Anything for a Killing

Commercialism and corruption continued to make sport page headlines.

This week Middleweight Rocky Graziano--who outdraws any fighter but Joe Louis in Madison Square Garden--admitted that he had been offered $100.000 to throw a fight. The offer was made in Graziano's dressing room two weeks before his scheduled bout with second-rater Ruben ("Cowboy") Shank.

According to the wise boys, an "East Side syndicate" had bet $125,000 on Cowboy Shank at 4 to 1. The gamblers, who were not content to take the small bettors' honest risks (see below), stood to win $500,000 if Rocky lost.

Rocky said he didn't take the money. He said he couldn't remember who it was who had propositioned him (except that it was the one who had tried to bribe him once before). Rocky feigned a backache to get the fight called off. A New York State Boxing Commission doctor "confirmed" the back injury. Then Rocky went to Florida, presumably for his health. Rocky told the story to District Attorney Frank S. Hogan.

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