Jeffrey Sussman - Boxing and the Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science

Jeffrey Sussman

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sussman, Jeffrey, author.

Title: Boxing and the mob : the notorious history of the sweet science / Jeffrey Sussman.

Description: Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018048723 (print) | LCCN 2018059910 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538113165 (Electronic) | ISBN 9781538113158 (cloth : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: BoxingCorrupt practicesUnited States--History. | Organized crimeUnited StatesHistory.

Classification: LCC GV1136.5 (ebook) | LCC GV1136.5 .S87 2019 (print) | DDC 796.830973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018048723

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To my wife and best friend, Barbara

I remain indebted to Stephen Spataro, the East Hampton reference librarian, whose ability to reach deep into the Internet to find out-of-date newspaper and magazine articles is a skill worthy of admiration.

I am grateful to my editor, Christen Karniski, for her approval and support of my authorial ambitions, and for her incisive editorial judgment.

My good friend, Stephen Scott, encouraged me to write this book, and for that and his ongoing interest, I am grateful.

I am grateful to former New York City organized crime detective Anthony Celano, who directed me to important source material for this book.

Not least, Id like to thank my wife Barbara, who lights up my world with the generosity of her being, plus she knows how to spell every word in the dictionary.

I first learned about fixed fights when I was 13 years old. At my Bar Mitzvah party, which was held in the grand ballroom of the Commodore Hotel (now the Grand Hyatt Hotel), my father introduced me to one of the 250 guests. The man, in an elegant gray sharkskin suit set off with a black silk tie, was my fathers uncle, a former bootlegger, named Irving. I never saw him after that night. He apparently kept such a low profile that even today you cant find any information about him on the Internet.

Heres what my father told me about him:

During prohibition, he made millions of dollars smuggling illegal liquor from Canada into the United States. His wife, whom he had met while smuggling booze across the border, couldnt have children. They adopted two boys; one became a successful surgeon, the other a prominent lawyer. Irvs wife died, and he married my aunt, Cele. She was a widow and had a son named Teddy, who was a little slow. Irv owned a warehouse in Harlem where he kept his trucks. After prohibition ended, he turned the warehouse into a garage and gave it to Teddy to run. Its a big garage, maybe five stories. Teddy makes a nice living from it. During his lifetime, Irv worked closely with a New Jersey gangster named Longy Zwillman, who controlled the entire state. You know why he was called Longy? Because he had a big one. You know what I mean? Just kidding. Anyway, one day, Longy was found hanging by his neck from a rope in the basement of his house. He must have been dangling for quite a while because his tongue had turned black and his face was purple. No one knew if he had committed suicide or if the mob had gotten rid of him. He was a tough guy who beat a lot of raps. But he wasnt tough enough at the end. Longys action was taken over by Willie Moretti. He was the guy who helped kick-start Frank Sinatras career by threatening nightclub owners to hire Sinatra. Then Moretti had the chutzpah to demand kickbacks! Moretti also held a gun to a band leaders headI think it was Tommy Dorseyand demanded that he release Sinatra from a contract. With a gun to his head, he obliged. Just remember: Never get into bed with the mob. Theyll rob you coming and going.