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Rocky Graziano was the
son of a boxer known as 'Fighting Nick Bob', and was born in
Brooklyn.
He later moved to
Little Italy
in New York's
Lower East Side.
Rocky grew up as a street fighter and learned to look after
himself before he could read or write. He spent years in reform
school, jail, and Catholic protectories.
When Rocky was as young as 3 years of age,
his father would make him and his brother Joe (who was three
years older) fight almost every night in boxing gloves. All the
washed-up boxers from around the neighborhood would go to the
Barbellas' house to drink and watch the two brothers fight. The
fights usually ended badly for Rocco. As he would get hit more
and more, he would become angrier and angrier. Usually he would
fall asleep from getting punched or sheer tiredness. The only
person in Rocco's life to feel any sort of sympathy for him was
his mother. She believed Rocco was her lucky child, as he was
born on the first day of the New Year. However, Rocky was in
trouble for much of his childhood.
At the age of 8, Rocco went to live
with his grandparents on Second Avenue near Houston Street.
There, he met his first friend, Sam Villa, nicknamed "Houdini"
for his ability to "disappear when there's work or trouble
around." Houdini introduced Rocky to the pool hall and other
games popular on the East Side, including stick-ball, football,
and handball. Around this time, Rocky saw kids on the street
riding scooters. He went up to a kid and told him to give him
the scooter, but the other kid wouldn't. Enraged, Rocky went a
couple blocks up, found another kid, punched him in the face,
and came back to where the other kids were. He sped down the
street and attempted to do a spinning stop. However, he was hit
by a car, the impact of which broke his leg and required a
two-month stay in the hospital.
When Rocky was discharged from the
hospital, he met up with his old crony and continued his
mischievous ways. One of Rocky's biggest money-makers was
robbing gum machines in the subways. The two boys would visit
different stations to avoid suspicion and being caught. One day,
Rocky forgot to check a utility closet and was caught when a
detective burst out of the door. Rocky was sentenced to
probation by Children's Court. Houdini, however, was able to cry
his way out of Children's Court.
One morning, he woke up early and
stole 50 cents from his grandfather. His grandfather confronted
him, advancing on Rocky with a shaving block. Rocky jumped out
the window and ran down the fire escape, then continued to run
to Brooklyn to his old house. He told his father what had
happened and was beaten anyway, since he didn't let his
grandfather do it.
He spent the next couple of days at
his old house. He saw his brother playing in the street one day
and stole a bicycle to give to his brother. His brother
unknowingly rode the bicycle toward where Rocco had stolen it.
His brother was arrested and confessed to police that Rocky had
stolen it.
Rocky attended a court meeting and
his old school truancy and probation records caught up with him.
He was sent to a Catholic protectory, one of three terms he
spent there. |
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