GUS GIANFALA, "CINDERELLA MAN," ESTABLISHES BOXING PROGRAM THAT SHAPED THE LIVES OF MANY BROWNSVILLE KIDS

 

Sgt. York & Gus

Gus Gianfala came to Brownsville as a stranger and while here made legions of friends. 

The “Cinderella Man” established a boxing program for kids on a shoestring budget

When more space was needed for indoor bouts, the city commission and Fort Brown Civic Center Committee denied their request.

by Rene Torres

 

Rene Torres

Gus Gianfala left Louisiana in 1958 to work as a pipefitter in Brownsville at Hydrocol/Union Carbide.

Gus was also an old boxer and, although his story may not be exactly like that of the “Cinderella Man," there is some resemblance.

He fought against all odds and at the end succeeded to create a venue where kids could learn the art of boxing.

Italo Zarate, who today is 71 years old, was then one of those young Brownsville pugilists that knew Gianfala. 

While over 50 years have past, Italo still remembers his old mentor as a friendly sort of guy. 

Zarate recalled that Gianfala was also instrumental in helping Coach Vic Villarreal with the Brownsville High School boxing team.

Gus was built along the lines of a boxer and had over 25 years of experience in working with kids. 

Gianfala learned his boxing while working with Coach Ted Banks,  former Tulane University boxing coach. 

Banks was also an assistant to the famous Gene Tunney, an athletic supervisor in the Marine Corps during World War II.

The boys in Brownsville did not know it then, but they were lucky to have a man with such boxing credentials on their side of the ring. 

Joe Barrera hitting unnamed opponent

His work here began when he noticed that a lot of boys in the city were out in the streets with nothing to do.

Gus used boxing to bring kids together and off the streets. 

By 1955, he did something no one in Brownsville had done; he created the Brownsville Boys Athletic Club. 

It was only days before large groups of kids, in many cases bringing their own equipment, were waiting at the door to join the club.

He knew he could not do it alone, so he attracted contributors like Ruben Edelstein, who donated a ring mat. 

Louis Nance of Sears gave a washing machine.

The Navigation District added salvaged lumber for the construction of the ring and Glen Herman gave a scale for weighing the boys in.

But Gus had ideas for Brownsville beyond boxing. 

He tried to convince the community that, while he had a large audience of kids involved in boxing, he could take advantage of the situation to hold educational trade classes.

Officers of the organization, like Alex Flores, Dagoberto Barrera and Rudy Pryon, envisioned kids to be engaged in trade programs that included: wood shop, pipe fitting, partial electrical work, heating and air conditioning and other vocational skills.

Yet, the town was growing and the number of  boys were growing with it.

The club was such a success that it grew to the extent that the outdoor facilities at the old Lions Park (on the west side of town) could no longer meet their needs. 

Its founder said then, “The BBAC is growing to the extent now, where more facilities are needed. So many boys are coming to me, that they are becoming overcrowded and need two more clubs to handle the vast number of lads that have taken interest in the organization.”

The club did not depend on city funding to survive.

Most of its operational money came from boxing activities, but those activities were always in jeopardy since all its bouts were held outdoors and bad weather caused some of its cards to be cancelled, bringing financial hurt and reducing the chances of expanding the program’s goals.

In December of 1956 Gianfala went before the city commission to ask for permission to use the Fort Brown Memorial Civil Center to stage boxing matches, since they had no other place to hold indoor bouts.

But according to Dagoberto Barrera, BBAC club official then said, “The city commission and civil center committee denied our request.” 

All boxing cards continued outdoors at Fort Brown and the Lions Park baseball park.

Gus’s dream of preparing boys for jobs by establishing a trade program within the athletic club was never realized either. 

Without the needed resources and city support the club crippled its way out of the ring, but not before many of its boxers demonstrated their skills.

Just 45 days after they had been organized, the Brownsville boys were nosed out of first place at the regional golden glove tournament at Harlingen.

The boys from the BBAC, the “Wolfpack” as they were known, featured many boxers throughout the years. 

The following are only but a snapshot of those that walked into the ring: Poncho Garza, Joe Barrera, Joe Garcia, Joe Cancio, Joe Landis, Italo Zarate, Teodoro Lucio, Lupe Salazar, Fred and George Flores, Frank Stambaugh, Luis Vargas, Rene Zarate, Juan Gomez, Juan Bautista, Ramiro Rosillo, Nuco Torres, George Bailey, Mauricio Robles, Celestino Hernandez, Joe Cortez, Julio Garcia, Dave Lopez and many more.

Barrera commented, “We were like a family, with the older boys helping the younger kids and Gus Gianfala was a father figure to all of us.”

Gianfala took boys off the streets as young as ten years old, who had no place to go and nothing to do, brought them into the club and gave them the self-confidence they needed to succeed in and out of the ring. 

He never claimed that the club was his or anyone’s club, but that it belonged to the boys of Brownsville and the vicinity.

The Brownsville Athletic Club gave every boy the opportunity to become his own master, allowing him to expand his chest and to become, at least for that moment, a champion in his own mind.

Brownville in some way should honor his name!