Anthony Zaleski. Professional Boxer, Middleweight

The Man of Steel ficer on duty at the station: and local servicemen like pilot Harmon “Name and occupation.” (formerly an All-American at the Universi “Anthony Zaleski. Professional boxer, ty of Michigan) and combat photographer middleweight.” John Bushemi symbolized the sacrifices its “I’d hate to be in your shoes, Zaleski. residents were making. No wonder that Tony Zale’s due here this week.” Tom, Johnny, and Tony were three of the Zale worked as a physical education most popular names that Gary parents instructor and made chose for their sons during the 1940s. frequent appearanc W ith war over Zale found himself back es as a fund-raiser in the ring on January 7, 1946, against for war bonds dur journeyman Bobby Giles. After winning ing his time in the six nontitle bouts in four months, all by service. Meanwhile, knockouts, Zale signed to defend his title his boxing skills at against Rocky Graziano, a savage brawler rophied. “I couldn’t from the borough of Queens who drew box with the kids,” well in New York. During training Zale he later said of his contracted pneumonia, forcing a postpone war work. “I have to ment. O n the day of the fight he woke wade in and punch. up with a sty but resisted efforts to move I can’t hold back. back the fight date again. Held at Yankee If I started pulling Stadium on September 27, 1946, the punches to protect bout was a classic confrontation between the kids, I would contrasting styles. never get over the habit. I would have lost In each of the first two rounds, Zale my punch. So I simply didn’t fight.” hit the canvas. He broke his right thumb, During the war Zale’s Gary found itself appeared wobbly, and at age thirty-three transformed into a boomtown. In contrast looked to be an over-the-hill fighter. He to the 1930s, more people were moving took Graziano’s best punches in the next to the city than were leaving it. There three rounds, however, and turned the was such a housing shortage that some fight around in the sixth. After delivering newcomers had to live as far away from several punishing body blows, he knocked their places of work as Saint John and down Graziano with a vicious punch to Cedar Lake. Busses shuttled steelwork the midsection. Graziano went down, got ers from these once-sleepy Lake County up, and then got nailed with a left hook to communities to their jobs in the mill. his chin. Referee Rudy Goldstein counted Gary Works operated at full capacity, with him out. Former heavyweight champion women holding down many of the mill Gene Tunney called the comeback perfor jobs vacated by men now in uniform. A mance “the greatest exhibition of heart I growing number of downtown restaurants have ever seen.” Thousands o f Gary residents turn and places of entertainment stayed open Said Graziano about the match: “All out to cheer for Zale upon his return twenty-four hours a day. Teenagers in I heard was 8-9-10 and that count came home following his September alarming numbers were quitting school to up awfully fast.” Later in his 1956 autobi 27, 1946, successful defense o f his work in bowling alleys and other places o g raphy Somebody Up There Likes Me, th e middleweight title in a match with deemed disreputable by some of their onetime juvenile delinquent, whose given Graziano. Both Zale and Graziano elders. name was Thomas Rocco Barbella, elabo were inducted into the International W orld War II provided a purpose be rated: “That jolt shot from my head to my Boxing Hall o f Fame in 1991. hind which the city could unite, however, feet. The feeling went out of my feet and 22 | T R A C E S | Spring 2007.

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