Rocky was returning the “favor” to hecklers who were shouting him down during a speech; 1975 if I recall correctly. The gesture evidently shocked most of the hostile protestors into silence.
I remember when Rockefeller gave that finger.....
A bunch of protestors were giving Rockefeller the finger, and he responded in kind by giving THEM the finger. Of course, the press back in 1975 had a field day.
When a reporter asked Rockefeller if it was appropriate for the Vice President of the United States to be giving people the finger, Rockefeller replied, “Do you think it’s appropriate for protestors to give the vice president of the United States the finger?”
One of my poly sci college professors....a Jesuit Catholic priest....clipped that photo of Rockefeller out of the newspaper and taped it to the door of his office.