Anthony Georgette
ANTHONY “TONY” GEORGETTE was born in New York City on February 4, 1907 to Giovannia and Margarita Georgette. His family soon moved to Camden, New Jersey where he was raised. He took an interest in boxing at an early age, one of the many young men attracted to Camden’s fight scene, especially vibrant in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1930 Census shows him living with his parents and younger brothers Rocco, Pasquale, and Marcus at 410 Spruce Street.
At 15 he became the nation’s youngest boxing manager, a career he followed for well over 40 years. Among the many fighters who he handled were Johnny Lucas, Frankie Blair, Mickey Blair, Joey Allen, Joey Powell, Pedro Firpo, and Gene Jones. He was also very active with Camden’s Veteran Boxers’ Association Ring No. 6.
Anthony Georgette’s last years were spent as a resident of the Leisuretowne community in Southampton, New Jersey. Anthony Georgette died on July 10, 1993 at Cooper Hospital in Camden as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He was survived by his second wife, the former Ernesta Dallesandro and his brother Pasquale Georgette.
Anthony Georgette, ex-boxing promoter
Camden Courier-Post —
SOUTHAMPTON — A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday for Anthony Georgette, 87, a retired boxing manager, trainer and promoter who died Saturday at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center in Camden after a car accident.
Born in New York City, Mr. Georgette was raised in Camden. He had been a resident of the Leisuretowne section of the township for the past several years.
A fighter for a short time, he became the country’s youngest boxing manager at 15. During his career, he managed Frankie Rapp, Mickey and Frankie Blair, and Joey Powell.
After his managing career, he wrote a boxing column for several newspapers and was in demand as a speaker at numerous area boxing events.
Surviving are his wife, Ernesta (nee Dallesandro); a brother, Pasquale Georgette of New Port Richey, Fla.; and a number of nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.
Friends may call after 7 p.m. Thursday and after 8:45 a.m. Friday at the LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home, 290 White Horse Pike, Berlin. The Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Holy Eucharist Catholic Church, Medford Lakes Road, Tabernacle.
Entombment will be in the mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill.
Tony Georgette Gives Lifetime to Fight Game
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN BOXING ELITE — At one of the many gatherings of Camden’s Ring 6, Veteran Boxers’ Association, Tony Georgette (right) enjoys company of Sgt. Ray Smith (seated), Lew Skymer (left) and Frankie Rapp — By Doug Frontero
Webster Will Join Forces With Georgette, Prince
Camden Courier-Post —
By Tom Ryan
A new boxing triumvirate soon will be formed in Camden, it was learned today.
Those involved are Tony Georgette, Joe Webster and Eddie Prince, all Camden residents.
The merger of the trio into one group has been talked over for the past two months among the three boxing figures and soon will become a reality, it is rumored. None could be reached today to confirm the report.
While Webster is a comparative newcomer to Camden boxing compared with Georgette and Prince, the former manager of record of Jersey Joe Walcott brings a wealth of knowledge and prestige to the group.
He was manager of record for Walcott for three years till his contract with the Camden heavyweight expired last May.
With the expiration of the contract, Walcott decided he would do his own business in the future and severed relations with Webster.
Webster, who never, before he became Walcott’s manager of record, had been identified with the fight game in any capacity other than as a fan, made a host of friends and a number of excellent contacts while he was connected with the Camden heavyweight.
After becoming identified with Walcott, it didn’t take long for Webster to establish himself as one of the best-liked men in boxing.
Affable and intelligent, the Camden restaurateur met all the big-time promoters and managers and his connections should be invaluable to Georgette and Prince.
Georgette and Prince are the two best-known figures in the fight game in Camden. Both have been connected with the game for over 20 years, and like Webster, are well-liked and respected.
Tony and Eddie grew up together in Camden boxing. The former started as a second and Eddie started as a trainer who also had his own gym here when boxing was at its peak.
Both later became managers, with Georgette eventually becoming the more prominent. Among those Tony managed during his early days in the game were Mickey Blair, Johnny Lucas, Frankie Blair, Joey Allen, Joey Powell, Joey Straiges and a number of lesser local lights.
He and Joey Allen, who now trains Walcott, were the two who brought out of obscurity Pedro Firpo, Camden featherweight, during World War II.
Georgette and Allen bought Firpo’s contract for $400 and at one time had the genial little Negro listed among the first 10 lightweights. Incidentally, Firpo retired over a year ago upon the advice of Georgette.
For the past two years, Georgette has centered his attention upon Gene Jones, young Negro heavyweight, who is considered one of the best prospects in the nation.
However, he has several youngsters of different weights in training, but will not start them in the pro game till he feels they have had the proper schooling.
Prince for years has acted as a co-trainer of Georgette’s fighters; they long have been known as the Damon and Pythias of Camden boxing.
Eddie is a modest and retiring individual who has shunned the spotlight, but there isn’t a wiser head in the fight game. He can get the work out of boxers and that’s the secret of success in any sport.
Now that Webster soon will join hands with Georgette and Prince, the trio should become a winning combination.
They are determined to develop South Jersey talent and will comb this area for prospective boxers.
Georgette always has believed that good boxers can be developed in Camden and vicinity provided they received proper training.
And under Prince, boxers can be developed. Eddie is a stern taskmaster and will brook no nonsense from the youngsters he trains.
So, accorded the proper training, there’s no reason why Camden once more shouldn’t be represented by such outstanding boxers as Walcott, Roxie Allen, Mickey Blair, Tip Gorman, Bobby Zimmerman, Lucas, Joey Allen, Frankie Rapp, Frankie Blair and others who made boxing pay here in the 1920’s.
With Webster and Georgette’s experience in arranging matches and Prince’s ability to train fighters, the three should get somewhere in the boxing game.
And no fighter will be hurt under their guidance unless it’s of his own doing.
They will separate the chaff from the wheat and even the wheat will not be hurt.
Joey Allen Out as Trainer Of Jersey Joe Walcott
Camden Courier-Post —
By Tom Ryan
Joey Allen, who has been connected with the Jersey Joe Walcott fight entourage as trainer since 1945, today is seeking another job.
Allen and Felix Bocchicchio, Walcott’s manager, amicably agreed to part company last Saturday, it was learned yesterday.
Walcott, Bocchicchio, Allen and Dan Florio, New York trainer who was brought in to train Walcott for his third fight against Joey Maxim and for Jersey Joe’s two championship fights against Joe Louis and also his championship fight against Ezzard Charles, arrived home from Europe last Tuesday.
Florio, incidentally, was taken to Sweden by Bocchicchio and Walcott to act as head trainer for Walcott’s fight against Olie Tandberg last Aug. 11, at Stockholm, Sweden.
Sid Feder, New York boxing writer, also accompanied the party, but left soon after Walcott had knocked out Tandberg in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-rounder.
The party later went to England after Walcott had engaged in about 17 exhibition bouts in Sweden.
There was no work in England for Walcott, so Walcott, Bocchicchio and Florio visited Italy.
During their visit to Italy, Allen was left in England as the visit to Italy was in the nature of a vacation as Walcott and Bocchicchio knew there also wouldn’t be any work in Italy for Walcott.
The quartet flew home from Holland, Walcott, Bocchicchio and Allen reaching Camden last Tuesday.
Last Saturday, we understand, Allen and Bocchicchio got together and agreed that it was best for all concerned if Allen should immediately quit.
Allen took over the training of Walcott after Walcott beat Joe Baksi, Aug. 2, 1945, here at the Convention Hall.
He was head trainer for Walcott from the time the latter fought Johnny Denson here, Sept. 20, 1945, until Walcott fought Maxim for the third time at Hollywood Stadium, Los Angeles, June 23, 1947.
Florio, a good “corner man,” who also bears a good reputation as a trainer, was brought in to train Walcott for the third Maxim fight.
Walcott won that fight and it also won him a chance to meet Louis for the heavyweight title. All who saw the fight agreed it was a lousy fight.
Louis was on the same card in an exhibition bout and Walcott looked so bad that Louis promised Bocchicchio that Walcott would be his next title opponent.
Louis kept his word and figured on the strength of Walcott’s showing against Maxim that Jersey Joe would be a soft touch the following December.
Everyone close to boxing knew that Louis didn’t train properly for the first Walcott fight and nearly lost his title, most boxing experts giving Walcott the decision, but officially the decision went to the champion.
Allen did all the preliminary training of Walcott for this bout, Florio taking over only the last two weeks Walcott was in camp.
Joey also started Walcott off on his training for the second Louis fight, but again was supplanted by Florio, Dan this time coming to Camden weeks in advance of the bout.
And Walcott went stale from training only about eight days before the bout. Only three days of rain saved Walcott from going completely stale.
Rain prevented his doing road work for three days and permitted him to recuperate from over-training. But it showed in his second fight against Louis, Jersey Joe being knocked out in the 11th round.
Florio also took over Walcott’s training for the Charles fight a few days after the camp had been established at Momence, Ill.
Walcott also lost this one, the decision going to Charles in 15 rounds. Jersey Joe didn’t look any too good in this fight, tiring early in the bout.
Allen, according to reports, had little to say in conditioning Walcott for his last fight against Tandberg.
A bum at his best, Tandberg wasn’t conditioned properly and Walcott knocked him out in the fifth round. So Florio must have got Walcott in fair shape for the bout.
But that didn’t overcome the fact that Allen, who had trained Walcott for most of his comeback fights, was slowly but surely being pushed out of the picture.
The little Camden former lightweight decided last Saturday to talk things over with Bocchicchio and the conference ended in their severing connections.
Prior to his taking over the training of Walcott, Allen had been a comanager of Pedro Firpo along with Tony Georgette. Allen sold his share of Firpo to Georgette and Tony made money for the stubby South Camden Negro.
There’s a possibility that Allen and Georgette again may team up as comanagers of Camden boxers.
Allen plans to remain in the fight game. He was a game featherweight and lightweight, and always was a crowd-pleaser.
Bearing a spotless reputation, Allen is an asset to boxing and should have no trouble making new connections provided he decides to continue to act as a trainer instead of turning to the managerial end of the game.
Veterans Boxing Association Ring 6
11th Annual Banquet —
Joey Powell’s Well-Wishers — Also Extend Best Wishes to Sergeant Ray Smith
- Joseph Grochowski
- Al Bunker
- Ed Kaszycki
- Andy Friday
- John Skiba
- John Dombrowski
- Walter Szalanski
- Nick Pawlak
- Wm. O’Brien
- Bill Neil
- Wm. Schultz
- Tom Scarduzio
- Peter Paull
- Barney Tracey
- Dave Hainsworth
- Walter Zimolong
- Edward Shapiro
- Thomas McLaughlin
- John Opfer
- Vallie Francesconi
- Tom Ryan
- Leon Lucas
- Jesse Urban
- Bobbie Zimmerman
- Joe (Kid) Murphy
- Pee Wee Wilson
- Jackie Gleason
- Joe Vitarelli
- Al Daley
- Frankie Youker
- Joe McEvoy
- Frank Valenti
- Jim McFadden
- Charles Bauer
- George Ballantine
- James O’Neill
- Dorothy Dougherty
- Agnes McHenry
- Vicky Dangler
- Francis Souders
- Loretta and Reds
- Bart
- Roger Cotton
- Leon McCarthy
- Kenneth Geitz
- Joe Daubman
- Norman Jacobson
- Nick Colofrancisco
- Chris Rago
- Charles Myers
- Ray Cohand
- Paul Harduk
- Charles Wells
- Carl Stolinski
- Walter Wilson
- Steve Straub
- Charley Kmiec
- Jimmy Tyler
- Joe Dorfy
- William Vogel
- John Campbell
- Steve O’Keefe
- Sam Laird
- Ed Rickter
- Don Cragin
- John Odorisio
- Michael Przywara
- Walter Paleszewski
- Watson Burdalski
- Stanley Snajkowski
- Frank Drabik
- John P. Kawczak
- Frank Kulesa
- Steve Kirby
- James R. Asher
- Polack Tony
- Stephen Yakopczyna
- Helen and Chick
- Don Wilson
- James Monaghan
- George Carr
- Bill Jentsch
- John Greenan
- Charles Galasso
- Don’s Barber Shop
- Joe Shaw
- Ben Gutowski
- Tom Bristow
- Joseph Stelmach
- Leon Hood
- George Saunders
- Mike Borman
- Anthony Cirelli
- Bob Hardy
- Frank Hardy
- Benny DePalma
- Frank Padulla
- Mike Yack
- Stanley Powell
- George Kroecker
- A Friend
- The Fox
- Tom Fish
Ryan Honored At Special Fete
Camden Courier-Post —
More than a score sportsmen from the Camden area attended a surprise 75th birthday party to Tom Ryan, retired sports editor of the Courier-Post, in Kenney’s Camden last night.
Sheriff Martin Segal, Sergeant Ray Smith, former AEF heavyweight champion, and a number of other former boxers who have known Ryan for 40 years attended.
Other guests included: Stephen O’Keefe, chief copy editor of the Courier-Post; Joe (Kid) Murphy, former Camden Ring 6 president; Joe Spearing, Ring 6 president; Roxie Allen, Tom Kenney Sr., Battling Mack and Eddie Prince. Anthony Georgette was toastmaster and Lew Skymer chairman. All paid tribute to Ryan.