Young Griffo's Pall Bearers

Although the weather conditions were wretched, all of the pugilistic great were there. Among the pall bearers were four former world champions, Jim Corbett, Jim Jeffries, Jack McAuliffe and Benny Leonard. Gene Tunney was represented by a superb floral piece.

 

Bobby, As I previously posted, my dad and others who drove a cab in the early 1920s, would see most nights, an old fat man perched on a theatres steps on Broadway. It was old Young Griffo sitting there nightly. My dad would always mention this to me as I was growing up....Sad ending for
probably the greatest defensive fighter who ever lived

 

Thanks for starting this thread Bobby :good

And thank you Senya for the reply, do you mind me asking where you got yr info? Much as Bobby said i have found next to nothing on Griffo's actual funeral.

The fact a flabby out of shape Griffo could get so much praise from Gans speaks volumes to me. On the flip side Griffo said Gans was the greatest fighter that ever lived, that there would never be another like him, both had tremendous respect for each other.

Burt your incredible mate, honestly you should write a book about your experiences. By any chance did you ever see his trick with the fly? I tend to believe now that although far from a life of luxery Griffo spent his final years quite comfortable and content.

 

bugger,thank you.No,! have read about Griffos "fly trick", but I was not even born when Young Griffo died.
I don't know how content Griffo was sitting on theatre steps nightly on
cold nights, but i have heard oldtimers, would stakeout Griff. So, He a
lifetime alcoholic,made the most of his waning years, as all of us must...:goodb.b.

 

hey for what's worth bb, i second the idea you should write a damn book!

 

Gratia, J. I am no writer, but I write from first hand experience over a lifetime [since a young boy, living next door to a trainer of John Henry Lewis,LH champ]. I also have a love of boxing lore, and a retentive memory...
But if I was a writer my title would be either-
"My brother was an only child" or-
" I might have lived "... keep punching J...

 

There was a gruesome side to Griffo which isn't spoken about much

 

Can't find the reference to it now but I'm sure there was a writeup about it at either Antekprizering pr Cyberboxingzone. He was arrested for paedophilia. Not sure if he was convicted but there was some string pulling that went on behind the scenes that saw him not locked up for it

 

Haven't heard that one before. Maybe that's why Rickard paid for the funeral