Thought about saying something about LaMotta the past few days...ever since the movie "Raging Bull" came out in the 70's Jake has become a "mythical and tragic " character ....my father grew up in the Bronx in the same neighborhood...my father was born in Italy and came over when he was 5....graduated No 1 in his class at Teddy Roosevelt in 1932...was offered a full scholarship to Fordham Univ which was 2 blocks from his apartment...Fordham reneged on the scholarship and gave it to the No.2 at Roosevelt who was Irish..Italian community at Mt Carmel church was in a uproar...long story...anyway Manhattan College stepped in and my father became a Jasper..my father graduated in 1936 with a teaching degree in Italian and Spanish...went back and taught at Roosevelt HS until 1943...was drafted into the Army and became a AMG officer { allied military government}..was in North Africa and Italy in Gen Clarks 5th army until 1946...a book written by John Hersey and became a movie is about my father and 25 other officers that Hersey followed around as a war correspondent.. the book won the Pulitzer prize..doubt if anyone ever heard of it " A Bell for Adano". When my father got back to the Bronx he got his teaching job back..but something called the United Nations in 1946-47 opened up in NYC and started looking for administrators...he worked there 35 years...retired and went back to teaching for 10 years..
anyway the point I'm making is my father had a great career and was respected throughout the Bronx...in the 187th-Belmont ave,Little Italy everyone knew him...so how does all have to due with LaMotta
Growing up heard so many stories about Jake LaMotta....now this is my father's opinion told to me his son over the years...he hated Jake LaMotta....with a passion...the entire Italian community in the Bronx despised him..he was a disgrace..a bully all his life...from gambling beating up any bookie that he owed money to...not showing up at events....always advertised to attend dinners for boy scouts,CYO's,church fund raisers etc... missed most of them...in one of his 6 fights vs sugar ray, he claimed the judges cheated him because Sugar Ray was being inducted into the army and it was sympathy vote..my father said Sugar kicked his ass...
When the movie came out my father didn't want to see it..but my Uncle Stamps was in it..my fathers sisters husband...he had a non speaking part eating dinner with a lady as DeNiro walks into the restaurant...my uncle wearing a suit is on the screen for maybe 3 seconds but you can see him clearly....so my mother forced my father to see it....he actually liked it because they showed some of his faults...of course he loved Deniro but said they sugar coated the real Jake...he was a lot worse then they showed...my father always said he was "feared by many but not respected by many". My father did see him box once but saw him spar and put some exhibitions on in the basement of Mt Carmel Church...my father said he was a lousy fighter...just a brawler,relentless and came out you...had no defense...like his nickname a "bull"...I also remember my father saying he didn't knock people out...folklore has it he was a Rocky Marciano middleweight....of course Rocky was the greatest...anyway thought I would share some personal thoughts on me and my father growing up and some stories about the Bronx Bull ....
Now have to mention this..my mother knew about his hatred for Jake...she would roll her eyes up when my father talked about him...one day I asked my mother about "dad and his feelings"..she told me.." you know why your father hates LaMotta,because one day on Pelham Parkway your father and a few of his friends saw Jake sitting on the stoop.. either your father or one of his friends said something nice to Jake and he responded..get the F..k outta here and called my father a shrimp"..my father was 5'6....lol
I asked my father about that alleged incident..and I can remember it so clearly " your mother is dreaming,that never happened,where she ever got that story I'll never know..she has told other people including her 2 sisters....dreaming"....
I kinda believe my mother....lol.....hope this didn't bore anyone...
anyway the point I'm making is my father had a great career and was respected throughout the Bronx...in the 187th-Belmont ave,Little Italy everyone knew him...so how does all have to due with LaMotta
Growing up heard so many stories about Jake LaMotta....now this is my father's opinion told to me his son over the years...he hated Jake LaMotta....with a passion...the entire Italian community in the Bronx despised him..he was a disgrace..a bully all his life...from gambling beating up any bookie that he owed money to...not showing up at events....always advertised to attend dinners for boy scouts,CYO's,church fund raisers etc... missed most of them...in one of his 6 fights vs sugar ray, he claimed the judges cheated him because Sugar Ray was being inducted into the army and it was sympathy vote..my father said Sugar kicked his ass...
When the movie came out my father didn't want to see it..but my Uncle Stamps was in it..my fathers sisters husband...he had a non speaking part eating dinner with a lady as DeNiro walks into the restaurant...my uncle wearing a suit is on the screen for maybe 3 seconds but you can see him clearly....so my mother forced my father to see it....he actually liked it because they showed some of his faults...of course he loved Deniro but said they sugar coated the real Jake...he was a lot worse then they showed...my father always said he was "feared by many but not respected by many". My father did see him box once but saw him spar and put some exhibitions on in the basement of Mt Carmel Church...my father said he was a lousy fighter...just a brawler,relentless and came out you...had no defense...like his nickname a "bull"...I also remember my father saying he didn't knock people out...folklore has it he was a Rocky Marciano middleweight....of course Rocky was the greatest...anyway thought I would share some personal thoughts on me and my father growing up and some stories about the Bronx Bull ....
Now have to mention this..my mother knew about his hatred for Jake...she would roll her eyes up when my father talked about him...one day I asked my mother about "dad and his feelings"..she told me.." you know why your father hates LaMotta,because one day on Pelham Parkway your father and a few of his friends saw Jake sitting on the stoop.. either your father or one of his friends said something nice to Jake and he responded..get the F..k outta here and called my father a shrimp"..my father was 5'6....lol
I asked my father about that alleged incident..and I can remember it so clearly " your mother is dreaming,that never happened,where she ever got that story I'll never know..she has told other people including her 2 sisters....dreaming"....
I kinda believe my mother....lol.....hope this didn't bore anyone...
