Young Leonard, aka Sammy Lindenbaum, Well Known to Lawrence Police circa 1925

There were many noble men who pushed leather in Lawrence but there were also some that were not so noble. Here is a brief story about a Sammy Lindenbaum, who may have never called Lawrence home but certainly spent time in the city.

fought as Young Leonard during the 1920s

Photo from the Boston Globe, 1966

Although his official record on BoxRec does not list any fights for Sammy Lindenbaum in Lawrence, there's a good chance he had some fights of the unofficial kind.

According to Howie Carr's book, Hitman, The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano, Lindenbaum was a criminal jack-of-all-trades and was great buddies with Steve Hughes. On a warm Indian summer afternoon in September of 1966, Hughes and Lindenbaum came up to the Lawrence area to do some collecting from his bookies. They stopped off at Blinn's Clam Stand in Bradford Hills, where Sammy ate his "usual" two lobster rolls, french fries with a side of fried clams. Once sated, Hughes, Lindenbaum and his two Chihuahuas started the trek back to Boston via route 125 to 114. The pair where shot while driving in Middleton by men in a black sedan that pulled up and blasted them with a shotgun. Hughes was the target and Lindenbaum was collateral damage. The Chihuahuas were the only known survivors.

Years before this, Sammy Lindenbaum made front page news in Lawrence for a series of stick ups in the area, most notably Haverhill. In January of 1925, Lindenbaum put on a dress and make up in order to lull innocent shopkeepers into letting their guard down. Along with two female accomplices, one named Blanche Dubios (this is 22 years before Tennessee Williams glommed onto the name for his aging temptress who was "always dependent on the kindness of strangers") Lindenbaum, in drag, took on the much-bigger shopkeeper and, according to the Boston Globe, "went about her business expertly."

Included here is a link to a enjoyably informative article by Ted Sares that talks about the Boston gang wars and ties to the boxing community. The Friends of Tony Veranis by Ted Sares. Lindenbaum didn't make it into the story but it is most definitely worth reading, enjoy.

Pizza King and FFOE in the Tribune

Mike Sarko, from Tony Pappalardo's collection

 Yadira Betances and photog Angie Beaulieu of the Tribune visited Pizza King the other day to see the exhibit on Lawrence Boxing, Phase One. I plan on continuing along the boxing timeline and putting together another show sometime this summer. I already have some great pictures and stories from the 1940s on up. These displays depends on people sharing their personal family photos.

You can't buy these pictures anywhere. I use scans that I get from the children and grandchildren of Lawrence boxers.

If you are a former boxer or have someone in your family who fought from the Lawrence area and would like to share their story for either this blog or an exhibit, please email me at the addressl listed on the side of this blog.  For those of you who are local I will borrow your photos, scan them and return them to you, usually within the hour.

One correction from the article. Mike Sarkis/Sarko was a great fighter and he was, indeed, the National Guard Lightweight Champion but he WAS NOT the winner of two world championships. He fought some world champions, but he himself was not one.

Stick around long enough, and boxing will break your heart

Often referred to as the "Red Light District of Sports" boxing has a long history of breaking the hearts of those who love it the most.

William "Scotty" McGhee

Born a twin in Glasgow, Scotland in 1883, William McGhee came to Lawrence an experienced amateur boxer sometime around 1910. Although BoxRec doesn't (yet) confirm it, his first pro fight in this country was against George (Young) Cuddy, brother of John E. Cuddy at the Hibernian Hall in Lawrence, MA.

He never quit his day job with the Washington Mills and graduated to chauffer, escorting the mucky-mucks to their meetings in Shawsheen Villiage or the company's rural retreat, The Cosmopolitan Club in Boxford. Like many men who loved boxing, McGhee never really left the the ring and made the progression from participant to referee soon after the Massaschusetts State Boxing Law was put in place in the early 1920s.

In April of 1926 McGhee stopped a fight at the Crescent Arena between Tommy French and Ray Cross, because the fighters stalled and McGhee determined that is wasn't a fight, but a fake. He demanded the ticket holders get their money refunded. Johnny Buckley was one of the fighter's managers. Buckley was very well connected. In many different circles. McGhee's referee license was taken away from him without any explanation. McGhee petitioned the boxing commission repeatedly and got no answer. Not a surprise, given that the head of the commission at the time was Gene Buckley, brother of John.

The Boxing Commission held a hearing in Lawrence's City Hall in 1930 as part of a PR effort to check on the state of boxing and wrestling. Other than McGhee, in attendance was John Gibbons, a local wrestler who was equally disgusted with the chicanery involved in wrestling.  Only a handful of other people attended the hearing and they were reporters. McGhee named some names and told them of the numerous occasions where he was offered cash for favorable decisions. He also told them that a few years prior to the hearing he approached Johnny Buckley and asked him about his license suspension, to which Buckley replied "You're all right McGhee, but you should not hold up the boys' money. Take care of the boys, never mind the fellows who pay at the door."

McGhee continued to ref amateur boxing but his days as a pro boxing ref were over.