Cus D'Amato
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Constantine D'Amato |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
January 17, 1908 The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 4, 1985 (aged 77) Catskill, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Boxing manager and trainer |
| Years active | 1933–1985, his death |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Boxing |
Constantine "Cus" D'Amato (January 17, 1908 – November 4, 1985) was an American boxing manager and trainer who handled the careers of Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson, and José Torres; all went on to become members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Several successful boxing trainers, including Teddy Atlas, Kevin Rooney, and Joe Fariello, were tutored by D'Amato. He was a proponent of the peek-a-boo style of boxing, in which the fighter holds his gloves close to his cheeks and pulls his arms tight against his torso. The style was criticized by some because it was believed that a legitimate attack could not be launched from it.
D'Amato was born to an Italian family in the Bronx, on January 17, 1908. His father Damiano D'Amato delivered ice and coal in the Bronx using a horse and cart. At a young age Cus became very involved and interested in the Catholic church, and at times during his youth he even considered becoming a priest. Cus had a brief career as an amateur boxer, boxing as a featherweight and lightweight, but was unable to get a professional license because of an eye injury he had suffered in a street fight.
In 1933 he opened the Empire Sporting Club with Jack Barrow at the Gramercy Gym. D'Amato lived in the gym for years. According to D'Amato, he spent his time at the gym waiting for a "champion," but his best fighters would routinely be poached by "connected" managers. One fighter discovered by D'Amato was Rocky Graziano, who signed with other trainers and managers and went on to become middleweight champion of the world.
D'Amato also confronted boxing politics and decided, along with his friend Howard Cosell, to thwart the International Boxing Club of New York (IBC). Suspicious to the point of paranoia, D'Amato refused to match his fighter in any bout promoted by the IBC. The IBC was eventually found to be in violation of anti-trust laws and was dissolved.
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