Remebering Carmen Basilio

[Scott Pitoniak]

I’m sure somewhere up in heaven the late, two-time world boxing champion Carmen Basilio is making the rounds, regaling people with his salt-of-the-earth sense of humor – and impishly doling out a “friendly punch” or two.

 

Over the course of the 30-plus years I knew Carmen, I laughed often at his corny jokes and incurred a few bruises from those “friendly punches" - "love taps" he called them. (Even into his late 60s, early 70s the ex-Marine still packed a powerful punch. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have been on the receiving end of his not-so-friendly punches during his boxing prime.)

 

Carmen always was so down-to-earth, so genuine, a true character. I never met a boxer or any other athlete as accomplished as him for that matter who was so perpetually jovial. He truly loved life and loved people.

 

Read the rest of the column at http://www.ScottPitoniak.com