Packy’s World: Wladimir Klitschko – Deontay Wilder, Rocky Graziano, Larry Parks, My Pal Al & James Gandolfini Posthumously Awarded The Chutzpah Award

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By Packy “Boom Boom” Goldstein

Oy Vay are you going to hear it today… As I sit out on my balcony today eating my bagel and lox, Key Biscayne looks beautiful. Sadie is off with some of those old broads from her card club and ole Packy gets to write without having his bagels broke. Is it me, or did the bikini even get smaller? Not for nothing, but at 85, though the bagels are not world class like they once were, they still can dream I tell you that! Let’s get into some boxing and more….

Wladimir Klitschko – Deontay Wilder… The fight is never going to happen because Wilder is going to get knocked off before they make it. Great for the camera, but Wilder is limited and I mean limited. Any of the 80’s heavyweights or earlier would have cleaned his clock!

Rocky Graziano… In the 50’s, I met Rocky through Al and he was one of the sweetest and funniest guys I have ever met. When Frank Sinatra put him in Tony Rome back in 67, with a small part, Al and I hung on the set. Rocky would invite us to his trailer and he would pull pranks on us and would you believe, Frank was in on them too. Frank was a World Class prankster. Sinatra loved Rocky and Rocky loved Al, so we were around quite a bit. Those were the days.

Larry Parks… I recently watched The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again on a DVD set my Sadie bought me. He was amazing in those roles as Al Jolson. They were smart, they used Ole Jolie’s voice when Parks did the songs. Parks should have been a major star, but he decided for whatever personal reasons during the McCarthy witch hunts of the 50’s, to name names and it ruined Parks’ career.

My Pal Al (“Bad” Brad’s Father) … Al loved to take Bradley to Morrison’s Cafeteria which was an institution in Florida back in the 70’s – 80’s. In fact, we ate there so much, they had a special tray with Al’s name on it. When he walked to the counter, the staff would go crazy. The women hit on him, and begged him to do a joke or a famous voice which he was great at doing. Even the chefs would come out and yell, “Al is here” Al is here”. He was larger than life. I can tell you this.  As I write this, my mouth is watering for their Fried Shrimp and Macaroni & Cheese, which was the best I ever had. Sadly, they are gone like Al and so many other wonderful things of my past. But hey, memories sustain us, and that is a beautiful thing.

The Chutzpah Award… The Chutzpah Award is posthumously awarded to James Gandolfini AKA Tony Soprano. What an acting icon he was. I am going to make a comparison to prove just how great of an actor he was. In the 70’s, you had one of my favorite shows of all time called All In The Family that starred Carol O’ Connor as the bigoted Archie Bunker. Carol was amazing in that role, but off camera, he was the biggest liberal, with the kindest heart of anyone you ever wanted to meet. A 180 from the role which would shock folks. Well, Jimmy Gandolfini was the same way. We saw him as tough gangster Tony Soprano, but off camera, he was kind and compassionate. He did an HBO special onetime that he put his own money up for that was about our wounded veterans from Iraq who many had lost limbs. He did the interviews. It was so well done and moving, that Jimmy was most proud of that, over any awards which were many, he received. That is a testament to great acting when someone gives a performance so 180 of whom they really are. RIP Jimmy G….

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