Classic American West Coast Boxing

[dagosd2000]

Two fighters who fought for the welterweight title=Emile Griffith and Gaspar Ortega.Los Angeles CA. World Boxing Hall Of Fame banquet 2010. I don't know how that "ham" got in the middle.

[dagosd2000]

Dangerous Enough As It Is

When James "The Heat' Kinchen was telling me one Sunday morning at his Helping Hands Of God Church in Southeast San Diego about how there were fighters that wouldn't workout with Panama Lewis's fighters because the word was out that they loaded their gloves and were on the juice,I kind of shook my head and chalked it up as a sign of the times. But then I got to thinking.Boxing has always been a sport that hasn't been sporting in the sense that the rules are there to be broken in order to win at any cost The Marquis Of Queensbury Rules were supposed to lend a reverence to men trying to bash each others' brains out,but the charlatans would always manipulate ways of getting an edge on the other guy. The methods and ramifications were often illegal,sinister,and even deadly at times.

You look at fighters like Tony Margarito and Luis Resto who got there plaster of Paris hands caught in the cookie jar. I wonder if they realized that you could get killed in the ring without having to go to the hardware department at Home Depot? The innocent until proven guilty guys like Holyfield and Canelo saying they got that big eating too much red meat or spiking their orange juice with creatine is only going to assure their fan clubs that what they are expouding is on the level.


Barry Bonds obliterated Babe Ruth's single season and career homerun records, but not many in the media talk about it much. It's like when you're sitting around a table with a group of friends and someone passes gas. Everyone gives each other side looks,but no one is going to fess up to have just leaving a stain in their underwear.

Imagine if Ali would have beaten Larry Holmes. Muhammad was swallowing thyroid pills like M&M's that did nothing for him but to drain what adrenaline he had left in his glands. I'm glad in a way he lost. I wish they would have stopped it sooner,but then again I'm glad he lost. To put it another way:Ali didn't deserve to win.

I remember when I was pushing pretty heavy iron in the gym.This was back in 1966. There were no LA Fitness Clubs or the swank pick up spas that you see today. The gym that I sweated in was located in a make shift garage in back of Vic Gerardi's Health Food Store down at the beach. One day Vic announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger was going to drop by the store and stack up on protein powder.It was 1966 and no one had heard of Arnold yet.Only guys who pumped iron had heard of the name. At that time he had won all the European titles.Now, coming to the states he wanted to hook up with Joe Gold up in Santa Monica and train for the Mr. Olympia title. Well,Arnold stacked up on protein powder and then made a side trip to Tijuana to bulk up on Dianabol. I often think that Arnold wouldn't have made all those movies and been the governor of California and married a Kennedy girl if he hadn't won all those Mr. Olympia titles. He couldn't have done it without a little help from science.

Getting back to what Reverend Kinchen told me about Panama Lewis. He said that Aaron Pryor had some difficulty finding the right guys to spar with. I mean who wants to get hurt in a sparring session? Who can forget the two fights he had with Arguello?Pryor was wound up like buzz saw. Arguello hit him with everything in his arsenal,but Pryor stood there right in front of him making Henry Armstrong look like Stepin' Fetchit. Fighting without any supplemental help is dangerous enough as it is.


Aaron Pryor

[dagosd2000]

The Weekend Artist

The final induction ceremony of the World Boxing Hall Of Fame included Lennox Lewis getting enshrined. This was 4 or 5 years ago. The banquet was at the usual,the Marriott Hotel in Inglewood near LAX. Lewis had been away from fighting for the "required' 5 years so he was eligible to get his well deserved award. When the ceremony was minutes away from commencing,Lewis was not in the building. It was announced that his flight had been delayed. (Hang tight for an hour and butter up another dinner roll and make conversation with the person next to you.) There was nothing to worry about.

Every time I would bring one of my paintings to the WBHOF event of one of the fighters who would be stepping up to the dais to receive his honor and bestow my canvas to him. My plan was to paint a face of Lennox. I had the painting by my side at my table waiting when Lewis would walk through the door.Then I'd approach the big fellow and offer him my work of art. He'd look a bit startled,but then break out in a wide appreciative smile, and humbly take it in his mighty hands-so I was imagining.

Well,when Lennox finally arrived with his diminutive Asian wife,I saw that he had an entourage comprised of protectors that looked like some of the top 10 contenders in the heavyweight division. Mayne it was the fact that he was a heavyweight champ . Whatever it was,he stole the show.I guess if the flyweight champ shows up with bodyguards it would be like a Tom Thumb surrounded by Andre The Giant and his brothers. When the bodyguards can beat up the fighters who're in their care it diminishes the mood.

Rarely are fighters hard to reach in public,but I could see getting close to Lewis was going to take some adroit maneuvering. I steadily approached him as he was still finding his way to the table of honor that was on the stage..His wife was trailing behind looking bored with the whole thing. Maybe it was jet lag,ot maybe she'd been to enough of these chicken plate dinners that she was yearning for some egg foo young. When she finally was seated at the honoree's table she began nodding off. While the preliminary speeches were being delivered I could also see Lewis wearing a lifeless look. I still had my masterpiece.I had hesitated.Was it the muscle that accompanied Lewis that made me balk? No.I had second thoughts about my painting. It wasn't worthy.

Lewis got a standing ovation when he was presented his plaque. His wife was asleep by then. I can't remember Lewis's acceptance speech. His voice didn't carry well. He certainly didn't get emotional. He didn't offer any anecdotes. I do remember that. After 5 minutes he finished by saying he had a plane to catch to get back to England. One of his bouncers nudged his wife and they all arose and made their way to the exit with a steady stride. There wouldn't be an encore.He was determined to leave early. I told myself it was now or never. I popped out of my chair and toiled my way to cut Lewis off at the pass. I got in front of him and coyly held up my painting. He caught in his line of vision it immediately.He furrowed his brow, snickered, and then proceeded again towards the door. I was in his way,but quickly did a two step to keep from getting trampled. Lewis wasn't there for more than an hour before he skedaddled back to jolly ol' England.

I walked with my head down back to my chair and slid the painting under the table. I felt kind of relieved.i also though I must have looked pretty foolish-an overanxious groupie groping for a little praise. When the ceremony wrapped up I retrieved the painting from under the table and walked back to my room with it tucked under my arm so no one could see it.

[chrisjs1985]

The Ring featured Gaspar Ortega in the "Best I faced" series today.

Hard-nosed Mexican warrior Gaspar Ortega never won a world title, but throughout the 1950s to mid-1960s he was a bona fide welterweight contender, who fought 10 past or future world champions and five Hall of Famers during 176 recorded fights.

Ortega was born in Mexicali, Mexico on Oct. 21, 1935. His father was in the army so, along with his 11 siblings, he grew up in the Colonia Morelos neighborhood of Tijuana with his mother in charge of the family. Ortega knew only poverty; his house didn’t have electricity and the streets were covered in dirt. He liked to go hunting for rabbits and squirrels.

From a young age, Ortega was never far from trouble but boxing wasn’t his first choice of profession.

“I was always looking for fights before and after school in the streets,” Ortega told The Ring. “I had a teacher who set up a ring and let us fight each other.

“I started training in a firehouse when I was around 13. I actually wanted to be a bullfighter, and I fought some amateur bullfights in Tijuana when I was 14.”

Following a short amateur career that culminated in him winning the Golden Gloves as a flyweight in 1950, the eager young novice turned to the paid ranks.

Ortega earned his stripes fighting in Mexico before relocating to New York in 1954. As the nickname “El Indio” suggests, he is of Indian decent, with his mother being a Zapotec Indian. He gained a cult following wearing a headdress to the ring in her honor.

In the space of 68 days from the fall of 1957 into early 1958, Ortega fought former welterweight champion Tony De Marco three times, winning the first two encounters by split decision, before dropping the third match by unanimous decision.

“There were so many proud moments but the proudest was when I fought Tony DeMarco,” Ortega acknowledged. “I beat DeMarco. Nobody thought I would win that fight. They made a parade for me in Tijuana, from the border to my Colonia. Soldiers, police, and many people were in the parade.”

Ortega had shown that he belonged in elite company and later split a pair of fights with the great Kid Gavilan, the latter one being an eliminator for the world title. However, another rival, Isaac Logert, would defeat Ortega in an eliminator and that was a setback. Logert, a talented Cuban fighter, would have a 2-1 edge in their trilogy.

Perpetually unlucky on the scorecards, Ortega dropped close decisions to past or future world champions: Ralph Dupas, Don Jordan, Denny Moyer, Emile Griffith and Carmen Basilio.

After beating Benny “Kid” Paret in February 1961. Ortega finally got his world title opportunity. It would come in the form of a rematch with Griffith, who had been fortunate to win a split decision over Ortega a year earlier.

“I remember when I went to the ring, the fight was already lost,” admitted Ortega. “I had over trained and I did not feel good.”

Griffith retained the welterweight title with a comprehensive 12th round stoppage and became the first man to stop Ortega.

Over the next couple of years Ortega won more than he lost. In October 1963, he packed his bags and ventured to Rome for a showdown with middleweight champion Nino Benvenuti. The highly-skilled Italian won a decision.

“He was a really good fighter,” Ortega acknowledged. “I was trying to make sure I survived the 10 rounds with him.”

A year later Ortega was invited back to Italy, but this time he was stopped in seven rounds by Sandro Mazzinghi.

Although he had clearly slipped, Ortega made several more paydays before retiring in the fall of 1965 with an official record of 131-39-6 (69 knockouts), although the former world title challenger insists that he had in excess of 200 fights.

During his career, Ortega worked with two of the greatest trainers in boxing history; Whitey Bimstein, famed for his work with Rocky Marciano and Benny Leonard among others, and Freddie Brown who worked the corners of Dick Tiger and Roberto Duran.

Ortega boxed 1293 recorded rounds, although that number should be much higher. He was only stopped twice inside the distance.

“Today’s managers don’t push fighters to fight like in my time,” he said. “They would have you fight today, then say you must be ready again tomorrow. I would tell them, ‘I am ready.'”

Ortega moved to Connecticut in 1968 and worked several jobs, all of which were centered around giving back to the local community. He worked for a New Haven city program for school dropouts, counseling at a half-way house and spent a lot of time at the gym helping children.

Former referee Joe Cortez, a 2011 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, was heavily influenced in his early years by Ortega and is quick to praise his mentor.

“When Gaspar Ortega first arrived in the United States at age 19, he was always involved in the community with youngsters. I was one of those youngsters, I was only 12 years old when I met Gaspar Ortega,” explained Cortez who later acted as Ortega’s interpreter

“One of the reasons I made it successfully out of the neighborhood was because of Gaspar; with his influence, advice and caring ways.

“Gaspar guided me through my boxing career and taught me how to fight. Following his style and guidance, he taught me how to discipline myself, developed my self-esteem and to become a better person. Gaspar has always been an inspiration to me and still is today.”

Ortega, now 83, has been married for 62 years. He and his wife live in East Haven, Connecticut and have four children, one of which is world-class referee Mike Ortega. He also has nine grandchildren.

The former world title challenger graciously took time to speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

BEST JAB
Isaac Logart: I was always physically and mentally trying to avoid punches. I was even doing it with my body before the bell rang, especially by moving my waist. Logart was very fast in his jab.

BEST DEFENSE
Kid Gavilan: It was very difficult to hit Gavilian with a solid punch because he could move his upper-body side-to-side beautifully.

BEST HANDSPEED
Tony DeMarco: He didn’t have far to throw a punch. He was right in front of me and never took a step back, so his punches seem super-fast. There was a lot of toe-to-toe action.

BEST FOOTWORK
Logart: He was always moving around. It’s hard to hit a moving target and he was very fast on his feet.

SMARTEST
Emile Griffith: He really knew how to box and could adjust his style at any time.

STRONGEST
Griffith: When I fought Emile, he was the only one who could hurt me. After the fight I was urinating blood.

BEST PUNCHER
Carmen Basilio: He could hit you from all angles. Just when you thought you were out of his range, or were well covered up, he found a way to land a shot. Florentino Fernandez was very heavy-handed. If he hit you with a clean shot you knew you were hit.

BEST CHIN
DeMarco: I hit him with everything I had and he just kept coming.

BEST BOXING SKILLS
Kid Gavilan: He was a real good fighter, though not a hard puncher. His footwork was excellent, always on his toes and ready to move so he could dart out of harm’s way or set his feet to throw punches. He had great balance, which enabled him to have superior upper-body movement for bobbing and weaving. His jab and hand speed was very fast, accurate, and he had a sneaky bolo punch. He was elegant in the ring.

BEST OVERALL
DeMarco: He was a hard puncher. When the bell rang he was after you right away; he was aggressive. First, I have to say he was truly a gentleman in and out of the ring; he always fought a clean fight. Fighting him was like trying to move an immovable object. He had tremendous determination, willpower and heart. Combined with his punching power and aggressiveness, it made him extremely dangerous in the ring.

[dagosd2000]

Chris
Nice post on Ortega. I remember bumping into Ortega with my father when I was a kid. My father and I used to go down to Tijuana to get haircuts(25 cents U.S.).We were at a barbershop in Colonia Morelos. across from the typical neighborhood park and the cuartel(army base). At the time(1961) Ortega was still living in Colonia Morelos which was more or less a middle class community just south of the downtown area on a hill. There's a huge Mexican flag unfurled outside the cuartel that you can see clearly from the U.S. side.After the haircuts my father wanted to sit in the park and watch the soldiers drill. Suddenly, a sleek lemon yellow convertible came speeding alongside the park and stopped at the corner. I saw a dark skinned Mexican fellow wearing a flashy sport coat at the wheel.Next to him was a platinum blond gal wearing a low cut dress to show off her endowed chest of flesh..She looked Anglo.Then a crowd quickly massed and ran up to the car .The Mexican got out of the car brandishing a wide friendly smile.He motioned everyone forward to gather around. There was an ice cream vendor with his cart near by. The Mexican man then pulled out a wad of bills from his coat. He promptly started buying everyone ice cream. After studying his face I realized it was Gaspar Ortega.He had just failed in his attempt to win the welterweight crown from Emile Griffith the previous week. Everyone was cheering and very excited. Everyone got an ice cream on Gaspar that afternoon..

At one of the WBHOF banquets I asked him if he remembered that moment in 1961. He just smiled.He was with his very charming wife. I guess the blond in the car wasn't his wife. Boys will be boys.


My wife on the right of Gaspar's better half at the WBHOF ceremony. The Ortega's were living in New York at the time. They came out to LA with Carlos Ortiz..


There's Carlos

[dagosd2000]

Yet So Far Away

When you talk to fighters that were born and raised in Mexico ,began their boxing careers south of the border,and now call somewhere in the U.S. their home,they seem to be very open to talk about their formative years in the country that the dictator Diaz is alleged to have said "is so far from God,yet so close to the United States."I've never talked with a Mexican national who takes kindly to those words. It's the "so far from God" part that sticks in their craws. But if Porfirio Diaz said it-why?Mexico being the first and only Latin American country along our southern border the gringo weight above Mexico is at times overwhelming-a combination nation offering hope and a country that can trigger nightmares.

Whenever I see Gaspar Ortega at a boxing event,I'm usually with my wife who's s about as metaphorical a Mexican woman as you would want to envision.A mestizo with the Indian trademarks, born on a ranchita on top of a mountain in rural Michoacán,a ranchita without a semblance of a modern utility,nor any kind of machine utilizing an internal combustion engine,nor a road that wasn't dirt and rocks in the summertime and mud and rocks in the winter. Fenceposts are hacked down mequite branches connected with barbed wire. Beans and frijoles are the main staple doused with a homemade variety of chiles. When I sit down with a fighter like Gaspar Ortega or one of te multitude of many like him,my wife is a conduit of familiarity with these pugs. Fighting has always been the poor man's out. In Mexico there are plenty of poor.

Growing up in Colonia Morelos in Tijuana,going to school where P.E. was a jerry rigged boxing ring put together by his teacher(see above post by Chris),and having a fighting gene in his blood,Gaspar Ortega fit the "poor hombre's out" in Mexico. I lived in Canon Jhonson that's so close to Morelos that you could hold your breath driving to it in a car and arriving not feeling a bit lightheaded. So when it's me and Gaspar and my wife together at a table ,the discussion is rarely about boxing. The exchanges are without gloves referring to memories of living with the very little of life's nicities. But the threads of these conversations aren't as melancholy as you might think. Maybe living in the USA has transformed those recollections into something bittersweet.
"How many of your siblings rode on the family horse at one time?"
"How did your mother cook on the lena(adobe stove)?"
"In your family how many babies lived and died in childbirth?"
You won't hear these topics being bantered around at the suburban PTA meetings in San Diego.

But one day I got Ortega talking about the boxing gym they named in his honor at Parque Benito Juarez in the Zona Norte that's located right next to the infamous border fence that separates the U.S. and Mexico.It was at a WBHOF function when I told him that I'd been to the boxing gym with his name painted on the outside wall and what the current status was.
"The gym is really starting to fall apart,"I said to him."Broken windows,trash strewn around the premises,hardly anyone uses the place anymore."
"I remember when they invited me down for the opening day,"said Gaspar." The mayor was there,Miss Tijuana, and there was a marching band.It was a very festive day.Many people were there."
"They've let the place go,"I said. "it's a shame.It looks like the end of the world."
"I heard that from people I know in Tijuana. I've never been back."
"The neighborhood is very bad ,"I said."A lot of abandoned houses,trash piled up in the streets,broken street lights,junkies,people wake up in the morning and see dead bodies lying around."
"I'll never go back,"said Ortega.
"The guy that runs the park told me they're going to shut the whole place down.No one uses it."
"To think that just on the other side of the fence it's not like that. The parks and buildings are new and kept up.The people can enjoy using their parks. There is no fear.The neighborhoods are safe."
"I always think of the contrasts when I think of the United States and Mexico,"I said.
"They seem to be greater now than before,"said Gaspar.
"It reminds me of what the dictator Diaz said."
"You mean about Mexico being so near and yet so far from the United States?"
"Yeah.That's it.That's what he said alright."


My son Ramon on the right with two of his pals.Canon Jhonson,Tijuana


My wife,Maria,in the center flanked by Ramon and Maria's sister. Seems pretty far away.

[dagosd2000]

A Bantam Tale

I think of the four bantamweight fighters that appeared in the Southland around the same time and I have nothing but admiration for them. The two Sandoval brothers,Richie and Alberto,Frankie Duarte,and Albert Davila. They sometimes fought each other. Some held world title belts.They never tip toed through the division-they fought the best out there.

They were all the Mexican /American Chicanos fighting to establish who was the best of the quartet.Though they put on the gloves in the Olympic Auditorium and The Forum,if the opponent was a Mexican national they had little of the crowd in their corners.

I saw Albert Davila standing by himself outside one of the WCBHOF events after the all the plaques had been handed out.. I got to talking to him. He was a little standoffish. He didn't know me,but he went along with my intrusion. He was inducted that day and remarked in his speech that as hard as he tried to win over the Latino community, when fighting a Mexican national,the aficianados were always rootin' for their south of the border "carnal." He even tied augmented his name by adding an "o" on the end of Albert. He was really stretching to get some applause. I asked him how he was doing,how the family was-no boxing inquiries. I think that kept him from walking away from me.

Of the four above mentioned fighters,I thought Davila might have been the sturdiest of the lot. He beat Lupe Pintor early in both their careers,but later when Lupe was the champ,Albert(o) couldn't dethrone him. He also came up short against Carlos Zarate,"Happy" Lora, and Jorge Lujan in title fights.

But the Davila fights I remember the most were the two with Frankie Duarte. Frankie was a very gifted boy who learned fast and used his height and reach to advantage.,but Frankie's main problem was that he fluctuated between being a gang banger and a fighter. Sometimes the persona was inseparable.Before their first encounter Frankie was indulging as much with the stuff that dreams are made of as doing his roadwork. Word gets around in the gyms. Davila knew that Duarte hadn't paid his dues for this one and dealt the kid from Venice Beach a good licking.

Ten years later both boys were still in the mix and they were matched in The Forum. I think Albert(o) figured he had Frankie's number.Maybe had him psyched out.It looked that way early. He decked Frankie in the 4th round,but Frankie was in shape this time and wasn't going to fold.An accidental head butt changed the course of the fight in Duarte's direction. He began rallying and his aim was on Duarte's bloody eye.The ring docs took a good look at the mangled orb and didn't let it go on..Albert(o) was pissed,but it wasn't any false bravado. I think Davila knew he could have had him again if it wasn't for the cut.

Everyone remembers Davila's fight with Kiko Bejines. Of course the aficianados were on the side of Bejines. They say that Kiko was ahead going ito the final frame.I thought Davila was giving him a boxing lesson. With little time remaining in the final round Davila caught a tiring Bejines with some combinations and Kiko sunk to the canvas,but before landing there the back of his head did a Davey Moore de ja vu hitting the lower ring rope. The fight was over. Kiko knew he was licked,but then followed one of te most terrible aftermaths I've ever seen in a fight. Bejines couldn't get his legs under control.You could see on his face the panic.It was like"OK.I've been licked,but I can't steady myself.What's wrong?"

They took the unconscious Bejines to the hospital. Albert Davila was there at his side that night. An emergency operation couldn't save Kiko. Two days later he died. As I was standing next to Albert Davila outside the WCBHOF doors trying to strike up a conversation,I remembered when Emile Griffith's caretaker told me that some sick autograph hounds would come up to Emile and want him to sign that picture of Emile standing over the mortally wounded Benny Paret. I just stayed with "Hey Albert.How's the wife and kids?"


Frankie Duarte at the WCBHOF

[dagosd2000]

Rocky

I was flipping through my Netflix options on my television and stopped the clicking the clicker when I saw that "Rocky" had been added to the list. I've see it several times. A lot of boxing purists have a hard time appreciating the movie. I guess you could say Rocky is more entertaining than authentic. But when you look at the scenes, before Rocky Balboa steps into the ring with Apollo Creed,especially the segments when Rocky is strolling through the neighborhood interacting with the various types:the gangsters,the Doo Wop kids on the corner,his friend Paulie,and the eventual relationship he finds with Paulie's sister Adrian; it delivers the one two punch with me. Add the backdrop of North Philly,the brownstones,the graffiti on the walls, the decrepit bars;it's all there with nothing needed to add an exclamation point.

Critics will mostly side with Raging Bull as being the epitome of what it was really like in the sordid world of boxing.You could say that Raging bull is on a higher level of artistic merit. DeZero won an Oscar for "being" Jake LaMotta. but the theme of the flick is not so much about boxing as the complex character of the Bronx's middleweight champion of the world.

A few years back they inducted Sylvester Stallone into the IBHOF.I don't think Robert DeZero will ever get his picture taken inside the halls of Canastota. Rocky piqued the naïve to take a look at fighting. Stallone wrote the screenplay. Stallond wrote about a funny guy ,but a sensitive dago who can't spell a lick,but had that street smarts that trumps a diploma when you live in the ghetto. The public couldn't help but fall in love with The Italian Stallion Jake Lamotta was about as likable as guzzling vinegar.If there's an ocean of viewers that knows nothing about boxing,they'll jump on Rocky Balboa's love boat instead of sitting in the Titanic with the Raging Bull.

How many sequels were made of Rocky? He's an action comic hero in a sense.A part of American culture. Sometimes I need an "escape" from my personal demons. Rocky Balboa,I can always count on,to lay the leather to gloom and despair.

[chrisjs1985]

I watched Rocky for the first time in years just last week. I'd been in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and saw the Rocky steps/statue. I've seen a few of the sequels and didn't care much for them. I think the most recent I saw was the one with Tommy Morrison. I do enjoy the original one though. I also loved Philadelphia as a city and will almost certainly be back there next year.

Raging Bull is a personal favorite of mine and not just under the Boxing category. It's one of my top 5 movies of all-time. Another gem also based on a fantastic autobiography was Somebody up there likes me. On the subject of Philly and Boxing movies, I really hope to see Matthew Saad Muhammad's life portrayed in a movie some day.

[dagosd2000]

I watched Rocky for the first time in years just last week. I'd been in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and saw the Rocky steps/statue. I've seen a few of the sequels and didn't care much for them. I think the most recent I saw was the one with Tommy Morrison. I do enjoy the original one though. I also loved Philadelphia as a city and will almost certainly be back there next year.

Raging Bull is a personal favorite of mine and not just under the Boxing category. It's one of my top 5 movies of all-time. Another gem also based on a fantastic autobiography was Somebody up there likes me. On the subject of Philly and Boxing movies, I really hope to see Matthew Saad Muhammad's life portrayed in a movie some day.
[/quote

Chris
I agree that Rocky 1 is the best one. The sequels are sort of a pattern after the 1st Rocky.I saw the ones with Mr. T and Drago,but never wanted to see them again. Raging Bull, I don't consider a boxing movie per se.It's more of a study of LaMotta. I remember reading when LaMotta watched the movie for the first time with his ex wife Vicky. He asked her if he was' really that bad."
She said,"No.You were worse."

I saw Saad Muhammad fight Lotte Mwale in San Diego.Saad Muhammad life would make a very interesting movie, however the documentary,Once A Champion,which tells his story is must viewing.I think documentaries do more justice than a Hollywood movie when it comes to getting inside the character of an athlete . Like I said ,Raging Bull is more hyperbole even if Vicky La Motta doesn't think so.

[chrisjs1985]

I watched Rocky for the first time in years just last week. I'd been in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and saw the Rocky steps/statue. I've seen a few of the sequels and didn't care much for them. I think the most recent I saw was the one with Tommy Morrison. I do enjoy the original one though. I also loved Philadelphia as a city and will almost certainly be back there next year.

Raging Bull is a personal favorite of mine and not just under the Boxing category. It's one of my top 5 movies of all-time. Another gem also based on a fantastic autobiography was Somebody up there likes me. On the subject of Philly and Boxing movies, I really hope to see Matthew Saad Muhammad's life portrayed in a movie some day.
[/quote

Chris
I agree that Rocky 1 is the best one. The sequels are sort of a pattern after the 1st Rocky.I saw the ones with Mr. T and Drago,but never wanted to see them again. Raging Bull, I don't consider a boxing movie per se.It's more of a study of LaMotta. I remember reading when LaMotta watched the movie for the first time with his ex wife Vicky. He asked her if he was' really that bad."
She said,"No.You were worse."

I saw Saad Muhammad fight Lotte Mwale in San Diego.Saad Muhammad life would make a very interesting movie, however the documentary,Once A Champion,which tells his story is must viewing.I think documentaries do more justice than a Hollywood movie when it comes to getting inside the character of an athlete . Like I said ,Raging Bull is more hyperbole even if Vicky La Motta doesn't think so.

Roger, I've never seen that documentary. Where could I find it? I need to see it.

Agree on documentaries being better than movies. I feel there's at least 300 fighters I need to see docs on.

[Chuck1052]

In regards to Rocky I, I liked first part of the movie because it showed Rocky's life as a struggling fighter and his relationships with the important people in his life. But the movie becomes much less satisfactory when scenes are shown of Apollo Creed and the bout between Rocky and Creed.

I didn't like the sequels to Rocky I because they were too cartoonish.

To me, Raging Bull was terrific because it was a vivid, very well-made portrait (maybe not that accurate) of a complex and very unlikable fighter. But while I was looking at contemporary newspaper coverage of LaMotta when he was active as a fighter, I found that he was almost always in good fights. His aggressive fighting style was an obvious reason for this. He also was facing good fighters on a consistent basis. As a result, he was a fine drawing card and in great demand among promoters and matchmakers in many states.

One of my favorite boxing films was a very gritty late 1940s "Film Noir" movie, The Set-Up, starring Robert Ryan as a "down-and-out" club fighter and directed by Robert Wise.

- Chuck Johnston

[dagosd2000]

Roger, I've never seen that documentary. Where could I find it? I need to see it.

Agree on documentaries being better than movies. I feel there's at least 300 fighters I need to see docs on.

I saw it years ago. It was very poignant. Even interviewed the nuns that took care of him in the orphanage.I looked on YouTube. It's not there.

[dagosd2000]

In regards to Rocky I, I liked first part of the movie because it showed Rocky's life as a struggling fighter and his relationships with the important people in his life. But the movie becomes much less satisfactory when scenes are shown of Apollo Creed and the bout between Rocky and Creed.

I didn't like the sequels to Rocky I because they were too cartoonish.

To me, Raging Bull was terrific because it was a vivid, very well-made portrait (maybe not that accurate) of a complex and very unlikable fighter. But while I was looking at contemporary newspaper coverage of LaMotta when he was active as a fighter, I found that he was almost always in good fights. His aggressive fighting style was an obvious reason for this. He also was facing good fighters on a consistent basis. As a result, he was a fine drawing card and in great demand among promoters and matchmakers in many states.

One of my favorite boxing films was a very gritty late 1940s "Film Noir" movie, The Set-Up, starring Robert Ryan as a "down-and-out" club fighter and directed by Robert Wise.

- Chuck Johnston

That's my take on Rocky 1 too. Raging Bull took some license.For example:Joey LaMotta sued the production of the movie because he was misrepresented. He was a fighter who gave up his career to manage his brother. Joey LaMotta, in the movie, is a closer representation to La Motta's boyhood pal Peter Savage who had a hand being a consultant in the film. But that stretching of the facts doesn't diminish the movie's impact. However,for me the value I get out of movies inundated with Italians is to watch how they behave. I've said it before. It doesn't take a whole hell a lot of effort to direct an Italian actor in a movie. All Italians,no matter where they live,are acting all the time. When I look back on my life.I think I missed my calling.


Jake La Motta

[dagosd2000]

Two Conversations

"So how old are you?"asked Cheto Torres.
"I'm 72,"I answered thinking that that was going to impress him.
Most people think I'm in my 50's so with that reply I thought Cheto would be impressed.
"How old are you Cheto?",I returned the same inquiry.
"79 years old,"he answered.
Well that was quite impressive to say the least. Cheto looked about the same in appearance as me. I guess he knew he looked good for his age and would ask people who he thought were close to him the same question. I guess it made him feel good to tell people he was 79 years old when he really didn't look 79.I hadn't been by the gym for some time.
The last time I visited Cheto's wife was behind the desk.
"You look pretty damn good,"I said.
Cheto began to smile and he sat up in his chair. He was very proud of his gym.It had a good reputation for 40 years.
I was near Plaza Santa Cecelia and would always at least stick my head in Cheto's Gym to see what was going on. Cheto had been a fighter once himself and now he had his gym that was one of the first enterprises to open in Plaza Santa Cecelia that was right behind the Hotel Nelson on the corner of 1st and Revolution Streets.
"I always wanted to ask you when did you buy this gym from Julio Cesar Chavez?"
"This has always been my gym,"he answered."Who told you I bought it from him?"
"I don't know.The word on the street.I heard it somewhere..I thought he owned it first."
I could see that Cheto's look on his face was a little disconcerting.
"You still live in Tijuana?"he asked.
"I haven't lived in Tijuana for more than 40 years.
"I thought you lived in Tijuana."
"My daughter lives in Canon Jhonson and my grandchildren and great grandchildren.'
"So what made you drop by?"
"My wife is getting our poodles hair cut up the street so I decided to take a walk and see how things were going."
There were a few younger kids sitting in the front office.They looked like they had nothing to do and were amusing themselves.
"So how's business?"i asked.
"It's OK,"Cheto answered with a shrug.
"Any hot prospects?"
"None."
"Whatever happened to Alex?"
"He retired.He's home with is wife and kids."
"Does Margarito still live in Tijuana?"
Cheto nodded his head.
"Sometimes I go to the CREA and see Quirarte."
Again, Cheto nodded his head.
"So who's the best fighter in Tijuana now?"
"No one.".
"I took my grandson to see Luis Nery fight in Tijuana a few years ago."
"He doesn't possess enough skills."
"Munguia was also fighting that night."
Cheto didn't say anything.
"Cheto.Remember all the good cards they had every week in Tijuana?"
"Many great fights.But that's all over."
"When a Mexican fighter makes it big and goes to he United States he doesn't return to Mexico."
Cheto didn't say anything.
"You mind before I go that I take a picture of the gym?"
"Go right ahead. There's very little action today. the weather is too hot."


I left Cheto's and started walking back to my car that was parked in the big lot behind the Soriana on 1st Street. At the corner of 1st and Revolution I stopped for the light to turn green so I could cross. There were a ,lot of people standing ,waiting to cross.Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow.I turned my head and saw this gaunt dude bent over holding a black plastic bag in his arms. He was dark skinned, head shaved, and had tattoos running up and down his needled marked arms and neck. They were the kind that you get in jail. His black eyes couldn't keep still and kept shifting the weight on his legs from side to side.
"Hey.You want to buy some pizzas?"he blurted.
I stepped back a little and pointed to my stomach.
"Can't you see I'm a fat f--k? I don't need any pizzas."I said half jokingly.
"Look .I only make 100 pesos a day(around 6 dollars).I need money."
"You better get your ass over to the other side of the border,"I said.
"I just came from there.I was in Omaha."
"What happened?"
"I got busted for dealing."
"So you smuggle you ass to the United States and instead of working and getting your life together you want to be a drug dealer and get busted and go to jail and then they deport your ass back here."
"Look I got any kind of pizza you want.Chorizo.Pepperoni.Pineaple. Buy a pizza,"he pressed on."How about a dollar?What's it to you?"
I put my hand on his shoulder.
"it's the principle of the thing. I guess your going to be on this corner selling pizzas."
The light turned green and I began walking across the street. I heard him talking as I was crossing.
"Who wants to buy a pizza?I got any kind you want?"





Pretty slow day at Cheto's. I guess the weather was too hot.

[dagosd2000]

Cheto Torres

[dagosd2000]

Mucho Dinero

I remember when the only fighters you saw wearing "Reyes" boxing gloves were the Mexican fighters. Then you started to see more and more fighters in the Southland donning "Reyes" boxing gloves. Today,"Reyes" gloves,shoes and punching bags are seen in arenas and gyms all over the world. "Reyes" boxing gear is a top of the line product that is shipped all over the world.At boxing events I've always seen a "Reyes" table with all their stuff on display. for sale.

What makes their product so desired is the craftmanship and the quality of the leather. The leather is soft and malleable. Mexican leather is something that is significant,a cultural trademark.

When Muhammad Ali was in San Diego getting ready to fight Ken Norton, he and his entourage took a trip across the border to TJ so he could by a heavy bag and some sparring gloves-all with the "Reyes" name.. (After all was said and done he donated the equipment to a gym in Southeast San Diego).Ali was to spar,an exhibition of sorts, at the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium,but the event fell through. I think he sensed that the people weren't going to embrace him down their as "The Greatest." Ali's persona wasn't in liking to the Mexican fighting image of the silent killer. The aficianados saw him as a loud mouthed ,dancer who needed to get his jaw broke.(Thanks Ken for obliging)

The main sporting goods store in Tijuana ,at that time, was Deportes Viking. The store is still there one block west of Revolution on Constitution Boulevard. I went inside a few months ago and noticed that the stock was low. I presumed they do a lot of mail order and sell in gross to the local athletic facilities.

The U.S. dollar stretches pretty good in Mexico,but when it comes to buying "Reyes" equipment the buck stops at the border. It's expensive,but everything is expensive these days,and "Reyes" gear is right up there with all the rest. It's all about making money.

Deportes Viking

[dagosd2000]

Second Thoughts

If you've reading this thread long enough you've heard me mention the time Ken Norton busted me up in a sparring session. Oh,this was back when Ken was going through the local run of the mill heavyweights ,trying to get on good footing so he could fight better guys for a bigger paycheck. It was sort of an impromptu encounter this sparring session.I was at Burke Emery's gym in North Park accompanying a friend who was an amateur heavyweight. He led me to believe that he was going to spar with Norton that afternoon. But my friend said that he had a pinched nerve in his shoulder and if I wanted,he could put in a good word with Eddie Futch saying that I was a more than acceptable replacement. Well I'll repeat it again making the long story and shorter version by saying Ken kicked the crap out of me. If you want the gory details flip back through the 1700 pages of West Coast Boxing and you'll find the evidence spelled out several times or more.

My conclusions about that encounter were sour to say the least. You could even make a case for that "sour" to be an acerbic adjective in front of the noun "grapes." Oh,I sure hated Ken Norton's guts after that. Picking on a meager 240 pound weightlifter/football player who knew nothing about how to defend himself ala Marquis Of Queensbury. Some people in the neighborhood heard the story and how it was the other way around:I had taught Ken Norton a thing or two about the art of self defense-even had him on the seat of his pants. Well,every time I heard that mythical version I quickly dispelled it. But that didn't stop me from hating Ken Norton's guts.

I was so glad when Jose Luis Garcia punched Ken Norton into into La La Land. Then Norton started reading some books about how to acquire self confidence and even was having a hypnotist put him under so he could purge all the negativity between his ears. He got back on the winning track,but then made the fatal mistake(so I thought at the time)of challenging Muhammad Ali. Ali would hand me on a platter a pound of Kenny's flesh and maybe his head.

What transpired was that Ken Norton was Ali's greatest nemesis. I grudgingly had Norton winning all three against Ali.Instead it was only the first fight that the judges weren't reading the sports pages deciding Norton had the better of it. The next two fights were promoted by Jesse James with The Hole In The all Gang acting as arbitrators.

Norton was a peculiar fighter.He caved in when confronted by the big heavy handed heavyweights like Foreman,Shavers,and Cooney.( and go ahead throw in a 1970 version of Jose Luis Garcia),but when it came to the classic boxer ilk he was right in their faces undaunted and trading punch for punch.. The Holmes fight was very close,but Ken battled toe to toe with Homes losing on a split decision for the title. Norton was having his difficulties with Jimmy Young,but eked it out to fight eventually for a unification title with Larry. Kenny was in line to fight Ali a 4th time for all the marbles,but Leon Spinks through a monkey wrench into the mix when beat Muhammad.. The WBC then ordered Leon to fight Ken,but instead there was the rematch with Ali. So now the WBC goes back to the Young fight and rethinks things concluding that THAT fight was for the championship of the WBC. So now Norton has a title he never won in the ring at that moment in history.(I'll include Norton's name to the thread" best boxers who never won a title?") and so the Holmes fight was a belated title fight according to the WBC.

Afterwards came the bangers Shavers and Cooney, and I was happy again. But I'm not cheerful anymore. Time has mellowed me. Norton died too early. He had some serious health issues originating from a car accident when he fell asleep behind the wheel. I remember talking to Norton many years later about the time he broke my nose in Burke Emery's gym.He couldn't remember a thing about it. It was before the car accident so I can't put the loss of memory on that. Hell,why should I hate Ken Norton for giving me a good licking?I've come to this position in the last few years. Managing my anger ,now that I'm wading into my 7th decade,is a work in progress. It's much better to let go. It was me against him in a fair fight. Face to face.Sure it was a long time ago. Norton isn't with us any longer. He was a great fighter. I don't think Ali wanted to fight him a 4th time. And I can always say that I was in the ring with Ken Norton. Now how many can say that?


Ken Norton

[dagosd2000]

Mind Over Muscle

On the "Post Your Scorecards" thread Dan Hanley commented on the fight he saw ,I assume on YouTube,between Paolo Rosi and Manuel Alvarez. The scrap took place in 1962 in New York at The Garden.I remember Rosi,Alvarez doesn't ring a bell. Rosi came alomng when the lightweight division was loaded with talent:Joe Brown,Carlos Ortiz,Eddie Perkins,Flash Elorde,Joey Lopes to name a few.Rosi fought all those guys. Lightweights of that era like Kenny Lane,Dave Charnley,Ralph Dupas,Isaac Logart,Wallace Bud Smith,Jimmy Carter,Tony DeMarco,Lauro Salas ;all !35 pound fighters;some champs;and everyone of them could put on a show.I left out a lot of names only because you guys that remember that decade are repeating their names from memory.

Rosi ,on any given night, could match up with any lightweight. Those fellas knew how to fight. They brought into the ring a wealth of skills. Make a mistake and you'd pay. They could see what was in front of them.They were in shape.They had to be.The competition was deep .They didn't hang around and get fat and sloppy waiting for the news hype broadcasting that they still had the goods like what goes on today.

Gil Clancy was a P.E. teacher in New York City. He was asked to train a young Emile Griffith. You might ask yourself what credentials a school gym teacher had to qualify to mold a fighter of Emile Griffith's talents.Well,Clancy also taught boxing to tho the boys in school who wanted to learn a couple of tricks about self defense. "Boxing" was a part of the curriculum. Algebra,English Lit,Biology,and Boxing were courses you could ask you counselor about.. Carmen Basilio didn't drop out of school because was looking forward to taking some semesters' worth of boxing at the local high school. It was the norm. There was no Little League. Pop Warner football was a couple of decades away. There were no youth leagues of every sport on the face of the earth like you have today,but there were plenty of gyms with men who knew to teach the kiddies enough techniques not let anyone bully them or they'd get a punch in the nose.

So during pre WW II you had a teenage kid that knew, at least ,the ABC's. If he wanted to go further,well,he could walk inside Stillman's or The Main Street Gym. Those types of boxing labs aren't around anymore. The Giil Clancys and Charley Goldmans are long gone. There's a smidgen of good trainers around. Some sweatshops still put out a decent fighter. But unlike the kids back then who knew what it was like to fight inside a boxing ring,the youth today are playing Little League,Pop Warner football,and 3 on 3 basketball at the local recreation center.


There's no more "boxing" in the school catalogues. Some trainers have never boxed an amateur round let alone a frame for a paycheck. Many fighters start off taking up the sport in their 20's. What's out there is a pale imitation of what boxing was;when you could go to the local arena on a Saturday night and see talent; two boys who were pugilistic artists. A surrogate trip to the Louvre.

You see on the forum discussions(that often wind up being slugfests of their own)about the heavyweights who were the standard 6 foot a 190 pounds of yesteryear who wouldn't hold up to the monsters of today. I don't think the Klitchkos,Joshua,Wilder, or Fury would have the ability to beat a Louis,Marciano,or a Charles. I'll take a 75% Charles against any of the big boys today and he'd sitting on the heavyweight throne for 10 years. Remember,we're talking boxing,not Mixed Martial Arts.

But if you were born in the 1990's you probably think that the bigger they are the more they triumph. And don't think that a fighter like Ezzaed Charles ,who'd be giving away 40 pounds to Deontay Wilder, would be crapping in his boxing trunks. By the time Charles got through with him,it would be Wilder asking "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"


Deontay Wilder

[dagosd2000]

Right Makes Right


In 1969 San Diego hosted the National AAU Titles at the Sports Arena. My friend,Gary Young,was an undefeated amateur heavyweight. originally from Portland,Oregon,Gary decided to call San Diego his place of residence. His steady job was working for the San Diego Unified School District. He was running a school for troubled kids.I got to know him because he was working out at Vic's Ocean Beach Gym where I was also pushing iron. At the time Gary held the record for the "deadlift":760 pounds. Today there are guys that can pull up that weight with one hand.

Gary got me going to the boxing gym at the 32nd Street Naval Base in National City. Between fights I'd provide my services as Gary's workout partner aka punching bag.. We'd spar during the week and every day I'd go home with a migraine. That was enough to steer me away from taking up the sport more seriously. When it was announced that San Diego was going to be the site for the AAU's ,me and Gary were sitting ringside everyday. Of course our primary focus was on the heavyweights. That's when I first saw Earnie Shavers, and his right hand. Shavers knocked out everyone they put in front of him to with the title via the right hand.

I'm not a big fan of amateur fighting. First ,there's the headgear. Then the big soft gloves. Points are amassed by attacking the face.Body shots don't count. The matches are scheduled for three rounds ,and they usually last the distance. But watching Earnie Shavers go through his opponents had me on the edge of my seat. I'd never seen a fighter dispatch an opponent was such speed and power. It wasn't a case of wearing the other guy down. No.For Shavers,when he saw the opening,he'd let go with that straight over the shoulder right hand and it was over. He was voted the best fighter of the tourney by the scribes which was a real no brainer. I couldn't wait for Shavers to fight for money. I thought with that right hand no one would be left standing. Off the top of my head I can think of three others that had that kind of a one punch KO power with the right:Joe Louis,Kostya Tszyu,and Julian Jackson. If those guys landed their right hands it was curtains. There have been and are fighters with impressive KO records -Joshua,Foreman,Marciano.( In Joshua's case he hasn't been tested-oops! I forgot Andy Ruiz.That was a test?More like a pop quiz that he flunked)) But their toil was a wearing down process. Marciano is remembered for landing the most memorable right hand shot on the chin of Jersey Joe,but most of the stoppages were the result of hammerin' and thunderin' until the opponent was broken down.

After Shavers left San Diego winning that tournament he never got closer than 500 miles from the city. Even Los Angeles was off limits. He did engage at the old stand by The Silver Slipper in Las Vegas,but he never was seen again in the Golden State.

I thought Shavers was a lead pipe cinch to win the title,but the heavyweight division was probably fiiled with more A One fighters than any time in its history.Also it needs to be said that Earnie's chin was bit suspect.He had Larry and Muhammad in trouble,but didn't have their staying power. Ken Norton tasted Earnie's right hand and fell to the canvas in need of a tablespoon of bi carb. But on the flip side,Jerry Quarry was told by his corner to stay away from Big Earn,but that strategy was never in the Irishman's script. Earnie caved in in one. After his loss to Tex Cobb,it was a menu of ham and eggers except for Joe Bugner when Earnie pulled one out with that signature right.

Wouldn't it be a dream to see Earnie Shavers find the Fountain Of Youth and take off his pants again. The way these heavyweights today leave their chins hanging in the breeze,they might as well write put a bullseye under their mouths.I never talked much one on one with Ken Norton,but after he finished fighting he was asked by one of the local newspaper men who was the hardest hitter he was ever in the ring with. Without hesitating,he answered Earnie Shavers.



Earnie Shavers

[chrisjs1985]

Roger, it's unfortunate for the likes of Shavers that to become a champion you literally had to beat a legit hall of famer. Put him around today where there's so many titles and he'd gobble up a couple. Wilder wouldn't make it past two rounds. Joshua? About the same. When you see the caliber of fighters who seemed to brag of his power, Ali, Holmes, Norton etc; you know it was a different feel.

I met Shavers many times. As you know, I lived in the north west of England up until 2009 and Shavers worked as a greeter at a bar called Yates's in the city centre of Liverpool. He'd married a woman from Birkenhead, just over the water and was living there for some time. I believe he's since moved back to America. Really nice fella and he had some big, powerful hands and he was still built like a bull.

[dagosd2000]

Roger, it's unfortunate for the likes of Shavers that to become a champion you literally had to beat a legit hall of famer. Put him around today where there's so many titles and he'd gobble up a couple. Wilder wouldn't make it past two rounds. Joshua? About the same. When you see the caliber of fighters who seemed to brag of his power, Ali, Holmes, Norton etc; you know it was a different feel.

I met Shavers many times. As you know, I lived in the north west of England up until 2009 and Shavers worked as a greeter at a bar called Yates's in the city centre of Liverpool. He'd married a woman from Birkenhead, just over the water and was living there for some time. I believe he's since moved back to America. Really nice fella and he had some big, powerful hands and he was still built like a bull.

I'd see Shavers at some of the boxing conventions in LA many years after leaving the sport.. He said to me once.after I complemented him on his right hand,that he couldn't go two rounds because he was out of shape,but that he could still unload the right hand.Real soft spoken nice fella

[dagosd2000]

Beautiful Naples

When the eight players on the 1919 Chicago White Sox baseball team were acquitted by a jury for "throwing " the World Serious (thanks Ring Lardner), the eight accused went to let off steam at the just opened Bella Napoli Café on the Southwest Side of the Windy City. The festivities lasted through the next day. Food and beverages,including an ample supply of bathtub gin brewed by the local residents of Little Italy's Patch,were dispensed under the gracious eye of the proprietor of the Bella- my grandfather,Giuseppe Giachino Esposito ,more commonly refereed to as "Diamond Joe" the undeclared mayor of Little Italy. But the next day the commissioner of baseball,Kenesaw Mountain Landis,became Mr. Party Pooper banning the eight horsehiders from the sport for life.

When Alfonse Caponi tried to entice ex heavyweight champ,Jack Dempsey,to play along to get along with his rematch with Gene Tunney,the Mannassa Mauler knew that it was going to be his last fight.He'd had enough of fighting, and Gene Tunney. The gathering took place at a back table at "Dimey's" Bella Napoli.

The Bella Napoli,located at 515 West Halsted Street ,was one of the swank places to be seen in The Hog Butcher Of The World(thanks Carl Sandberg).Popular faces like Charlie Chaplin,Al Jolson,Ruth Etting, Harry Houdini,and Doug Fairbanks and Mary Pickford twirled their pasta on their forks inside my grandfather's infamous bistro. The hot sounds of jazz musicians like Bix Beiderbecke ,Mezz Mezzrow,and Louis Armstrong filled the room with notes of the current craze of improvised riffs.The high profile jocks were no strangers. Babe Ruth,"Red" Grange,Gabby Hartnett,and of course Jack Dempsey and his guru "Doc" Kearns wiped gravy off their ties too.

Across the street was Jane Addams' Hull House that cared for the waif Italian immigrant children of The Patch. Those kids were frequent diners at the Bella,again my grandfather presiding over hefty platefuls of macaronis. Capone ate his spaghetti dinner nightly at his table seven days a week. The chef at the Bella Napoli was hand picked by my grandfather when he took his clan to Naples( more precisely his hometown of Acerra)and brought back the artisan non pareil to exhibit his skills in the kitchen.When the Northside bootleggers were shooting at Capone's mobsters,and Scarface's button men were returning fire with their gats,"Bugs" Moran(the Northside boss) thought he had come up with a good idea by approaching the newly arrived cook offering him a deal he couldn't refuse(10 big ones)to spike prussic acid in Capone's linguini. But the cook was a paisan to Al and left out the lethal ingredient.He also filled in Al to the proposed bribe. Well,it was bang bang your dead for the unfortunate proposer.

After "Dimey" was gunned down near his house on the corner of Polk and Oakley walking back from a Hod Carrier's Union meeting( my grandfather was the head of the laborers),my grandmother wanted to meet with Capone and find out why. Big Al sat back in his easy chair and gave her the standard reply,"It was an accident." Capone took my grandfather's diamond ring that he called "The Sun" and the stickpin he referred to as "The Moon",both appraised together for around 100 g's. Capone took in my father to live with him. It was a code amongst the Italian gangsters to care for the son of the assassinated.Soon after the vice raided the Bella Napoli closing its doors for a year. it wasn't too long that my grandmother squandered her husband's fortune(including selling the big house in Bass Lake.Indiana where the mob liked to get away from the drive by shootings and go fishing) on fast cars,fancy clothes, and greaseball Romeos.

As time marches on the memories of The Bella Napoli have faded into the smoke of Mount Vesuvius. The old Outfit guys are all dead and buried. The celebrities who twirled their forks and danced the jitterbug to the licks of Sidney Bechet you can read about in books. But who reads anymore?

I remember the stories that my father would tell me about those times in the dago neighborhood. My uncles would also spin a yarn or two. I was little then living in my grandfather's house,but a lot of the footprints remained. The Bella Napoli was gone though. Oh,to have been the fly on the wall when Jack Dempsey and "Doc" Kearns were being served pasta by Paul "The Waiter" Ricca( future Don of the Outfit) and chianti being poured in glasses by my grandfather,"Diamond" Joe. I could have looked it up I suppose, but I'd rather have heard my father tell it.



My grandfather next to his bride Carmela nee Marchese. She was 16.He was 44.The post wedding party cost him 60,000 dollars.40 thousand on just wine.



"Diamond Joe" making Jane Addam's kids happy at the Bella Napoli.




My grandfather handing out "Christmas baskets" to the poor of The Patch

[chrisjs1985]

I’m hearing Mauricio Suiliaman is confirming Jose Napoles passed away earlier today. Not seen it anywhere else it was reported by a Mexican boxing page I follow.

If true, RIP gran campeon. One of my favorite fighters and one of the greatest fighter period. Have you seen or heard anything Roger?

[dagosd2000]

Adios Campeon

I was lying around today,my mind swirling about what I should post on the Classic West Coast Boxing Forum. I started up the computer,logged onto BoxRec,clicked over to Boxing History and saw that Chris had added something to this long running miscellaneous thread. I was startled( but was bracing myself for this day) to read of the passing of my favorite fighter,Jose Napoles. I visited him in September of 2014 in Ciudad Juarez,Mexico. His house was a modest abode,a cream colored brick structure located on a back street in a rundown colonia. He was sitting out front on the sidewalk smoking a Cuban cigar, waving and saying hello to everyone that passed by. I could see that he was showing his 74 years on shaky legs. I talked to him for over an hour about a limited range of topics that included only a few questions regarding his life in the ring. He talked mostly about his wife who was out shopping. He timidly apprised me that his wife was holding him together. He said he was scared and that he felt anxious when his wife,Berta,wasn't with him. He said he was sick and afraid and that he was a person not to feared anymore.

I gave him a painting that I had brushed together showing him in his fighter's stance. He didn't say anything about it. When I left I wondered what became of that painting. A year or so ago I Googled his name and saw an image of him in his living room.I could see the painting hanging on the wall in back of him.That made me feel real good. I told him that I was going to Los Angeles to attend the Wst Coast Boxing Hall Of Fame ceremony. He wanted to know if he could go with me. I felt that was short notice,but I asked him anyway for his address and phone number. He said he didn't know it,but that his wife did,but she was out shopping. Before leaving I took a few pictures with him and slipped him a 20."Buy some more cigars amigo."We embraced and he called me "campeon,' which is a commonly voiced Latino expression( and American too,but then that's usually 'champ') to a new acquaintance.

I had been reading news in the last several years about Jose Napoles' declining health. The last account I read( earlier this year) was that he was bed ridden,Berta being essentially his caretaker and nurse. A few months ago I went to Phoenix,Arizona to visit my grandson Adam.He's attending Arizona State University. We saw a Diamond Backs game.i gave some thought of going on to Ciudad Juarez to revisit Jose Napoles,but I backed off. It would have been a hit or a miss if he was still in that same house. Then to see him in his condition. When I was saying good by I gave him my card that had my phone number and address. I never heard from him. I think when I left he had quickly forgotten the impromptu meeting. before I had crossed the border.

I won't make any personal judgements pro or con about Jose Napoles.I didn't know him well enough. We know what he did in the ring.I'll kleave it at that. Again.Jose Napoles was my favorite fighter. Adios amigo.RIP.


Me and my favorite fighter.


The old champ and my painting.That makes me feel real good




Las Golondrinas.
I have to admit after finishing this I reached for the Kleenex.