Two Ton Galento

In an era of tough men, Tony "Two Ton" Galento was a standout. Although he would never win a Mr. America contest, his left hook could knock down any man, including the legendary Joe Louis. Tony owned a bar in Orange, New Jersey, didn't train, drank beer and ate large meals before he fought. Between 1928 and 1944 he fought 110 times, knocking out 56 of his opponents.

He met the Baer brothers in back to back fights later in his career, losing both bouts, but not before knocking 6'7'' Buddy Baer down. The famous fight with Louis occurred at Yankee Stadium in June of 1939, before Galente beat Lou Nova in the infamous dirty fight. Tony was king of the world in the third round as Louis lay on the canvas, but he got up at the eight count, and knocked Galante out in the next round. Louis would later say that Tony Galante was one of the toughest men he ever fought.
Galento with press after the Lou Nova fight

reprinted from May 2011

The Karaite Tradition

While Jews celebrate Hanukah worldwide, no menorahs will be lit in  Karaite Synagogues. Although they only number 50,000 followers worldwide, their tradition goes back to 8th century Babylonia, and perhaps much earlier. The Karaites reject The Oral Law, also known as Rabbinic Judaism, as formulated over centuries by Jewish scholars, in a compilation known as the Talmud.  Karaites believe that only the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses, is G-d's word to be followed. Because the miracle of Hanukah would not occur until over a thousand years after Moses received the law on Mt. Sinai, it is not in the Torah, or Karaite liturgy.  After World War 2, the Egyptian community of Karaites, then the largest remaining, migrated to Israel, where there are now 30,000.

photograph of Karaite Synagogue in Turkey

Baer vs. Simon, 1937

When Max Baer beat Primo Carnera for the Heavyweight Title in 1934, he became a celebrity overnight. In the year that he held the title, his nightclub carousing was legendary, including a Vanity Fair Magazine profile. His younger brother, Buddy, 6'7", decided he too would become a boxer. Between 1934 and 1937 Buddy fought40 times.



"On August 30, 1937 Buddy took on his first highly regarded opponent, New York's rising prospect, Abe Simon, at Yankee Stadium*. Baer won by TKO in the third. "Simon gave Baer a beating in the 1st round and had him in distress, but he came back in the next two sessions with a succession of blows to the body and head that had his huge opponent reeling when the bout was stopped" (New York Times). Baer then went on to beat Two Ton Tony Galento, setting himself up for a title shot with Joe Louis. Louis had called Galento the toughest man he ever fought. Like Simon, Buddy Baer got two chances at Louis. In the first fight he went 7 rounds, in the second fight, he got knocked out in the first round. Also like Simon, he would retire from the ring after his second Louis fight. Baer would later say, "The only way I could have beaten Louis that night was with a baseball bat."
*Buddy Baer-Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia

reprinted from April 2010

Lessons From The PigPen

Billed as the Lehigh Valley's #1 Entertainment Complex when it opened in 2009, life was short for the sports bar which hoped to capitalize on the nearby baseball park. Don Cunningham honestly said that 72 home baseball games are not enough to support a business year round. How about 40 home hockey games? Another local bar owner said of Cola-Coca Park, "They have everything in there that they need. Nobody in the area really prospered from the ball field." PigPen owner Les Bartholomew cited the casino as his downfall, and their deep pockets to attract entertainment. The reality of competition, and few home matches, will create a barren night scene in Pawlowski's little apple. The unique state tax funding mechanism will allow the barren buildings to meet their debt service, but images of middle class patrons walking the streets of downtown Allentown, will be limited to few nights, and architectural renderings.

The Star Of David

Although Jewish heavyweights in the 1930's occasionally wore the Star of David on their trunks, like Abe Simon, none was more famous than Max Baer, and he wasn't really Jewish. Baer's father was half Jewish, and he was raised as a Catholic. After moving to N.Y.C. to be trained by Jack Demsey, he adopted the Star to fight Max Schmeling, Hitler's boxer of choice. Defeating Schmeling in 1933, set Baer up for a Championship fight with Carnera. Baer, who had a reputation as a party animal, was never the less a notoriously hard hitter.

Shown in the ring with the giant Primo Carnera, Demsey stands behind them. Baer would annihilate Carnera and hold the title for one year until the famous fight with the Cinderella man, James Braddock.
Baer's son, Max Jr, would become famous as Jethro Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies. There's more, Max(Sr.) had a brother, Buddy, who was 6'7".....

reprinted from February 2010

The Water War

Wednesday evening Dan Poresky sent a news release to the alternative and main stream media. Although associate Bernie O'Hare got it to press, molovinsky on allentown had already turned off the power. Also today, The Morning Call catches up with Poresky's petition. Meanwhile, yesterday and last night, the uninformed commented on O'Hare's blog. Not to impose on their opinion, but a few facts are in order:

1. City Clerk Mike Hanlon had no choice but to accept the petitions. Over double the required amount were submitted, with criterion used by the administration's solicitor, which was more demanding than the charter actually required.

2. Dan Poresky has been the main energy behind a group effort.

3. There are viable alternatives to the lease, but neither the mayor, or his council will consider them, because they will involve a tax increase. Without the alternatives, homeowners will pay much more for water, lose control of it's operation, and have a tax increase soon enough anyway. The lease behooves pawlowski and council politically, but hurts the homeowners.

If the picture of the monkey and computer offends any of you who comment on O'Hare's blog, I apologize, but I don't know what kind of computers you monkeys have.