Classic American West Coast Boxing

[El Gallo]

Phantom Puncher

Frank Sinatra liked to think of himself as a tough guy. A lot of people today think that Sinatra was a hard ass that he didn't take no sh*t.One of Sinatra's boasts was that he fought in the ring. Sinatra's father fought some,but his son never put on the gloves.

Sinatra was born in Jersey and got his start working in Mob run joints like a lot of other entertainers of that era. "Skinny D'Amato's 500 Club was one of Frank's launching spots.D'Amato was connected with the syndicate and was also a real nice guy. Everyone liked "Skinny." When The Outfit moved out to Nevada,the gangsters let him operate the Cal-Neva Lodge casino. Sinatra was a frequent visitor and entertained there.The Cal-Neva was always run by Mob connected guys and was a good getaway for them if they wanted a place to conduct business or just relax.

When Joe Kennedy was greasing everybody with any juice to get his son elected President,the Cal Neva was a good spot to buy votes from the boys with the pull.When Peter Lawford married Pat Kennedy,Frank Sinatra brought Lawford into the Rat Pack. Between booze,drugs,and broads everyone was in their element.However,old man Kennedy know knew he had a pipeline to Sam Giancana because Sinatra was close to him. Joe Kennedy wanted Giancana to swing the votes in Chicago to JFK and asked Sinatra to hold court with Giancana. To make a long story short,it was a big risk. Old man Kennedy promised to call off John ,and especially Bobby Kennedy to call off the heat against organized crime. Jimmy Hoffa saw through it. He knew Joe Kennedy would say anything to bring home the election for his son,but the Outfit guys went for the bait. When it came election time voters in Chicago were driven to the polls with a check in their hands. The voting booths were stacked and JFK carried Illinois with the help of the spaghetti benders. Like Capone used to say,"Vote early and vote often."

When old man Kennedy got his stroke in Florida on the golf course in 1961 and turned into an Irish potato,JFK and Bobby put the heat on the FBI to go after the gangsters. Now back to Sinatra.There were a lot of Mob guys that were saying to Giancana,"I told you so." They were thinking of taking Sinatra off the set,but knew that would only bring more heat. After the Kennedys 'double crossed' the Mob,Sinatra was treated like a little pimp. He might have acted like he was connected ,but he was considered by the Mob as a lightweight. Yeah,Sinatra bragged and postured his way around Hollywood,but what the hell...he could get away with that crap with movie stars. They didn't have the balls to do anything to him.But the Mob?They pushed him around and he sang at their daughters' weddings.As far as Frank Sinatra being a fighter? He was like one of the rat pack,just an act.



Frank Sinatra

Brilliant!

[dagosd2000]

Rick,Frank Sinatra is famous for being quoted as saying he'd rather be a Mafia Don than President of the United States.What a moron. Gives you some clue to what he was like.Always trying to show he was a tough guy.When Joe DiMaggio couldn't keep Marilyn Monroe in line ,he goes to his "friend"Sinatra for help. What does he do? Sinatra turns the girl onto drugs and passes her around to his friends. When WWII broke out Sinatra made sure the Syndicate pulled strings to keep him out of the Army. He said he had a punctured ear drum. The columnist Westbrook Pegler was relentless giving Sinatra a hard time about that. When Frank Jr. was kidnapped around the time of the JFK assassination,the Mob said they'd look into it. Instead Sinatra went to the Feds. There's always been speculation about what the G coerced out of him. I usually don't let personalities get into the way when I listen to a singer,but everytime I hear a Sinatra song I cringe a little.

[Expug]

Rog,
great stuff there about "ole blue eyes" I like the one about how one time in Vegas or maybe Reno or Tahoe,he caught his lunch from an elevator operator. Supposedly Frank was treating him like crap,talking down to him,or being a general a-hole and the guy kicked his ass. He was later quoted as saying something along the lines of"I dont give a f-ck who he is,nobody treats me like that".

[dagosd2000]

Rog,
great stuff there about "ole blue eyes" I like the one about how one time in Vegas or maybe Reno or Tahoe,he caught his lunch from an elevator operator. Supposedly Frank was treating him like crap,talking down to him,or being a general a-hole and the guy kicked his ass. He was later quoted as saying something along the lines of"I dont give a f-ck who he is,nobody treats me like that".

Brian,you might be referring to when Sinatra's credit was cut off at the Sands Hotel in Vegas. A drunk Sinatra drove a golf cart through a glass door and confronted the manager ,Carl Cohen(an old man)and started swearing st him. The old guy punched Sinatra in the nose knocking him down and drawing blood.

[dagosd2000]

Sweat

It was back in the day when boxing gyms were crude and small and you could smell the sweat when you walked inside the door. It was that smell that triggered Marciano to hang up his gloves. Oh there were other factors ,but when he walked inside the gym one day and smelled the sweat that had penetrated everything made of canvas and leather he knew he was done with fighting. He had grown to hate that smell. I smelled that sweat the night I walked inside Burke's gym in North Park. I was to meet Gilbert Baptist and watch him train for an upcoming fight. He was running late so I decided to look at the local talent. In the corner of the gym I saw an old guy in a rubber suit shadowboxing. He had worked up a good lather. He was bobbing and weaving throwing jabs and hooks and snorting while he was punching and looking at himself in front of the mirror. I recognized the face. It was Eddie"No Nose."They called him "No Nose" because he''d had his nose broken so many times that there was no cartilage left. He was an Italian guy from Brooklyn who wound up in San Diego.He had some matches out here and after he threw in the towel,he stayed in the area. He saw me in the mirror and turned around.
"Rog,what are you doing up here?"
"Eddie,I'm waiting for Gilbert Baptist. He's supposed to work out tonight."
I called him Eddie out of respect and mostly fear. The wiseguys called him "No Nose." I wasn't a wiseguy.
"So what are you doing?"I asked the ex fighter."Making a comeback?"
Eddie was a club fighter. He'd lost as many as he'd won. He was a good guy to have on the undercards. He gave them their monies worth.A lot of fighters walked over him to become contenders.Their gloves had left a story on his face.
"I'm just getting the sweat out. It makes me feel good."
"You still doing errands for "the Bomp"?
"It keeps me busy. And I tend bar at a few of his joints once in awhile."
"My uncle says he sees you all the time."
"He's over at the Paradise. He's served me a few drinks."
Eddie was a juice collector for "the Bomp". When the loan sharks couldn't collect on the welshers,they called in Eddie.
"You know Rog, working for those guys doesn't bother me.If they ask you to do something you have to do it."
I know that Eddie had killed guys. Who ,I don't know,but it was known in the circle. Since the guys he whacked were in the rackets the law wasn't interested in "No Nose."

You know Rog,"he said as he wiped himself off with a towel,"I never had the talent to earn money for the guys upstairs. All I can do is the messy stuff. I never minded fighting. I could take a beating.Maybe that made me good for working for the bosses.I can take it out on all guys that give them problems."
I saw Gilbert Baptist in the mirror walking through the door.
"Well here he is,"I said. "I'll see you around Eddie."
"I think I'll skip some rope. All the sweating gets the poison out."

[dagosd2000]

Rocky Graziano

[Expug]

Sweat

It was back in the day when boxing gyms were crude and small and you could smell the sweat when you walked inside the door. It was that smell that triggered Marciano to hang up his gloves. Oh there were other factors ,but when he walked inside the gym one day and smelled the sweat that had penetrated everything made of canvas and leather he knew he was done with fighting. He had grown to hate that smell. I smelled that sweat the night I walked inside Burke's gym in North Park. I was to meet Gilbert Baptist and watch him train for an upcoming fight. He was running late so I decided to look at the local talent. In the corner of the gym I saw an old guy in a rubber suit shadowboxing. He had worked up a good lather. He was bobbing and weaving throwing jabs and hooks and snorting while he was punching and looking at himself in front of the mirror. I recognized the face. It was Eddie"No Nose."They called him "No Nose" because he''d had his nose broken so many times that there was no cartilage left. He was an Italian guy from Brooklyn who wound up in San Diego.He had some matches out here and after he threw in the towel,he stayed in the area. He saw me in the mirror and turned around.
"Rog,what are you doing up here?"
"Eddie,I'm waiting for Gilbert Baptist. He's supposed to work out tonight."
I called him Eddie out of respect and mostly fear. The wiseguys called him "No Nose." I wasn't a wiseguy.
"So what are you doing?"I asked the ex fighter."Making a comeback?"
Eddie was a club fighter. He'd lost as many as he'd won. He was a good guy to have on the undercards. He gave them their monies worth.A lot of fighters walked over him to become contenders.Their gloves had left a story on his face.
"I'm just getting the sweat out. It makes me feel good."
"You still doing errands for "the Bomp"?
"It keeps me busy. And I tend bar at a few of his joints once in awhile."
"My uncle says he sees you all the time."
"He's over at the Paradise. He's served me a few drinks."
Eddie was a juice collector for "the Bomp". When the loan sharks couldn't collect on the welshers,they called in Eddie.
"You know Rog, working for those guys doesn't bother me.If they ask you to do something you have to do it."
I know that Eddie had killed guys. Who ,I don't know,but it was known in the circle. Since the guys he whacked were in the rackets the law wasn't interested in "No Nose."

You know Rog,"he said as he wiped himself off with a towel,"I never had the talent to earn money for the guys upstairs. All I can do is the messy stuff. I never minded fighting. I could take a beating.Maybe that made me good for working for the bosses.I can take it out on all guys that give them problems."
I saw Gilbert Baptist in the mirror walking through the door.
"Well here he is,"I said. "I'll see you around Eddie."
"I think I'll skip some rope. All the sweating gets the poison out."

Great as always Rog.

Speaking of that sweat smell, a few years ago when my son was in probably fifth grade,
he was playing basketball for the small Catholic school that he attended in his grade school years.
One Saturday,his team had a game against St Andrews school at their gym. Well, that gym was where for years and years,the Chicago Golden Gloves were held.
Well, we loaded up the car pools and drove to the gym from the suburb we now live in down to the city where the gym is. all the parents and kids including myself,parked the cars and filed into the place. I was greeted by that smell of leather gloves,gear and sweat that will forever be there in that old rickety arena. Man it made my day. Took me back to the times as a sixteen,seventeen and eighteen year old kid I boxed there in that tournament. Great,great memories.
Some of the Moms and Dads saw me smiling ear to ear,I might have even said out loud,"man, I love this place." A couple of the parents asked me why I was so happy. I started to explain and then caught myself. "Ah,just in a good mood I guess." My explanation would have made no sense to them at all.

[dagosd2000]

Sweat

It was back in the day when boxing gyms were crude and small and you could smell the sweat when you walked inside the door. It was that smell that triggered Marciano to hang up his gloves. Oh there were other factors ,but when he walked inside the gym one day and smelled the sweat that had penetrated everything made of canvas and leather he knew he was done with fighting. He had grown to hate that smell. I smelled that sweat the night I walked inside Burke's gym in North Park. I was to meet Gilbert Baptist and watch him train for an upcoming fight. He was running late so I decided to look at the local talent. In the corner of the gym I saw an old guy in a rubber suit shadowboxing. He had worked up a good lather. He was bobbing and weaving throwing jabs and hooks and snorting while he was punching and looking at himself in front of the mirror. I recognized the face. It was Eddie"No Nose."They called him "No Nose" because he''d had his nose broken so many times that there was no cartilage left. He was an Italian guy from Brooklyn who wound up in San Diego.He had some matches out here and after he threw in the towel,he stayed in the area. He saw me in the mirror and turned around.
"Rog,what are you doing up here?"
"Eddie,I'm waiting for Gilbert Baptist. He's supposed to work out tonight."
I called him Eddie out of respect and mostly fear. The wiseguys called him "No Nose." I wasn't a wiseguy.
"So what are you doing?"I asked the ex fighter."Making a comeback?"
Eddie was a club fighter. He'd lost as many as he'd won. He was a good guy to have on the undercards. He gave them their monies worth.A lot of fighters walked over him to become contenders.Their gloves had left a story on his face.
"I'm just getting the sweat out. It makes me feel good."
"You still doing errands for "the Bomp"?
"It keeps me busy. And I tend bar at a few of his joints once in awhile."
"My uncle says he sees you all the time."
"He's over at the Paradise. He's served me a few drinks."
Eddie was a juice collector for "the Bomp". When the loan sharks couldn't collect on the welshers,they called in Eddie.
"You know Rog, working for those guys doesn't bother me.If they ask you to do something you have to do it."
I know that Eddie had killed guys. Who ,I don't know,but it was known in the circle. Since the guys he whacked were in the rackets the law wasn't interested in "No Nose."

You know Rog,"he said as he wiped himself off with a towel,"I never had the talent to earn money for the guys upstairs. All I can do is the messy stuff. I never minded fighting. I could take a beating.Maybe that made me good for working for the bosses.I can take it out on all guys that give them problems."
I saw Gilbert Baptist in the mirror walking through the door.
"Well here he is,"I said. "I'll see you around Eddie."
"I think I'll skip some rope. All the sweating gets the poison out."

Great as always Rog.

Speaking of that sweat smell, a few years ago when my son was in probably fifth grade,
he was playing basketball for the small Catholic school that he attended in his grade school years.
One Saturday,his team had a game against St Andrews school at their gym. Well, that gym was where for years and years,the Chicago Golden Gloves were held.
Well, we loaded up the car pools and drove to the gym from the suburb we now live in down to the city where the gym is. all the parents and kids including myself,parked the cars and filed into the place. I was greeted by that smell of leather gloves,gear and sweat that will forever be there in that old rickety arena. Man it made my day. Took me back to the times as a sixteen,seventeen and eighteen year old kid I boxed there in that tournament. Great,great memories.
Some of the Moms and Dads saw me smiling ear to ear,I might have even said out loud,"man, I love this place." A couple of the parents asked me why I was so happy. I started to explain and then caught myself. "Ah,just in a good mood I guess." My explanation would have made no sense to them at all.

Thanks Brian. I take my 14 year old grandson Adam to the boxing gym during the week. It's a combo of the mixed martial arts,but he likes the boxing end of it. The gym (or what they refer to it as a studio)is a far cry from the gyms I used to go to in the 60's and 70's. Where Adam trains is well lighted,filled with heavy bags, speed bags,dozens and dozens of boxing gloves,headgears,jump ropes,nautilus machines,free weights,spacious locker rooms and showers,wrestling mats,and two boxing rings. There are classes for women and kids of all ages not to mention the fighters(male and female). But one thing is a constant-the smell of the sweat that's embedded in all the canvas and leather.Like you say,it reminds me of what it was like working out when I was young.I guess you can put in all the state of the art stuff,but sweat still has the same smell.

[dagosd2000]

The Life

I remember my sisters being friends with a girl by the name of Rochelle Rand.I'm not sure but I think they were going to University of California at San Diego together. I never gave it any thought,but then I recall Rochelle Rand's mother coming to the house one afternoon.This happened in the mid 1970's. The mother's name was Tamara Rand. She was very anxious to talk to my father. I heard her say that she wanted my father to help her. My father and her were standing in the living room.They never sat down.I was in my bedroom ,but I could hear the conversation.
"If that Jew doesn't let me have a piece of what's going on I'm taking him to court,"she said to my father rolling her eyes up to the ceiling and wringing her hands.
"Now I wouldn't advise that,"said my father very calmly.
" Glick's taken everyone's money,but I'm not going to let him get away with that to me,"she said shifting the weight of her feet."That Jew is my neighbor."
"Look,"said my father,"I'll call Chicago and see where they stand on this."
"Get back with me Joe, He can't get away with this with me."
That was the end of the talk. Tamara Rand turned around and left. I didn't make heads or tails of what the talk was all about. I figured it might be something to do with the Outfit. That's why my father was going to call Chicago.

I'd forgotten about that meeting.It seemed inconsequential. Then one day on the news I heard that Tamara Rand was found murdered in her plush La Jolla home. She was killed with a gun with a silencer. The story was headlines in all the papers. San Diego wasn't used to much Mob violence. I asked my father what happened. He looked at me holding out his hands.
"After I made the phone call I told her the Mob wanted her to drop the lawsuit."
"Is that why she got killed?"
"That, and she was threatening to go to the Feds."
"How dumb can you get?"
"I told her the Mob doesn't like to kill women,but in her case they'd make an exception."
My father turned away and went outside.

Years later I saw that movie "Casino" with Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci. Part of the movie was about what had happened in San Diego involving Tamara Rand. Joe Pesci's character."Nicky", was supposed to be the killer of Tamara Rand,Tony"The Ant"Spilotro. He was a real mean guy. He worked in Las Vegas watching over the skim from the sports books at the casino. He'd killed a lot of guys.Funny story. Once some moronic thieves robbed Tony Accardo's house in River Forest ,Illinois. I guess they didn't know whose house there were stealing from. When the big boss found out that his house got hit,the first thing he said was "Get me 'The Ant'".

One day my father was taking a "steam' at the Stardust Hotel in Mission Valley. The hotel was a known hangout for wiseguys. My father told me that "The Ant"walked inside the steam room.He was sent out to San Diego to kill Frank Bompiesero,a Mob guy who flipped the gangsters. Spilotro saw my father sitting with a towel on his head.
"From now on you take orders from me,"he snarled at my father.
My father said he looked up at him with the towel on his head.
"I take my orders from Mooney(Sam Giancana)."
Spilotro must have known that. He was trying to bluff my father.He walked out of the steam room and that was the end of it.

"The Ant" tried to bluff too many guys. He was banging Left Rosenthal's(Robert DeNiro) wife. Lefty was the bookmaker for the Mob and had made a lot of money for them. Sleeping with a made guy's wife was cause for a sit down. Add to the fact that "The Ant"had formed his own gang in Vegas(they called themselves The Hole In The Wall Gang) and they were committing robberies all over the Strip.He was muscling everyone who didn't want to go along with him and taking too much of the skim from the made guys. In other words ,"The Ant" was bringing around too much heat. And he didn't listen to the bosses. So they had a sit down and they put out a contract on him."The Ant"and his brother were beaten with baseball bats and buried alive in a cornfield. No one went to jail for that. Just like no one went to jail for Tamara Rand's murder.

But if you saw that movie Casino,you got the picture.

[dagosd2000]

Al Pacino as The Godfather

[dagosd2000]

That's Entertainment

"They just came in. You want to come over?"asked Pete the cop on the phone.
"I'll be there in a few,"I replied.
Pete the cop had ordered the Dean Martin Roasts through Amazon.He said that when they arrived,he'd call me. Pete the cop was into all that Rat Pack stuff. He was Italian and from New Jersey. Anything that was The Rat Pack and Mob movies by Coppolla or Scorcese was number one with him. He didn't matter that he was a cop. I drove over to his house which was a few minutes away from my place. I rang the doorbell.
"I've got everything cued up,"he said as he answered the door.
To tell the truth,I wasn't into The Dean Martin Roasts.All that Rat Pack Stuff seemed kind of grease ball to me.Pete loved that Vegas scene. I could care less.It all seemed kind of sleazy to me now. We sat down on the couch .On the small table in front of us were chips and dip. Pete opened up two cans of beer he had brought from the refrigerator.
"The first one is a roast of Howard Cosell,"he said dipping a Dorito into some bean dip
The first thing I noticed was that Muhammad Ali was one of the guests at the dais. When Ali got up to talk he was very funny
"Ali seems right at home with those entertainers,"I said.
"He likes showing off,"said Pete.
"He's comfortable in front of a camera."
"And he he likes to run off his mouth."
"If he wasn't so sick with the Parkinsons ,he'd still be in the limelight."
I felt badly the way Ali had deteriorated When he was a fighter,he seemed so refreshing and alive.
"Fighters don't usually speak that good,"said Pete.
"He knew how to win over a crowd."
"After Larry Holmes got through with him that shut him up,"said Pete chomping on a mouthful of Doritos and bean dip
"You know I saw Larry Holmes say once that he resented that Ali got so much attention even after he had beat him,"I said.
"I never liked the way Ali shot off his mouth,"said Pete"
"Holmes said he was disappointed that he was never asked to be on the Johnny Carson Show."
"Life's a bitch,"said Pete with a laugh.


Larry Holmes

[dagosd2000]

A Different Walk

Tiger Small's son, Prince,has turned pro this year. He's had 3 fights,winning twice and getting a draw in the other. That was his first bout. It took place in Tijuana. Tiger was upset with the decision. He thought his son was a clear winner.

Prince has had problems getting into the ring. Bobby D ,one of the local promoters in San Diego,doesn't have issues with putting fighters together. The rub is that 4 of Prince's prospective opponents either have not shown up for the weigh in of flunked their physicals.Tiger is anxious to get his son going. He's just turned 21 and should have had 7 fights behind him. Last week I went to the gym to watch my grandson Adam workout. I always go to see see how things are going with father and son Smalls.
"Anything lined up ?"I asked Tiger as he was watching his son spar.
"We were supposed to fight in TJ tonight,but it fell through."
"What happened?"
"Bobby D had is in there with his boy. It didn't come off."
"It was for the best,"I said. "Get Bobby D to put the fight together on this side of the border."
"I know,but he wanted the fight real bad."
"Prince sells a lot of tickets up here. Doesn't Bobby D appreciate that?"
Tiger was watching his son spar. He wanted his son to sit down on his punches more.Put more steam behind them
"Look,"I said.,"Anytime you take him down there to fight,you have to be careful."
"I didn't feel good about Prince having his first fight in Mexico."
"There won't be anybody pulling for him down there except you."
"I was glad to get out of there,"said Tiger.

I remembered watching the great Sugar Ray Robinson fight a local favorite,Memo Ayon,in the downtown bullring. I heard a lot of racial stuff from the crowd. There were in a frenzy that night.For their guy to beat the great Sugar Ray was a special moment. But Ray Robinson that night was 45 years old. He shouldn't have been fighting anymore,but it was an old reason why he laced them up-he was broke. The only way Ray would have won that night was to knock Ayon out. He couldn't do it.The fight was close. Ray fought on the ropes. In lieu of that,I thought Ray won. But there was no way the judges were going to give him any benefit of the doubt.And besides if the scoring would have been legit,the aficianados would have killed the judges and Ray Robinson. All Ray got for his troubles when he left the ring was more of that"pinchi negrito" stuff and half empty cups of beer heaved from the hystericals. The Ray that fought LaMotta to win the middleweight title would have launched Ayon out of the ring. After the decision was announced Ray put his robe over his head and stepped down from the ring.He was to fight another bout in Honolulu in a week. Tijuana;Honolulu;Richmond,Virginia;Steubenville,Ohio. Those were some of the venues for Ray Robinson in the last year of his career.But for all those struggles Ray fought in his twilight,in the good 'ol USA, he moved past standing ovations as he walked to the dressing room



Ray Robinson

[Chuck1052]

Audrey Totter, an actress in film noir movies during the 1940s, passed away at the age of 95 last Thursday (December 12, 2013). She was the leading lady in one of the most highly regarded boxing films ever, The Set-Up, starring Robert Ryan and directed by Robert Wise, who later was the director of another fine boxing film, Somebody Up There Likes Me, starring Paul Newman.

- Chuck Johnston

[El Gallo]

The late George Benton, boxing trainer . . .
(From a 1992 Sports Illustrated feature on the old master)

"I was afraid of this," Benton said when his fighter Evander Holyfield said he didn't want to spar, because he was sore. "Lazy. But what can I do? Athletes today are spoiled. Them old-time trainers, they was mean. They took their pistols to the gym, and those mothers would use 'em. God help the fighter who said he didn't want to spar!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Hanley and I conducted George Benton's last interview on camera in 2007.
We have yet to release it on Youtube, but will soon. -Rick Farris

[dagosd2000]

Ciao

I know my father followed the fights a lot more closely when there were a multitude of Italian fighters on the circuit. I don't think he would have been interested in boxing if it wasn't for the likes of guys like Marciano,Basilio,LaMotta,and Willie Pep to name just a few.To hear him talk of Willie Pep beating Sandy Saddler,I thought that was their only fight. Turned out later that Pep lose three times to Sandy. Of course Marciano beat Louis easily. My father never mentioned that o'l Joe was just that...old,and way past his prime. If a fighter was Italian then the Italians would rally around their paisan unless there were two Italians facing of in the ring

Dan Hanley did an interesting interview with Joey Giambra recently. Giambra talked about his affair with Joey Giardello. Giambra was sure he got robbed in that one. He alluded that the Mob was going with Giardello. He was their boy. My father never said anything about Giambra,but raved about Giardello. Giardello went on to become champ,was in some big fights,while Giambra struggled along

I know if the wiseguys took a liking to a fighter or a singer or an actor,they could really assist in their careers... on the legit or (to use an Italian vernacular)do a macaroni. I guess Giardello was eating a lot of pasta,while Giambra was eating escarole.

Anyway, when the Italian fighters disappeared ,my father lost interest in boxing. It didn't matter if there was an Ali or a Duran or a Leonard thrilling a crowd. My father would just tell me that those guys couldn't hold Marciano's jock. Take that Larry Holmes.



Joey Giambra

[pbchron]

Giardello became the number one contender in 1954 after scoring 3 straight KO's at MS Garden, including the most feared middleweight in the world at that time, Willie Troy. After getting in a few scrapes with the law and serving a 6 to 18 month sentence in 1955 he returned and Ko'd the top contender Bobby Boyd, who had just beaten Fullmer and Eduardo Lausse. Joey regained his top rating and was promised a title shot by George Gainford (Ray Robinson's rep) but instead Ray fought his series with Fullmer and Basilio while Giardello was froze out as he went unbeaten over the next two years and 18 fights with Rory Calhoun, Tiger Jones, etc. among his victims, until he lost highly disputed decision to Giambra at the Cow Palace.

Yes, Giardello's manager Tony Ferrante was connected. His uncle was Antonio Campanigro (consigliere of the Bruno family) who was fingered by law enforcement as the one responsible for the Bruno murder, BUT Giardello's people were not exactly friendly with Blinky Palermo and Carbo, and Giardello always claimed that Blinky stole the Saxton fight from him at the Philly Arena.

If Giardello was a favored mob fighter why would it take him from 1954 to 1960 as a top rated boxer to get a title shot ? And then after fighting a draw with Fullmer he was denied a return match. No the fact is Giardello's group were mavericks with the insiders controlling boxing at the time, and Giardello had to fight the Henry Hank's, Georgie Benton, Jesse Smith, Holly Mims, Dick Tiger to stay in contention. Giambra never met a really dangerous fighter of the period except Floro Fernandez.

Giardello got a good laugh when I told him about the alleged episode in Giambra's book where he terrifiedly jumped out the window to escape the Giardello thugs who came to get him after their match in San Francisco. Giardello said he thought Giambra might have seen the film "The Set-Up" (with Robert Ryan) too many times.

Don't get me wrong, Giambra was a classy top fight middleweight but he never met the killers that Giardello took on, and I know Hank, Benton, Jesse Smith and Mims actively sought matches with Giambra.

[dagosd2000]

Giardello became the number one contender in 1954 after scoring 3 straight KO's at MS Garden, including the most feared middleweight in the world at that time, Willie Troy. After getting in a few scrapes with the law and serving a 6 to 18 month sentence in 1955 he returned and Ko'd the top contender Bobby Boyd, who had just beaten Fullmer and Eduardo Lausse. Joey regained his top rating and was promised a title shot by George Gainford (Ray Robinson's rep) but instead Ray fought his series with Fullmer and Basilio while Giardello was froze out as he went unbeaten over the next two years and 18 fights with Rory Calhoun, Tiger Jones, etc. among his victims, until he lost highly disputed decision to Giambra at the Cow Palace.

Yes, Giardello's manager Tony Ferrante was connected. His uncle was Antonio Campanigro (consigliere of the Bruno family) who was fingered by law enforcement as the one responsible for the Bruno murder, BUT Giardello's people were not exactly friendly with Blinky Palermo and Carbo, and Giardello always claimed that Blinky stole the Saxton fight from him at the Philly Arena.

If Giardello was a favored mob fighter why would it take him from 1954 to 1960 as a top rated boxer to get a title shot ? And then after fighting a draw with Fullmer he was denied a return match. No the fact is Giardello's group were mavericks with the insiders controlling boxing at the time, and Giardello had to fight the Henry Hank's, Georgie Benton, Jesse Smith, Holly Mims, Dick Tiger to stay in contention. Giambra never met a really dangerous fighter of the period except Floro Fernandez.

Giardello got a good laugh when I told him about the alleged episode in Giambra's book where he terrifiedly jumped out the window to escape the Giardello thugs who came to get him after their match in San Francisco. Giardello said he thought Giambra might have seen the film "The Set-Up" (with Robert Ryan) too many times.

Don't get me wrong, Giambra was a classy top fight middleweight but he never met the killers that Giardello took on, and I know Hank, Benton, Jesse Smith and Mims actively sought matches with Giambra.

You're points are valid. Giardello should have gotten a shot at the title before 1950,but like you said he wasn't exactly doing a waltz with guys like Carbo and Palermo. It wasn't until Carbo and Palermo went to jail after that that things opened up for Giardello.

Basilio was more easy to manipulate because Joey DeJohn and Al Metro,who handled Carmen,were in the hip pockets of the loan sharks.Carmen,who had an idea that things weren't as they should be was the guy who was always fighting for a title.

[dagosd2000]

Giardello became the number one contender in 1954 after scoring 3 straight KO's at MS Garden, including the most feared middleweight in the world at that time, Willie Troy. After getting in a few scrapes with the law and serving a 6 to 18 month sentence in 1955 he returned and Ko'd the top contender Bobby Boyd, who had just beaten Fullmer and Eduardo Lausse. Joey regained his top rating and was promised a title shot by George Gainford (Ray Robinson's rep) but instead Ray fought his series with Fullmer and Basilio while Giardello was froze out as he went unbeaten over the next two years and 18 fights with Rory Calhoun, Tiger Jones, etc. among his victims, until he lost highly disputed decision to Giambra at the Cow Palace.

Yes, Giardello's manager Tony Ferrante was connected. His uncle was Antonio Campanigro (consigliere of the Bruno family) who was fingered by law enforcement as the one responsible for the Bruno murder, BUT Giardello's people were not exactly friendly with Blinky Palermo and Carbo, and Giardello always claimed that Blinky stole the Saxton fight from him at the Philly Arena.

If Giardello was a favored mob fighter why would it take him from 1954 to 1960 as a top rated boxer to get a title shot ? And then after fighting a draw with Fullmer he was denied a return match. No the fact is Giardello's group were mavericks with the insiders controlling boxing at the time, and Giardello had to fight the Henry Hank's, Georgie Benton, Jesse Smith, Holly Mims, Dick Tiger to stay in contention. Giambra never met a really dangerous fighter of the period except Floro Fernandez.

Giardello got a good laugh when I told him about the alleged episode in Giambra's book where he terrifiedly jumped out the window to escape the Giardello thugs who came to get him after their match in San Francisco. Giardello said he thought Giambra might have seen the film "The Set-Up" (with Robert Ryan) too many times.

Don't get me wrong, Giambra was a classy top fight middleweight but he never met the killers that Giardello took on, and I know Hank, Benton, Jesse Smith and Mims actively sought matches with Giambra.

Your points are valid. Giardello should have gotten a shot at the title before 1950,but like you said he wasn't exactly doing a waltz with guys like Carbo and Palermo. It wasn't until Carbo and Palermo went to jail after that that things opened up for Giardello.

Basilio was more easy to manipulate because Joey DeJohn and Al Metro,who handled Carmen,were in the hip pockets of the loan sharks.Carmen,who had an idea that things weren't as they should be was the guy who was always fighting for a title.




Joey Giardello making a living

[dagosd2000]

Out Of The Horse's Mouth

Once there was a scandal in Chicago about how the Outfit's meatpacking plants had substituted horse meat in the place of ground beef and then sold the product to grocery stores and restaurants. Turned out they could buy horseflesh much cheaper than beef.The buyers of the meat were unaware that the meat was from Old Dobbin.Eventually the scam was unmasked,but not after it was discovered that the meat inspectors were on the Outfit payroll and thus looked the other way.Since you could buy horse meat for a quarter of the price of beef,the Outfit found another avenue to make money.

After it was brought to light and the people were satisfied they were eating beef again,the Wiseguys who had operated the ruse couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. You see in southern Italy eating horse meat is a tradition.When my father was a boy,he traveled to Italy with his family. When the reporters interviewed them after their return,my father exclaimed that he had eaten horse meat and that it tasted just fine. All I can say is "Hee Haw"!

[dagosd2000]

Tony DeMarco

[dagosd2000]

Waiting For The Phone To Ring

"Looking at some of the fighters that were controlled by the Mob were pretty good boys,"I said to my father as we were driving back from his office on Logan Avenue. When I say his office,I'm talking about a storefront in the Barrio that consisted of a desk and a telephone.Sometimes he'd make sit in that office just to answer the phone. I did this several times and the phone never rang once.I was still pretty young at the time.I was just starting college.I never asked too many questions.
"There were some champions,"said my father.
"Johnny Saxton,Ike Williams ,Kid Gavilan. They were pretty good fighters,"I exclaimed wanting to impress.
"There others that never became champs,but they could fight too. We had Satterfield and Clarence Henry going along with us to name few. Even Sugar Ray carried a lot of fighters for us,"said my father looking straight ahead.
"It's a shame that those guys had to go along with that kind of stuff,"I said wanting to make plea on their behalf.
"They really didn't have much choice."
"What do you mean?"
"If they wanted to keep fighting that's what they had to do. Let's face it,they couldn't do much else. After they were used up, the Wiseguys turned their back on them. They were on their own."
"That's sad."
"You don't think those mobsters had any sympathy for black people,let alone a black fighter?"
"Just about all those fighters were black,"I said remorsefully.
"In the dago neighborhood,blacks didn't rate much respect."
"Not even a guy like Joe Louis ?"
"Did you ever hear any Mobster or anyone in the westside talk about Joe Louis like he was a saint?"
"Come to think of it,I never heard anything said around Taylor Street that was good about any black people."
My father drove onto the freeway.
"You know Rog,all those Outfit dagos were pretty much illiterate."
"What made you stick with them?"
My father didn't answer my question right away. Then he turned to look at me.
"I guess in a way it was lucky I got in some trouble in Chicago."
"I remember it was all of a sudden that we moved out here to California."
"I had to get away from it.Your mother had had enough. Me in jail or dead was a certainty."
"Well I like it hear in California."
"I do too,but sometimes I have to answer the phone.



Ike Williams

[Cholo]

The Original Golden Boy!
ARAGON GETS LOOK AT HIS NAMESAKE, THE 'GOLDEN BOY'
Art Aragon who was boxing's "Golden Boy" long before Oscar De La Hoya was even a boy, was in Las Vegas to get his first look at the youngster who has taken over the nickname. "Never saw him fight before, not on TV, never," said Aragon, 68 and long time Los Angeles lightweight & welterweight. "For a long time, I didn't want to see him, but then, before this fight, I asked somebody how much he was gonna make, they said $9 million. I said they can call him anything they want." So, will Aragon part with his nickname? "I'll tell you after the fight," he said, "And remember, he can be the Golden Boy even if he loses. But he's got to look good losing, I did that plenty of times." (June 1996)

[dagosd2000]

Do You Think You're Going To Win?

I was invited by Rick Farris to attend the premier of Alan Swyer's documentary on Latino boxing,"El Boxeo" in Santa Monica last October. One of the things that struck me was Armando Muniz's comments when he was brought on stage after the film was shown along with other people in the audience who were interviewed in the documentary.Armando sort of half jokingly told about his first fight with Jose Napoles in Acapulco,Mexico.Muniz said he was brought in to fight the champion as a late replacement. Napoles was being set up to fight Angel Espada in Puerto Rico,but that fight never materialized. So Armando Muniz was picked to come to Mexico to fight "Manteqilla". Armando went on to say that before the fight Jose Sulieman,the fight's promoter,went inside Muniz's dressing room and asked him if he thought he was going to "win" the fight. As Armando was telling this he's still got a smile on his face. He said he couldn't believe why Sulieman would ask him such a thing. Muniz surmised that they probably thought he was a soft touch for Napoles and he just wanted to calm his fears.

Well for 12 rounds Mando was getting the best of Jose and it looked like the title was going to change hands. In fact Napoles was totally out of gas and looked like he was going to be stopped. He became desperate and started hitting Armando repeatedly below the belt.The referee,Carlos Berumen,(who was related to Sulieman) didn't disqualify Napoles.Between the 12th and 13th frame,there was a huddle between Sulieman and his nephew,Carlos. After a delay it was determined that Muniz had head butted Jose earlier in the fight and that since Napoles was ahead on the cards he would keep his title on a "technical decision."

I had heard Muniz tell this story before. He should have been the champ. He'd be in the IBHOF a lead pipe cinch.But the thing that hit me was when he told about how Sulieman after the figfht called him over and gave Mando his watch. Later,Mando said,Sulieman gave him a pseudo title belt. Sulieman embraced him and guessed that that would square things. Remember Mando was telling this and still not a curse word from his lips.

I thought that was the end of the story,but Mando gathered himself.
"I told him (Sulieman)that it was over with and I've lived with it. I think he thought that would put it to rest. That he had convinced me."
But then Mando shrugged his shoulders.
"What the hell,he's a fight promoter. What should I expect?"

[dagosd2000]

Blinky Palermo

[Chuck1052]

Do You Think You're Going To Win?

I was invited by Rick Farris to attend the premier of Alan Swyer's documentary on Latino boxing,"El Boxeo" in Santa Monica last October. One of the things that struck me was Armando Muniz's comments when he was brought on stage after the film was shown along with other people in the audience who were interviewed in the documentary.Armando sort of half jokingly told about his first fight with Jose Napoles in Acapulco,Mexico.Muniz said he was brought in to fight the champion as a late replacement. Napoles was being set up to fight Angel Espada in Puerto Rico,but that fight never materialized. So Armando Muniz was picked to come to Mexico to fight "Manteqilla". Armando went on to say that before the fight Jose Sulieman,the fight's promoter,went inside Muniz's dressing room and asked him if he thought he was going to "win" the fight. As Armando was telling this he's still got a smile on his face. He said he couldn't believe why Sulieman would ask him such a thing. Muniz surmised that they probably thought he was a soft touch for Napoles and he just wanted to calm his fears.

Well for 12 rounds Mando was getting the best of Jose and it looked like the title was going to change hands. In fact Napoles was totally out of gas and looked like he was going to be stopped. He became desperate and started hitting Armando repeatedly below the belt.The referee,Carlos Berumen,(who was related to Sulieman) didn't disqualify Napoles.Between the 12th and 13th frame,there was a huddle between Sulieman and his nephew,Carlos. After a delay it was determined that Muniz had head butted Jose earlier in the fight and that since Napoles was ahead on the cards he would keep his title on a "technical decision."

I had heard Muniz tell this story before. He should have been the champ. He'd be in the IBHOF a lead pipe cinch.But the thing that hit me was when he told about how Sulieman after the figfht called him over and gave Mando his watch. Later,Mando said,Sulieman gave him a pseudo title belt. Sulieman embraced him and guessed that that would square things. Remember Mando was telling this and still not a curse word from his lips.

I thought that was the end of the story,but Mando gathered himself.
"I told him (Sulieman)that it was over with and I've lived with it. I think he thought that would put it to rest. That he had convinced me."
But then Mando shrugged his shoulders.
"What the hell,he's a fight promoter. What should I expect?"

I can't think of a more outrageous action on the part of a referee over the last forty years in a professional bout when Mando Muniz was given the shaft in his first bout with Jose Napoles. Of course, Mando Ramos also was given a raw deal when fighting Pedro Carrasco in Spain by all accounts.

- Chuck Johnston