For many Italian Americans, the sport of boxing is synonymous with Italian American pride, thanks to the timeless accomplishments of legendary names like Rocky Marciano, “Boom Boom Mancini,”  Jake La Motta, Carmen Basilio, and the late, great Angelo Dundee. But one very dedicated Italian American has made it his life’s mission to help preserve the...

Charles Messina grew up listening to boxing matches on the radio — iconic fights like Muhammad Ali versus Floyd Patterson — and sparring with his brothers in the back yard. The sport of boxing has been part of his life ever since, and he’s been a driving force behind the boxing scene in Delaware. “I went through all the stages of boxing,” Messina s...

Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Victoria and Matt Ferrigno, a police lieutenant. He is of Italian descent. Soon after he was born, Ferrigno says he believes he suffered a series of ear infections and lost 75 to 80% of his hearing, though his condition was not diagnosed until he was three years old. Hearing loss caused Fer...

An intense competitor and feared contender, Jake “The Bronx Bull” LaMotta was one of boxing’s most legendary figures. He was known as the “Bronx Bull” because of an aggressive, hard-charging style. Jake LaMotta was a classic banger, choosing to pound out his victories in weight classes ranging from welterweight to heavyweight. He was most successfu...

There can be little doubt that the story of working-class Italian-Americans making the big time in boxing is a truly loved and time-tested one; especially with an abundance of such heroes hailing from NY. From the “Rocky” franchise to “Raging Bull,” popular culture has also played its part in incubating the relationship between American citizens of...

1960 is considered the most important year of the 19th century for the city of Rome. After two unsuccessful attempts, in 1904 and 1908, the Eternal City succeeded in organizing the Summer Olympics, the biggest sports and media event in the world. From August 25th to September 11th, 5338 athletes from 83 nations participated in the 150 competitions...

Even for the layman, names like Jake LaMotta, Muhammed Ali, and Mike Tyson ring a bell when it comes to boxing. All three pugilists spent time training and fighting at Gleason’s Gym at 434 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx. I myself had never heard of the facility until conducting research for this article, and certainly had no idea of its deep link...

Arturo Gatti was one of the most electrifying boxers to ever step foot in the ring. He was beloved in the Italian-American community not just for his knockout ability, but for the way he lived life to the fullest. Despite constantly getting punished in the ring, Gatti always had a smile on his face. That’s why the boxing world was shocked to its co...

Known as The Raging Bull, or “the Bronx Bull for his aggressive fighting style, Giacobbe LaMotta grew up in the Bronx where he honed his boxing skills. The son of Sicilian immigrant Giuseppe LaMotta and Elizabeth LaMotta, Asa child, he was encouraged by his father to fight other neighborhood children as adult spectators would throw change into the...

You know, amid this Coronavirus carnage here in Italy over the past couple of months it got me thinking about New York boxing great Cus D’Amato. A boxing titan who’s family originally hailed from Italy. My thoughts have been with the good people of New York in recent weeks during this devastating time for humanity over there. Cus was a proud New Yo...