BoxRec

Was watching an interview with Ali from 1974 in England. It was post Foreman victory.
Anyway he started talking about how before he went to Zaire a guy who he comically described as wearing a raincoat and hat, around 70 years old and Italian came up to him and handed Ali a bottle of liquid and said that if he gets in trouble in the fight to rub some of this onto his gloves and when he jabbed Foreman the solution would run in to Georges eyes! Ali took the bottle but obviously never used it. Ali went on to say that this same mysterious gentleman worked in Liston's corner and was associated with Jack Nilon ten years before when Ali and Sonny met for the first time....so who was this mysterious gentleman..?...I think the story is true....the adventures of Ali...go on and on...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnqLn0R1Rq4

Well known in New York and in the news, little gangster, white, roughly 70 years old (1974) and Italian who was in Liston's corner in 1964 and tight with Jack Nilon (Liston's manager). Hmmm

Controversial wrote:Well known in New York and in the news, little gangster, white, roughly 70 years old (1974) and Italian who was in Liston's corner in 1964 and tight with Jack Nilon (Liston's manager). Hmmm

Im sure I found out who this character was when I watched this interview 20 years ago (amazing as I am only 25 now ha!)

Isn't Joe Pollino often accused for administering the "ointment" on Liston's glove, not sure if he fits the description though

Controversial wrote:Isn't Joe Pollino often blamed for the Liston-Ali eye saga, not sure if he fits the description though

I think that was who I came up with before..

I remember him from the Ali vs Liston - 25 years on tape that came up...I remember his name being mentioned!

Its funny that when I googled a pic of Joe Polino an image from Ali from this particular interview came up !!! How weird!!!!

evrenb wrote:Its funny that when I googled a pic of Joe Polino an image from Ali from this particular interview came up !!! How weird!!!!

Must be him, seems to fit the description well

I think the connection may be,
Joe Polino was still Liston's manager up umtil about 1966
when Liston was fighting in Sweden and then when Liston returned to the USA,
Dick Sadler
became Sonny Liston's manager.(and I think Sammy Davis jr. too for a while).
Sadler also became George Foreman's manager when Foreman turned pro in 1969,
then Foreman fired Sadler right after loosing in Zaire in October 1974 .

Any chance none of this actually happened and Ali was just having a little bit of fun and creating mischief during the interview?
He was an entertainer, you know.
That's why he had no problem filling up reporters' notebooks.

Joe Polino died in 1977, he had a debilitating stroke around 1968 and didn't get around much after that. Joe never managed Liston, he was Liston's "cut-man" along with Mllt Bailey. Liston's management when he came to Phila. were Joe "Pep" Barone, then George Katz, then Jack Nilon. Although it was known that they were fronts for Blinky Palermo and Sam Margolis. Polino was Joey Giardello's trainer for most of his career sharing duties with Adolph Ritacco. Joe Polino also worked as cut-man for Giardello, Harold Johnson, Liston, Georgie Benton and many other Philly boxers.

pbchron wrote:Joe Polino died in 1977, he had a debilitating stroke around 1968 and didn't get around much after that. Joe never managed Liston, he was Liston's "cut-man" along with Mllt Bailey. Liston's management when he came to Phila. were Joe "Pep" Barone, then George Katz, then Jack Nilon. Although it was known that they were fronts for Blinky Palermo and Sam Margolis. Polino was Joey Giardello's trainer for most of his career sharing duties with Adolph Ritacco. Joe Polino also worked as cut-man for Giardello, Harold Johnson, Liston, Georgie Benton and many other Philly boxers.

Thanks for this info - as always you are the most insightful, quality poster I have ever known on Boxrec.

pbchron wrote:Joe Polino died in 1977, he had a debilitating stroke around 1968 and didn't get around much after that. Joe never managed Liston, he was Liston's "cut-man" along with Mllt Bailey. Liston's management when he came to Phila. were Joe "Pep" Barone, then George Katz, then Jack Nilon. Although it was known that they were fronts for Blinky Palermo and Sam Margolis. Polino was Joey Giardello's trainer for most of his career sharing duties with Adolph Ritacco. Joe Polino also worked as cut-man for Giardello, Harold Johnson, Liston, Georgie Benton and many other Philly boxers.

So you think it wasn't Polino who Ali was referring to? If he had a bad stroke in 1968 it seems unlikely he was approaching Ali in 1974.

I wonder if this is the same Joe Polino? http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

Controversial, yes, thats the same Joe Polino. He was a pretty good amateur but as a pro not so good but he became a great trainer +cut-man. I don't know it still could have been him but like I said he didn't get around much after the stroke.

evrenb, man, thanks for the nice words, I always enjoy your posts as well. Check phillyboxinghistory.com for a whole lot of info on Philadelphia boxing.