Classic American West Coast Boxing

[kikibalt]

d

[Chuck1052]

During the early 1980s, Tommy Cordova fought in a bout on a boxing show promoted by Jim Gilio at the Ventura Fairgrounds in Ventura, California. As I recall, Cordova was his usual aggressive self and won handily. Handling Cordova was none other than Bob Foster.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

White Fence

East Los Angeles

Boyle Heights

In the 20s, Boyle Heights was populated by Anglos, Armenians, Jews, Italians and Japanese. Many new Mexican immigrants migrated to California and some of them found their way into communities like Boyle Heights which is in East Los Angeles. The Mexican section of the Boyle Heights, which was very small, was bounded by 4th Street to the north, Whittier Blvd to the south, Euclid Ave to the west and Lorena St to the east. It was a very close knit community. Everybody knew eachother from the neighborhood and almost every Mexican family attended the local catholic church which was called La Purissima. La Purissima Church was the heart and focus point of the community. It not only served as a spiritual center but as a social center aswell. The leaders of the Church sponserd an athletic club to foster brotherhood and friendship among the Mexican/Chicano minority members within the community.

During the 1920s and 30s there was alot of rascism and violence towards Chicanos and Mexican immigrants in the Boyle Heights area. School aged children were regularly harrased and bullied by members of the larger ethnic groups. Working men did not have the ability to defend thier children while away from the home and most Police at the time did not care what happened to "lil mexican kids". The younger boys in the community decided to form a self protection group which would serve as escorts to and from school for their younger brothers and sisters. This group became known as Lil Fence or The Fence . The name had a dual meaning. Many of the houses in the "Mexican" section of Boyle Heights had White picket Fences along the front portions of homes and walkways plus the City of Los Angles erected a long row of White Fences along Whittier Blvd. Also a Fence is both sybolic and practical as a means of self protection.

The Fence began to become a presence on the street corners of Boyle Heights. There were many clashes and bloodshed through out the streets of Boyle Heights during these times. The original group or "OGs" were very succesfull in assuring that no children would become victims of random acts of violence at the hands of other ethnic groups. As time passed they began to rival with other chicano groups that sprouted up in various parts of Los Angeles. Some of the other "clubs" had names like Alpine St, East Side Clover, Primer Flats, Clantone, Diamond St, and Hoyo Maravilla.

During the next couple of years White Fence slowly moved from self protection group, to aggresive barrio gang. By 1939 The Los Angeles Times was writting articles about the "White Fence Gang" which murdered 2 males and left thier bodies along Whittier Blvd. White Fence was one of the barrios in Los Angeles to activley partcipate in the Zoot Suit Riots and target marines and sailors that invaded the barrios to victimize "Mexicans " in "Zoot Suits" who were deemed foreigners and unpatriotic. This was from 1942-43. White Fence is still a very active barrio and is well respected in the streets and prison system. Many things have changed in the neighborhood since the early days in the 1920s till now. The neighborhhod, WF, has been featured in many movies, books, documentaries, vidoes etc. Much of the modern "gangster style" (Dress, Graffitti, Slang, Lowriders) originated in the White Fence barrio. White Fence has other clicks in Hollywood, Bell Gardens, Alhambra, San Gabriel Valley, Las Vegas, El Paso and Florida. I was a very active member of White Fence The Hole Locos during the late 80s and early 90s. I believe the initial intentions were a very positive and necesarry move, although I can no longer consider myself an active member due to the continous senseless violence that plagues the barrio and other barrios and ghettos in this world. I am not attempting to glamourize the hood or gangbanging but present an accurate picture of real and true barrio history.

LOCATION :

Eastern Border: Indiana St
Southern Border Between Euclid and Indiana: Atlantic St
Southern Border Between Euclid and Soto: 7th ST
Western Border: SOTO ST
Northern Border Between Euclid and Soto: 6th St
Northern Border Between Euclid and Indiana: 4th/3rd St

THE BEGINNING

La Purissima Crowd 1920s
The Fence or Lil Fence 1930s
White Fence 1930s
White Fence Monsters 1940s
White Fence Cherries 1940s-50s
White Fence Midgets 1950s
White Fence Termites 1960s
White Fence Pwees 1960s
White Fence Spiders 1960s-Present
White Fence Monstro Locos 1960s
White Fence Tiny Monsters 1970s
White Fence The Hole 1970s-Present
White Fence The Hole Locos 1980s-Present
White Fence Tiny Locos 1980s-Present
White Fence Lil Spiders 1980s (turned Spiders)
White Fence Malos 1990s-Present
White Fence Alley Locos 1990s-Present

HISTORICAL ENEMIES

East Side Hoods: Varrio Nuevo Estrada (VNE), Lil Valley, Primera Flats, Cuatro Flats, East La 13, esTMC, 3rd St, Vickys Town, Hoyo Maravilla, Marianna Maravilla, MCF, KAM13, Opal St, Evergreen

West Side Hoods: 18st, wsRockwood, Satanas, wsDrifters, wsTemple St, wsTMC, wsAP, wsLa Mirada Ls, wsMS, wsJefrox, wsRebels13, wsC14st.

History By Gibby
Moderator at ALLHOOD.NET/Sureno

[kikibalt]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

[Rick Farris]

THE ORANGE TREE

After the war my father worked under Frankie LaPorte who worked under Sam Giancana who took his orders from the head of the Outfit,Tony Acccardo. My father's job was to collect for the Outfit. Technically,my father worked for the Illinois State Liquor Commission who worked under Frankie LaPorte who worked under so on and so forth. The Outfit and the Daly Machine had a nice thing going after the war. It was like in that Goodfellas movies. Made men were everywhere and J Edgar went after the Commies.

My father like I said was a collector. Working for the state liquor commission aka. Outfit,he had a circuit that led off in Cicero shaking down the bars so they could cut their booze and keep the fallen flowers on their bar stools. Then he'd go the South Side of the City and shake down the juke joints so they could have reefer madness in bathrooms.My father would then end his journey in Calumet City, along the Indiana line,and pocket a chunk of change from the slot machines in the backrooms of those Archie Bunker type bars.Those parts of town were pretty rough. Ward and June Cleaver ,you could bet,didn't live there. But my father was a Marine in those big battyles and so the Outfit thought he could deal with pimps and loan sharks.

The Outfit guys cut my dad into a pretty good piece of the action. So good that my father had to be reminded by my mother to once in a while cash his state checks. My dad would be out at Washington Park bettng on all the races that were fixed,eating prime rib dinners in the Persian Room,and even had box deats at the Chicago Opera House. At the ball games he was either on the 50 yard line or behind homeplate at Wrigley Field. At the fights he'd sit behind the press corps. Since the Outfit controlled the arenas and the Commision, a bet was a sure thing. It must have been the glory days.

Then came Bobby Kennedy. They tried to make a big score in Vegas and things got complicated. Vegas was too far away and people started getting greedy.Then J Edgar died and the mobs' protector was gone. Big money was to be made in drugs,but the old Chicago guys didn't want to mess with it. Besides,it was something they never felt comfortable with.

My father came out to the west coast in the mid 50's. There was very little out here compared to what was going on in Chicago. The LA. and San Diego cops hated Italians and were going to make sure they were never going to run anything big. Besides,the west coast was too far away from Chicago.Vegas had gambling.That meant millions to be had. California had millions of oranges.

But looking back,it was a good move that my dad came out here. All those guys he ran around with in the Windy City wound up with slugs in the back of their heads. My dad died of natural causes in the house.

The thing was though, my dad always lamented for those golden days of Chicago after the war. There was never the kind of action out here that there was back there. But he did have an orange tree planted in the back yard.

Great story, Rog. I love the Chicago mob history and I understand the orange reference, we had three Orange trees in the backyard of the house we lived in when I was a kid.


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

Good story, Frank. And thank you for the history on White Fence.
I heard about that gang since I was a kid, this gives me some facts.

[kikibalt]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

Good story, Frank. And thank you for the history on White Fence.
I heard about that gang since I was a kid, this gives me some facts.

Thanks Rick, after 59 years I can look back on that episode and laugh my ass off....

[THEHAMMER321]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

What did you guys expect a welcome back party

[kikibalt]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

What did you guys expect a welcome back party

Ya! why not, we didn't make off with any their girls...

[THEHAMMER321]

I am sure some of you saw the dead end kids,one episode I saw was where ''sach'' was boxing the first round he is getting beat up pretty good so he goes back to the corner in between rounds slip puts a sausage in sach glove then sach knocks the other guy out

[Rick Farris]

El Tepeyac, small, informal and always busy. (That's Jeri at the extreme left).

Speaking of East Los Angeles and the barrios. Jeri and I drove over to El Tepeyac, an east L.A. institution,otherwise known as Manuels. It's on Evergreen Street just north of Chavez Ave (formerly Brooklyn Ave), in Boyle Heights. There is always a line in front, especially at peak hours but the wait is worth it. East Los Angeles has changed over the years but it's still old East L.A. at Tepeyac. The owner, Manuel Rojas is a big part of the restaurant's success. He's a small man with a big personality. He opened the restaurant in the mid 50's. The place is known for it's burritos. The king of burritos here and anywhere else for that matter, is the Manuel's special. You will need pallbearers to carry it to the table and a pitchfork and shovel to eat it. The "smaller" burrito, the Hollenbeck, is still bigger than most other places. This is what I had on Saturday. Jeri had the chicken enchiladas.

Tepeyacs is very communal and informal and you will find yourself talking with someone sitting in next table. You will also find all kinds of people here, people from outside of east L.A, and sometime from out of state. Tepeyacs has been featured on several television shows, especially those showcasing large portions.


The Hollenbeck Burrito. The "little burrito" That large object protruding from the bottom of the photo is my stomach.

Bon Appetit
Randy

I'm going. Seriously. I'll get there sometime this week.

Rick

Rick, the owners name is Manuel "Manny" Rojas. There is a panting on the wall with Manny in his cooking clothes and a white apron. he is in a boxing pose. There is also a tee shirt on the wall with him in a similar pose. I can't remember exactly what the caption on the tee shirt said bit It went something like "125 pound so of pure.... I can't remember the rest. I'm guessing he was a fighter. He left before I had the chance to ask him. I looked in boxrec but couldn't find a featherweight with that name. Maybe he fought amateur. You might want to ask him. If anyone can give you info on east L.A. it would probably be him. His home is in the back of the restaurant and he opened the restaurant in the mid 50's, so he has been there at least that long but more than likely, his whole life. You'll enjoy talking to him. He's one of those characters that are slowly disappearing from the scene.

Randy

Address and map:
http://local.yahoo.com/info-20407917-el ... os-angeles

Randy, I have the day off. Monica and I are going to El Tepeyac. My plan was to order the "Manuel's Special" however, after looking at photos of this burrito I lost my heart. Damn, that thing is huge! That burrito is so big it would feed both Monica and I for a week. I'll probably order "The Hollenbeck"?

Thanks for the heads up, it's going to be an ELA day for Ricardo, "El Gringo Loco".

[Rick Farris]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

What did you guys expect a welcome back party

Great story!

You know Frank, Johnny Flores' mother's last name was Ramirez. Her family owned the Ramirez Mortuary in ELA.
I know this was mentioned in earlier in this thread, but I always think of Johnny when I hear of stories relating ELA (although Johnny grew up in Watts after coming here from Mexico as a child.) I don't know if the Ramirez family Mortuary is still in business, but there is a good chance because it has been in the family for generations. Johnny said that as his cousins grew up, they would all take part in the business, as children they would learn to dress and the bodies and comb hair, apply make-up, etc. He remembers his cousin being unable to leave the business one friday night to join them for a party, "I gotta embalm two bodies!" he lamented. I remember getting lost in ELA once. As a favor to Julio Flores, I gave one of our stablemates a ride home. His name was Johnny Quintella, a very talented pro who never went far because he had a good job and a big family. We were talking as I drove him home and I didn't pay any attention to where I had driven. As I left, I realized I didn't know where the hell I was . I just sat back and drove until I found myself at the intersection of Whittier Bl. and Atlantic. I lived off of Atlantic in Monterey Park, a few minutes later I was home.

[Rick Farris]

White Fence

East Los Angeles

Boyle Heights

In the 20s, Boyle Heights was populated by Anglos, Armenians, Jews, Italians and Japanese. Many new Mexican immigrants migrated to California and some of them found their way into communities like Boyle Heights which is in East Los Angeles. The Mexican section of the Boyle Heights, which was very small, was bounded by 4th Street to the north, Whittier Blvd to the south, Euclid Ave to the west and Lorena St to the east. It was a very close knit community. Everybody knew eachother from the neighborhood and almost every Mexican family attended the local catholic church which was called La Purissima. La Purissima Church was the heart and focus point of the community. It not only served as a spiritual center but as a social center aswell. The leaders of the Church sponserd an athletic club to foster brotherhood and friendship among the Mexican/Chicano minority members within the community.

During the 1920s and 30s there was alot of rascism and violence towards Chicanos and Mexican immigrants in the Boyle Heights area. School aged children were regularly harrased and bullied by members of the larger ethnic groups. Working men did not have the ability to defend thier children while away from the home and most Police at the time did not care what happened to "lil mexican kids". The younger boys in the community decided to form a self protection group which would serve as escorts to and from school for their younger brothers and sisters. This group became known as Lil Fence or The Fence . The name had a dual meaning. Many of the houses in the "Mexican" section of Boyle Heights had White picket Fences along the front portions of homes and walkways plus the City of Los Angles erected a long row of White Fences along Whittier Blvd. Also a Fence is both sybolic and practical as a means of self protection.

The Fence began to become a presence on the street corners of Boyle Heights. There were many clashes and bloodshed through out the streets of Boyle Heights during these times. The original group or "OGs" were very succesfull in assuring that no children would become victims of random acts of violence at the hands of other ethnic groups. As time passed they began to rival with other chicano groups that sprouted up in various parts of Los Angeles. Some of the other "clubs" had names like Alpine St, East Side Clover, Primer Flats, Clantone, Diamond St, and Hoyo Maravilla.

During the next couple of years White Fence slowly moved from self protection group, to aggresive barrio gang. By 1939 The Los Angeles Times was writting articles about the "White Fence Gang" which murdered 2 males and left thier bodies along Whittier Blvd. White Fence was one of the barrios in Los Angeles to activley partcipate in the Zoot Suit Riots and target marines and sailors that invaded the barrios to victimize "Mexicans " in "Zoot Suits" who were deemed foreigners and unpatriotic. This was from 1942-43. White Fence is still a very active barrio and is well respected in the streets and prison system. Many things have changed in the neighborhood since the early days in the 1920s till now. The neighborhhod, WF, has been featured in many movies, books, documentaries, vidoes etc. Much of the modern "gangster style" (Dress, Graffitti, Slang, Lowriders) originated in the White Fence barrio. White Fence has other clicks in Hollywood, Bell Gardens, Alhambra, San Gabriel Valley, Las Vegas, El Paso and Florida. I was a very active member of White Fence The Hole Locos during the late 80s and early 90s. I believe the initial intentions were a very positive and necesarry move, although I can no longer consider myself an active member due to the continous senseless violence that plagues the barrio and other barrios and ghettos in this world. I am not attempting to glamourize the hood or gangbanging but present an accurate picture of real and true barrio history.

LOCATION :

Eastern Border: Indiana St
Southern Border Between Euclid and Indiana: Atlantic St
Southern Border Between Euclid and Soto: 7th ST
Western Border: SOTO ST
Northern Border Between Euclid and Soto: 6th St
Northern Border Between Euclid and Indiana: 4th/3rd St

THE BEGINNING

La Purissima Crowd 1920s
The Fence or Lil Fence 1930s
White Fence 1930s
White Fence Monsters 1940s
White Fence Cherries 1940s-50s
White Fence Midgets 1950s
White Fence Termites 1960s
White Fence Pwees 1960s
White Fence Spiders 1960s-Present
White Fence Monstro Locos 1960s
White Fence Tiny Monsters 1970s
White Fence The Hole 1970s-Present
White Fence The Hole Locos 1980s-Present
White Fence Tiny Locos 1980s-Present
White Fence Lil Spiders 1980s (turned Spiders)
White Fence Malos 1990s-Present
White Fence Alley Locos 1990s-Present

HISTORICAL ENEMIES

East Side Hoods: Varrio Nuevo Estrada (VNE), Lil Valley, Primera Flats, Cuatro Flats, East La 13, esTMC, 3rd St, Vickys Town, Hoyo Maravilla, Marianna Maravilla, MCF, KAM13, Opal St, Evergreen

West Side Hoods: 18st, wsRockwood, Satanas, wsDrifters, wsTemple St, wsTMC, wsAP, wsLa Mirada Ls, wsMS, wsJefrox, wsRebels13, wsC14st.

History By Gibby
Moderator at ALLHOOD.NET/Sureno

Frank, thanks again. I'm learning a lot here, and I find it very interesting.

[THEHAMMER321]

You know I have great respect for fighters but I was thinking about some of the things they say regarding opponents and about decisions that didn't go there way, one example of what I am talking about back in the 1980s I was watching Curtis Parker vs John 'The beast'' Mugabi who knocked out Parker in the first round and after the fight one of the guys calling the fight asks Parker if Mugabi was the hardest puncher he ever faced and he said no,know Parker had never been knocked down pro or amateur prior to that fight I don't know if it is a fighters pride or ego or a dislike for the other fighter that make them not be 100% truthful,btw how many fighters ever thought they lost a decision that didn't go there way almost every fighter I ever talked to or heard always think they got robbed

[kikibalt]

I am sure some of you saw the dead end kids,one episode I saw was where ''sach'' was boxing the first round he is getting beat up pretty good so he goes back to the corner in between rounds slip puts a sausage in sach glove then sach knocks the other guy out

I seen the Dead End Kids, but don't think I seen that episode....

[dagosd2000]

Al Capone

[kikibalt]

"El Hoyo Soto"

El Hoyo Soto was a Mexican-American barrio, just another one of many that were in the ELA/Boyle Heights area in the 1950's, the streets were dirt, one way in, one way out.

Around 1951 my buddys and I met some girls on the boulevard, said they were from El Hoyo Soto, after talking for a while they invited us to a house party for that coming Saturday, we of course said yes, come Saturday six of us guys jump in my buddy Richard "Goma" Gomez '41 Ford convertible that he had just bought two week earlier, now we are at the party dancing with the girls that we had met, well the dudes from El Hoyo didn't take kindly to that, a fight broke out, there was too many of them so we jump into the '41 Ford, take off on this dirt road, the only way out, than the Ford died out, we looked back and there's guys following us in cars, on foot, the Ford won't start so we jump and ran out of there, got to the boulevard jump on the street car, we all got home okay, a few day later we go back to get the Ford, f**k, its was burn to the ground...

What did you guys expect a welcome back party

Great story!

You know Frank, Johnny Flores' mother's last name was Ramirez. Her family owned the Ramirez Mortuary in ELA.
I know this was mentioned in earlier in this thread, but I always think of Johnny when I hear of stories relating ELA (although Johnny grew up in Watts after coming here from Mexico as a child.) I don't know if the Ramirez family Mortuary is still in business, but there is a good chance because it has been in the family for generations. Johnny said that as his cousins grew up, they would all take part in the business, as children they would learn to dress and the bodies and comb hair, apply make-up, etc. He remembers his cousin being unable to leave the business one friday night to join them for a party, "I gotta embalm two bodies!" he lamented. I remember getting lost in ELA once. As a favor to Julio Flores, I gave one of our stablemates a ride home. His name was Johnny Quintella, a very talented pro who never went far because he had a good job and a big family. We were talking as I drove him home and I didn't pay any attention to where I had driven. As I left, I realized I didn't know where the hell I was . I just sat back and drove until I found myself at the intersection of Whittier Bl. and Atlantic. I lived off of Atlantic in Monterey Park, a few minutes later I was home.

Rick...I don't know for sure, but I think the Ramirez Mortuary is still there. Btw, thats where Connie's mom, Tina, was laid out in 1973...

[kikibalt]

Monica with a "Hollenbeck" Burrito, courtesy "El Tepeyak" ELA



El Tepeyak . . .

I felt like a little ELA and that's what I got today, not to mention a burrito so awesome that when you start to eat it, you can't stop even after your full beyond capacity.

When Monica and I walked up Evergreen to the restaurant there was a line, just as Randy promised.
However, we didn't wait long. I got a look at Manny Rojas, but chose not to bother him at lunch time.
By the way Randy, that T-shirt says "128 Pounds of Mean".

While waiting to order, I see a guy walk by with a tray holding the biggest burrito I ever laid eyes on.
I pointed it out to Monica, "That must be Maunel's Special?" The guy with the burrito smiled.
He said, "This is the Hollenbeck, the special is the big one."

Bigger than that? Sure enough, a few minutes later I see this guy carting out a gigantic burrito.
This burrito looked like a small heavy bag on an oversized plate. It would feed Monica and I for a week.
Monica and I split a "Hollenbeck" which was more than enough for both of us.

Let there be no doubt that restaurant is everything Randy claims. The food is the best!

After eating, I headed down first street to the "Flats", toward the river.
I then drove up to 4th street. I tried to imagine what it was like when Keeny Teran & Gil Cadilli walked the streets? I drove down Lorena, remember the Ressurection Gym used to be in the area, but I forgot where. I forgot where the Eastside B.C. was, on McConnell or something like that?

I'm always interested in anything posted relating to East Los Angeles.


-Rick Farris

[kikibalt]

This one is for Roger



T.J...Circa 1985

[Rick Farris]

Boyle Heights, ELA . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeCAdKCb ... re=related

[dagosd2000]

Monica with a "Hollenbeck" Burrito, courtesy "El Tepeyak" ELA



El Tepeyak . . .

I felt like a little ELA and that's what I got today, not to mention a burrito so awesome that when you start to eat it, you can't stop even after your full beyond capacity.

When Monica and I walked up Evergreen to the restaurant there was a line, just as Randy promised.
However, we didn't wait long. I got a look at Manny Rojas, but chose not to bother him at lunch time.
By the way Randy, that T-shirt says "128 Pounds of Mean".

While waiting to order, I see a guy walk by with a tray holding the biggest burrito I ever laid eyes on.
I pointed it out to Monica, "That must be Maunel's Special?" The guy with the burrito smiled.
He said, "This is the Hollenbeck, the special is the big one."

Bigger than that? Sure enough, a few minutes later I see this guy carting out a gigantic burrito.
This burrito looked like a small heavy bag on an oversized plate. It would feed Monica and I for a week.
Monica and I split a "Hollenbeck" which was more than enough for both of us.

Let there be no doubt that restaurant is everything Randy claims. The food is the best!

After eating, I headed down first street to the "Flats", toward the river.
I then drove up to 4th street. I tried to imagine what it was like when Keeny Teran & Gil Cadilli walked the streets? I drove down Lorena, remember the Ressurection Gym used to be in the area, but I forgot where. I forgot where the Eastside B.C. was, on McConnell or something like that?

I'm always interested in anything posted relating to East Los Angeles.


-Rick Farris

Now that looks beautifull... the burrito and of course Monica

[dagosd2000]

This one is for Roger



T.J...Circa 1985

Yeah Frank. Nothing has changed much since 1985

[kikibalt]

Tony Baltazar (L) sparring with one of Eddie Johnson's fighter whom name I don't recall

Olympic Gym, L.A., Ca.

[dagosd2000]

This one is for Roger



T.J...Circa 1985

Yeah Frank. Nothing has changed much since 1985

ONE BORDER...TWO WORLDS

There is no greater contrast betwen a border than the U.S. and Mexico. You could take that step further and say San Diego and Tijuana, the dividing line in between.San Diego isn't like other border towns on the U.S. side. Examples:El Paso,Yuma,Laredo. San Diego is plenty affluent. Yacht harbors,Sea World, fancy hotels along miles of beach,suburbs like LaJolla and Rancho Santa Fe exclusively for millionares. The aforementioned border towns are dusty and kind of blend in with their Mexican counterparts. San Diego is a tourist's dream.

Now look at that picture above of Tijuana. That's Tijuana just about wherever you go. Sure there's parts that are nice. The big shots live there,but TJ is a burg of around a million and a half. The rich cats are at the very top rung of a ladder that has about a million 4 hundred and fifty steps.

I used to live in a Colonia called Canyon Jhonson. That picture is a dead ringer for that place. I don't know where that is,but it's a copy of just about anywhere you go away from downtown. Hills and canyons,dirt roads,and plenty of poverty. No yacht harbors that I know of. But one thing you can find is Mexicans making the most of what little they have. I remember many a night hanging around in Canyon Jhonson listening to music with a bottle of beer in my hand with a bunch of guys joking around and having a good time. We didn't have much money,but we goofed off and everything was fine. Looking back, it was a happy time.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want to live there again. I don't think anyone wants to live in Canyon Jhonson. Nobody wants to be poor. But if that's all you have,you find a way to keep joking.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmSWdG9VL2E

Flor De Copomo

Carlos and Jose

[Randyman]

Monica with a "Hollenbeck" Burrito, courtesy "El Tepeyak" ELA



El Tepeyak . . .

I felt like a little ELA and that's what I got today, not to mention a burrito so awesome that when you start to eat it, you can't stop even after your full beyond capacity.

When Monica and I walked up Evergreen to the restaurant there was a line, just as Randy promised.
However, we didn't wait long. I got a look at Manny Rojas, but chose not to bother him at lunch time.
By the way Randy, that T-shirt says "128 Pounds of Mean".

While waiting to order, I see a guy walk by with a tray holding the biggest burrito I ever laid eyes on.
I pointed it out to Monica, "That must be Maunel's Special?" The guy with the burrito smiled.
He said, "This is the Hollenbeck, the special is the big one."

Bigger than that? Sure enough, a few minutes later I see this guy carting out a gigantic burrito.
This burrito looked like a small heavy bag on an oversized plate. It would feed Monica and I for a week.
Monica and I split a "Hollenbeck" which was more than enough for both of us.

Let there be no doubt that restaurant is everything Randy claims. The food is the best!

After eating, I headed down first street to the "Flats", toward the river.
I then drove up to 4th street. I tried to imagine what it was like when Keeny Teran & Gil Cadilli walked the streets? I drove down Lorena, remember the Ressurection Gym used to be in the area, but I forgot where. I forgot where the Eastside B.C. was, on McConnell or something like that?

I'm always interested in anything posted relating to East Los Angeles.


-Rick Farris

Nice photo Rick. I'm glad you enjoyed it. The crowd there is always a friendly one(and a hungry one). Thanks for clearing up the the caption on the tee shirt. I couldn't remember what the exact weight was, I just knew it wasn't 126. Did you get the feeling he was a fighter at one time?

When I was seventeen I ate 1 and 1/2 of a Manuel's Special, mine and half of the one my two friends , Mike Teran (Keeny's nephew) and Richard Eriksen ordered. I won't do it again.

Randy