Vito Antuofermo

Vito Antuofermo Gabrielo ( born February 9, 1953 in Palo del Colle, Province of Bari ) is a retired Italian professional boxer and world middleweight champion of the WBA and WBC. Later he became an actor in several films and television series.

He lives with his wife in Queens, New York and has four children.

Beginnings as a boxer

Vito Antuofermo was in 1969 with his family to relatives moved to New York City, since, due to a drought in his southern Italian home failed to crop yields of parental agriculture.

There he came in an unusual way with the sport of boxing in contact; after a street brawl, he was taken along with his opponent with handcuffs to the Training Center of the Police Athletic League ( PAL ) where the competent manager Joe LaGardia offered them, in the ring discharge their dispute over the road here. Only Antuofermo was, however, willing to stay here and asked the manager to teach him more in boxing.

As follows amateur boxer, he played 30 fights, 28 of them victories. He won the 1970 New York Golden Gloves and came a year later, enter the same event to the finals and had to be there only beaten the later WBA champion light heavyweight Edward Gregory. He then became a professional in the light middleweight.

Beginning of the professional career

In his first professional fight on November 30, 1971, he defeated former champion from Guyana Ivelaw Eastman with a points victory over four rounds. Except for a draw against Charles Hayward he won his first 18 professional fights in a row, eight by knockout. It should be noted here, however, that only four of these opponents could have a positive balance of battle. He suffered his first defeat finally on July 9, 1973 against Harold Weston, as the referee broke off the fight due to a cut over Antuofermos left eye. Weston was then declare the winner by technical knockout.

Winning streak against major opponents

In his next fight on August 25, 1973, he defeated the veteran from the Bronx Danny McAloon by a points victory over 10 rounds. A surprise it was there shortly after the battle, as Antuofermos father jumped over to the police in the ring and his victorious son kissed. Until then, he had always opposed a boxing career of his son. On March 8, 1974, he ended the winning streak of undefeated in 22 fights John L. Sullivan by a points victory over 10 rounds, whereupon he was never able to go on his old performances.

After a spectacular knockout victory in round 1 via multiple Canadian national champion Joey Durelle and a points win against the Texans Melvin Dennis, there was a fierce encounter with the former WBA champion Denny Moyer. Antuofermo was able to fight through a points victory to decide for themselves, but suffered nasty cuts on both eyes. Then he defeated former WBA and WBC champion Emile Griffith by unanimous decision and was then taken up in December 1974 by Ring magazine's list of the top ten middleweight boxer.

On 27 June 1975, he punched in a non-title fight in Milan against Italian champion Antonio Castellini, who had already punched eight times in Milan and always won, he also was worshiped by the locals almost. Although Antuofermo won by TKO in Round 5, but it had to be evacuated because of the angry crowd in the audience of the police through an underground tunnel immediately. Then he returned briefly back to his hotel and then left the city immediately.

European champion

After two more wins, inter alia, against the eventual WBF world champion Vinnie Curto, it came on 16 January 1976 in Berlin to his first major title fight. Antuofermo boxed against the German Eckhard Dagge to the European title at light middleweight. Dagge found no answer to the boxing style of the Italian and eventually lost by a points defeat over 15 rounds. After a successful title defense against the French champion Jean -Claude Warusfel he lost in a non-title fight against the Germans unexpectedly Frank Bach by knowledge points defeat. Finally, four months later, he lost his European title against the British Maurice Hope by TKO in Round 15

World champion of the WBA and WBC

After eight consecutive wins against strong opponents building he showed his class once again demonstrated when he won the Argentine Hugo Pastor Corro defeated on 30 June 1979 after points and thus secured the world title at middleweight by the associations WBA and WBC. The fight was out pretty hard and unfair at first, both boxers received point deductions for irregular low blows and headbutts. Until the 10th round Corro largely dominated the fight, but subsequently lost heavily on condition, after which the more stamina Antuofermo was able to secure the victory. Skip to first title defense came in November of the same year against Marvin Hagler, who announced in advance of the fight, " Vito, Mosquito, how to make a fly swatter ." Antuofermo replied only, do not appreciate the attitude of his opponent, but to respect him as a fighter. Finally, the balanced fight ended in a draw, which Antuofermo could retain his title.

On March 16, 1980, there came to the next title defense against the British mandatory challenger Alan Minter. Although Minter had gone in round 14 once to the ground, he was told by the full 15 rounds to controversial points winner. The New York Times, for example, had Antuofermo seen as the real winner. Was particularly critical of the fact that during a battle with a British sports Briton Roland Dakin was used as one of the judges and Antuofermo received the fewest points of exactly this. Even the British press called Dakin points classification as " shameful " and "embarrassing ".

Back fighting for the world title

Finally, the Italians got the chance for a rematch, which was held just three months later. But this time, Minter was clear who was the new middleweight champion and met Antuofermo already in the 1st round hard in the right eye, whereupon he suffered a bloody cut. From the 4th round, he could only see with the left eye and was eventually taken in the 8th round badly bruised from the fight.

After a points victory over Mauricio Aldana Antuofermo got another chance for a fight for the WBA and WBC belt. Since Minter has now been dethroned by Marvin Hagler, he had to play against his old rival Hagler, against whom he had achieved a draw in the last match again. But already at the beginning of the 1st round slammed Hagler with his head in Antuofermos face, then suffered a heavily bleeding wound above his left eye. During the 60-second rest between rounds Cutman Freddy Brown tried to convince the referee of a fight demolition and leave the fight without judgment, because he could not stop the bleeding of the Italian. After a consultation with the Commissioner Walter Byars this request was denied and the match will continue. In the third round, he fell to the ground and was eventually taken in the 5th round of his corner from the fight, because the bleeding still could not be stopped.

After this defeat, he played only five fights against rather insignificant opponent before he ended his boxing career in October 1985.

Success as a boxer

Amateur

• February 27, 1970: 1st place at the New York Golden Gloves
• April 2nd 1971: 2nd place at the New York Golden Gloves

Professional

In the eternal European ranking it occupies 11th place in the eternal World No. 86

Private and life after boxing

In 1975, he married his childhood sweetheart and Joan has with these three sons and a daughter.

After his boxing career, he opened the pizzeria " Champ 's Pizza " in New York City, which he later sold, however, and it worked on the docks of Jersey. Besides, he also gave boxing lessons at a local gym.

Due to its appearance as a "hard stick" and his Italian background, he was repeatedly hired as an actor for the role of a villain in Mafia movies. When his best-known role of Anthony " The Ant " Squigliaro is paid in the movie The Godfather - Part III. He had Self et al in the multi-award -winning Mafia drama Goodfellas - Three decades in the Mafia and the Mafia series The Sopranos.