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Vito Antuofermo

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Vito Antuofermo
Antuofermo in 2006
Born
Vito Gabriele Antuofermo

(1953-02-09) February 9, 1953 (age 71)
NationalityItalian
American
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 7+12 in (171 cm)
Reach69 in (175 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights59
Wins50
Wins by KO21
Losses7
Draws2

Vito Antuofermo (Italian pronunciation: [ˈviːto antwoˈfermo]; born February 9, 1953) is an Italian American actor and retired professional boxer. He is a former undisputed World Middleweight Champion.

Background

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Antuofermo was born in Italy, in the town of Palo del Colle, about 15 km (9 miles) inland from the city of Bari. His family moved to the United States when he was 17 years old. Antuofermo learned how to fight in the tough areas of New York City. By his teens, he had made up his mind that he wanted to be a professional boxer.

He has lived in Howard Beach, Queens.[1]

Amateur career

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Antuofermo won the 1970 147-pound (67 kg) New York Golden Gloves Championship, defeating Thomas Chestnut in the finals. In 1971, Antuofermo was defeated by future Light Heavyweight Champion Eddie Gregory in the finals of the 147-pound (67 kg) Open division. Antuofermo trained at the Police Athletic Leagues Sweeney Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Professional career

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Antuofermo had a propensity to cut easily, especially around the eyebrows. In between rounds in his fights, as much attention (if not more) was given to Vito patching up cuts on his face as it was giving him advice and instructions.

In 1979, Antuofermo became World Middleweight Champion by beating defending champion Hugo Corro by a decision in 15 rounds at Monte Carlo. According to an article in The Ring, Howard Cosell, who was working on that fight's live broadcast to the US, was telling viewers that Corro was, in his opinion, way ahead on the judges' cards. When someone on the American television crew found out it was Antuofermo who was actually leading on the cards, Cosell then began to say he had Antuofermo ahead. All three judges' scorecards were very close, each showing a tight, one-point margin: 143–142, 146–145 in Antuofermo's favor, and 146–145 in Corro's favor.[2]

On the morning after winning the title, Antuofermo and his crew were driving to a small vacation in Italy, when he saw a car fly off a bridge under which they were passing. The car landed right in front of him, but luckily the accident did not injure any occupants in Antuofermo's car. He was so shocked that he kept driving and never found out what happened to the occupants of that car. He came back to his senses about 20 minutes later.

On November 30, 1979, Antuofermo defended his title against Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fight resulting in a controversial 15-round draw. Judge Duane Ford scored the bout in Hagler's favor, 145–141. Judge Dalby Shirley scored it for Antuofermo, 144–142. Judge Hal Miller had it even at 143–143. The draw enabled Antuofermo to retain his title. In his next defense, against Alan Minter, also in Las Vegas, he lost the title by a 15-round split decision. The bout featured a wild disparity in scoring with a Venezuelan judge scoring the fight for Antuofermo while a British judge had Minter winning 13 of the 15 rounds. They had a rematch in London on June 28, 1980. Minter retained the crown by a TKO (on cuts) in eight rounds.

Antuofermo kept fighting and winning and, after Hagler won the title from Minter in 1980, Antuofermo was given another chance to regain the World Middleweight Championship. In front of an HBO Boxing audience and a full house at Hagler's native Boston's Boston Garden, Antuofermo this time lost by a TKO on cuts in the fourth round.

After several attempts at becoming a top middleweight again, Antuofermo retired from boxing in 1985.

Apart from Corro, other boxers he beat included world champions Eckhard Dagge, Denny Moyer and Emile Griffith.

In 1992, Michael Franzese, a Caporegime of the Colombo crime family, testified that Antoufermo had been under the control of mobsters including Andy Russo. Franzese stated that the outcome of many of Antuofermo's fights was pre-determined so that organized crime figures could safely bet, but that the fights with Marvelous Marvin Hagler were not fixed.[3]

Life after boxing

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After retirement, Antuofermo began to pursue an acting career. In 1990, he landed a small role in The Godfather Part III as the chief bodyguard of gangster Joey Zasa. He has landed several small speaking roles in movies and television shows since, including the critically acclaimed television show The Sopranos as a mobster. He has also done many theater plays.

Antuofermo also made television commercials for Old Spice deodorant.[4]

Antuofermo's record reads 50 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws, with 21 wins by knockout. Vito Antuofermo's second oldest son, Pasquale Antuofermo, boxed as an amateur, but never turned pro. He now owns a successful landscaping company that operates in Long Island, New York.

Filmography

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  • 1990: Goodfellas – Prizefighter
  • 1990: The Godfather Part III – Anthony 'The Ant' Squigliaro
  • 1991: Loser – Homeless Man
  • 1993: New York Undercover – Jimmy
  • 1996: The Mouse – Trainer
  • 1998: Hell's Kitchen – Boyle's Thug
  • 1999: La bomba – Pippo Messina
  • 2000: The Boys Behind the Desk

Professional boxing record

[edit]
59 fights 50 wins 7 losses
By knockout 21 5
By decision 29 2
Draws 2
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
59 Loss 50–7–2 Matthew Hilton RTD 4 (10), 3:00 Oct 20, 1985 Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
58 Win 50–6–2 Larry McCall UD 10 May 25, 1985 Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S.
57 Win 49–6–2 Mark Allman TKO 3 (10), 1:24 Mar 8, 1985 Ridgewood Grove, New York City, New York, U.S.
56 Win 48–6–2 Marcus Starks TKO 4 (10), 1:46 Dec 14, 1984 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, U.S.
55 Win 47–6–2 Ricard Beranek TD 5 (10) Sep 13, 1984 Resorts International, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
54 Loss 46–6–2 Marvin Hagler RTD 4 (15) Jun 13, 1981 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. For WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
53 Win 46–5–2 Mauricio Aldana UD 10 Apr 2, 1981 Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
52 Loss 45–5–2 Alan Minter TKO 8 (15) Jun 28, 1980 Empire Pool, London, England For WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
51 Loss 45–4–2 Alan Minter SD 15 Mar 16, 1980 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
50 Draw 45–3–2 Marvin Hagler SD 15 Nov 30, 1979 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
49 Win 45–3–1 Hugo Corro SD 15 Jun 30, 1979 Esplanade de Fontvieille, Fontvieille, Monaco Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
48 Win 44–3–1 Mike Hallacy UD 10 Nov 11, 1978 Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
47 Win 43–3–1 Willie Classen UD 10 Aug 25, 1978 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
46 Win 42–3–1 Willie Warren UD 10 Jun 22, 1978 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
45 Win 41–3–1 Bennie Briscoe UD 10 Feb 4, 1978 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
44 Win 40–3–1 Mike Nixon TKO 4 (10), 2:58 Oct 27, 1977 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
43 Win 39–3–1 Ramon Beras KO 6 (10), 1:16 Aug 30, 1977 Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
42 Win 38–3–1 Eugene Hart KO 5 (10) Mar 11, 1977 Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
41 Win 37–3–1 Pablo Rodriguez KO 4 (10) Dec 2, 1976 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
40 Loss 36–3–1 Maurice Hope TKO 15 (15), 2:48 Oct 1, 1976 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy Lost European super-welterweight title
39 Loss 36–2–1 Frank Wissenbach PTS 8 Jun 18, 1976 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany
38 Win 36–1–1 Jean-Claude Warusfel TKO 14 (15) Mar 26, 1976 Palasport di San Siro, Milan, Lombardy, Italy Retained European super-welterweight title
37 Win 35–1–1 Eckhard Dagge PTS 15 Jan 16, 1976 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany Won European super-welterweight title
36 Win 34–1–1 Bruce Cantrell PTS 10 Nov 28, 1975 Long Island Arena, Commack, New York, U.S.
35 Win 33–1–1 Ricky Ortiz TKO 6 (10) Oct 23, 1975 Broome County Arena, Binghamton, New York, U.S.
34 Win 32–1–1 Vinnie Curto UD 10 Aug 8, 1975 Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
33 Win 31–1–1 Antonio Castellini TKO 5 (10) Jun 27, 1975 Palazzetto dello Sport, Naples, Campania, Italy
32 Win 30–1–1 Reinaldo Oliveira Jr. TKO 6 (10) Jun 6, 1975 Palazzetto dello Sport, Naples, Campania, Italy
31 Win 29–1–1 Dave Huckaby UD 10 Mar 20, 1975 Bristol Arena, Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.
30 Win 28–1–1 Ramón Mendez PTS 10 Jan 24, 1975 PalaLido, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
29 Win 27–1–1 Emile Griffith UD 10 Nov 22, 1974 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
28 Win 26–1–1 Paul Osborne TKO 3 (10) Oct 18, 1974 Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
27 Win 25–1–1 Denny Moyer UD 10 Sep 9, 1974 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
26 Win 24–1–1 Melvin Dennis PTS 10 Jun 7, 1974 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy
25 Win 23–1–1 Joey Durelle KO 1 (10) May 3, 1974 Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy
24 Win 22–1–1 John L. Sullivan UD 10 Mar 8, 1974 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
23 Win 21–1–1 Chucho García UD 10 Jan 14, 1974 Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
22 Win 20–1–1 Buddy Boggs TKO 6 (10) Dec 5, 1973 Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
21 Win 19–1–1 Tony Kid Durango UD 10 Oct 8, 1973 Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
20 Win 18–1–1 Danny McAloon UD 10 Aug 25, 1973 Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
19 Loss 17–1–1 Harold Weston TKO 5 (10), 2:53 Jul 9, 1973 Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
18 Win 17–0–1 Tony Kid Durango TKO 2 (10) Jun 18, 1973 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
17 Win 16–0–1 Art Kettles SD 10 Apr 30, 1973 Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
16 Win 15–0–1 Luis Rivera PTS 8 Apr 13, 1973 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
15 Win 14–0–1 Ray Villanueva TKO 4 (10) Mar 9, 1973 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
14 Win 13–0–1 Skip Yeaton KO 2 (10) Jan 31, 1973 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
13 Win 12–0–1 Al Sewell KO 7 (8) Dec 15, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
12 Win 11–0–1 Carlos Novotny KO 3 (8) Nov 22, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
11 Win 10–0–1 Oreste Lebron PTS 8 Oct 10, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
10 Win 9–0–1 Charles Hayward PTS 6 Sep 11, 1972 Gaelic Park, New York City, New York, U.S.
9 Win 8–0–1 Gabe Bowens PTS 4 Aug 28, 1972 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
8 Win 7–0–1 Jerry Caballero TKO 4 (6) Jul 21, 1972 Singer Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S.
7 Win 6–0–1 Don Sauls PTS 6 Jun 30, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
6 Win 5–0–1 Lenny Carter KO 2 (?) May 26, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
5 Win 4–0–1 John Presley KO 1 (?) Apr 11, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
4 Win 3–0–1 Ivelaw Eastman PTS 4 Mar 1, 1972 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
3 Draw 2–0–1 Charles Hayward PTS 6 Feb 17, 1972 Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Juan Rivera PTS 6 Jan 17, 1972 Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Ivelaw Eastman PTS 4 Nov 30, 1971 Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Katz, Michael (September 13, 1984). "Antuofermo, a 'Born Fighter,' Returns". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2019. To be specific, he is an Italian-born fighter, who now lives in Howard Beach, Queens
  2. ^ "Antuofermo Outpoints Corro". The New York Times. July 1979. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  3. ^ Michael Franzese Testifies About Organized Crime and Professional Boxing - 1992, archived from the original on 2021-12-11, retrieved 2021-06-08
  4. ^ Boxing - 12 Rnd NABF Lightweight Title - Hector Camacho VS Roque Montoya imasportsphile com. YouTube. May 23, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Preceded by European super welterweight champion
January 16, 1976 – October 1, 1976
Succeeded by
World boxing titles
Preceded by WBA middleweight champion
June 30, 1979 – March 16, 1980
Succeeded by
WBC middleweight champion
June 30, 1979 – March 16, 1980
The Ring middleweight champion
June 30, 1979 – March 16, 1980
Undisputed middleweight champion
June 30, 1979 – March 16, 1980