International Boxing Club of New York
Encyclopedia
The International Boxing Club of New York was a corporation formed by James D. Norris
and Arthur M. Wirtz in 1949 to promote boxing bouts at Madison Square Garden
, Polo Grounds
, Yankee Stadium, St. Nicholas Arena, Chicago Stadium
and Detroit Olympia
.
In 1949 Madison Square Garden paid Mike Jacobs
of Twentieth Century Boxing Club $100,000 to relinquish his rights to promote fights at the Garden. Jacobs had become ill as a result of a stroke and the Garden wanted to turn over promotion to the IBC. The IBC had obtained the contracts of four contenders from Joe Louis
for $150,000 on his retirement, and wanted to promote the fights in the Garden.
The IBC developed a stranglehold on championship boxing, promoting 47 out of 51 championship bouts in the United States from 1949 to 1955. Its major revenues were acquired through television of twice-weekly boxing bouts from the Garden.
Legal Troubles
Norris and Wirtz formed the The International Boxing Club of Illinois to discourage the perception that the IBC monopolized boxing. Norris resigned as president of IBC of New York in favor of Truman Gibson
and the IBC was bought by the Garden and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary. But Judge Sylvester Ryan of the U.S. District Court decided the IBC of New York was a monopoly and ordered its dissolution. Norris and Wirtz were given five years to divest themselves of their holdings (approximately 40%) in the Garden. Ryan also declared the IBC of Illinois a monopoly and ordered its dissolution as well. The decisions were appealed but confirmed on January 12, 1959 by the U.S. Supreme Court.http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/bowenj/antitrust/ibcofny2.htm
In a surprise move, on January 30, 1959 Norris and Wirtz announced they were selling their interest in the Garden to Graham-Paige Corporation, a New York investment company. The sale became official on February 19, 1959.
held hearings into organized crime and professional boxing. It was revealed that the IBC had ties to Mafiosi Frankie Carbo
, a soldier in New York's Lucchese Family
who had been a gunman with Murder, Inc.
. At the time of the hearings, Carbo was imprisoned on Riker's Island, having been convicted of the undercover management of prize-fighters and unlicensed matchmaking. The hearings revealed that Carbo's wife was employed by the IBC at a salary of 45,000 a year.
The following year, Gibson Jr. and Carbo, Carbo's partner Frank "Blinky" Palermo
(a member of the St. Louis crime family
, and Los Angeles mobsters
Joe Di Sica and Louis Dragna, were charged with conspiracy and extortion against National Boxing Association
Welterweight
Champion Don Jordan
. After a three month trial, in which U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy served as prosecutor, the defendants were convicted and sent to federal prison. .
James D. Norris
James Dougan Norris was an American sports businessman, with interests in boxing, ice hockey, and horse racing. He was the son of James E. Norris and half-brother of Bruce Norris and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.Born in Chicago, Norris served as a Lieutenant with the United States Navy...
and Arthur M. Wirtz in 1949 to promote boxing bouts at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (1925)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...
, Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, Yankee Stadium, St. Nicholas Arena, Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
and Detroit Olympia
Detroit Olympia
Olympia Stadium, better known as the Detroit Olympia and nicknamed The Old Red Barn, stood at 5920 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan from 1927 until 1987. It was best known as the home of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team of the National Hockey League from its opening until...
.
Monopoly
Control of Madison Square GardenIn 1949 Madison Square Garden paid Mike Jacobs
Mike Jacobs (boxing)
Michael Strauss Jacobs was a boxing promoter, arguably the most powerful in the sport from the mid-1930's until his effective retirement in 1946...
of Twentieth Century Boxing Club $100,000 to relinquish his rights to promote fights at the Garden. Jacobs had become ill as a result of a stroke and the Garden wanted to turn over promotion to the IBC. The IBC had obtained the contracts of four contenders from Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
for $150,000 on his retirement, and wanted to promote the fights in the Garden.
The IBC developed a stranglehold on championship boxing, promoting 47 out of 51 championship bouts in the United States from 1949 to 1955. Its major revenues were acquired through television of twice-weekly boxing bouts from the Garden.
Legal Troubles
Norris and Wirtz formed the The International Boxing Club of Illinois to discourage the perception that the IBC monopolized boxing. Norris resigned as president of IBC of New York in favor of Truman Gibson
Truman Gibson
Truman Kella Gibson, Jr. was an American lawyer, government advisor, and later influential boxing promoter who played a unique and unheralded role in the Civil Rights Movement, primarily as a member of the "Black Cabinet" of Presidents Franklin D...
and the IBC was bought by the Garden and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary. But Judge Sylvester Ryan of the U.S. District Court decided the IBC of New York was a monopoly and ordered its dissolution. Norris and Wirtz were given five years to divest themselves of their holdings (approximately 40%) in the Garden. Ryan also declared the IBC of Illinois a monopoly and ordered its dissolution as well. The decisions were appealed but confirmed on January 12, 1959 by the U.S. Supreme Court.http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/bowenj/antitrust/ibcofny2.htm
In a surprise move, on January 30, 1959 Norris and Wirtz announced they were selling their interest in the Garden to Graham-Paige Corporation, a New York investment company. The sale became official on February 19, 1959.
Ties to Mafia
In 1960, the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly chaired by Senator Estes KefauverEstes Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S...
held hearings into organized crime and professional boxing. It was revealed that the IBC had ties to Mafiosi Frankie Carbo
Frankie Carbo
Paul John Carbo better known as "Frankie Carbo" was a New York City Mafia soldier in the Lucchese crime family, who operated as a boxing promoter and a gunman with Murder, Inc....
, a soldier in New York's Lucchese Family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
who had been a gunman with Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc. was the name given by the press to organized crime groups in the 1920s through the 1940s that resulted in hundreds of murders on behalf of the American Mafia and Jewish Mafia groups who together formed the early organized crime groups in New York and...
. At the time of the hearings, Carbo was imprisoned on Riker's Island, having been convicted of the undercover management of prize-fighters and unlicensed matchmaking. The hearings revealed that Carbo's wife was employed by the IBC at a salary of 45,000 a year.
The following year, Gibson Jr. and Carbo, Carbo's partner Frank "Blinky" Palermo
Frank Palermo
Frank "Blinky" Palermo was an organized crime figure who surreptitiously owned prize-fighters and fixed fights best known for fixing the Jake LaMotta-Billy Fox fight in 1947. An associate of the Philadelphia crime family, Palermo also ran the City of Brotherly Love's biggest numbers racket...
(a member of the St. Louis crime family
St. Louis crime family
The St. Louis crime family, also known as the Giordano crime family, is an American Mafia crime family based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.-Prohibition era:...
, and Los Angeles mobsters
Los Angeles crime family
The Los Angeles crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in Los Angeles, as part of the American Mafia . Since its inception in the early 1900s, it has spread throughout Southern California. Like most Mafia families in the United States, the L.A. family gained power...
Joe Di Sica and Louis Dragna, were charged with conspiracy and extortion against National Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
Champion Don Jordan
Don Jordan
Don Jordan was a boxer born in Los Angeles, California and was the undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World from 1958 to 1960. His nickname was ‘Geronimo’...
. After a three month trial, in which U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy served as prosecutor, the defendants were convicted and sent to federal prison. .