By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

A moment of silence as the ring bell chimes ten. Jake LaMotta has left the building as the world mourns the passing of one of its most colorful legends. Born Giacobbe LaMotta on July 10, 1922 to Italian immigrant parents and in short order learned to audition his tough charm on the mean streets of the Bronx as a child honing his fisticuffs abilities. He turned professional at 19 years of age against one Charley Mackley in New York City.

Jake won a four round decision and the wheels of a 106 bout career was sent in motion. He was scrappy, raw, tough and fearless. It didn’t take Jake long to earn his moniker in the ring of “Raging Bull” to which he used to pen his life story in 1970. Ten years later Robert Deniro won an Oscar portraying the iconic hard living boxer wherein director Martin Scorsese captured the gritty backstory to perfection illuminating Jake as a tortured soul on the border of martyrdom. The movie took best movie of the yearr honors as well as best of decade ten years later.

Standing 5’8” with a short wingspan of 67” LaMotta was an underrated boxer who would brawl his way inside the pocket and refuse to leave the gate on either side. When he couldn’t roll with a punch he had inhuman ability to simply absorb it. Not heavy handed he was a relentless force of nature who would wear his opponents down with sheer volume and his granite chin made him a contender to avoid once he cracked the rankings.