Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and Hall of Famer
By Mark Allen Baker
About the Book
Born Luigi d’Ambrosio, Lou Ambers grew up in Herkimer, New York, during the Great Depression. He and his nine siblings watched their father lose his business. Then they lost their father. Taking to the ring as a “bootleg” boxer to support his family, “The Herkimer Hurricane” soon became an undefeated contender, losing only one of more than fifty fights in his first three years as a professional. A keen judge of distance with prodigious hand speed, he worked just within punching range, busily slipping and feinting, then slashing in with hooks and uppercuts.
In 1936, he faced his idol and mentor, Tony Canzoneri, and defeated him to capture the world lightweight championship. Ambers held the title for twenty-three months, losing it in a historic fight with the formidable Henry Armstrong (1938) but regaining it in a rematch the following year. As the 1930s ended, so did Amber’s impressive career. This book chronicles the life of one of the great 20th century lightweights, who retired with a Hall of Fame record of 90-8-6 with 30 KOs.
About the Author
Mark Allen Baker, business executive and writer of hundreds of articles and more than 20 books, is the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. He lives in Hebron, Connecticut, and Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Mark Allen Baker
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 241
Bibliographic Info: ca. 50 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8220-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4231-4
Imprint: McFarland
Price: $39.95
BOOK REVIEW
THE HURRICANE FROM HERKIMER
By Roger Zotti
[The book] is an inspiring story about an elite participant in the sport and a good man. It is a great example of how a boxer used his faith to overcome the obstacles he faced. And one of those impediments was the tragic 1936 ring death of an opponent, Tony Scarpati.
Mark Allen Baker, Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World, Lightweight Champion, and Hall of Famer
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He was born Luigi Giuseppe d’Ambrosio but was better known as Lou Ambers, though before he became Lou Ambers he had dubbed himself Otis Paradise. He grew up in Herkimer, New York, and was the world lightweight champion in the mid-nineteen-thirties. When he retired from fighting in1941, he had compiled an astonishing 90-8-6 (30 KOs) record.
Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and Hall of Famer (McFarland), by the prolific and knowledgeable boxing historian Mark Allen Baker, the author of 27 books, seven of which are about boxing, has written about the fighter nicknamed the Herkimer Hurricane.“So little has been written about Ambers,” Baker notes, “ [that I’m] thankful for the opportunity to explore the life of this amazing man.”
Baker’s excellent biography contains twelve meticulously researched and enthusiastically written chapters, among them “1933—You’re Getting to be a Habit” In it, we learn about Ambers’ fight against seasoned Ernie Tedesco at the Englewood Sportsmen’s Club in New Jersey. Undefeated in sixteen fights, Ambershad his opponent bloodied and helpless. What Ambers did next—or didn’t do—“spoke volumes regarding the character of the fighter,” Baker writes. Though the crowd urged Ambers to “finish him off,” he “refused to hit his antagonist. There were times in the ring where enough was enough, and this was one of those times.”
Chapter Five, “1935—Lullaby of Broadway,” is about Ambers’ fight against the man he admired since he first put on a pair of leather mittens—Tony Canzoneri.
May 10, 1935, was the date. The place was Madison Square Garden. At stake was the lightweight title Barney Ross had vacated. Though Ambers lost the fifteen round decision, Baker writes, “[he] had nothing to be ashamed of, as Canzoneri was not only a talented fighter, but he may have been the best lightweight ever.”
(Ambers and Canzoneri fought two more times. In 1936, at MSG, Ambers won a unanimous fifteen round decision, and with the victory the lightweight championship. A year later, at the Garden again outpointed Canzoneri in fifteen rounds.)
”1936—Triumph and Tragedy” deals with what happened when Ambers fought Tony Scarpati, which was something every fighter dreads. Their second meeting took place March 17, 1936. (Ambers had decisioned Scarpati three years prior.) In the seventh round Ambers knocked out Scarpati. Baker writes that “Those sitting at ringside claimed they had never seen a fighter’s head so violently strike the canvas . . . Scarpati, lying face up on the floor, could not be revived.”
Rushed to Buskwick Hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition, “he remained in a coma and was paralyzed on his left side. . . . Tony Scarpati died at noon, on March 20, 1936. . . . He was twenty-two years old.”
Ambers was devastated and “quick to praise his rival,” Baker writes, “[but] could hardly speak without breaking down. . . . Out of respect, [Ambers] had gone to the Scarpati residence and asked the family for permission to attend their son’s funeral. . . . Ambers was led to a room where Mrs. Scarpati was mourning. Arising from a chair, her face dampened with fresh tears, she opened her arms and embraced the fighter as if he was her own son.”
A devout Roman Catholic, Ambers “wrestled with the consequences of the [Scarpati tragedy],” and sought counsel from Father Gustave Purifacato, his longtime friend and spiritual advisor.
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Three final points. First: Baker’s book contains informative mini-biographies about Ambers’ opponents, includingTony Canzoneri, Fritzie Zivic, and Henry Armstrong, and about his manager Al Weill and his trainer “Whitey” Bimstein.
Second: Consider the time Weill met with writer Damon Runyon. It’s a word picture to savor, and took place in New York, City, in May, at Weill’s favorite Italian restaurant. Baker writes that “as [Weill] finished his dessert and paid the bill, he managed to catch a glimpse of Runyon at a nearby table. Runyon, who would rather choke on his breadstick than chat with Weill, did his best to blend into the contrasting tablecloth—you know, one of the white and red checked variations. But the wordsmith had no such luck. Instead, Weill began pontificating about fighting styles, complete with dangling fragments of Italian bread, pasta e fagoli and a lone toothpick bobbing at the corner of his mouth. Runyon had no idea what Weill was talking about . . . “
Third: Lou Ambers contains a wealth of valuable American history—specifically Baker’s astute observations about the Depression and Herkimer County.
An Interview with Mark Allen Baker
What prompted you to write about Ambers?
Not only did I know the boxer through my work with the International Boxing Hall of Fame, but my wife spent her childhood across the Mohawk River in Ilion, New York. Often exposed to the great boxer and discovering few materials about him, I felt a sense of obligation as I had with my other biographies, but what I didn’t realize entering the project was just how much inspiration I would receive from it.
Lou and his nine siblings watched their father lose his business. Then they lost their father. Like others in the same situation, Lou Ambers was forced to grow up quick. Assuming incredible responsibility, he became a “bootleg” boxer to support the family. New York State at that time had a robust “bootleg” boxing circuit, so Ambers took the alias Otis Paradise and began a discreet amateur/professional career. (Part of the book is an Introduction to Bootleg Boxing in New York State and even a Federation of Amateur Sports Clubs Directory of Selected Amateur Fighters—1931-1933).
Ambers soon became a contender, losing only one of more than 50 fights in his first three years as a professional. A keen judge of distance with prodigious hand speed, busily slipping and feinting he then slashed in with hooks and uppercuts. In 1936, he faced his mentor Tony Canzoneri, and won the world lightweight championship in a 15-round decision.
Ambers held the title until 1938, losing it to Henry Armstrong but regaining it the following year. As the 1940s began, the elite fighter’s career was concluding. This book chronicles the life of one of the great 20th century Hall of Fame lightweights.
Who would you want to read and benefit from your book?
I think this work has a broad-based appeal. Here is what the readers have told me: It is a very good story about not only a talented fighter but a deeply religious athlete; it is a love story (Ambers marries his childhood sweetheart); it is about devotion to family; it is an incredible example of community support (Herkimer County) for a local boxer; and it provides a wonderful example of a sound relationship between a fighter (Lou Ambers), and his manager (Al Weill).
What was most challenging about writing it?
The most challenging element of the book, besides COVID-19, was tracking down the subject’s “bootleg” battles under his alias. As you know, it is hard enough tracking the amateur careers of many early 20th Century boxers without aliases.
Other elements could have been challenging if it were not for the assistance of the Herkimer County Historical Society and the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). Some of my fellow IBRO members were also helpful.
What do you hope readers take from it?
Like all my titles, I sought to break new ground with the research. As the first serious look at Lou Ambers, aka Otis Paradise, I am extremely proud of the work. How all his bootleg fights will play into his overall record remains to be seen.
Over the years people have contacted the IBHOF looking for information about a relative who fought on the New York State amateur circuit. The inclusion of the Federation of Amateur Sports Clubs Directory of Selected Amateur Fighters (1931-1933) could provide some useful information. So many good fighters came from that circuit including Lou Ambers.
In the past, quiet and modest fighters such as Lou Ambers have slipped through the cracks of recognition. It is time for that to change.