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A photo of Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey 1895 - 1983

Jack Dempsey of New York, New York County, New York United States was born on June 24, 1895 in Manassa, Conejos County, CO, and died at age 87 years old on May 31, 1983 in New York, NY. Jack Dempsey was buried at Southampton Cemetery in Southampton, Suffolk County.
Jack Dempsey
Kid Blackie, The Manassa Mauler, William Harrison Dempsey
New York, New York County, New York United States
June 24, 1895
Manassa, Conejos County, Colorado, United States
May 31, 1983
New York, New York, United States
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Jack Dempsey's History: 1895 - 1983

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  • Introduction

    William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey, nicknamed "Kid Blackie" and "The Manassa Mauler", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. Wikipedia Born: June 24, 1895, Manassa, CO Died: May 31, 1983, New York City, NY Height: 6′ 1″ Spouse: Deanna Piatelli (m. 1958–1983), MORE Quotes A champion is someone who gets up when he can't. By forgetting the past and by throwing myself into other interests, I forget to worry. I was a pretty good fighter. But it was the writers who made me great. Overview (5) Born June 24, 1895 in Manassa, Colorado, USA Died May 31, 1983 in New York City, New York, USA (heart failure) Birth Name William Harrison Dempsey Nicknames The Manassa Mauler Tiger Height 6' 0¾" (1.85 m) Mini Bio (1) Jack Dempsey's life story could have been a Hollywood script. Born to a dirt-poor farming family, young Dempsey took up boxing with his older brother. Turning professional under the name Kid Blackie, Dempsey fought in saloons, coal-mining towns, back allies, lumberjack camps, and numerous hick and tank towns around the United States. Pocessing speed, toughness, and one-punch knockout power, Dempsey quickly started racking up a series of knockouts. Defeats to "Fireman" Jim Flynn, Willie Meehan, and Jack Downey, kept Dempsey in the minor circuit. It wasn't until he met manager Jack "Doc" Hearns did Dempsey's career take off. After scoring 5 consecutive first round knockouts, Dempsey met Jess Williard for the World's Heavyweight Boxing Title on July 4, 1919. Dempsey butchered the 6 ft 6 inch 270 pound Williard, knocking him down seven times in round one, and finally stopping him in the third. Dempsey became the first fighter to generate a million dollar gate. His knockouts over Luis Firpo and George Carpienter are legendary. He lost his tile after almost 7 years to Gene Tunney. Lost to Tunney in the "Battle of the Long Count" and retired. In 1931, at 36, Jack Dempsey announced his comeback and fought hundreds of exhibitions. He knocked-out over 40 opponents, sometimes 3 or 4 in one night. In 1940, at 45, he returned for the final time and knocked out 3 opponents in one month. Dempsey went on to run his famous restaurant on Broadway for almost 50 years. - IMDb Mini Biography By: angelsunchained Spouse (4) Deanna Piatelli (1964 - 31 May 1983) ( his death) ( 1 child) Hannah Williams (18 July 1933 - 7 July 1943) ( divorced) ( 2 children) Estelle Taylor (7 February 1925 - 1930) ( divorced) Maxine Gates (9 October 1916 - 2 April 1919) ( divorced) Trivia (24) Born at 11:00pm-MST Former heavyweight boxing champ/actor. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1919-1926. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1980. Pictured on one of fifteen 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, issued 3 February 1998, celebrating the 1910s. Lost heavyweight title in 1926 to Gene Tunney. 1927 rematch against Gene Tunney known as "the long count." Dempsey knocked Tunney down for 14 to 18 seconds in the 7th round, but the referee did not start his count immediately, so Tunney got the extra time, then got up at 9 and went on to win the fight. He had two daughters with his wife Hannah. Joan Hannah was born in 1934 and Barbara was born in 1936. He had two daughters named Barbara. His first was born in 1936, with wife Hannah. His second daughter, with wife Deanna, was already named Barbara when he adopted her. Including exhibitions, scored 65 first round knockout victories. He knocked-out millionaire Howard Hughes. Hughes wanted to see "what it would be like to spar with the heavyweight champion". In 1940 at age 45, he knocked out 3 professional wrestlers in the month of July. He knocked out 6 feet 6 inch Fred Fulton in 14 seconds. Retired in 1927 but made a comeback in 1932 fighting over 100 exhibitions, sometimes knocking out 5 opponents in one night. Began his boxing career as Kid Blackie and fought in mining and lumberjack camps, bars, saloons, and hobo camps. Early in his career was knocked out in one round by "Fireman" Jim Flynn. A year later, Dempsey knocked out Flynn in one round. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 223-226. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Beat Dick Gilbert. In a 1960 newspaper article, stated that he suffered the worst pounding of his career at the hands of John Lester Johnson. One night while in his mid-seventies, Dempsey was leaving his New York restaurant as two young men attempted to mug him. Dempsey held them until the NYPD arrived. Managed early in his career by Billy Madden. Dempsey was considered to be a "slacker" in the U;S. involvement in World War I for his opting to avoid military service by working in the Brooklyn Naval Yards; which was classified as an essential industry in the War. Dempsey (biography) by Jack Dempsey, 1977. In the 1960s, Mr. Dempsey served as a celebrity spokesman (even before the practice was commonplace) for the Chicago based DeVry Technical Institute (now DeVry University). Jack redeemed himself and restored is good reputation by serving as a commissioned officer (Lieutenant) and director of physical training for the United States Coast Guard. Kill the other guy before he kills you. [on Rudolph Valentino] He was the most virile and masculine of men. The women were like flies to a honey pot. He could never shake them off when he went out. What a lovely, lucky guy!
  • 06/24
    1895

    Birthday

    June 24, 1895
    Birthdate
    Manassa, Conejos County, Colorado United States
    Birthplace
  • Religious Beliefs

    JACK DEMPSEY, 1924" (Once Upon a Time series) 22.5x15.5, 2024. "I WAS A MINER AND I was a cowboy but mostly I was a hobo. I fought wherever I could, in school halls, outside saloons, any place they were putting up a purse. I once walked thirty miles across the desert to a town called Goldfield in Nevada so I could fight for twenty dollars. "I got beat a lot. I improved. But I remember the beatings I took. Once I got beat so bad they had to take me out of the ring in a wheelbarrow. Later some said I was a killer in the ring. They got that wrong. I killed nobody. But I took out other guys quick. That much is true. I got more one round knockouts than anybody, sixty knockouts in the first round. "I beat a good Heavyweight in New Orleans once in fourteen seconds. I knocked out Fred Fulton, six-foot-four, 250 pounds, in nineteen seconds. How come? Not because I was a killer. Other way round. I was always afraid that I'd be the one who was killed. Get 'em quick and you live to fight another day." ~ Jack Dempsey
  • Personal Life & Family

    "I WAS A MINER AND I was a cowboy but mostly I was a hobo. I fought wherever I could, in school halls, outside saloons, any place they were putting up a purse. I once walked thirty miles across the desert to a town called Goldfield in Nevada so I could fight for twenty dollars." "I got beat a lot. I improved. But I remember the beatings I took. Once I got beat so bad they had to take me out of the ring in a wheelbarrow. Later some said I was a killer in the ring. They got that wrong. I killed nobody. But I took out other guys quick. That much is true. I got more one-round knockouts than anybody, sixty knockouts in the first round." "I beat a good Heavyweight in New Orleans once in fourteen seconds. I knocked out Fred Fulton, six-foot-four, 250 pounds, in nineteen seconds. How come? Not because I was a killer. It was the other way around. I was always afraid that I'd be the one who was killed. Get 'em quick and you live to fight another day." ~ Jack Dempsey See "DEMPSEY (à la 1930s Wheaties)" 21.5x15 Portrait by Arthur K. Miller
  • 05/31
    1983

    Death

    May 31, 1983
    Death date
    Unknown
    Cause of death
    New York, New York United States
    Death location
  • Gravesite & Burial

    mm/dd/yyyy
    Funeral date
    Southampton Cemetery in Southampton, Suffolk County, New York USA
    Burial location
  • Obituary

    Jack Dempsey Famous memorial ORIGINAL NAME - William Harrison BIRTH - 24 Jun 1895 Manassa, Conejos County, Colorado, USA DEATH - 31 May 1983 (aged 87) New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA Professional Boxer. Nicknamed "The Manassa Mauler," he was Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1919 to 1926. The legendary Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado, one of 11 children. At 16 he left home and traveled on freight trains and fought to earn money. Then Dempsey met manager Jack "Doc" Kearns and started knocking out legitimate contenders like "Fireman Jim Flynn", Fred Tobias Fulton, former Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky and Edward Iraneus "Gunboat" Smith. On July 4, 1919, Dempsey met Heavyweight Champion Jess Myron Willard on a sweltering day in Toledo, Ohio. Bobbing and weaving, Dempsey closed the gap on the much taller Willard and knocked him down 7 times in the first round. The carnage continued for 2 more rounds until the fight was halted because Willard couldn't answer the bell for the fourth round. As Champion he fought Billy Miske, Big Bill Brennan, Georges Carpentier, Tommy Gibbons and Luis Ángel Firpo. He was inactive in 1924 and 1925, and in 1926 he took on Gene Tunney. A classic matchup of the boxer versus puncher, Tunney, a former Marine, moved side to side and threw combinations which befuddled Dempsey and he lost the title on a 15 round decision. In September of 1927, Dempsey got a rematch with Tunney at Chicago's Soldier Field. Tunney was outboxing Dempsey once again but got dropped in the seventh round. In one of boxing's most controversial moments, Dempsey instinctively hovered over Tunney waiting to hit him as soon as he rose. But a new rule had been adopted that if a fighter scores a knockdown he must go to a neutral corner. The referee spent several seconds ushering Dempsey to a neutral corner, then started the count. It was estimated that Tunney was down for 14 seconds before he rose. Tunney went on to win the fight by decision, and the 'long count' became boxing lore. Dempsey retired after the Tunney fight with a record of 60-6-8 with 50 ko's, and his popularity became huge for he was considered the peoples Champion because of the long count. He opened a restaurant on Broadway in New York City and it quickly became one of the city's most popular spots. Dempsey himself was often in the restaurant to greet guests, sign autographs, and pose for pictures. The restaurant closed in 1974 after a 39 year run, and Dempsey passed away in 1983. In 1990, 7 years after his death, Dempsey was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Family Members Parents Hyrum Dempsey Hyrum Dempsey 1856–1948 Mary Dempsey Mary Pricilla Smoot Dempsey 1859–1946 Spouses Hannah Dempsey Hannah Annette Williams Dempsey 1911–1973 (m. 1933) Estelle Taylor Estelle Taylor 1894–1958 Deanna Dempsey Deanna Piatelli Dempsey 1911–2003 Siblings Donald Dempsey Donald Bernard Dempsey 1880–1931 Effie Barrows Effie Dempsey Barrows 1882–1971 Florence Stannard Florence Dempsey Stannard 1884–1937 Stella Dempsey Stella A. Dempsey 1885–1910 Mary Dempsey Mary Alice Dempsey 1887–1896 Joseph Dempsey Joseph H Dempsey 1889–1963 Robert Dempsey Robert Dempsey 1891–1891 John Dempsey John Dempsey 1893–1927 Elsie Dempsey Elsie Dempsey 1897–1967 Bruce Dempsey Bruce L Dempsey 1901–1917 Spouses Hannah Dempsey Hannah Annette Williams Dempsey 1911–1973 (m. 1933) Estelle Taylor Estelle Taylor 1894–1958 Deanna Dempsey Deanna Piatelli Dempsey 1911–2003 Siblings Donald Dempsey Donald Bernard Dempsey 1880–1931 Effie Barrows Effie Dempsey Barrows 1882–1971 Florence Stannard Florence Dempsey Stannard 1884–1937 Stella Dempsey Stella A. Dempsey 1885–1910 Mary Dempsey Mary Alice Dempsey 1887–1896 Joseph Dempsey Joseph H Dempsey 1889–1963 Robert Dempsey Robert Dempsey 1891–1891 John Dempsey John Dempsey 1893–1927 Elsie Dempsey Elsie Dempsey 1897–1967 Bruce Dempsey Bruce L Dempsey 1901–1917 Children Joan McNeal Joan Hannah Dempsey McNeal 1934–1994 Barbara Leonard Barbara Judith Dempsey Leonard 1936–1993
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15 Memories, Stories & Photos about Jack

Jack Dempsey - Portrait by Arthur K Miller.
Jack Dempsey - Portrait by Arthur K Miller.
I met him several times and he always stopped to say Hello and was a perfect gentleman.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
A portrait by Arthur K. Miller.
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Jack  Dempsey by Arthur K. Miller
Jack Dempsey by Arthur K. Miller
A portrait of William Harrison Jack Dempsey
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Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
A photo of Jack Dempsey
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Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
A photo of Jack Dempsey
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Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
A photo of Jack Dempsey
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Jack Dempsey's Family Tree & Friends

Jack Dempsey's Family Tree

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Jack's Friends

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