RUSSO, FREDDIE SIGNED PROMOTIONAL PHOTO POSTCARD

Freddie Russo was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 3, 1924. His family moved to Rahway, New Jersey and that city became the home base for one of the classiest boxer-punchers of that era. As an amateur, Russo was one of the best ever developed in New Jersey. Freddie walked off with four(4) Golden Gloves Championships. Turning professional he went undefeated in his first fifty-one (51) bouts. In his fourteenth (14) Professional bout, Russo won the New Jersey Featherweight Championship, with a second round knockout over Georgie Knox, in New Brunswick High School Stadium. He delighted the press by giving them good copy to write about, but angered the Boxing Commission, when he took the belt presented to him in the ring and gave it to Knox, saying “I don’t want to be Featherweight Champion of New Jersey, it’s the World Championship that I’m after.” That prize eluded him on two separate occasions, by the narrowest of margins. Although he defeated many notables in his long career, Freddie’s proudest win was his fifieth (50th) victory when he defeated Vince Del Orto, the European Featherweight and Lightweight Champion, in Newark, New Jersey. During his boxing career, he was managed by Irving Cohen, and trained by Whitey Bimstein and Dan Florio. His stablemates were Billy Graham and Rocky Graziano. Their friendship and closeness continued until Freddie’s death in 1987. Offered here is an original promotional photo postcard of Freddie Russo which he has boldly signed and inscribed.
This is an original, used, promotional photo postcard of Freddie Russo in fight pose. Boldly signed in ink, "To my friend Vinnie YourPal Freddie Russo." Small creases in upper right and lower left corners. Signed in 1947. Clean. From the collection of former boxer Vince Handley. 3 1/2" x 5 1/2."