from where the auto pics were taken be that mortuary?

-Rick

Rick...The Ramirez Mortuary was/is on Brooklyn Ave (Now Ceasar Chavez Blvd) in East L.A, the one on the photos I posted is on Whittier Blvd in Montebello.

A good Johnnie Flores story, he told me that one time he needed to dress up a fighter for a presser, and the fighter didn't have a suit or money to buy one, so Johnnie took him to the Ramirez Mortuary and borrow a cheap suit that the mortuary has on hand to sell to poor familys...

Thanks, Frank. I wasn't sure if the business was still in operation. When Johnnie passed in 1994, the funeral was held at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. He was given a military buriel at the National Cemetary in Westwood. On a couple of occasions I would visit his grave as it is right near where my cousin (who died in Viet Nam) is buried. It's been a few years since I was there. Last time, I saw his wife Rose had joined him in 2000.

-Rick

[raylawpc]

My California buddies will forgive me if I share some Oklahoma facts:

Love The Summer?
Poolville, Oklahoma
Sunray, Oklahoma

Want Something To Eat? Corn, Oklahoma
Grainola, Oklahoma
Hominy, Oklahoma
Olive, Oklahoma
South Coffeeville, Oklahoma
Sweetwater, Oklahoma
Cookietown, Oklahoma

Why Travel To Other Cities? Oklahoma Has Them All!
Cleveland, Oklahoma
Orlando, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Pittsburgh, Oklahoma
Santa Fe, Oklahoma
St. Louis, Oklahoma
Chattanooga, Oklahoma
Peoria, Oklahoma
Burbank, Oklahoma
Fargo, Oklahoma

Don't Forget The Wildlife!
Wolfe, Oklahoma
Eagle, Oklahoma
Buffalo, Oklahoma
Fox, Oklahoma
Bison, Oklahoma
Deer Creek, Oklahoma
Elk City, Oklahoma

We Have A Town Named After A Number...
Forty-One, Oklahoma

And A Town Who's Letter's Don't Spell Anything....
IXL, Oklahoma

And For The Sportsman Who Wants To Get Away
From It All...
Fisherman's Paradise, Oklahoma

We Even Have A City Named After Earth's Only Satellite!
Moon, Oklahoma

And A City Named After Our State!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Feeling A Bit Chilly?
Snow, Oklahoma
Slick, Oklahoma
Cold Springs, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Is Full Of Love!
Lovedale, Oklahoma
Loveland, Oklahoma
Lovell, Oklahoma
Bigheart, Oklahoma
Loyal, Oklahoma

Like To Read About The Presidents?
Adams, Oklahoma
Taylor, Oklahoma
Fillmore, Oklahoma
Grant, Oklahoma
Taft, Oklahoma
Johnson, Oklahoma
Lincoln, Oklahoma
Jefferson, Oklahoma
Reagan, Oklahoma
Wilson, Oklahoma
Roosevelt, Oklahoma
Carter, Oklahoma
Clinton, Oklahoma
Washington, Oklahoma

Other City Names In Oklahoma To Make You Smile.....
Frogville, Oklahoma
Loco, Oklahoma
Bushyhead, Oklahoma
Bugtussle, Oklahoma
Hooker, Oklahoma
Slaughterville, Oklahoma
Bowlegs, Oklahoma
Slapout, Oklahoma

And Regardless What Side Of The Fence You're On...
Gay, Oklahoma
Straight, Oklahoma

Here Are Some Little Known But Very Interesting Facts About Oklahoma.

1. The bread twist tie was invented in Maysville.

2. The shopping cart was invented in Ardmore in 1936.

3. The nation's first parking meter was intalled in Oklahoma City in
1935.

4. The first Girl Scout Cookie was sold in Muskogee in 1917.

5. Cimarron County, located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, is the only
county in the U.S. bordered by 4 separate states...Texas, New
Mexico, Colorado & Kansas.

6. The Oklahoma State Capital is the only capital in the U.S. with
working oil wells on its grounds. (TR Note: Not anymore. The derrick remain, but the wells are dry.)

7. Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to
be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at
12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base, Texas,
dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town, mistaking the city
lights as target lights.

8. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City was the first radio station
transmitting west of the Mississippi River.

9. The nation's first 'Tornado Warning' was issued on March 25,
1948 in Oklahoma City minutes before a devastating tornado. Because
of the warning, no lives were lost.

10. Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state
in the U.S.

11. The name 'Oklahoma' comes from two Choctaw words...okla meaning
'people' and humma meaning 'red'. So the name means, 'Red People.'
The name was approved in 1890.

12. Oklahoma produced more astronauts than any other state.

13. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than any other state.

14. During the 'Land Rush', Oklahoma City went from a vast, open
prairie to a city of over 10,000 in a single day.

15. The nation's first traffic 'Yield' sign was erected in Tulsa on
a trial basis.

16. Pensacola Dam is the longest multi-arched dam in the world at
6,565 feet.

17. The 'Port of Catoosa' (just north of Tulsa) is the largest
inland port in America.

18. The aerosol can was invented in Bartlesville.

19. Per square mile, Oklahoma has more tornadoes than any other
place in the world.

20. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was in Moore,
Oklahoma on May 3rd. 1999 during the Oklahoma City F-5 tornado.
Wind speed was clocked at 318 mph.

21. The 'Will Rogers World Airport' and the 'Wiley Post Airport'
are both named after two famous Okies....both killed together in an airplane
crash!!!

[Dongee]

Tom:

You sure know how to hurt a proud Californian! Bravo on that Oklahoma post, friend.

hap navarro

[kikibalt]

Crime fighter with a hook

Sam Whiting, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday April 20,2009


Ray Lunny III (left) is shown in an August 1975 bout against Vilomar Fernandez in San Francisco. (The Chronicle, File 1975)
Then: Raised in the ring at Stanford, where his dad, also Ray Lunny, was the boxing coach, Lunny III became a title contender and a draw on cards at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos. He was North American Junior Lightweight Champion and was ranked No. 3 in the world as a professional fighter in the mid-1970s.

Now: A lieutenant with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, Lunny, 57, commands the investigations bureau and is the public-information officer. He manages the major crime and general crime units and the detective bureau at San Francisco International Airport and is among overseers of a regional task force for computer crime. A San Carlos resident for 36 years, he has been married for 37 and has three sons, Tim, Sean and Brian.

Quote: "I loved boxing and if I could do it today, I'd still be doing it. I enjoyed it that much. The greatest generation are those people that were running the game. They're all gone. The fighters that I knew then are out of the fight game. Hopefully they're still alive."

What was your first big fight? "I won the Western Regional Olympic Trials in 1958. I was 16 at the time and a junior at San Carlos High School."

What was your greatest purse? "Pretty much nothing. It was $10,000 for fighting Alfredo Escalera in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the WBC junior lightweight (now called super featherweight) championship in 1976. My dad stopped the fight between the 12th and 13th round. I had a cut eye, and he was afraid I could get hurt. I could have gone on."

What was your favorite fight? "It would have been my Frankie Crawford fight at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. He was one of my heroes. It was my first real trial with a veteran fighter. I knocked him out in the third round with a left hook. I remember it distinctly. The timing in that left hook was the best I ever hit anyone with. I've got a great picture of my dad embracing me and Frankie is out cold. The referee has just rolled him over. You can see the ringside doctor standing there. I'm guessing it was 1973. We had a good house."

What caused you to give up boxing? "My first pro fight, I broke both of my hands. See how they're knotted. You can only do some of these sports so long and by 1976, it hurt me more to hit you than it hurt you. My shoulders and hands are arthritic, but other than that, I'm OK. My nose and ears are still in place."


Ever use your boxing skills when you were a deputy on patrol? "I never hit anyone. In boxing, you learn how to move someone around, so that's what you do. You manipulate these people and you take them down to the ground and you cuff them."

Are you still at your fighting weight? "I'm about 160. Normally, I'd weigh up to about 138. I used to be 5-foot-8. I think I'm about 5-7. Age has shrunk me."

Why is there no Ray Lunny IV? "Three is enough."
What do you think of the state of boxing today? "I really don't watch it. I'm not a sports fan. I'm not a boxing fan."

[scartissue]

Crime fighter with a hook

Sam Whiting, Chronicle Staff Writer


Ray Lunny III (left) is shown in an August 1975 bout against Vilomar Fernandez in San Francisco. (The Chronicle, File 1975)
Then: Raised in the ring at Stanford, where his dad, also Ray Lunny, was the boxing coach, Lunny III became a title contender and a draw on cards at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos. He was North American Junior Lightweight Champion and was ranked No. 3 in the world as a professional fighter in the mid-1970s.

Now: A lieutenant with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, Lunny, 57, commands the investigations bureau and is the public-information officer. He manages the major crime and general crime units and the detective bureau at San Francisco International Airport and is among overseers of a regional task force for computer crime. A San Carlos resident for 36 years, he has been married for 37 and has three sons, Tim, Sean and Brian.

Quote: "I loved boxing and if I could do it today, I'd still be doing it. I enjoyed it that much. The greatest generation are those people that were running the game. They're all gone. The fighters that I knew then are out of the fight game. Hopefully they're still alive."

What was your first big fight? "I won the Western Regional Olympic Trials in 1958. I was 16 at the time and a junior at San Carlos High School."

What was your greatest purse? "Pretty much nothing. It was $10,000 for fighting Alfredo Escalera in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the WBC junior lightweight (now called super featherweight) championship in 1976. My dad stopped the fight between the 12th and 13th round. I had a cut eye, and he was afraid I could get hurt. I could have gone on."

What was your favorite fight? "It would have been my Frankie Crawford fight at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. He was one of my heroes. It was my first real trial with a veteran fighter. I knocked him out in the third round with a left hook. I remember it distinctly. The timing in that left hook was the best I ever hit anyone with. I've got a great picture of my dad embracing me and Frankie is out cold. The referee has just rolled him over. You can see the ringside doctor standing there. I'm guessing it was 1973. We had a good house."

What caused you to give up boxing? "My first pro fight, I broke both of my hands. See how they're knotted. You can only do some of these sports so long and by 1976, it hurt me more to hit you than it hurt you. My shoulders and hands are arthritic, but other than that, I'm OK. My nose and ears are still in place."


Ever use your boxing skills when you were a deputy on patrol? "I never hit anyone. In boxing, you learn how to move someone around, so that's what you do. You manipulate these people and you take them down to the ground and you cuff them."

Are you still at your fighting weight? "I'm about 160. Normally, I'd weigh up to about 138. I used to be 5-foot-8. I think I'm about 5-7. Age has shrunk me."

Why is there no Ray Lunny IV? "Three is enough."
What do you think of the state of boxing today? "I really don't watch it. I'm not a sports fan. I'm not a boxing fan."

What a great article on an outstanding fighter. In light of Rick's recent post on Jimmy Robertson, I must say I was stunned at the time when Lunny with about 10-12 fights, knocked out both Crawford and Robertson. That was amazing. The fight that really pissed me off though was his fight with Vilomar Fernandez. Man, he could have won that fight, he was boxing nice, but Fernandez simply exploited where Lunny held his hands, which was about waist high. As I recall, Fernandez dropped Ray a couple of times and the announcer asked Ray Sr. if he was going to alter his style to a more modern gloves held high stance. The elder Lunny simply stated he would not. I don't know if that was a stubborn moment with the microphone in his face or if he did have him tighten up his guard, but that was a win he could have had that night. And remember, Fernandez was no puncher, but he was timing a counter and Ray couldn't get out of it's way.

Scartissue

[Chuck1052]

The interview of Ray Lunny III is a fine one, but it contains at least one error....Ray couldn't have been 16 years old in 1958 if he is 57 at the present time.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

The interview of Ray Lunny III is a fine one, but it contains at least one error....Ray couldn't have been 16 years old in 1958 if he is 57 at the present time.

- Chuck Johnston

Ray and I are the same age. We were both 16 in 1968. T
The Olympic trials were in 1968, for the Mexico City Olympiad, not '58.
Ray was a solid fighter, but in all fairness, Robertson & Crawford were not at their best when they fought Lunney.

Ironically, I have a friend in the film business who was in film school back in the early 70's when Ray was fighting.
For a school assignment, he shot a nice little documentary on Ray Lunney III. He gave me a copy of the film and I forwarded it to Scartissue after I'd viewed it. Ray does a nice voice over scenes showing him sparring with Lobito Montoya, and a ten rounder against my old friend Petey Vital.

Luuney's dad, Ray Lunney Jr. was inducted into the WBHOF a few years ago. He has since passed. As mentioned in the article, Ray was a third generation prizefighter and did himself and his father proud during his career.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

My California buddies will forgive me if I share some Oklahoma facts:

Love The Summer?
Poolville, Oklahoma
Sunray, Oklahoma

Want Something To Eat? Corn, Oklahoma
Grainola, Oklahoma
Hominy, Oklahoma
Olive, Oklahoma
South Coffeeville, Oklahoma
Sweetwater, Oklahoma
Cookietown, Oklahoma

Why Travel To Other Cities? Oklahoma Has Them All!
Cleveland, Oklahoma
Orlando, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Pittsburgh, Oklahoma
Santa Fe, Oklahoma
St. Louis, Oklahoma
Chattanooga, Oklahoma
Peoria, Oklahoma
Burbank, Oklahoma
Fargo, Oklahoma

Don't Forget The Wildlife!
Wolfe, Oklahoma
Eagle, Oklahoma
Buffalo, Oklahoma
Fox, Oklahoma
Bison, Oklahoma
Deer Creek, Oklahoma
Elk City, Oklahoma

We Have A Town Named After A Number...
Forty-One, Oklahoma

And A Town Who's Letter's Don't Spell Anything....
IXL, Oklahoma

And For The Sportsman Who Wants To Get Away
From It All...
Fisherman's Paradise, Oklahoma

We Even Have A City Named After Earth's Only Satellite!
Moon, Oklahoma

And A City Named After Our State!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Feeling A Bit Chilly?
Snow, Oklahoma
Slick, Oklahoma
Cold Springs, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Is Full Of Love!
Lovedale, Oklahoma
Loveland, Oklahoma
Lovell, Oklahoma
Bigheart, Oklahoma
Loyal, Oklahoma

Like To Read About The Presidents?
Adams, Oklahoma
Taylor, Oklahoma
Fillmore, Oklahoma
Grant, Oklahoma
Taft, Oklahoma
Johnson, Oklahoma
Lincoln, Oklahoma
Jefferson, Oklahoma
Reagan, Oklahoma
Wilson, Oklahoma
Roosevelt, Oklahoma
Carter, Oklahoma
Clinton, Oklahoma
Washington, Oklahoma

Other City Names In Oklahoma To Make You Smile.....
Frogville, Oklahoma
Loco, Oklahoma
Bushyhead, Oklahoma
Bugtussle, Oklahoma
Hooker, Oklahoma
Slaughterville, Oklahoma
Bowlegs, Oklahoma
Slapout, Oklahoma

And Regardless What Side Of The Fence You're On...
Gay, Oklahoma
Straight, Oklahoma

Here Are Some Little Known But Very Interesting Facts About Oklahoma.

1. The bread twist tie was invented in Maysville.

2. The shopping cart was invented in Ardmore in 1936.

3. The nation's first parking meter was intalled in Oklahoma City in


1935.

4. The first Girl Scout Cookie was sold in Muskogee in 1917.

5. Cimarron County, located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, is the only
county in the U.S. bordered by 4 separate states...Texas, New
Mexico, Colorado & Kansas.

6. The Oklahoma State Capital is the only capital in the U.S. with
working oil wells on its grounds. (TR Note: Not anymore. The derrick remain, but the wells are dry.)

7. Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to
be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at
12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base, Texas,
dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town, mistaking the city
lights as target lights.

8. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City was the first radio station
transmitting west of the Mississippi River.

9. The nation's first 'Tornado Warning' was issued on March 25,
1948 in Oklahoma City minutes before a devastating tornado. Because
of the warning, no lives were lost.

10. Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state
in the U.S.

11. The name 'Oklahoma' comes from two Choctaw words...okla meaning
'people' and humma meaning 'red'. So the name means, 'Red People.'
The name was approved in 1890.

12. Oklahoma produced more astronauts than any other state.

13. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than any other state.

14. During the 'Land Rush', Oklahoma City went from a vast, open
prairie to a city of over 10,000 in a single day.

15. The nation's first traffic 'Yield' sign was erected in Tulsa on
a trial basis.

16. Pensacola Dam is the longest multi-arched dam in the world at
6,565 feet.

17. The 'Port of Catoosa' (just north of Tulsa) is the largest
inland port in America.

18. The aerosol can was invented in Bartlesville.

19. Per square mile, Oklahoma has more tornadoes than any other
place in the world.

20. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was in Moore,
Oklahoma on May 3rd. 1999 during the Oklahoma City F-5 tornado.
Wind speed was clocked at 318 mph.

21. The 'Will Rogers World Airport' and the 'Wiley Post Airport'
are both named after two famous Okies....both killed together in an airplane
crash!!!

Tom
I'm submitting your name to Jeopardy. I'm betting everything I have on you. Hope one of the categories is Oklahoma.

[Rick Farris]

My California buddies will forgive me if I share some Oklahoma facts:

Love The Summer?
Poolville, Oklahoma
Sunray, Oklahoma

Want Something To Eat? Corn, Oklahoma
Grainola, Oklahoma
Hominy, Oklahoma
Olive, Oklahoma
South Coffeeville, Oklahoma
Sweetwater, Oklahoma
Cookietown, Oklahoma

Why Travel To Other Cities? Oklahoma Has Them All!
Cleveland, Oklahoma
Orlando, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Pittsburgh, Oklahoma
Santa Fe, Oklahoma
St. Louis, Oklahoma
Chattanooga, Oklahoma
Peoria, Oklahoma
Burbank, Oklahoma
Fargo, Oklahoma

Don't Forget The Wildlife!
Wolfe, Oklahoma
Eagle, Oklahoma
Buffalo, Oklahoma
Fox, Oklahoma
Bison, Oklahoma
Deer Creek, Oklahoma
Elk City, Oklahoma

We Have A Town Named After A Number...
Forty-One, Oklahoma

And A Town Who's Letter's Don't Spell Anything....
IXL, Oklahoma

And For The Sportsman Who Wants To Get Away
From It All...
Fisherman's Paradise, Oklahoma

We Even Have A City Named After Earth's Only Satellite!
Moon, Oklahoma

And A City Named After Our State!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Feeling A Bit Chilly?
Snow, Oklahoma
Slick, Oklahoma
Cold Springs, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Is Full Of Love!
Lovedale, Oklahoma
Loveland, Oklahoma
Lovell, Oklahoma
Bigheart, Oklahoma
Loyal, Oklahoma

Like To Read About The Presidents?
Adams, Oklahoma
Taylor, Oklahoma
Fillmore, Oklahoma
Grant, Oklahoma
Taft, Oklahoma
Johnson, Oklahoma
Lincoln, Oklahoma
Jefferson, Oklahoma
Reagan, Oklahoma
Wilson, Oklahoma
Roosevelt, Oklahoma
Carter, Oklahoma
Clinton, Oklahoma
Washington, Oklahoma

Other City Names In Oklahoma To Make You Smile.....
Frogville, Oklahoma
Loco, Oklahoma
Bushyhead, Oklahoma
Bugtussle, Oklahoma
Hooker, Oklahoma
Slaughterville, Oklahoma
Bowlegs, Oklahoma
Slapout, Oklahoma

And Regardless What Side Of The Fence You're On...
Gay, Oklahoma
Straight, Oklahoma

Here Are Some Little Known But Very Interesting Facts About Oklahoma.

1. The bread twist tie was invented in Maysville.

2. The shopping cart was invented in Ardmore in 1936.

3. The nation's first parking meter was intalled in Oklahoma City in


1935.

4. The first Girl Scout Cookie was sold in Muskogee in 1917.

5. Cimarron County, located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, is the only
county in the U.S. bordered by 4 separate states...Texas, New
Mexico, Colorado & Kansas.

6. The Oklahoma State Capital is the only capital in the U.S. with
working oil wells on its grounds. (TR Note: Not anymore. The derrick remain, but the wells are dry.)

7. Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to
be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at
12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base, Texas,
dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town, mistaking the city
lights as target lights.

8. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City was the first radio station
transmitting west of the Mississippi River.

9. The nation's first 'Tornado Warning' was issued on March 25,
1948 in Oklahoma City minutes before a devastating tornado. Because
of the warning, no lives were lost.

10. Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state
in the U.S.

11. The name 'Oklahoma' comes from two Choctaw words...okla meaning
'people' and humma meaning 'red'. So the name means, 'Red People.'
The name was approved in 1890.

12. Oklahoma produced more astronauts than any other state.

13. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than any other state.

14. During the 'Land Rush', Oklahoma City went from a vast, open
prairie to a city of over 10,000 in a single day.

15. The nation's first traffic 'Yield' sign was erected in Tulsa on
a trial basis.

16. Pensacola Dam is the longest multi-arched dam in the world at
6,565 feet.

17. The 'Port of Catoosa' (just north of Tulsa) is the largest
inland port in America.

18. The aerosol can was invented in Bartlesville.

19. Per square mile, Oklahoma has more tornadoes than any other
place in the world.

20. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was in Moore,
Oklahoma on May 3rd. 1999 during the Oklahoma City F-5 tornado.
Wind speed was clocked at 318 mph.

21. The 'Will Rogers World Airport' and the 'Wiley Post Airport'
are both named after two famous Okies....both killed together in an airplane
crash!!!

Tom
I'm submitting your name to Jeopardy. I'm betting everything I have on you. Hope one of the categories is Oklahoma.

With all this in Oklahoma, I can't figure why my Grandfather left Oklahoma in 1910, at the age of ten. He ended up in Redlands, California until the outbreak of WW1. When the U.S. Army told him he was too young to serve, he hitchhiked to Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Army. He was a half-breed of Cherokee/English blood, raised on a reservaton in Bartlesville, OK. After fighting the war in Europe, he met my Grandmother in London on his way home. Back in the states, he boxed smokers while working in the Oklahoma oil fields, before taking his young family west to California. He ended up working in the film industry for nearly forty years. In 2004, I visited Oklahoma for the first time, briefly, on a film location for the Kirsten Dunst movie, "Elizabethtown". We were at the Capitol, where he shot scenes at a tree that survived the devistation of the Timothy McVey terrorist bombing. It was a nice location tour that also included Memphis, where we filmed at the hotel where Martin Luther King was shot. My grandfather settled his family in Burbank, California. Seems they have a Burbank in Oklahoma, as well. However, Warner Brothers chose to build there studio in the California version of Burbank,

Intersting post, Tom.


-Rick Farris

[Dongee]

Fellas:

As you all know this is a third generation Ray Lunny. The original, who was active back in my day, was a classic type boxer good enough to win a couple of California State Titles. In a real bummer of a deal, Ray Lunny the first was on leave from the military after an absence from the ring of many months and was matched with a sensational battler, Willie Joyce, to defend his lightweight championship. It turned out to be his last bout, as he was stopped by Joyce at the Olympic. It was just too much, and unfair to expect a top performance from a man who had been idle for so long. Joey Fox managed grandpa Lunny at the time.

hap navarro

[dagosd2000]

THE DAY JACK REMEMBERED TO DUCK(From Big Al)

During Prohibition the athletes in the Windy City liked to hang out in my grandfather's restaurant,The Bella Napoli. The Italian food was strictly Neopolitan. My grandfather,Diamong Joe Esposito,brought the finest chef from Naples to make sure the customers kept coming back. There was also music. Jazz was the rage, though my grandfather preferred opera. Italian of course. Enrico Caruso would have a plate of spaghetti in front of him when he was in town. And if Louie Armstrong was on the bandstand,Satchmo and his band would be scoffin' down a feed of the noodles too.Red Grange,the Cubbies and the White Sox(later their hosiery turned to black),and not too mention the fighters. When The Manassa Mauler was to try to win his title back from Tunney in Soldiers Field,the story was that Al Capone wanted Jack to win. Supposedly they had a conversation at the Bella Napoli.

Jack came back for the dough. He didn't think he had it anymore. His wife Estelle Taylor,the actress,hated fighting and wanted Jack to throw in the towel. But the money was out there and Jack really didn't really think he had much of a chance.He just didn't want to forget to duck that's all. He was getting concerned about how he'd walk around after he put his pants back on.

But Scarface thought Jack was the old Jack and didn't realize that Jack was just plain old. Paul "The Waiter" Ricca,who later became De Capo of the Outfit in Chicago was working at The Bella Napoli at the Capone/ Dempsey sit down. Years later when "The Waiter" had "retired" from the Mob,I remember him telling the story to my father. Diamond Joe's first son.

Capone wanted to "reach"the referee,Dave Miller. Capone was a rotten gambler. Lost big at everything from horses to roulette wheels. He wanted to put a big wager on Jack. Ricca said that Dempsey felt uneasy talking to Capone. Jack said he didn't want to do anything that would bring in an investigation. In the ring he was The Manassa Mauler. On the witness stand he didn't want to get mauled by a D.A.

Anyway,at the last minute they put in Barry as third man. They will be talking about the "Long Count" way after I'm gone. As far as Big Al...well he went back to losing at the craps tables.

[dagosd2000]

Jack Dempsey

[Bobbin & Weavin]

Hey guys, my 16 year old is performing this weekend in Bye Bye Birdie in a local theater group production. In the poster Megan is top left with the white sweater and plays the part of Kim Macafee; the part Ann Margaret made famous in the movie. Megan has done a great job in the first two shows and I'm as proud of her as I could be. I was comparing her at 16 with me at 16; me fighting in the Golden Gloves and her getting this great roll in this play; for me that was where I peaked, hopefully she has a lot more to look forward to.
Bruce[/quote]

Bruce
It doesn't get any better than that! Rog [/quote]

That's great, Bruce. I can see that you also have a beautiful family. Seems to be a given for this group, beautiful children and grandchildren. By the way, I turned in your name and info to the WBHOF, along with the others from this thread. I just wrote the mini-bios for the nominees, they go to the printer tomorrow for the ballots, then back to us and we'll send them out to the voting membership. Glad you will be carrying on for your father in this capacity, somebody who truly knows and understands boxing.

-Rick Farris[/quote]

Thanks for your nice comments guys, at the end of the play Megan was voted most inspirational cast member by her fellow cast members and also was selected by the directors and producers to recieved a small scholarship for her preformance. Needless to say we are proud parents.

Looking forward to particapating in the WBHOF voting.
Bruce

[Bobbin & Weavin]

The interview of Ray Lunny III is a fine one, but it contains at least one error....Ray couldn't have been 16 years old in 1958 if he is 57 at the present time.

- Chuck Johnston

Ray and I are the same age. We were both 16 in 1968. T
The Olympic trials were in 1968, for the Mexico City Olympiad, not '58.
Ray was a solid fighter, but in all fairness, Robertson & Crawford were not at their best when they fought Lunney.

Ironically, I have a friend in the film business who was in film school back in the early 70's when Ray was fighting.
For a school assignment, he shot a nice little documentary on Ray Lunney III. He gave me a copy of the film and I forwarded it to Scartissue after I'd viewed it. Ray does a nice voice over scenes showing him sparring with Lobito Montoya, and a ten rounder against my old friend Petey Vital.

Luuney's dad, Ray Lunney Jr. was inducted into the WBHOF a few years ago. He has since passed. As mentioned in the article, Ray was a third generation prizefighter and did himself and his father proud during his career.


-Rick Farris

As many of you know I boxed with Ray many times when he was a young pro, I was an amateur in the right gym at the right weight, somewhere on the thread are a couple pictures of he and I and his dad. The Lunny's were a couple of the nicest guys I ever crossed paths with in or out of boxing. I showed up to school one day with a pretty nice shiner complments of Ray III and wore it like a badge of honor each time I was asked how it happened. Ray and I live in neighboring towns now and bump into each other on occasion.
Bruce

[kikibalt]

RICK,

THIS IS MO WINNING THE FIRST OF FOUR BOUTS AT THE RINGSIDE TOURNAMENT LAST YEAR. IT WAS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW HE HAS WON.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf5vxR1Khcw