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Jake LaMotta dead: 'Raging Bull' boxing legend dies aged 95
International Business Times ^
| 9/20/2017
| Josh Robbins
Posted on 09/20/2017 7:48:21 AM PDT by Borges
Jake LaMotta the legendary boxer depicted by Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull has died, aged 95.
A Facebook account, belonging to his daughter Christi, posted a tribute to him yesterday evening (19 September). It read:
"Jake LaMotta July 10, 1922 - September 19, 2017 Rest in Peace Pop."
Well-wishers have queued up to give their condolences to Christi and sing the praises of one of boxing's all-time greats.
Patti Fazzino wrote: "Dear Christi, I am so sorry to lose your Dad. He is in my heart. Look at it like this, all the North Miami Beach Italian men are with him.
"Believe me that my Dad and Grandma are with him in a better place.My prayers are for you and you family. The is not easy.... Again, I am with you."
A source close to the family reported that LaMotta had been battling pneumonia in recent weeks, but added that the middleweight legend stayed "fighting to the end".
Giacobbe "Jake" LaMotta was a World Middleweight Champion, nicknamed "The Raging Bull" for his rough and ready style.
He liked to fight on the inside and was famous for stalking his opponents, who often had bigger punches, but less grit and determination. He is regarded as having one of the best chins in the history of the sport.
In an era of premium middleweights, LaMotta had some epic encounters. Most notable among these were six hair-raising fights with his great rival Sugar Ray Robinson.
LaMotta famously remarked: "The three toughest fighters I fought were Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Robinson. I fought Sugar so many times I'm surprised I'm not diabetic."
He fought a staggering 106 professional fights, winning 83 of them with 30 by knockout.
His volatile approach to life both in and out the ring inspired a biographical movie starring Robert De Niro, directed by Martin Scorsese.The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest motion pictures ever made.
LaMotta said: "You can't go into the ring and be a nice guy. I would go a month, two months, without having sex. It worked for me because it made me a vicious animal. You can't fight if you have any compassion or anything like that."
TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: athletes; boxing; jakelamotta; obituary; ragingbull
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1
posted on
09/20/2017 7:48:21 AM PDT
by
Borges
2
posted on
09/20/2017 7:51:51 AM PDT
by
EveningStar
(I am a Non-Cultist Trump Supporter.)
To: Borges
I still think Scorsese was robbed. :)
3
posted on
09/20/2017 7:57:40 AM PDT
by
EveningStar
(I am a Non-Cultist Trump Supporter.)
To: EveningStar
It’s a double whammy since he lost out to Rocky in 1976 (over Taxi Driver!) and the fact that a boxing film had won so recently worked against Raging Bull.
4
posted on
09/20/2017 8:02:19 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: Borges
I remember LaMotta saying he wished he had had a chance to fight Muhammad Ali. If Ali would have tried to pull the “rope-a-dope” on him, he said, he would have pounded Ali’s forearms until he broke them.
5
posted on
09/20/2017 8:04:23 AM PDT
by
fidelis
(Zonie and USAF Cold Warrior)
To: fidelis
May he rest in peace. For someone that engaged in such a rough profession, 95 is a pretty good run.
6
posted on
09/20/2017 8:10:36 AM PDT
by
fidelis
(Zonie and USAF Cold Warrior)
To: fidelis
May he rest in peace. For someone that engaged in such a rough profession, 95 is a pretty good run.
...
Especially after hearing about all the problems football players have with concussions and such. Maybe Jake gave concussions rather than receiving them.
7
posted on
09/20/2017 8:13:06 AM PDT
by
Moonman62
(Make America Great Again!)
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8
posted on
09/20/2017 8:19:32 AM PDT
by
DoughtyOne
(DACA: Their dream, our nightmare... will the rule of law prevail or not?)
To: Borges
His volatile approach to life both in and out the ring inspired a biographical movie starring Robert De Niro, directed by Martin Scorsese.The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest motion pictures ever made.One of the greatest? That may be, but it is tough to watch as La Motta was obsessive, paranoid, abusive to his wife, and addicted to the young ladies. It's not so much a warts-and-all biopic, it's an all-warts biopic.
RIP Jake.
9
posted on
09/20/2017 8:36:29 AM PDT
by
Rummyfan
(In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
To: EveningStar
Dances with Wolves beat Goodfellows for best picture.
10
posted on
09/20/2017 8:40:50 AM PDT
by
Blackirish
("Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners." - George Carlin)
To: Borges
LaMotta died with an estate estimated at $185 million. He was one of the highest paid boxers of all time and he invested his earnings wisely....stocks, property, businesses,, etc.
Leni
To: fidelis
I remember LaMotta saying he wished he had had a chance to fight Muhammad Ali. If Ali would have tried to pull the rope-a-dope on him, he said, he would have pounded Alis forearms until he broke them.I admired Jake LaMotta's fighting skills but that is just dumb. If heavyweight bombers like George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, and others couldn't pull that off, a relatively light-hitting (a career KO percentage of 28%) Jake LaMotta wasn't going to.
12
posted on
09/20/2017 9:16:36 AM PDT
by
CommerceComet
(Hillary: A unique blend of arrogance, incompetence, and corruption.)
To: Borges; Impy; GOPsterinMA; Clemenza; NFHale; stephenjohnbanker; BillyBoy
The Raging Bull is gone. RIP.
To: Borges
A real fighter, not like the bums today.
14
posted on
09/20/2017 10:43:42 AM PDT
by
fortheDeclaration
(Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
To: MinuteGal
From what I gathered, he was broke after his fighting career was over.
15
posted on
09/20/2017 10:45:05 AM PDT
by
fortheDeclaration
(Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
To: fieldmarshaldj; Impy; NFHale; stephenjohnbanker; BillyBoy; DarthVader
Raging Bull: The greatest American movie ever? If not # 1, it’s either 2-3 IMHO. When I watch it, here are parts of the movie that make me feel like I’m in Hell. Same with The Deer Hunter.
Frank Vincent died last week, he was in Raging Bull.
95. What else can be said?
https://youtu.be/3N4uXfnH2aA
16
posted on
09/20/2017 10:48:45 AM PDT
by
GOPsterinMA
(I'm with Steve McQueen: I live my life for myself and answer to nobody.)
To: Rummyfan
And Lamotta participated fully in its making and admitted it was a very accurate portrait of who he was back then.
17
posted on
09/20/2017 11:38:06 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: fortheDeclaration
Type "Jake LaMotta net worth" into your search engine.
Leni
To: Borges
I would go a month, two months, without having sex. It worked for me because it made me a vicious animal. I should have been heavy weight champion.
19
posted on
09/20/2017 12:05:42 PM PDT
by
central_va
(I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
To: MinuteGal
P.S....an additional (later-dated) source says La Matta died leaving a $10 million estate. Whichever figure is correct, he did not die broke. He had property, stocks, residuals from the movie and books, interests in a cosmetic company, restaurants, etc.
It'll be interesting to see the final tally.
Leni
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