The Italian Stallions
Heroes Of Boxing's Glory Days
Heroes Of Boxing's Glory Days
By Thomas Hauser and Stephen Brunt
Once upon a time, the North American fight game was the immigrants' game. In shadowy reaches and fetid gyms the hardscrabble newcomers would congregate, seeking something beyond the bleak existence at the bottom of the social totem pole. The Italian Stallions profiles a dozen of these boxers. Highlighted by poignant portrait images from The SPORT Collection, the rich photograph archive of the late SPORT magazine, and including many other classic photos, The Italian Stallions also features word portraits capturing each fighter at the height of his prominence. The pieces, which originally appeared in SPORT, were penned by the finest writers of the time -- Rex Lardner, W.C. Heinz, Red Smith, Barney Nagler and Jack Sher -- and the entire story is placed in historical context by an essay from award-winning author Thomas Hauser.
The Italian Stallions tells the story, through more than 100 classic images, many of which have never been published, of the men who attained fame during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Primo Carnera, Willie Pep, Rocky Graziano, Carmen Basilio, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Marciano and Roland LaStarza; to this day, it's hard to hear the names without seeing them etched in big grainy black block letters on the posters that would advertise that week's card at Madison Square Garden. Together, their story is a remarkable saga in American sport and life.
