Packy’s World: Sugar Ray Robinson, Errol Flynn, Ronda Rousey, My Pal Al & Al Pacino Awarded The Chutzpah Award

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By Packy “Boom Boom” Goldstein

Oy Vay are you going to hear it today… All day long Sadie has broke my bagels over this kitchen remodel that is finally done, but she is nitpicking it, so I have hired an inspector to come out this Thursday, to inspect the general contractors work. It better be right, or I will do more than break his bagels! Well, so much to talk about – so little time – so let’s get to it RSR readers…

Sugar Ray Robinson… Floyd Mayweather, JR. I know you struggle with reading, so I will type this slowly! Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest fighter of all time and on his worst night, you couldn’t hold a candle to him in or out of the ring. Was he perfect outside the ring? No, he was not, but he didn’t act like you do on a regular basis, I will tell you that. You’re a great fighter, but that is where it ends. Many nights back in the mid 50’s, Al and I would play cards with Ray when he was in town (Miami Beach) and he was quite the card player. I miss my old chum SRR. He actually died on Al’s birthday, in 1989 and so did Joe Louis, in 1981. What are the odds of that?

Errol Flynn… The camera loved him and women loved him more. You want to see some amazing acting? Watch him in That Forsyte Woman with Greer Garson. He owned that role amongst many others, but Hollywood always wanted to cast him as a swashbuckler too many times. Had he been given better roles, he would have had no doubt, an Oscar on his mantle. Sadly, he died at the young age of 50, on October 30, 1959 in Canada, lying on a bedroom floor after having a massive heart attack.

Ronda Rousey… The more I read about this young lady, the more I like about her. She has a take no prisoners attitude in the cage and for an old man like me, to watch MMA at this point of my life, and enjoy it because of her, says a lot in my book. Hurry up and get this next fight on RR.

My Pal Al… (“Bad” Brad’s Father)… It’s around 1955, and Al is working with another close friend of his Billy (who is still around at age 91 and a cantankerous old bastard to say the least) at the Fountainbleau Hotel on Miami Beach, which all these years later, is still around. If the walls could talk in that hotel with the likes of Sinatra and so many other greats staying and performing there, the stories it could tell. Al and Billy were working as waiters in a room that was called The La Ronde Room and that is where Sinatra and all the big stars ate and performed. The Maître D who was a real piece of work stole a $5.00 dollar tip off of a table Alvin was waiting on. It may not sound like much today, but keep in mind, this was 60 years ago and $5.00 went very far. Billy saw him do it and grabbed the guy which if you remember The La Ronde Room, it had a staircase that went up to the second floor where folks would eat. Billy took the Maitre D who lied about taking it and hung him over the railing telling him that either the $5.00 dollars would drop or he would. Needless to say, Al got his money back and never had a problem  with that Maitre D again. One other funny story that ties in of Al, was his carrying of trays up those stairs. In those days, food would come out on those big round silver trays that waiters would carry. Al, standing a whopping 5’2, would carry two of them with one in both hands while we sat back and took bets that he would drop them. Not once and I mean ONCE did he drop a tray. Many of nights, ole “Boom Boom” would take home an extra 20 thanks to Al.

The Chutzpah Award… The Chutzpah Award goes to Al Pacino for a body of work that to this day, holds up. He may not make the film classics of his younger years, but they were so great, if he never makes another, we have those. Pacino also is very down to earth for the level of success he has had in his life. This is a fact that I can attest to having met him on a few occasions at some film openings in NYC.

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