Hvywt Charley Norkus photos.. Friends and Foes

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Vito Antuefermo with Special Needs Friend as Charley looks on.

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Billy Graham, "Irish" Bob Cassidy, Johnny Sulo, Johnny Colan
and Charley Norkus in back. After one of Bobby's fights in sunnyside Garden.
I believe this was taken in Bobby's house or Billy Graham's house.

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Charley Norkus visits the Mancini Family table at dinner. Ray Jr and Sr present. 1986

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Ring 8 meeting at the Waterfront Crabhouse Restaurant, Queens NY
July 1991

(l-r) Charley, Tippy Larkin, Billy Kilroy (not Busso-mislabeled on my part), Sandy Saddler, Johnny Squieres,
Danny Giovanelli (mislabeled Tony Mazzarelli), Danny's uncle Patsey Giovanelli
Seated: Tami Mauriello

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Tony Perez and Charley worked a few Fight cards together at the Felt Forum,NYC . 1980's

I asked Tony to sign this picture after my father passed away.

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Thought I would throw this old one at you.
Bayonne, New Jersey 1949
Stablemates:

unknown, Ernie " The Rock" Durando, Charley " Bayonne Bomber" Norkus

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Sandy Saddler and Charley

When my father took a picture with one of his boxing friends, he always got them to sign one of my father's business cards. Later on, if he knew he was going to be with the guest again, he would throw the picture in the back of the car and ask his friend if he could now sign the picture if the opportunity presented itself.

After my father passed away, I continued to ask some of the boxing greats if they would please sign the pictures on behalf of my father. Most of the autographs were had by my father years ago though.

on the photo it says "to Marge and Charley, from Sandy Saddler Sincerly"

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Charley with longtime friend, the great Willie Pep.

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Jimmy Winters, Chuck Davey and Charley.

This was taken at a boxing exhibition fights to benefit an organization.
I remember Jake LaMotta, Chuck Wepner, Chuck Davey, Carmen Basilio, Frankie Ryff, my father and a slew of others paired off and boxing each other in the ring. It was quite a night. All for charity and no one got hurt.

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Fight nite at Madison Square Garden 1980's.

Emile Griffith and Charley meet right before they were introduced in the ring before the Main Event along with other boxers from the Garden's past.

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Charley and then Champ Mark Breland

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Tavern owner Donald Shanaheer, Howard Davis and Charley celebrating "Howard Davis Day" after winning the Olympics. Photo taken in Glen Cove, Long Island NY

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Referees and NYS ring officials in the dressing room before the fight card.
1980
Joe Cortez, Charley Norkus and Billy Graham along with the 2 other officials.

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In 1959, Charley was finishing his career as a Pro fighter. His mgr. Marty Sampson
was still looking for TV money bouts but they pretty much ran their course. Charley's wife Marge, put some of his earnings away from time they got married in 1954 to now. I,Charley Jr, came along in 1957 and we were renting a nice house in Pt. Washington, Long Island in which Charley returned to in 1954 when he got married.

Charley was 31 years old, had a handful of side jobs to help make ends meet, one of which was bartending and bouncing in NYC and Long Island.
In a place called the Frolic Cafe, located at 711 7th Ave, NY,NY.(nr 50th St) ( Just a block or two from the middle of Times Square), Charley along with former fighter and friend Paddy Flood, plied their trade on various weekends. The Frolic was the type a joint that had some midtown regulars as well as a few tourists who stopped in when they saw the 8x10's of the two boxers taped to the front window "inviting them in to meet and greet". Still, it was a Times square dive that required the services of a bouncer on duty until closing.
At 2 am in the early morn of Sept 2,1959, an obviously intoxicated man named Emanual Trevisano, also aged 31 of 92nd street, uptown entered and began to harass the female hanger-ons. Charley along with Paddy escorted the man to the door and had to be physically remove him to the street. Just another guy who had too much elsewhere and had to be ousted.

He returned at 4am just as the few remaining patrons were gathering their things to leave and Charley was putting up the bar stools. Paddy was on a bathroom break.
Mr Trevisano entered and as Charley started walking to the door to keep him out, he pulled out a .38 caliber pistol and got off two shots hitting Charley in the groin and thigh. Charley managed to hit his assailant with a right cross and knocked him to the floor. Paddy Flood, now running from the back, picked up a beer bottle and hit the guy over the head knocking him out cold.

Charley, conscious and losing lots of blood laid on the floor. Two policeman walking a beat nearby reached the scene and summoned an ambulance. A ambulance from Roosevelt Hosp (9th ave and 59th St) with a surgeon on board responded. Removed hastily, Charley underwent surgery 4 hours, removing the bullets. One bullet traveled from the thigh and around to his back and was removed there. Another, by the groin was just a few centimeters from his femoral artery , which if hit, could prove very well fatal. He bled profusely but survived. The doctors on staff all agreed that if he wasnt in the athletic shape he was in, it would have been a different story.
Emanual Trevisano, was out on parole just 8 months, after serving 9 years for manslaughter for killing his wife. He was re-arrested on a host of charges which sent him back to Sing Sing Prison, NY for the remainder of his life. Later on when asked by a news reporter, he said he was not a boxing fan, nor did he ever hear of my father, or know who the man he shot by name or know he was a fighter. We got word that he passed away in 1985 in prison.
My father never fought again nor did he bounce/bartend in NYC again. Here is photo and caption.

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Some of you sent me a note asking to post the Otto Preminger photo with my father.
Here it is. Its on the New York set of "Advise and Consent". Mr Preminger is the director. He was a huge Boxing fan. He would often attend boxing matches in New York and California. He attended some of my fathers bouts on both coasts and told my father that "he gave him a big thrill during his fights". 1960

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Here is an article and photo from the scrapbook. Tommy Jackson and my father, Charley Norkus, look on as Jack Dempsey shows them his "Manassas Mauler" at his famed Broadway Rest. Former Heavy Contender Lou Nova sits by and watches the action.
Jackson and Norkus would face each other a few days later in Madison Sq. Garden headliner. Jackson by TKO 5th rd. (1954).

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Norkus (r) against unknown opponent Marine Boot Camp, Parris Island,SC
1946 Norkus would go on to win US Service Amatuer titles:
Parris Island Marine Champ
3rd Naval District Champ
US Marine Heavy wt Champ
All-US Navy Champ Heavywt

also be named US Naval Olympic Boxing Squad
All Services Hvywt Boxing Champ
(would go on to fight Coley Wallace in US Olympic Trials-QtrFinal in Boston Garden 1948.
Coley Wallace would get knocked down twice in first rd by Norkus, but would comeback to KO Norkus in 3rd Rd to win fight. Norkus was alternate to US team-heavywt. Coley lost to Norvel Lee in Finals who went on to Olympic games, only to lose in his bid for Gold.
The Qtr-Finals was Norkus's last Amateur bout-leaving the Marines and turning pro after quite a few offers from pro mgrs and trainers.

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After winning 3rd Naval District Champion.
3rd Naval District HQs was located on Church Street, NYC
and represented Eastern Seaboard Naval Operations

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Working out for Amateur Title fight. Possibly Bayonne Naval Depot.
Looking on in striped sweater is Professional Fighter and top Contender Ernie Durando from Bayonne who was instrumental in having Charley turn pro after his stint in the Marines. He later convinced Charley to reside in Jersey City and fight out of New Jersey. My father did just that until 1954 when he married my mother and moved back to Long Island NY.

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Same place as previous photo. Sparmate could possibly be Navy trainer Johnny White.

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Amateur KO win over Nick Early 1946

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Later on as a pro, working the Heavy Bag(possibly at Stillmans Gym)

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Another promo shot for Ezzard Charles vs Charley Norkus 1955
Madison Sq Garden

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Action shot, Charles vs Norkus fight. Ezz UD 10 Rds.

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Referee Charley Norkus steps to center of ring to give pre-fight instructions to fighters. The fighter, I believe it is Wayne "Irish" Kelly, who is now a referee himself. I am not sure if it is him.1982 ?