Classic American West Coast Boxing

[raylawpc]

Here's something about that fire Rick mentioned earlier. This was published in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy:

Twice Burned

April 5, 1957
Los Angeles

By Larry Harnisch

They were a six-pack of juiceheads, daddy-o. Human-torched by lowlifes
that wildfired the imagination of young, L.A. bike-roaming James
Ellroy, demon dogging the pulp novel city in type-O scarlet and memory
napalm.

Six juiceheads: That's how they're cast in our film noir tale about
one of the biggest Los Angeles crimes of the 1950s. But it's not that
easy. History never is.

At 20 minutes to midnight, four men who had been thrown out of the
Club Mecca, 5841 S. Normandie Ave., came back with an old five-gallon
paint can full of gasoline. One of them, an ex-convict, threw the gas
into the bar like a cleaning lady pouring out her mop bucket; another,
a delivery driver for a bindery, lit a matchbook and tossed it onto
the gas-soaked carpet. The small neighborhood bar, 25 feet square
packed with 21 people, exploded in flames.

Firefighters found one victim still sitting on a bar stool, so badly
burned it was days before he was positively identified. Four other men
and one woman died, and the rest survived, one of them with severe
burns. At the time, police called it the biggest mass murder in Los
Angeles history.

Detectives found one of the killers, Clyde Bates, 36, and his
companion, Oscar Brenhaug, 44, sleeping off a drunk in a blue Plymouth
sedan parked in the driveway of Bates’ home at 1623 S. Menlo Ave.
Investigators eventually arrested the other two men, Manuel Joseph
Hernandez, 18, and Manuel Joseph Chavez, 25.

Of course, they all had alibis. Chavez said he went home from the bar
and didn't know anything about the fire until he read about it in the
papers. Bates and Brenhaug said they were at another cocktail lounge
until it closed at 2 a.m. Hernandez said he couldn't get served
because he was underage. Otherwise, he couldn't remember what
happened.

Joyce Chapdelaine, 22, a Mecca waitress, said she danced with Bates
briefly while Hermina Morales, 28, danced with one of the other
killers. The men became abusive and after a brawl with two bar
employees and a customer, three of the suspects were thrown out. In
the brand of logic known only to drunks, they returned to the bar to
insist that a fourth companion also be thrown out and bartender Larry
Fenton complied.

The men went to a Union Oil station at 5720 S. Vermont Ave., filled an
old, dirty bucket with gas, then returned to the club. Bates pitched
$1.43 worth of high-octane revenge into the bar and Chavez lit the
matchbook.

"I was sitting on the third stool near the door," Joseph James
Marriott said, "when I felt something hit my pant leg and run down
into my shoes. I thought it was a friend playing a joke—squirting me
with a hose.

"My leg and shoe were saturated. I turned and saw the guy striking the
match. It was a book of paper matches and he struck the match two or
three times. That’s all I remember - I had troubles of my own after
that."

So who were Ellroy's juiceheads?

* Gilbert J. Gonzalez, 20, an apprentice cook at the Scandia
restaurant in North Hollywood. "He didn't go in for heavy drinking,"
his sister Helen Brahim said. "He just liked to drop in and chew the
fat with a few of his friends."

* Jose Maytorena, 20, a San Pedro market checker whose burned body
was found sitting on a bar stool. His father, Angel Luis Vallejo,
warned the suspects at the 77th Division station: "All I can say is
you guys better not get out on bail."

* Jacqueline Agnes MacInnes, 21, who had just arrived with Barbara
Spinelli, a secretary at a nearby plating company. MacInnes had been
babysitting for Morales, her roommate, who went home before the fire
started. Spinelli, a divorcee with two young children, had been dating
Fenton, the bartender, and was returning his car. MacInnes, who was
waiting for her fiancee, Chuck Westbury, to get off work at another
bar, died en route to the hospital; Spinelli survived but was burned
on her hands, face and legs.

* Anthony M. "Tony" Smaldino, 27, an assistant pressman, Korean
War veteran and former Golden Gloves contender.

* Phillip E. Crawshaw, 28, described by friends as "a very
quiet, a very likable boy."

* Harry Leslie Robinson, 64, who liked to putter in the yard.
Robinson and his ex-wife had been divorced for many years and each
lived with one of their children. One of them would spend a month with
their daughter in Pico Rivera while the other stayed with their son
Alfred at 3704 Hillcrest Drive. "He avoided fights," his daughter
said. "He was a quiet man who liked to sit around and talk in the bar.
It was nice and friendly for him."

Crawshaw's services were held in Seattle and Robinson was buried at
Inglewood Park Cemetery. Gonzalez and Maytorena received Requiem
Masses at St. Vincent's Catholic Church and were to be buried next to
one another at Calvary Cemetery. MacInnes' Requiem was held at
Nativity Catholic Church and she was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery,
The Mirror said. After rites at St. Brigid's Catholic Church, about
300 people attended Smaldino's burial at Calvary Cemetery, with
several of them surging forward to restrain his mother as she threw
herself on his casket.

Now for the lowlifes.

Claiming that he was too drunk to have helped plan the bombing,
Brenhaug turned state’s evidence and the case against him was
dismissed for lack of evidence. Hernandez was sentenced to life in
prison and vanished from the pages of The Times a few years later.

Bates and Chavez were sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San
Quentin, and in 1960, they got into a Death Row brawl with Red Light
Bandit Caryl Chessman and convicted killer James Merkouris over
watching the Rose Bowl on TV. But in 1966, Gov. Pat Brown commuted
their sentences, giving Chavez life in prison and Bates life without
the possibility of parole.

In 1972, the state Supreme Court scrapped the death penalty, further
reducing Bates' sentence to life in prison. A final Times story says
Bates was scheduled to be paroled in March 1977. Chavez had already
been freed and was working in Sacramento as a counselor for
ex-offenders.

A year after the fire, Spinelli and Fenton were married. In 1959, she
and the survivors of several victims won a lawsuit against Union Oil
and the men who sold the gasoline to the killers, but it was
overturned on appeal. Times reporter Gene Blake, writing a postscript
in 1976, noted that he was unable to locate Barbara Fenton, but quoted
her reaction to Brown's clemency ruling: "I really feel that they
should have been given the death penalty."

Blake also noted that the Club Mecca had been torn down to make a
parking lot for a liquor store--a liquor store that was a mile north
of Florence and Normandie, the flashpoint of the 1992 Los Angeles
riots, when most of South-Central was in flames. Today, 5841 S.
Normandie Ave. is nothing but a pockmarked concrete slab surrounded by
a strong metal fence. The only thing left is a sign. Most of its
letters are missing, but it looks as if it once said: "Lee's Liquor.
Hamburgers."

There is no happy ending in this story, no stern-voiced narrator
intoning the prison terms of the guilty as there was in "Dragnet." Six
people died and the killers got out of prison. Memories fade, but as
Barbara Fenton said: "I still have a few scars and I'm a little
self-conscious about them. The scars will remain the rest of my life."
--

"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

[Rick Farris]

Tom . . .

Thank you for posting this very informative piece of L.A. history.
I was aware of the incident, but this story fills in the blanks.

-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Here's something about that fire Rick mentioned earlier. This was published in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy:

Twice Burned

April 5, 1957
Los Angeles

By Larry Harnisch

They were a six-pack of juiceheads, daddy-o. Human-torched by lowlifes
that wildfired the imagination of young, L.A. bike-roaming James
Ellroy, demon dogging the pulp novel city in type-O scarlet and memory
napalm.

Six juiceheads: That's how they're cast in our film noir tale about
one of the biggest Los Angeles crimes of the 1950s. But it's not that
easy. History never is.

At 20 minutes to midnight, four men who had been thrown out of the
Club Mecca, 5841 S. Normandie Ave., came back with an old five-gallon
paint can full of gasoline. One of them, an ex-convict, threw the gas
into the bar like a cleaning lady pouring out her mop bucket; another,
a delivery driver for a bindery, lit a matchbook and tossed it onto
the gas-soaked carpet. The small neighborhood bar, 25 feet square
packed with 21 people, exploded in flames.

Firefighters found one victim still sitting on a bar stool, so badly
burned it was days before he was positively identified. Four other men
and one woman died, and the rest survived, one of them with severe
burns. At the time, police called it the biggest mass murder in Los
Angeles history.

Detectives found one of the killers, Clyde Bates, 36, and his
companion, Oscar Brenhaug, 44, sleeping off a drunk in a blue Plymouth
sedan parked in the driveway of Bates’ home at 1623 S. Menlo Ave.
Investigators eventually arrested the other two men, Manuel Joseph
Hernandez, 18, and Manuel Joseph Chavez, 25.

Of course, they all had alibis. Chavez said he went home from the bar
and didn't know anything about the fire until he read about it in the
papers. Bates and Brenhaug said they were at another cocktail lounge
until it closed at 2 a.m. Hernandez said he couldn't get served
because he was underage. Otherwise, he couldn't remember what
happened.

Joyce Chapdelaine, 22, a Mecca waitress, said she danced with Bates
briefly while Hermina Morales, 28, danced with one of the other
killers. The men became abusive and after a brawl with two bar
employees and a customer, three of the suspects were thrown out. In
the brand of logic known only to drunks, they returned to the bar to
insist that a fourth companion also be thrown out and bartender Larry
Fenton complied.

The men went to a Union Oil station at 5720 S. Vermont Ave., filled an
old, dirty bucket with gas, then returned to the club. Bates pitched
$1.43 worth of high-octane revenge into the bar and Chavez lit the
matchbook.

"I was sitting on the third stool near the door," Joseph James
Marriott said, "when I felt something hit my pant leg and run down
into my shoes. I thought it was a friend playing a joke—squirting me
with a hose.

"My leg and shoe were saturated. I turned and saw the guy striking the
match. It was a book of paper matches and he struck the match two or
three times. That’s all I remember - I had troubles of my own after
that."

So who were Ellroy's juiceheads?

* Gilbert J. Gonzalez, 20, an apprentice cook at the Scandia
restaurant in North Hollywood. "He didn't go in for heavy drinking,"
his sister Helen Brahim said. "He just liked to drop in and chew the
fat with a few of his friends."

* Jose Maytorena, 20, a San Pedro market checker whose burned body
was found sitting on a bar stool. His father, Angel Luis Vallejo,
warned the suspects at the 77th Division station: "All I can say is
you guys better not get out on bail."

* Jacqueline Agnes MacInnes, 21, who had just arrived with Barbara
Spinelli, a secretary at a nearby plating company. MacInnes had been
babysitting for Morales, her roommate, who went home before the fire
started. Spinelli, a divorcee with two young children, had been dating
Fenton, the bartender, and was returning his car. MacInnes, who was
waiting for her fiancee, Chuck Westbury, to get off work at another
bar, died en route to the hospital; Spinelli survived but was burned
on her hands, face and legs.

* Anthony M. "Tony" Smaldino, 27, an assistant pressman, Korean
War veteran and former Golden Gloves contender.

* Phillip E. Crawshaw, 28, described by friends as "a very
quiet, a very likable boy."

* Harry Leslie Robinson, 64, who liked to putter in the yard.
Robinson and his ex-wife had been divorced for many years and each
lived with one of their children. One of them would spend a month with
their daughter in Pico Rivera while the other stayed with their son
Alfred at 3704 Hillcrest Drive. "He avoided fights," his daughter
said. "He was a quiet man who liked to sit around and talk in the bar.
It was nice and friendly for him."

Crawshaw's services were held in Seattle and Robinson was buried at
Inglewood Park Cemetery. Gonzalez and Maytorena received Requiem
Masses at St. Vincent's Catholic Church and were to be buried next to
one another at Calvary Cemetery. MacInnes' Requiem was held at
Nativity Catholic Church and she was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery,
The Mirror said. After rites at St. Brigid's Catholic Church, about
300 people attended Smaldino's burial at Calvary Cemetery, with
several of them surging forward to restrain his mother as she threw
herself on his casket.

Now for the lowlifes.

Claiming that he was too drunk to have helped plan the bombing,
Brenhaug turned state’s evidence and the case against him was
dismissed for lack of evidence. Hernandez was sentenced to life in
prison and vanished from the pages of The Times a few years later.

Bates and Chavez were sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San
Quentin, and in 1960, they got into a Death Row brawl with Red Light
Bandit Caryl Chessman and convicted killer James Merkouris over
watching the Rose Bowl on TV. But in 1966, Gov. Pat Brown commuted
their sentences, giving Chavez life in prison and Bates life without
the possibility of parole.

In 1972, the state Supreme Court scrapped the death penalty, further
reducing Bates' sentence to life in prison. A final Times story says
Bates was scheduled to be paroled in March 1977. Chavez had already
been freed and was working in Sacramento as a counselor for
ex-offenders.

A year after the fire, Spinelli and Fenton were married. In 1959, she
and the survivors of several victims won a lawsuit against Union Oil
and the men who sold the gasoline to the killers, but it was
overturned on appeal. Times reporter Gene Blake, writing a postscript
in 1976, noted that he was unable to locate Barbara Fenton, but quoted
her reaction to Brown's clemency ruling: "I really feel that they
should have been given the death penalty."

Blake also noted that the Club Mecca had been torn down to make a
parking lot for a liquor store--a liquor store that was a mile north
of Florence and Normandie, the flashpoint of the 1992 Los Angeles
riots, when most of South-Central was in flames. Today, 5841 S.
Normandie Ave. is nothing but a pockmarked concrete slab surrounded by
a strong metal fence. The only thing left is a sign. Most of its
letters are missing, but it looks as if it once said: "Lee's Liquor.
Hamburgers."

There is no happy ending in this story, no stern-voiced narrator
intoning the prison terms of the guilty as there was in "Dragnet." Six
people died and the killers got out of prison. Memories fade, but as
Barbara Fenton said: "I still have a few scars and I'm a little
self-conscious about them. The scars will remain the rest of my life."
--

"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

THanks, Tom, I too remember this episode...

[scartissue]

Another great list Dan.
Tony Chivarenis nephew works as a sports anchor for an nbc affiliate here in Chicago.
His name is Ryan Chivareni. Good kid, we talk about Tony quite a bit when he is covering the Bulls or Blackhawks.Tony is doing well. Hes a hero in K.C.

A guy who I thought was a helluva fighter who did most of his work at welter but some over the 147 limit was tough Gil Turner.

Brian, I didn't know that about Ryan Chiaverini. Funny story about Tony. When Angelo Dundee took him over late in his career, I watched his fight with Wilfredo Benitez. Benitez was cutting him to pieces and Dundee was doing everything to inspire him between rounds. Finally an exasperated Dundee just looked at him as he sat in the corner, and with the TV microphone being too close, says on National TV, "Tony, ya gotta keep yer fuckin' hands up!" Another classic TV moment. As for Gil Turner, if there was a Jr. Middleweight division at the time, Gil would have been champ. As it was, he wasn't too shabby at 147 either and made my list at welter, which I'll post tomorrow.

Scartissue

[kikibalt]

Tony Smaldino

Tony Smaldino was an outstanding Golden Gloves boxer in the Los Angeles area. Although he began a professional boxing career, he supported himself by working as a pressman. He had every intent to continue his boxing career, but he was tragically murdered in the worst mass murder in Los Angeles history. On April 4, 1957, Clyde Bates and Manual Chavez were ejected from the Club Mecca bar in Los Angeles for pawing one of the female customers. They drove to a gas station, purchased 5 gallons of gas in a bucket, returned to the bar where Bates threw the gasoline on the floor of the bar; Chavez immediately threw in a lighted book of matches.

Tony Smaldino, along with Gilbert Gonzalez (an apprentice chef at the prestigious Scandia Restaurant), Joe Maytorena (a retail supermarket checker), Jackie MacInnes (a waitress), Harry Robinson (retired), and Phil Crawshaw (a young man who had recently moved to LA from Seattle) were all murdered in the blaze that followed. To this day, the Club Mecca murder remains the worst mass murder in Los Angeles' history.

Tony Smaldino

division featherweight
nationality United States
residence Los Angeles, California, United States

won 11 (KO 3) + lost 7 (KO 4) + drawn 1 = 19
rounds boxed 81 : KO% 15.79

date Lb opponent Lb W-L-D last 6 location

1950-12-29 129 Javier Gutierrez 126 13-5-3
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L KO 2 6

1950-12-01 128½ Chuck Wilkerson 128 18-21-2
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W UD 6 6

1950-10-13 127 Jimmy Dunn 128½ 15-12-3
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L SD 6 6

1950-09-26 128¼ Chuck Wilkerson 126½ 17-20-2
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L UD 6 6

1950-08-25 125½ Fugi Rodriguez 128¾ 3-1-0
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States L TKO 5 6

1950-07-14 125¼ Bobby Garza 121¾ 14-13-8
Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California, United States W PTS 6 6

1950-06-20 126¾ Bobby Garza 121½ 12-12-8
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W UD 6 6

1950-06-06 128 Bobby Garza 125 12-12-7
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States D PTS 4 4

1950-05-02 127½ Dave Gallardo 126½ 24-6-4
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States L UD 6 6
Smaldino was knocked down in the 1st round.


1950-04-11 127 Manuel Hernandez 126 19-20-13
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W TKO 2 6
~ referee: Jimmy Wilson ~
Hernandez was knocked down once for an eight-count in the 2nd round.


1950-04-04 127¼ Manuel Hernandez 128¼ 19-19-13
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W UD 6 6

1949-06-06 124¼ Roosevelt Bonner 126 20-19-8
Arena, Ocean Park, California, United States W UD 4 4

1949-04-11 131 Tony Espinosa 130¼ 0-0-0
Arena, Ocean Park, California, United States L TKO 3 4
Reported as "Tony Sparro" in Los Angeles Times.


1949-04-05 125½ Benny Chavez 123½ 7-18-3
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-28 128¾ Chivo Amador 131 2-2-0
Arena, Ocean Park, California, United States L TKO 4 4

1949-03-22 126¾ Manuel Hernandez 121½ 12-11-7
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-21 128½ Eddie Duane 123¼ 0-0-0
Arena, Ocean Park, California, United States W TKO 2 4

1949-03-14 126 Cadillac Clemmons 128¼ 5-16-1
Arena, Ocean Park, California, United States W PTS 4 4

1949-03-04 125 Joe Rodriguez 121 0-0-0
San Diego, California, United States W KO 1

[Rick Farris]

In the mid-1950's my friend Rudy Mendoza who fought guys like, Joey Dorando, Lou Filippo, Joe Chavez and Joey Abasta, asked me to help him with sparring, he was been trained/managed by Johnny Villaflor and Tony Moreno, Johnny and Tony had taken over a theatre and turn it into a gym, which if I remember right was on First St. just west of Soto St. I was never trained by Villaflor or Moreno, I was just there to help Rudy get ready for his fights.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Frank . . . Tony Moreno, like Villaflor, was Filipino. The two were always at the Main St. Gym back when I was fighting. Tony used to custom make the best head gear and cups right in his own leather shop located inside the gym. He made my first head gear and the best cup I ever owned. They would be fitted to order and I still have that cup. He would always emboss whatever name or initials the fighter wanted right into the front of the cup. To me, wearing Tony's custom made equipment gave you a feeling of stature in the gym. All the best in L.A. who trained there had his stuff. People would travel for miles just to have Tony make their foul-proof cups.

Mine had "R.F." embossed on the front, Jerry Quarrys had "QUARRY", Ernie Lopez- "Indian Red".


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

If You Would Like To Watch Pac-Hatton Live For Only $2.99 !!!


With the economy challenging most of us today, here is a way you can watch the big fight saturday live without shelling out sixty bucks.
I just learned of this today from Armando Muniz.

TV ringside announcer, Al Bernstein, is on the ballot for WBHOF induction this year. Mando has been in contact with Al and discovered that thru Bernstein's on-line sports show, the Pacman-Hatton fight will be shown thru his Live Sports on-line site for just $2.99

For that low cost, you will get two fights, the main event and the one that proceeds it. Here's how to get the info:

Go to: http://www.IBNsports.com

When you get to the site, click on- "Al Bernstein Boxing"
From there click on- "Seminole Warrior Boxing"

Once you get that far, you will learn how to the order the fight. You can charge it to a credit or debit card, just $2.99

I've received several invitations to watch the fight with film industry friends. However, everytime I do that I rarely see any of the action. Too much talk, interferences, etc.
I also have'nt worked this year due to the SAG negotiations, so I'm not to excited about putting out $60. to watch it on PPV, especially when I can watch it free the following week.
Still, as a boxing guy who likes to discuss the info while it's still a hot topic, I'm going to catch it "on-line" for less than the price of a Big Mac.


-Rick Farris

[raylawpc]

If You Would Like To Watch Pac-Hatton Live For Only $2.99 !!!


With the economy challenging most of us today, here is a way you can watch the big fight saturday live without shelling out sixty bucks.
I just learned of this today from Armando Muniz.

TV ringside announcer, Al Bernstein, is on the ballot for WBHOF induction this year. Mando has been in contact with Al and discovered that thru Bernstein's on-line sports show, the Pacman-Hatton fight will be shown thru his Live Sports on-line site for just $2.99

For that low cost, you will get two fights, the main event and the one that proceeds it. Here's how to get the info:

Go to: http://www.IBNsports.com

When you get to the site, click on- "Al Bernstein Boxing"
From there click on- "Seminole Warrior Boxing"

Once you get that far, you will learn how to the order the fight. You can charge it to a credit or debit card, just $2.99

I've received several invitations to watch the fight with film industry friends. However, everytime I do that I rarely see any of the action. Too much talk, interferences, etc.
I also have'nt worked this year due to the SAG negotiations, so I'm not to excited about putting out $60. to watch it on PPV, especially when I can watch it free the following week.
Still, as a boxing guy who likes to discuss the info while it's still a hot topic, I'm going to catch it "on-line" for less than the price of a Big Mac.


-Rick Farris

Thanks Rick. Sorry to hear about your work situation. Seems like the entertainment business is always knocked on its ear over some kind of labor dispute.

[Rick Farris]

If You Would Like To Watch Pac-Hatton Live For Only $2.99 !!!


With the economy challenging most of us today, here is a way you can watch the big fight saturday live without shelling out sixty bucks.
I just learned of this today from Armando Muniz.

TV ringside announcer, Al Bernstein, is on the ballot for WBHOF induction this year. Mando has been in contact with Al and discovered that thru Bernstein's on-line sports show, the Pacman-Hatton fight will be shown thru his Live Sports on-line site for just $2.99

For that low cost, you will get two fights, the main event and the one that proceeds it. Here's how to get the info:

Go to: http://www.IBNsports.com

When you get to the site, click on- "Al Bernstein Boxing"
From there click on- "Seminole Warrior Boxing"

Once you get that far, you will learn how to the order the fight. You can charge it to a credit or debit card, just $2.99

I've received several invitations to watch the fight with film industry friends. However, everytime I do that I rarely see any of the action. Too much talk, interferences, etc.
I also have'nt worked this year due to the SAG negotiations, so I'm not to excited about putting out $60. to watch it on PPV, especially when I can watch it free the following week.
Still, as a boxing guy who likes to discuss the info while it's still a hot topic, I'm going to catch it "on-line" for less than the price of a Big Mac.


-Rick Farris

Thanks Rick. Sorry to hear about your work situation. Seems like the entertainment business is always knocked on its ear over some kind of labor dispute.

Working in the Film Business . . .

Tom . . . It's the nature of the business, and just for the record, I'm OK, just bored.
I work more than most, and today only work on productions that interest me.
I will return to "Desperate Housewives" as their 2nd Unit lighting director next season, which will begin filming in mid-July.
Last year, I left the show to assume a key position on two other TV productions, "The Cleaner" for A&E, followed by "Eli Stone" for ABC.

I missed the "Housewives" crew, as we were like a family. Today is the last day of production for "DH" this season.
When I made them aware of my availability, I was invited to return. I'll be home soon.

And yes, the past two years have been quite irratic for most in the business.
The writers were on "strike" for four months last year, but I worked thru it on a production that had a "sweetheart" deal.
Now SAG thought this would be a good time to pressure producers, but it was a huge mistake.
As a result, most of the TV productions that were filmed under the SAG contract, will be filmed under the AFTRA contract.
Although the original contract will be ratified in May, the producers are avoiding filming under that contract.
This will break SAG, soon there will be no more Screen Actors Guild.

Actors in general worry only about themselves, but in this case, their leadership has buried them. Bye, Bye SAG!


-Rick

[dagosd2000]

BOXING IMITATING ART

Just because someone puts on the gloves and goes out at the gong to inflict bodily punishment on his opponent doesn't make him an animal.
There are many fighters that have an aptitude for the prettier side of life. Some try to sing. Those are usually the biggest failures. Some pick up a brush and daub away at a canvas. Mickey Walker and Rocky Graziano come to mind. (Imagine those two wearing berets.)

Archie Moore always wanted to be a jazz musician. The string bass was his ax. I told you of my lunch with him at Huffman's Bar B Q in Southeast San Diego one afternoon. 'Ol Arch had lost his hair and his beard was iron gray. He was working with his boy's club at the time. He'd kind of semi train a fighter or two that wanted him to share his enyclopedia of boxing knowledge. The Mongoose was a happy man.

But get that guy talking about music and you'd think he never saw the inside of a boxing ring. I really think he was a little frustrated that he couldn't do both. At least not on an equal level.

Let's face it. Archie Moore knew more about boxing than Colonel Sanders did about chicken. (Archie knew a lot about chicken too. Had a recipe for sauce that he protected with his life). To watch the old film of Archie winning the title from Joey Maxim is interesting. Maxim,a cutie, who could tie a slugger in knots,was put in a hangman's noose by Archie in St. Louis that night.

So Archie the boxing artist was also Archie the frustrated string bassist artist. Well,'ol pal if you're listening up there,when you bump into Joey, I'm sure he'll tell you what a frustrating night it was for him in St. Louis that night when he lost his title.

[Rick Farris]

BOXING IMITATING ART

Just because someone puts on the gloves and goes out at the gong to inflict bodily punishment on his opponent doesn't make him an animal.
There are many fighters that have an aptitude for the prettier side of life. Some try to sing. Those are usually the biggest failures. Some pick up a brush and daub away at a canvas. Mickey Walker and Rocky Graziano come to mind. (Imagine those two wearing berets.)

Archie Moore always wanted to be a jazz musician. The string bass was his ax. I told you of my lunch with him at Huffman's Bar B Q in Southeast San Diego one afternoon. 'Ol Arch had lost his hair and his beard was iron gray. He was working with his boy's club at the time. He'd kind of semi train a fighter or two that wanted him to share his enyclopedia of boxing knowledge. The Mongoose was a happy man.

But get that guy talking about music and you'd think he never saw the inside of a boxing ring. I really think he was a little frustrated that he couldn't do both. At least not on an equal level.

Let's face it. Archie Moore knew more about boxing than Colonel Sanders did about chicken. (Archie knew a lot about chicken too. Had a recipe for sauce that he protected with his life). To watch the old film of Archie winning the title from Joey Maxim is interesting. Maxim,a cutie, who could tie a slugger in knots,was put in a hangman's noose by Archie in St. Louis that night.

So Archie the boxing artist was also Archie the frustrated string bassist artist. Well,'ol pal if you're listening up there,when you bump into Joey, I'm sure he'll tell you what a frustrating night it was for him in St. Louis that night when he lost his title.

Entertaining A Dream . . .

Roger . . . You're post has a lot to say about boxers who dabble in other art forms, especially those relating to entertainment.
Many will remember Joe Frazier and "The Knockouts", his band that made a few recordings in the 60's.
Watching Smokin' Joe attempt to belt out his version of "I Did It My Way", comes to mind.
Good for Joe he didn't quit his day job.

Then there was Jerry Quarry.
Now here is something that many don't know, but "Irish" Jerry actually had a helluva singing voice.
Gwen Adair tells the story of a fight card held in Bakersfield during the early 90's. The card featured the youngest Quarry brother, Bobby.
Before the main event, Adair was surprised to see the former heavyweight contender introduced in the ring, then grab the Mike and sing the National Anthem.
I started to laugh, and asked Gwen if Jerry's singing chased everybody out of the arena?

"Are you kidding?" Gwen asked, "He was great, he had a beautiful voice and was given a standing ovation."
I then remembered that he and sister Diane had a duo for awhile in the 60's, backed up by a band consisting of Mickey Davies sons.


-Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVT2MPNCqgM

Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral (Match Race 1938)

Clem McCarthy announcing

[dagosd2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI_mZrLRl0I

Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer

[Rick Farris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVT2MPNCqgM

Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral (Match Race 1938)

Clem McCarthy announcing

"Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral"

Roger . . . Forget Pacquiao vs. Hatton, this was a REAL match of all-time greats.
I've long known the story of this great race.
Seabiscuit, the funny moving horse with the ugly tail, won in a claiming race, never expected to provide much more than dogfood.

Triple Crown winner War Admiral was a bully, challenged Seabiscuit in the paddock, like a cocky fighter disrespecting an unworthy challenger.
I never saw this race, but in the early 70's, I met a jockey that had mounts in three Kentucky Derbies, Pete McLaine.
Pete was a close friend of my pal, Karl Nelson. Karl introduced me to him at Santa Anita. We had come early to watch his pals excercise thoroughbreds.
Pete had been married to MiMi Howard, aire to the Florsheim Shoe fortune, during his heyday.

I saw the statue of "Seabiscuit" near the Paddock area, as Karl and I walked with Pete and another former jock, Allen Grey, who had been married to actress Cara Williams during his heyday.
The two retired Jockies, now both trainers, shared their memories of Seabiscuit, and I thought to myself, "That would make a great movie." Three decades later, somebody else thought the same thing.

Seabiscuit was a "Classic American West Coast Athlete."

Thank you for posting this true championship match-up!
And to Karl, Pete, Allen & Seabiscuit . . . Rest in Peace.


-Rick Farris

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pete McLaine . . .

Pete was old, and would die a couple of years after the day we met, as would Allen Grey.
They lived hard, drank hard, had spent decades starving their bodies to make weight.
They were the steroetypical "Jockey".

Pete remenisced with Karl and I about the first time he had a mount in the Kentucky Derby.
Sitting atop his horse as it was led on to the track, he saw the huge crowd at Churchill Downs. There was an energy in the air.
As the horses were lead to the starting gate, in the distance he could hear the music playing, "My Old Kentucky Home".
You could see his face overcome with emotion, as he relived the moment.

"Man, in my mind I had made it." Pete said. "This was all I'd ever wanted, I was riding in the Derby. I felt the tears running down my cheek as we approached the gate. I was fine until I heard that song, and I knew I'd died and gone to heaven."

A moment later, his thoroughbred was led into the gate, second from last. Within seconds the bell sounds and the gate flies open.
"It gets rough in there, right out of the gate, the jock to my left took his whip and smacked it into my face. It's like street fight."

"Did you win the Derby?" I asked.

Pete smiled, wiping away a tear, "No, but we showed, 3rd place. We made some big money for the day."
After that, Pete would ride in two more Derby's, but never came so close as he did the first time.


-Rick Farris
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Track . . .

When you take your seat in the stands at Santa Anita, it appears the track is made of a well cultivated "dirt".
However, if you step closer, reach down and grab the turf, you'll see tiny black chips mixed into the dirt.
Those tiny black chips are pieces of ground up auto tires.

This is the "new" state-of-the-art race track turf, designed to help cushion the impact of the horses hooves as they hit the track.
This wasn't around four decades back, when my buddy took me to Santa Anita, to further my education in "The Sport of Kings."
It helps add longevity to the track life of a thoroughbred, reducing stress fractures to the bones.

Just a little piece of useless trivia, like so much of what floats around in my damaged brain.
There is something common in the relationship of a race horse to a boxer.
When you win you have value, when you lose your no better than dog meat. Sad but true.

Hence the term, "Stablemates."


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez vs Guts Ishimatus II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCh0Mwlyb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CPXozX7u2U

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73psKv2_f1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEvZxeJ9o0

[kikibalt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI_mZrLRl0I

Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer

With beer commercials like that, its no wonder that we have so many alcoholics in the barrio....

[Expug]

Another great list Dan.
Tony Chivarenis nephew works as a sports anchor for an nbc affiliate here in Chicago.
His name is Ryan Chivareni. Good kid, we talk about Tony quite a bit when he is covering the Bulls or Blackhawks.Tony is doing well. Hes a hero in K.C.

A guy who I thought was a helluva fighter who did most of his work at welter but some over the 147 limit was tough Gil Turner.

Brian, I didn't know that about Ryan Chiaverini. Funny story about Tony. When Angelo Dundee took him over late in his career, I watched his fight with Wilfredo Benitez. Benitez was cutting him to pieces and Dundee was doing everything to inspire him between rounds. Finally an exasperated Dundee just looked at him as he sat in the corner, and with the TV microphone being too close, says on National TV, "Tony, ya gotta keep yer fuckin' hands up!" Another classic TV moment. As for Gil Turner, if there was a Jr. Middleweight division at the time, Gil would have been champ. As it was, he wasn't too shabby at 147 either and made my list at welter, which I'll post tomorrow.

Scartissue

Dan, I was just talking to Ryan for awhile last night while working the Bulls.
Triple overtime win vs Celtics. He played football at Colorado Univ.Turns out , the Blachawks radio announcer who is from K.C. knew and sparred with Tony also. John Wiederman is his name. He had a few am.fights I think.
Great story about Tony and Dundee.Im looking forward to that welter list.

[scartissue]

The welterweights. A packed house of talent. Apologies to anyone I left out and there could be many at a particular time of their career. Awesome contenders nonetheless.

Scartissue

WELTER
Ceferino Garcia (Phil) (2)
Ernie Roderick (Eng) (1)
Holman Williams (USA) (0)
Charley Burley (USA) (0)
Billy Graham (USA) (2)
Gil Turner (USA) (1)
Denny Moyer (USA) (1)
Ralph Dupas (USA) (1)
Manuel Gonzales (USA) (2)
Ernie Lopez (USA) (2)
Eddie Perkins (USA) (0)
Clyde Gray (Can) (3)
Armando Muniz (Mex) (4)
Harold Weston (USA) (2)
Dave Green (Eng) (2)

Ceferino Garcia, better known as a Middleweight champ, fought the first ten years of his career at 147, duking it out with the likes of Freddie Steele, Young Corbett III, Izzy Janazzo, Kid Azteca and Bobby Pacho before failing in valiant attempts at the title against Ross and Armstrong. Ernie Roderick, British Welter and Middlewight champ as well as Euro Welter champ, took Armstrong to the wire in '39 for the title. Holman Williams, beat Janazzo, Pacho, 'Slugger' White and Tommy Paul at 147, while Charley Burley beat Fritzie Zivic, Billy Soose and Cocoa Kid at the same weight before the two charitably engaged one another in a seven bout series across two divisions that ended up all even at 3-3 and 1 NC. A pity the champions of the day couldn't have been as charitable to either of these two. Billy Graham, generally recognised as an uncrowned champ due to the controversy surrounding his first title fight with Gavilan. Managed to beat Gavilan, Basilio, Giardello and Art Aragon over the course of his career. Gil Turner, fought 9 world champs and held wins over 5 of them. Lost an absolute classic to Gavilan for the crown in '52. Denny Moyer, began his career at Welter and ended at Middle. In between, he won the fledgling 154 lb. title but displayed great promise at 147. Although losing to Don Jordan in his lone effort for the crown, Moyer beat Robinson, Griffith, Saxton, Paret, Akins and DeMarco (Paddy and Tony). Ralph Dupas, another future 154 lb. champ. This native of New Orleans peaked at Welter during his long career, losing to Griffith over 15 in '62 with well over 100 bouts under his belt at the time. Beat 5 world champs in his career. Manny Gonzales had it all, barring the big punch. However, his skill held him in good stead as he managed to beat Griffith, Moyer, Cokes, Joe Brown and Charlie Shipes. Lost over 15 to Griffith and Cokes when it counted. Ernie (Indian Red) Lopez, long before his kid brother hit the Featherweight scene, big Ernie was cutting a mean swath through the Welters of the '60s and early '70s. Besides fighting Napoles (twice) for the title, Lopez also went toe to toe with Griffith (twice), Lewis (thrice), Albarado, Stracey, Muniz and Raul Soriano (twice). Eddie Perkins, a two time 140 lb. champ, could never entice a champ to defend against him again at Jr. Welter or Welter. A true spoiler, in his mid-thirties he was beating Angel Espada, Gray and Muniz. Clyde Gray, won Canadian and Commonwealth Welter titles and fought Napoles and Espada to the absolute wire in attempts at the title. Avoided no one and fought 5 world champs in 70 plus fights. Armando Muniz, robbed blind in his first title fight with Napoles, battled competitively in his other three title tries. Fought 8 world champs in a 'duck no one' career that saw him beat Hedgemon Lewis, Lopez, Gray, Adolph Pruitt and Pete Ranzany. Harold Weston, fought a who's who of boxing in, Antuofermo, Hearns, Benitez (twice), Cuevas, Lewis, Mamby, Arcari and Mattioli. So slick but retired early with a detached retina. And we end with Dave (Boy) Green. This hard man from England, slingin' that big right hand they called his 'muck spreader' first made a name for himself at 140 before taking on Welters Leonard, Palomino, Stracey and Andy Price. British and Euro champ at 147.

Honorable mention: Jack Hood, Issac Logart, Gaspar Ortega, Raul Soriano, Adolph Pruitt, Oba Carr

[scartissue]

Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez vs Guts Ishimatus I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCh0Mwlyb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CPXozX7u2U

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73psKv2_f1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEvZxeJ9o0

Frank, this is a great version of this fight. I have this on tape but the quality I have is nothing as good as this. As opposed to their 1st fight, in which Rodolfo was as weak as water with no muscle definition, in this fight he looks very strong, is able to muscle Suzuki, and in my opinion was easily ahead on points. If not for the cut (caused from the 5th round clash of heads) I don't see how Rodolfo could not regain his title. Although with all 3 officials being Japanese and their scorecards at the time of the stoppage, who knows. I think he would have needed to stop him. But an excellent find, Frank.

Scartissue

[kikibalt]

Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez vs Guts Ishimatus I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCh0Mwlyb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CPXozX7u2U

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73psKv2_f1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEvZxeJ9o0

Frank, this is a great version of this fight. I have this on tape but the quality I have is nothing as good as this. As opposed to their 1st fight, in which Rodolfo was as weak as water with no muscle definition, in this fight he looks very strong, is able to muscle Suzuki, and in my opinion was easily ahead on points. If not for the cut (caused from the 5th round clash of heads) I don't see how Rodolfo could not regain his title. Although with all 3 officials being Japanese and their scorecards at the time of the stoppage, who knows. I think he would have needed to stop him. But an excellent find, Frank.

Scartissue

Dan, is this I or II?
Its II...

[scartissue]

Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez vs Guts Ishimatus I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCh0Mwlyb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CPXozX7u2U

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73psKv2_f1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEvZxeJ9o0

Frank, this is a great version of this fight. I have this on tape but the quality I have is nothing as good as this. As opposed to their 1st fight, in which Rodolfo was as weak as water with no muscle definition, in this fight he looks very strong, is able to muscle Suzuki, and in my opinion was easily ahead on points. If not for the cut (caused from the 5th round clash of heads) I don't see how Rodolfo could not regain his title. Although with all 3 officials being Japanese and their scorecards at the time of the stoppage, who knows. I think he would have needed to stop him. But an excellent find, Frank.

Scartissue

Dan, is this I or II?
Its II...

It's II. I didn't want to be a smartass and start correcting you, cuz your heart was in the right place, Frankie.

Scartissue

[dagosd2000]

Elvis

[Rick Farris]

Elvis

Roger . . . You've truly captured the "King of Rock 'n Roll"
One of your best!


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Another great list Dan.
Tony Chivarenis nephew works as a sports anchor for an nbc affiliate here in Chicago.
His name is Ryan Chivareni. Good kid, we talk about Tony quite a bit when he is covering the Bulls or Blackhawks.Tony is doing well. Hes a hero in K.C.

A guy who I thought was a helluva fighter who did most of his work at welter but some over the 147 limit was tough Gil Turner.

Brian, I didn't know that about Ryan Chiaverini. Funny story about Tony. When Angelo Dundee took him over late in his career, I watched his fight with Wilfredo Benitez. Benitez was cutting him to pieces and Dundee was doing everything to inspire him between rounds. Finally an exasperated Dundee just looked at him as he sat in the corner, and with the TV microphone being too close, says on National TV, "Tony, ya gotta keep yer fuckin' hands up!" Another classic TV moment. As for Gil Turner, if there was a Jr. Middleweight division at the time, Gil would have been champ. As it was, he wasn't too shabby at 147 either and made my list at welter, which I'll post tomorrow.

Scartissue

Dan, I was just talking to Ryan for awhile last night while working the Bulls.
Triple overtime win vs Celtics. He played football at Colorado Univ.Turns out , the Blachawks radio announcer who is from K.C. knew and sparred with Tony also. John Wiederman is his name. He had a few am.fights I think.
Great story about Tony and Dundee.Im looking forward to that welter list.

Brian . . . Glad the Bulls pulled this one out. I watched Monday's game which was also close.
One more win and they move ahead. I'd love to see the Lakers and Bulls play for all the marbles.
I don't know how Chicago fans feel toward Phil Jackson today, but one thing is certain, he's been a winner in both arenas.

By the way, I was talking to a friend of mine who has been active in martial arts for decades, many styles, he's in his 60's.
We were talking about LeBell & Goka,r and I told him about you and the National Judo Championships, etc.
He said, "ask your friend if he is familiar with a Judo guy named 'Hayward'?"

-Rick

[bennie]

Hi chaps, just got back from Blackpool for a week with the Mrs, riding the trams, climbing the famous tower, watching a few shows, hanging on for dear life on the rollercoasters (Jesus!), drinking too much, eating too much and basically over-indulging.
I feel great right now but a long diet lays ahead.