Back in the mid-1950’s the scourge of heroin had reared its ugly head in working class sections of New York like Astoria, Queens. Other social changes were occurring as well.

Rival gangs, which were usually determined by ethnic origin, were battling for control of their turf. Tensions that would now be considered racial in nature were at the time thought of as nothing more than neighborhood rivalries that sometimes turned violent.

“It seemed like everyone was doing junk (heroin) in those days,” said Bartels. “It was very easy to get into trouble. A lot of my friends wound up dead from that crap.”

Bartels’ family had a fierce work ethic, as well as a rich boxing history. “My grandfather, Charley Bartels, owned an ice business in downtown New York (Manhattan),” said Bartels. “He dabbled in boxing. He was a timekeeper at the old Broadway Arena, and he was involved in other ways, too.” VIEW FULL STORY…

The monthly executive board meeting of the Veteran Boxers Association, Ring 8, was held from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at the Waterfront Crab House in Long Island City, New York. The following board members were in attendance: Henry Wallitsch, Bobby Bartels, Bob Duffy, Robert Mladinich, Matt Farrago, Jack Hirsch, Howie Albert, Henry Hascup, Johnny Breitenbruck, Bill Tate, John Labate and Jim Monteverdi.

The following items were discussed:

1. Henry Hascup showed a prototype for a new Ring 8 web site. It was decided that Ring 8 would allot the funds to build and maintain the web site and that Jack Hirsch and Bob Mladinich would be responsible for supplying material and maintaining site. VIEW FULL STORY…

As the president of the Veteran Boxers Association, Ring 8, in New York, former heavyweight Henry (Henny) Wallitsch of Astoria, Queens, gets to do what he enjoys most: hanging around fighters and assisting them when necessary.

Boxing is in the 73-year-old Wallitsch’s blood, even though he didn’t start fighting in the ring until he was a teenager.

“I didn’t really like boxing as a kid until my brother-in-law took me to Sunnyside Gardens to watch the fights,” said Wallitsch, whose parents were of Austrian descent.

“The place was packed and there was a lot of smoke and noise. I had a few hot dogs and a beer and then the ring announcer introduced Tony DiBiase from Astoria and the crowd went crazy. What an adrenaline flow I had. I told my brother-in-law, ‘I want to be a fighter.’” VIEW FULL STORY…