Tony Pellone-Sugar Ray's Gatekeeper

By Jose Corpas

fightbeat.com

Most experts will tell you that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter of all time. He was at his best as a welterweight where he was champion from 1946 until 1950. Robinson was undefeated below 147 pounds, more than 100 fights without a loss. He started out as a lightweight and within months was ranked in the top 10 and even scored a win over reigning NBA lightweight champion Sammy Angott in a non-title bout. Angott’s title was not at stake that night since Sugar Ray weighed in at 136 pounds- just one pound over the limit. After moving up to welterweight, many contenders refused to fight Robinson, even after he became champion. He was, after all, in the middle of a streak that would see him go 132 fights with only one loss, and that to a hall of fame bound middleweight in Jake LaMotta. The few who were bold enough to challenge him had just one obstacle in their way. They first had to beat tough Tony Pellone.

Beating Tony Pellone was no easy task. He scored wins over the likes of Billy Graham, Bob Montgomery, Charlie Fusari, Johnny Greco, Paddy Young, and Joe Miceli. He went punch for punch with Kid Gavilan, Ike Williams, Tony Janiro, and Johnny Saxton. He was the Ring’s number one contender twice. If you wanted Sugar Ray’s title-you first had to get past the gate. And standing at that gate was his gatekeeper-a fierce, aggressive slugger who guarded that gate with the tenacity of a bulldog. And guess what? He did most of it while only a teenager.

Pellone was born on October 27, 1927. He fought out of New York’s Greenwich Village section, Thompson Street to be exact. He trained at Stillman’s Gym and some writers called him the “best thing since sliced bread.” After only one amateur bout, he debuted with a first round knockout at Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Arena in 1943. His real name was Ciro Pellone and everybody who knew him called him Jerry. His older brother, Anthony, was serving in the Army at that time and Pellone used his ID to turn pro. He also fought under several assumed names at the start of his career including, Jimmy Pell, Tony Pell, Young Tony, and possibly even Jerry Pell. Pellone himself lost track of all the names he used but he did recall the number of bouts he had.

“I had one amateur fight and 110 pro fights” he would tell me.

I had a Ring Record Book at home that I purchased from the Ring’s old Manhattan basement office on West 38th Street. I also had a bunch of records that I ordered from Ralph Citro, who back then, before eBay, Amazon, and boxrec.com, would sell you three records for $10. Pellone’s official record only listed 71 fights. I told him about the record book and suggested to him that perhaps he was including some amateur bouts among the 110 bouts he claimed.

“I had 110 pro fights and one amateur fight,” he reiterated.

“Whose record book is that…Fleischer’s?” he asked. I nodded.

“Do me a favor. Go home. Look for the book and, when you find the book-shove it up your ass!” I never questioned his 110 fights again.

I was only 17 when I met him. Although I had never seen a picture of him before, I knew who he was right away. That face, with a flat nose and scar tissue, gave him away. He spoke with an unmistakable 1940’s New York City accent. He couldn’t say dirty, pronouncing it “doidy,” unless, of course, he was talking about the number, as in “dirty eight.” He lived in a one bedroom, first floor apartment on Kingshighway, just off the F train, in Brooklyn. It was a dark apartment, with very little décor and only a few photos hanging on the walls. One was of him in his prime, in fighting pose. One was a large, almost poster sized, picture of his wedding party. All of his photos were in black and white-except one, a photo of him with Joe DiMaggio.

“He was my idol” he said. “I felt like a little kid when I met him. I couldn’t even speak when I shook his hand and then, guess what? He tells me, ‘Hey I know you. You’re the fighter that supported his whole family when you were just a kid. I was a big fan of yours.’ How about that? Joe D was a fan of mines.”

Pellone did indeed help to support his family. He would turn over his entire purse to his father. Teddy Brenner used to recount the story of the night when Pellone, after giving his father his entire purse of $8,500, asked his father for $15 to buy some new clothes. His father looked Pellone in the eye and said, “I only have $12.”

And Joe DiMaggio wasn’t his only fan. Pellone had plenty of fans. He fought 17 main events in Madison Square Garden. Even in the 1980’s people would recognize him in the street, on the train, almost everywhere. He became my trainer and for a few months we went to the local gyms and fought in exhibitions. There were many more gyms around back then. In Coney Island, Red Hook, Bed Stuy, and our favorite, the Sunset Pal, where Vito Antuofermo cut the ceremonial ribbon when it first opened. He made me spar the very first day we went to the gym.

“But it’s the first day” I told him.

“If you don’t want to spar, it’s ok. We can go outside and suck on lollipops” he told me. I sparred- against a younger kid with a real big head that I couldn’t miss. They stopped it in the second round and, out of breath, I stuck my head through the ropes and asked Tony Pellone, the old pro, how I did.

“He was ‘shittier’ than you” he said with a smirk.

 

I was only 17; just starting out. It was unbelievable that at that age, Pellone was already a leading contender. Pellone first broke into the top 10 in 1945. He out pointed contender Lulu Constatntino and followed that up with an upset of Billy Graham. Graham was a master boxer who entered the fight unbeaten in 58 bouts. But Pellone was too much for him that night. The 17 year old, who at only 5’5” gave up size to everyone he fought, kept on attacking that night. Pellone’s style was no style-he just went out to kick some butt. Aggressive and scrappy, he was too much for Graham.

And a few months later, he was too much for another contender, Patsy Giovanelli. Patsy was 35-1-1 at the time but he too couldn’t hold off Pellone. In another slugfest, Pellone pounded out a decision after ten rounds. Less than three weeks later, he stopped Patsy after nine rounds.

Next up was Maxie Shapiro, who was fighting in his 100th bout. Shapiro had been in with everyone including Henry Armstrong, Bob Montgomery, Sal Bartolo, and Ray Robinson. But all of that experience was not enough to hold off the swarming teenager. Pellone won by decision after ten fast paced rounds.

Pellone had developed in to a real crowd pleaser. He stalked his opponents, chin tucked in behind his raised shoulder-like Floyd Mayweather Jr. does, left jab constantly on the move. When he saw an opening, he would pounce, opening up with multi-punch combinations. Shapiro, like many others to come, could not keep up.



By the start of 1946, 18 year old Tony was rated only behind Robinson and Tommy Bell- another welterweight who beat up on middleweights including Jake LaMotta. Pellone was next matched against reigning lightweight champion, Bob Montgomery. The champ was too experienced for Pellone that night, although little Tony won over the crowd with his never say die effort.

After the loss to Montgomery he beat Ruby Kessler and followed that up by once again out scoring Billy Graham. After the fight, Graham invited Pellone over to his house where Pellone “had the best corned beef ever.” It was close fight, but the split decision went to Pellone.

Next up was Canadian champion Johnny Greco. Greco was being groomed for a possible title shot. Greco was a big draw and had scored wins over top notch battlers like Bobby Ruffin, Chuck Taylor, Harold Green, Tony Janiro and, Terry Young. But the sixty fight veteran could not stop the relentless Pellone.

Next was the first of two bouts against Tony Janiro. A Janiro fight was big news back then. He was the Derek Jeter of his day, appearing in gossip columns and always in the company of the fairer sex. Blond haired and movie star handsome, many experts believe he could have been a champion if he wasn’t so easily swayed by the tender gender. His looks even made men jealous. Like Jake LaMotta, who went into a jealous rage when his wife casually mentioned that Janiro was “cute.”

“We’ll see how cute he is after the fight!” Jake went out not so much to beat Janiro, but to “make him ugly.”

But before Janiro fought Jake, he had a ring date against Pellone. Janiro was too quick for Pellone, winning an impressive decision. After the victory, Janiro was deemed ready for anyone, which is why he was even considered for a bout against the “Raging Bull.”

The Janiro loss was only a temporary set back. Pellone next took on reigning lightweight champion Montgomery in a rematch. The 19 year old floored the champ and out hustled him over ten. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Next up was the 45-0 Charlie Fusari. Fusari was a deadly puncher and was in line to face Sugar Ray. But Pellone stood in his way and with his swarming style and eye catching flurries Pellone hung the first loss on Fusari’s record.

After Sugar Ray Robinson’s first defense, the ill fated affair against Jimmy Doyle, all but one of his future challengers had to first get by Pellone if they wanted a title shot. Chuck Taylor, Kid Gavilan, and Charlie Fusari all fought Pellone within a few months of their challenges. And after Ray moved up to middleweight, Fusari and Graham again had to get by Pellone before they challenged Johnny Bratton and Kid Gavilan for the world title. All told, between 1947 and 1951, only 2 boxers, Bratton and Bernard Docusen, received title opportunities without first meeting Tony Pellone.

His list of opponents reads likes a who’s who of the 1940’s and 1950’s. The punches didn’t bother him he told me.

“I didn’t care who it was. I’d fight anyone. The only one that got away was Beau Jack.”

“Ray Robinson was the best. After him, they were all the same. Kid Gavilan couldn’t bolo-punch against me. I didn’t go for any of that showboating.”

 

Pellone told me the best fighter he ever faced was Sandy Saddler, although that bout doesn’t show up on his record. Perhaps it was during sparring or maybe, it was a fight he took under an alias, I’m not sure. He also claimed to have fought Danny Giovanelli, Patsy’s nephew. Boxing in the 1940’s was very different from today. We can’t imagine what an atmosphere that allowed for fights just about everyday of the week felt like. Fights were happening all the time and all over the place. It was much easier for fights to go unreported back then. Even Edwin Viruet, lightweight contender of the 1970’s, used to tell me about the days when he and his brother, junior welterweight contender Adolfo, would fight as each other and sometimes even against each other. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen anymore.

Another element that appears to have gone from the game is the stranglehold that the “mob” had on boxing. You can get a feel of what it might have been like watching classic films such as On The Waterfront, and The Set Up, and the Robert DeNiro classic, Raging Bull. Pellone was managed by Tommy Ryan, real name Tommy Eboli, who twenty years later was the reputed capo of the Genovese crime family. Rumors of fixed fights surfaced on more than one occasion. Pellone said he couldn’t feel his legs the night he fought Vince Foster.

Vince Foster came out of the mid west. He was Jack Hurley’s latest project and was said to have the same type of crippling punching power that Billy Petrolle had. The Garden wanted a new star and it chose Foster to be that star. Pellone had his turn and now it was time for a new face, a new attraction. But Pellone was far from through. There was still plenty of bite left in this bulldog.

Considering that Foster was not impressive in his previous Garden bout, the build up for the fight was tremendous. Toots Shoors was the bar where the fight crowd gathered and most of the patrons expected a Pellone victory. Comedian Milton Berle called Foster “a strong bum.” But what happened the night of the fight shocked everyone.

Fighting Foster was hard enough, but Pellone went up against much more that night. Not only did Pellone not feel his legs that night, he told me that every time the referee separated him and Foster from a clinch, the referee would stick his thumb in Pellone’s eye! Foster scored three knockdowns that night and stopped Pellone in seven. A new star was born and that was all that mattered. Two fights later, Foster was stopped by Charlie Fusari in the first round.

Pellone on the other hand was a contender for the next two years. He wasn’t aware of what was going on behind the scenes. He only focused on the fights. The fights were real, he told me, “…and I got the broken nose to prove it. Three times!”

“We wuz just kids” he said shrugging his shoulders. “We made a lot of money for a lot of people. The action wuz for da fans. The decisions were for da gamblers.”

Speaking of decisions, most of his fights ended in split decisions regardless of what transpired in the ring. Because of that, writer Jersey Jones dubbed Tony Pellone the “Split Decision Kid.” Now of course Pellone had no control over how the judges scored the fights. But since Jersey Jones insisted on giving out nicknames, he should’ve given it a little more thought. A better one would’ve been, “The Teenage Gatekeeper.”

 

thanks burt, its true there were so many great fighter back then and now theyre forgotten...