Rocky Graziano
Encyclopedia
Rocky Graziano, born Thomas Rocco Barbella in New York City
(1 January 1919 – May 22, 1990), was an Italian American boxer. Graziano was considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch. He was ranked 23rd on Ring Magazine's
list of the greatest punchers of all time.
Graziano's life story was the basis of the 1956 Oscar
-winning drama film
Somebody Up There Likes Me
, based on his 1955 autobiography of the same title. The film starred Paul Newman
and was directed by Robert Wise
.
. He later moved to Little Italy
in New York's Lower East Side
. Rocky grew up as a street fighter and learned to look after himself before he could read or write. He spent years in reform school, jail, and Catholic protectories.
When Rocky was as young as 3 years of age, his father would make him and his brother Joe (who was three years older) fight almost every night in boxing gloves. All the washed-up boxers from around the neighborhood would go to the Barbellas' house to drink and watch the two brothers fight. The fights usually ended badly for Rocco. As he would get hit more and more, he would become angrier and angrier. Usually he would fall asleep from getting punched or sheer tiredness. The only person in Rocco's life to feel any sort of sympathy for him was his mother. She believed Rocco was her lucky child, as he was born on the first day of the New Year. However, Rocky was in trouble for much of his childhood.
At the age of 8, Rocco went to live with his grandparents on Second Avenue near Houston Street. There, he met his first friend, Sam Villa, nicknamed "Houdini" for his ability to "disappear when there's work or trouble around." Houdini introduced Rocky to the pool hall and other games popular on the East Side, including stick-ball, football, and handball. Around this time, Rocky saw kids on the street riding scooters. He went up to a kid and told him to give him the scooter, but the other kid wouldn't. Enraged, Rocky went a couple blocks up, found another kid, punched him in the face, and came back to where the other kids were. He sped down the street and attempted to do a spinning stop. However, he was hit by a car, the impact of which broke his leg and required a two-month stay in the hospital.
When Rocky was discharged from the hospital, he met up with his old crony and continued his mischievous ways. One of Rocky's biggest money-makers was robbing gum machines in the subways. The two boys would visit different stations to avoid suspicion and being caught. One day, Rocky forgot to check a utility closet and was caught when a detective burst out of the door. Rocky was sentenced to probation by Children's Court. Houdini, however, was able to cry his way out of Children's Court.
One morning, he woke up early and stole 50 cents from his grandfather. His grandfather confronted him, advancing on Rocky with a shaving block. Rocky jumped out the window and ran down the fire escape, then continued to run to Brooklyn to his old house. He told his father what had happened and was beaten anyway, since he didn't let his grandfather do it.
He spent the next couple of days at his old house. He saw his brother playing in the street one day and stole a bicycle to give to his brother. His brother unknowingly rode the bicycle toward where Rocco had stolen it. His brother was arrested and confessed to police that Rocky had stolen it.
Rocky attended a court meeting and his old school truancy and probation records caught up with him. He was sent to a Catholic protectory, one of three terms he spent there.
But he also thought that stealing and ripping apart houses was a better idea, although trainers who saw him fight thought he could make a real mark on boxing. A couple of weeks into amateur fighting, he was picked up for stealing from a school. He went to Coxsackie Correctional Facility
, where he spent three weeks, with boyhood friend Jake LaMotta
, and then he went on to the New York City Reformatory where he spent five months.
After Rocky got out of the Reformatory, he headed back to the gym to make money. There he met Eddie Cocco, who started his professional career. He entered the ring under the name of Robert Barber. A couple of weeks later, when he was making good money, he lent out a car to friends who robbed a couple of bookies and shot them in the chest. Rocky was charged with a probation violation and sent back to reform school. There, he was charged for starting a minor riot between the "East Side Gang" and the "Blacks". He was sent to Rikers Island
.
When Rocky got out of jail, he was approached by the military and told that he had to join. Rocky went AWOL in the military after punching a captain. He escaped from Fort Dix in New Jersey and started his real boxing career under the name of "Rocky Graziano". He won his first couple of bouts. After gaining popularity under the name of Graziano, he was found by the military. After Graziano's fourth bout, he was called in to manager's office to speak with a couple of military personnel. Expecting to be prosecuted and sent back to the military or jail, Graziano fled. He then returned to the military a week later. He turned himself in, but instead of being punished he was pardoned and given the opportunity to fight under the army's aegis.
in one of boxing's most storied rivalries. He also fought Sugar Ray Robinson
, losing by early knockout in three rounds.
He is most famous for his three title bouts with Tony Zale, all for the middleweight title. In their first match (September 27, 1946), after flooring Graziano in the first round, Zale took a savage beating from Graziano, and was on the verge of losing the fight by TKO. However, he rallied and knocked out Graziano in the sixth round to retain his title. The rematch, a year later in Chicago (July 16, 1947), was a mirror image of their first fight. The referee almost stopped the second fight in the third round because of a severe cut over Graziano's left eye, which would have awarded the victory to Zale, but Graziano's cutman, Morris ("Whitey") Bimstein, was able to stop the bleeding to let the fight continue. Graziano was battered around the ring, suffered a closed eye and appeared ready to lose by a knockout, then rallied and knocked Zale out in the sixth round, becoming middleweight champion of the world.
Their last fight was held in New Jersey the following year (June 10, 1948). Zale regained his crown, winning the match by a knockout in the third round. The knockout blows consisted of a perfect combination of a right to Graziano's body, then a left hook to Graziano's jaw. Graziano was knocked unconscious.
His last attempt at the middleweight title came in April 1952, when Sugar Ray Robinson
knocked him out in three rounds. He retired after losing his very next fight, a 10-round decision to Chuck Davey
.
In 1948, Abe Green, the National Boxing Association President, announced that they were indefinitely suspending Graziano in all parts of the world under NBA supervision, following similar action by the California State Athletic Commission
. This was due to Graziano's "running out" on a scheduled Dec. 1 bout with Fred Apostoli
. The suspension covered all of the American States, Great Britain, the European Boxing Federation, Cuba, Mexico, and Canada. Boxing promoter Ralph Tribuani got Graziano a license in Delaware, where the allegations were perceived as ridiculous. This led to the reinstatement of Graziano by both the NBA and NYSAC and Rocky's return to prosperity.
comedian, co-hosting a short-lived series titled The Henny and Rocky Show with famous comedian Henny Youngman
. He was also a semi-regular on NBC
's The Martha Raye Show
, portraying host Martha Raye
's "boyfriend."
Graziano also appeared as a regular on the United Artists
TV series Miami Undercover
for its entire run, and appeared in several series and shows, including The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
on ABC
and an episode of NBC
's Car 54, Where Are You?
. He portrayed Packy, an ex-boxer, in the 1967 Frank Sinatra film Tony Rome
.
In the 1960s, Graziano opened a pizza restaurant called Rocky Graziano's Pizza Ring on Second Avenue in the Kips Bay
neighborhood of Manhattan, eventually creating a modest franchise for the restaurant in the New York City area. He also became the celebrity spokesman for Lee Myles Transmissions in the New York City area, appearing on dozens of television commercials from the mid-1970s to the mid 1980s.
In his retirement, Graziano dabbled in painting and developed an admiration for the work of Pablo Picasso
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(1 January 1919 – May 22, 1990), was an Italian American boxer. Graziano was considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch. He was ranked 23rd on Ring Magazine's
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
list of the greatest punchers of all time.
Graziano's life story was the basis of the 1956 Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
Somebody Up There Likes Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me (film)
Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. Joseph Ruttenberg was awarded a 1956 Oscar in the category of Best Cinematography . The film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956...
, based on his 1955 autobiography of the same title. The film starred Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
and was directed by Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Robert Earl Wise was an American sound effects editor, film editor, film producer and director...
.
Early life
Rocky Graziano was the son of a boxer known as 'Fighting Nick Bob', and was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He later moved to Little Italy
Little Italy, Manhattan
Little Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan, New York City, once known for its large population of Italians. Today the neighborhood of Little Italy consists of Italian stores and restaurants.-Historical area:...
in New York's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. Rocky grew up as a street fighter and learned to look after himself before he could read or write. He spent years in reform school, jail, and Catholic protectories.
When Rocky was as young as 3 years of age, his father would make him and his brother Joe (who was three years older) fight almost every night in boxing gloves. All the washed-up boxers from around the neighborhood would go to the Barbellas' house to drink and watch the two brothers fight. The fights usually ended badly for Rocco. As he would get hit more and more, he would become angrier and angrier. Usually he would fall asleep from getting punched or sheer tiredness. The only person in Rocco's life to feel any sort of sympathy for him was his mother. She believed Rocco was her lucky child, as he was born on the first day of the New Year. However, Rocky was in trouble for much of his childhood.
At the age of 8, Rocco went to live with his grandparents on Second Avenue near Houston Street. There, he met his first friend, Sam Villa, nicknamed "Houdini" for his ability to "disappear when there's work or trouble around." Houdini introduced Rocky to the pool hall and other games popular on the East Side, including stick-ball, football, and handball. Around this time, Rocky saw kids on the street riding scooters. He went up to a kid and told him to give him the scooter, but the other kid wouldn't. Enraged, Rocky went a couple blocks up, found another kid, punched him in the face, and came back to where the other kids were. He sped down the street and attempted to do a spinning stop. However, he was hit by a car, the impact of which broke his leg and required a two-month stay in the hospital.
When Rocky was discharged from the hospital, he met up with his old crony and continued his mischievous ways. One of Rocky's biggest money-makers was robbing gum machines in the subways. The two boys would visit different stations to avoid suspicion and being caught. One day, Rocky forgot to check a utility closet and was caught when a detective burst out of the door. Rocky was sentenced to probation by Children's Court. Houdini, however, was able to cry his way out of Children's Court.
One morning, he woke up early and stole 50 cents from his grandfather. His grandfather confronted him, advancing on Rocky with a shaving block. Rocky jumped out the window and ran down the fire escape, then continued to run to Brooklyn to his old house. He told his father what had happened and was beaten anyway, since he didn't let his grandfather do it.
He spent the next couple of days at his old house. He saw his brother playing in the street one day and stole a bicycle to give to his brother. His brother unknowingly rode the bicycle toward where Rocco had stolen it. His brother was arrested and confessed to police that Rocky had stolen it.
Rocky attended a court meeting and his old school truancy and probation records caught up with him. He was sent to a Catholic protectory, one of three terms he spent there.
Amateur career
Eddie Cocco is the main reason Rocky started amateur boxing. Rocky heard from a couple of his friends about a tournament going on with a gold medal for the winner. Rocky entered under the name of "Joe Giuliani". He fought four matches and ended up winning the New York Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union Boxing competition (1939). He sold the gold medal for $15 and decided that boxing was a good way to make cash.But he also thought that stealing and ripping apart houses was a better idea, although trainers who saw him fight thought he could make a real mark on boxing. A couple of weeks into amateur fighting, he was picked up for stealing from a school. He went to Coxsackie Correctional Facility
Coxsackie Correctional Facility
Coxsackie Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in New York in the USA. The prison is in the Town of Coxsackie in Greene County, New York.- Location :...
, where he spent three weeks, with boyhood friend Jake LaMotta
Jake LaMotta
Giacobbe LaMotta , better known as Jake LaMotta, nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" and "The Raging Bull", is a former American world middleweight champion boxer...
, and then he went on to the New York City Reformatory where he spent five months.
After Rocky got out of the Reformatory, he headed back to the gym to make money. There he met Eddie Cocco, who started his professional career. He entered the ring under the name of Robert Barber. A couple of weeks later, when he was making good money, he lent out a car to friends who robbed a couple of bookies and shot them in the chest. Rocky was charged with a probation violation and sent back to reform school. There, he was charged for starting a minor riot between the "East Side Gang" and the "Blacks". He was sent to Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
.
When Rocky got out of jail, he was approached by the military and told that he had to join. Rocky went AWOL in the military after punching a captain. He escaped from Fort Dix in New Jersey and started his real boxing career under the name of "Rocky Graziano". He won his first couple of bouts. After gaining popularity under the name of Graziano, he was found by the military. After Graziano's fourth bout, he was called in to manager's office to speak with a couple of military personnel. Expecting to be prosecuted and sent back to the military or jail, Graziano fled. He then returned to the military a week later. He turned himself in, but instead of being punished he was pardoned and given the opportunity to fight under the army's aegis.
Professional career
Graziano was world boxing champion, and he fought Tony ZaleTony Zale
Anthony Florian Zaleski was an American boxer. Zale was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, a steel town, which gave him his nickname, "Man of Steel." In addition, he had the reputation of being able to take fearsome punishment and still rally to win, reinforcing that nickname...
in one of boxing's most storied rivalries. He also fought Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
, losing by early knockout in three rounds.
He is most famous for his three title bouts with Tony Zale, all for the middleweight title. In their first match (September 27, 1946), after flooring Graziano in the first round, Zale took a savage beating from Graziano, and was on the verge of losing the fight by TKO. However, he rallied and knocked out Graziano in the sixth round to retain his title. The rematch, a year later in Chicago (July 16, 1947), was a mirror image of their first fight. The referee almost stopped the second fight in the third round because of a severe cut over Graziano's left eye, which would have awarded the victory to Zale, but Graziano's cutman, Morris ("Whitey") Bimstein, was able to stop the bleeding to let the fight continue. Graziano was battered around the ring, suffered a closed eye and appeared ready to lose by a knockout, then rallied and knocked Zale out in the sixth round, becoming middleweight champion of the world.
Their last fight was held in New Jersey the following year (June 10, 1948). Zale regained his crown, winning the match by a knockout in the third round. The knockout blows consisted of a perfect combination of a right to Graziano's body, then a left hook to Graziano's jaw. Graziano was knocked unconscious.
His last attempt at the middleweight title came in April 1952, when Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
knocked him out in three rounds. He retired after losing his very next fight, a 10-round decision to Chuck Davey
Charles Pierce Davey
Charles Pierce Davey, better known as Chuck Davey, was an American-born welterweight boxer and boxing commissioner for the state of Michigan.- Career :...
.
Career trouble
In 1946, Graziano was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) for failure to report an alleged bribe attempt.In 1948, Abe Green, the National Boxing Association President, announced that they were indefinitely suspending Graziano in all parts of the world under NBA supervision, following similar action by the California State Athletic Commission
California State Athletic Commission
The California State Athletic Commission regulates professional boxing, professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events....
. This was due to Graziano's "running out" on a scheduled Dec. 1 bout with Fred Apostoli
Fred Apostoli
Alfredo "Fred" Apostoli was a rugged, accomplished body punching middleweight, who was recognized as the world champion when he defeated Marcel Thil on September 23, 1937. He was elected to The Ring's Boxing Hall of Fame...
. The suspension covered all of the American States, Great Britain, the European Boxing Federation, Cuba, Mexico, and Canada. Boxing promoter Ralph Tribuani got Graziano a license in Delaware, where the allegations were perceived as ridiculous. This led to the reinstatement of Graziano by both the NBA and NYSAC and Rocky's return to prosperity.
Post-boxing career
After his retirement from boxing, he became a well-known televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedian, co-hosting a short-lived series titled The Henny and Rocky Show with famous comedian Henny Youngman
Henny Youngman
Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners", short, simple jokes usually delivered rapid-fire...
. He was also a semi-regular on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Martha Raye Show
The Martha Raye Show
The Martha Raye Show is an hour-long comedy/variety show which aired live on NBC from January 23, 1954, to May 29, 1956. The series was hosted by the late Martha Raye, a Montana native, who often called herself "The Big Mouth." Her boyfriend on the program and a foil for her humor was portrayed by...
, portraying host Martha Raye
Martha Raye
Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
's "boyfriend."
Graziano also appeared as a regular on the United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
TV series Miami Undercover
Miami Undercover
Miami Undercover is an American detective drama that aired in broadcast syndication in 1961 for a total of 38 episodes. The series co-starred former Boxer Rocky Graziano. -Synopsis:...
for its entire run, and appeared in several series and shows, including The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom is a half-hour variety show that aired on ABC from October 3, 1957 to June 23, 1960, starring the young singer Pat Boone and a host of top-name guest stars. The program was of course sponsored by Chevrolet...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and an episode of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. Episodes had various directors, the most recognized being Al De Caprio. Stanley Prager and Nat Hiken also directed several episodes. Most of its filming was on location in The Bronx, and at Biograph...
. He portrayed Packy, an ex-boxer, in the 1967 Frank Sinatra film Tony Rome
Tony Rome
Tony Rome is a 1967 detective film starring Frank Sinatra and directed by Gordon Douglas, adapted from Marvin Albert's novel Miami Mayhem. Filming took place on location in Miami, Florida, with some scenes being shot during the day at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, where Sinatra was performing in...
.
In the 1960s, Graziano opened a pizza restaurant called Rocky Graziano's Pizza Ring on Second Avenue in the Kips Bay
Kips Bay
Kips Bay is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Because there are no official boundaries for New York City neighborhoods, the limits of Kip's Bay are somewhat vague, but it is often considered to be the area between East 23rd Street and East 34th Street extending from...
neighborhood of Manhattan, eventually creating a modest franchise for the restaurant in the New York City area. He also became the celebrity spokesman for Lee Myles Transmissions in the New York City area, appearing on dozens of television commercials from the mid-1970s to the mid 1980s.
In his retirement, Graziano dabbled in painting and developed an admiration for the work of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
.
Personal life
- Graziano was the son of Fighting Nick Bob, who had a brief boxing career.
- Bert Sugar wrote in his book "The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time": "Graziano was raised on the Lower East Side where both sides of the tracks were wrong." He overcame coming from a disadvantaged background, to rise to the top of the ring and entertainment world.
- He died from cardiopulmonary failure on May 22, 1990 in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Accolades
- Graziano is a member of the International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
. - Graziano was named to Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers of all time.
- In 2007, Graziano was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of FameNassau County Sports Hall of FameThe Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
.