May 29, 1962 - At 10:55 last night, Stefan Redl’s left hook cut through cigar smoke, Tony Fortunato ducked, a man yelled, “Mark him up — break his nose,” a bell rang three times, and St. Nicholas Arena ended its 56th and final year as one of New York’s great boxing centers. Since 1906, it has graduated more than 15,000 professional men, many of whom went on to win glory, world championships, convex ears, and considerable fortunes for their managers. A few landed in shoeshine parlors and a handful in the electric chair. Within the next few months, the country’s oldest small fight club, on West 66th Street and Columbus Avenue, will be demolished to make way for an office building.
Comments