(MAR 23) Living legend Jake
"The Bronx Bull" LaMotta has confirmed his attendance Sunday,
April 1 at the inaugural New York State Boxing Hall of Fame ("NYSBHOF")
induction dinner, sponsored by Ring 8, at Russo's On The Bay in
Howard Beach, New York.
In 1943, the now 90-year-old LaMotta (83-19-4, 30 KOs) became
the first to defeat another member of the first NYSBHOF class,
"Sugar" Ray Robinson, arguably the greatest boxer of all-time,
leads a star-studded list of 12 boxers and eight
non-participants to be formally inducted.
LaMotta defeated Marcel Cerdan in 1949 to capture the World
Middleweight Championship. During his exciting 13-year
professional boxing career, Jake was a fixture fighting in the
NY Coliseum in the Bronx, and later at Madison Square Garden. He
defeated the great Fritzie Zivic in three of four fights, as
well as other notables such as Tony Janiro, Tiberio Mitri for
the NYSAC World middleweight title and European champion Robert
Villemain. Robert DeNiro played LaMotta in the award-winning
movie, Raging Bull, which was directed by Martin Scorsese.
Boxers joining LaMotta and Robinson in the inaugural NYSBHOF
class are Mike Tyson, Carmen Basilio, Riddick Bowe, Carlos
Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, Mike McCallum and the
late Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard and Tony Canzoneri.
Non-participant inductees are judge/HBO analyst Harold Lederman,
coach/instructor Steve Acunto, trainer/cutman Jimmy Glenn and,
posthumously, trainers Gil Clancy and Ray Arcel, The Ring
Magazine founder Nat Fleischer, New York Daily News boxing
reporter/cartoonist Bill Gallo, and referee Arthur Mercante, Sr.
"The most rewarding part about being involved in this project
has been hearing from families of inductees no longer with us
who are so happy that those great boxers and boxing people
haven't been forgotten," NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said.
"Those from the past are being remembered today by the New York
State Boxing Hall of Fame and Ring 8. That's what this is all
about - paying tribute to these boxing greats."
The NYSBHOF will have a dedicated wall at the Waterfront
Crabhouse and in the New York State Athletic Commission to
commemorate inductees each year.
Inductees who have committed to attending the festivities, in
addition to LaMotta, include McCallum, Griffith, Ortiz,
Antuofermo, Acunto, Glenn and Lederman. The families of
Canzoneri, Tunney, Arcel, Gallo and Mercante will also be
represented.
The inductees were selected by a six-member NYSBHOF nominating
committee comprised of Jack Hirsch, Steve Farhood, Henry Hascup,
Bobby Cassidy Jr., Ron McNair and Neil Terens.
All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years, in
order to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees
had to have resided in New York State for a significant portion
of their boxing careers.
Tickets, priced at $150.00 per person, include a complete brunch
and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 PM/ET, as well
as dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout
the evening. Tickets are available to purchase at the Waterfront
Crabhouse (2-03 Borden Ave in Long Island City), or by calling
Mazzarella at 718.729.4862 or Ring 8 president Bob Duffy at
516.313.2304. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available, ranging
from $50.00 to $250.00, by contacting Mazzarella and Duffy.
Go on line at www.Ring8ny.com for additional information about
the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
