Coley Wallace
Coley Wallace (April 5, 1927-January 30, 2005) was an American actor and heavyweight boxer who outpointed Rocky Marciano in a three-round amateur fight.
Although Wallace, a Jacksonville, FL native, had a respectable record as a professional (20-7-0), his claim to fame came in 1948 when, as an amateur, he defeated future heavyweight champion by very close split decision Rocky Marciano in the finals of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament.
Wallace's contact was "owned" under the table by the notorious Frank "Blinky" Palermo, a member of the Philadelphia crime family. Palermo was imprisoned in 1961 for conspiracy and extortion for the covert ownership of prizefighters.[1]
After boxing, Wallace acted in four movies, twice portraying the boxer Joe Louis.
Wallace died on January 30, 2005, of heart failure in New York City.
Filmography
- The Joe Louis Story (1953) - Joe Louis
- Carib Gold (1957)
- Raging Bull (1980) - Joe Louis (Cerdan Fight)
- Rooftops (1989) - Lester
References
- ^ "BLINKY PALERMO, MOBSTER WHO RAN BOXING DIES!". Ring Talk. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
External links
- Boxing record for Coley Wallace from BoxRec (registration required)
- Wallace IMDB.com Page
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- 1927 births
- 2005 deaths
- Male actors from Florida
- Boxers from Florida
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York
- Deaths from heart failure
- Heavyweight boxers
- National Golden Gloves champions
- Sportspeople from Jacksonville, Florida
- Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers
- American boxing biography stubs