# Vito Antuofermo

Vito Antuofermo (Italian pronunciation:; born February 9, 1953) is an Italian American actor and retired professional boxer. He is a former undisputed World Middleweight Champion.

## Background

Antuofermo was born in Italy, in the town of Palo del Colle, about 15 km (9 miles) inland from the city of Bari. His family moved to the United States when he was 17 years old. Antuofermo learned how to fight in the tough areas of New York City. By his teens, he had made up his mind that he wanted to be a professional boxer.
He has lived in Howard Beach, Queens.

## Amateur career

Antuofermo won the 1970 147-pound (67 kg) New York Golden Gloves Championship, defeating Thomas Chestnut in the finals. In 1971, Antuofermo was defeated by future Light Heavyweight Champion Eddie Gregory in the finals of the 147-pound (67 kg) Open division. Antuofermo trained at the Police Athletic Leagues Sweeney Center in Brooklyn, New York.

## Professional career

Antuofermo had a propensity to cut easily, especially around the eyebrows. In between rounds in his fights, as much attention (if not more) was given to Vito patching up cuts on his face as it was giving him advice and instructions.
In 1979, Antuofermo became World Middleweight Champion by beating defending champion Hugo Corro by a decision in 15 rounds at Monte Carlo. According to an article in The Ring, Howard Cosell, who was working on that fight's live broadcast to the US, was telling viewers that Corro was, in his opinion, way ahead on the judges' cards. When someone on the American television crew found out it was Antuofermo who was actually leading on the cards, Cosell then began to say he had Antuofermo ahead. All three judges' scorecards were very close, each showing a tight, one-point margin: 143–142, 146–145 in Antuofermo's favor, and 146–145 in Corro's favor.
On the morning after winning the title, Antuofermo and his crew were driving to a small vacation in Italy, when he saw a car fly off a bridge under which they were passing. The car landed right in front of him, but luckily the accident did not injure any occupants in Antuofermo's car. He was so shocked that he kept driving and never found out what happened to the occupants of that car. He came back to his senses about 20 minutes later.
On November 30, 1979, Antuofermo defended his title against Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas, Nevada, the fight resulting in a controversial 15-round draw. Judge Duane Ford scored the bout in Hagler's favor, 145–141. Judge Dalby Shirley scored it for Antuofermo, 144–142. Judge Hal Miller had it even at 143–143. The draw enabled Antuofermo to retain his title. In his next defense, against Alan Minter, also in Las Vegas, he lost the title by a 15-round split decision. The bout featured a wild disparity in scoring with a Venezuelan judge scoring the fight for Antuofermo while a British judge had Minter winning 13 of the 15 rounds. They had a rematch in London on June 28, 1980. Minter retained the crown by a TKO (on cuts) in eight rounds.
Antuofermo kept fighting and winning and, after Hagler won the title from Minter in 1980, Antuofermo was given another chance to regain the World Middleweight Championship. In front of an HBO Boxing audience and a full house at Hagler's native Boston's Boston Garden, Antuofermo this time lost by a TKO on cuts in the fourth round.
After several attempts at becoming a top middleweight again, Antuofermo retired from boxing in 1985.
Apart from Corro, other boxers he beat included world champions Eckhard Dagge, Denny Moyer and Emile Griffith.
In 1992, Michael Franzese, a Caporegime of the Colombo crime family, testified that Antoufermo had been under the control of mobsters including Andy Russo. Franzese stated that the outcome of many of Antuofermo's fights was pre-determined so that organized crime figures could safely bet, but that the fights with Marvelous Marvin Hagler were not fixed.

## Life after boxing

After retirement, Antuofermo began to pursue an acting career. In 1990, he landed a small role in The Godfather Part III as the chief bodyguard of gangster Joey Zasa. He has landed several small speaking roles in movies and television shows since, including the critically acclaimed television show The Sopranos as a mobster. He has also done many theater plays.
Antuofermo also made television commercials for Old Spice deodorant.
Antuofermo's record reads 50 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws, with 21 wins by knockout. Vito Antuofermo's second oldest son, Pasquale Antuofermo, boxed as an amateur, but never turned pro. He now owns a successful landscaping company that operates in Long Island, New York.

## Filmography

* 1990: Goodfellas – Prizefighter
* 1990: The Godfather Part III – Anthony 'The Ant' Squigliaro
* 1991: Loser – Homeless Man
* 1993: New York Undercover – Jimmy
* 1996: The Mouse – Trainer
* 1998: Hell's Kitchen – Boyle's Thug
* 1999: La bomba – Pippo Messina
* 2000: The Boys Behind the Desk

## Professional boxing record

| 59 fights | 50 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 21 | 5 |
| By decision | 29 | 2 |
| Draws | 2 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 59 | Loss | 50–7–2 | Matthew Hilton | RTD | 4 (10), 3:00 | Oct 20, 1985 | Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 58 | Win | 50–6–2 | Larry McCall | UD | 10 | May 25, 1985 | Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 57 | Win | 49–6–2 | Mark Allman | TKO | 3 (10), 1:24 | Mar 8, 1985 | Ridgewood Grove, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 56 | Win | 48–6–2 | Marcus Starks | TKO | 4 (10), 1:46 | Dec 14, 1984 | Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, U.S. | |
| 55 | Win | 47–6–2 | Ricard Beranek | TD | 5 (10) | Sep 13, 1984 | Resorts International, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 54 | Loss | 46–6–2 | Marvin Hagler | RTD | 4 (15) | Jun 13, 1981 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | For WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 53 | Win | 46–5–2 | Mauricio Aldana | UD | 10 | Apr 2, 1981 | Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| 52 | Loss | 45–5–2 | Alan Minter | TKO | 8 (15) | Jun 28, 1980 | Empire Pool, London, England | For WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 51 | Loss | 45–4–2 | Alan Minter | SD | 15 | Mar 16, 1980 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 50 | Draw | 45–3–2 | Marvin Hagler | SD | 15 | Nov 30, 1979 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 49 | Win | 45–3–1 | Hugo Corro | SD | 15 | Jun 30, 1979 | Esplanade de Fontvieille, Fontvieille, Monaco | Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 48 | Win | 44–3–1 | Mike Hallacy | UD | 10 | Nov 11, 1978 | Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 43–3–1 | Willie Classen | UD | 10 | Aug 25, 1978 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 42–3–1 | Willie Warren | UD | 10 | Jun 22, 1978 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 41–3–1 | Bennie Briscoe | UD | 10 | Feb 4, 1978 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 40–3–1 | Mike Nixon | TKO | 4 (10), 2:58 | Oct 27, 1977 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 43 | Win | 39–3–1 | Ramon Beras | KO | 6 (10), 1:16 | Aug 30, 1977 | Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 42 | Win | 38–3–1 | Eugene Hart | KO | 5 (10) | Mar 11, 1977 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 37–3–1 | Pablo Rodriguez | KO | 4 (10) | Dec 2, 1976 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 40 | Loss | 36–3–1 | Maurice Hope | TKO | 15 (15), 2:48 | Oct 1, 1976 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy | Lost European super-welterweight title |
| 39 | Loss | 36–2–1 | Frank Wissenbach | PTS | 8 | Jun 18, 1976 | Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany | |
| 38 | Win | 36–1–1 | Jean-Claude Warusfel | TKO | 14 (15) | Mar 26, 1976 | Palasport di San Siro, Milan, Lombardy, Italy | Retained European super-welterweight title |
| 37 | Win | 35–1–1 | Eckhard Dagge | PTS | 15 | Jan 16, 1976 | Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany | Won European super-welterweight title |
| 36 | Win | 34–1–1 | Bruce Cantrell | PTS | 10 | Nov 28, 1975 | Long Island Arena, Commack, New York, U.S. | |
| 35 | Win | 33–1–1 | Ricky Ortiz | TKO | 6 (10) | Oct 23, 1975 | Broome County Arena, Binghamton, New York, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 32–1–1 | Vinnie Curto | UD | 10 | Aug 8, 1975 | Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 31–1–1 | Antonio Castellini | TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 27, 1975 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Naples, Campania, Italy | |
| 32 | Win | 30–1–1 | Reinaldo Oliveira Jr. | TKO | 6 (10) | Jun 6, 1975 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Naples, Campania, Italy | |
| 31 | Win | 29–1–1 | Dave Huckaby | UD | 10 | Mar 20, 1975 | Bristol Arena, Bristol, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 28–1–1 | Ramón Mendez | PTS | 10 | Jan 24, 1975 | PalaLido, Milan, Lombardy, Italy | |
| 29 | Win | 27–1–1 | Emile Griffith | UD | 10 | Nov 22, 1974 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 26–1–1 | Paul Osborne | TKO | 3 (10) | Oct 18, 1974 | Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 25–1–1 | Denny Moyer | UD | 10 | Sep 9, 1974 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 24–1–1 | Melvin Dennis | PTS | 10 | Jun 7, 1974 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy | |
| 25 | Win | 23–1–1 | Joey Durelle | KO | 1 (10) | May 3, 1974 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Lazio, Italy | |
| 24 | Win | 22–1–1 | John L. Sullivan | UD | 10 | Mar 8, 1974 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 21–1–1 | Chucho García | UD | 10 | Jan 14, 1974 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 20–1–1 | Buddy Boggs | TKO | 6 (10) | Dec 5, 1973 | Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 19–1–1 | Tony Kid Durango | UD | 10 | Oct 8, 1973 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 18–1–1 | Danny McAloon | UD | 10 | Aug 25, 1973 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 19 | Loss | 17–1–1 | Harold Weston | TKO | 5 (10), 2:53 | Jul 9, 1973 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 17–0–1 | Tony Kid Durango | TKO | 2 (10) | Jun 18, 1973 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 16–0–1 | Art Kettles | SD | 10 | Apr 30, 1973 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 15–0–1 | Luis Rivera | PTS | 8 | Apr 13, 1973 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 14–0–1 | Ray Villanueva | TKO | 4 (10) | Mar 9, 1973 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 13–0–1 | Skip Yeaton | KO | 2 (10) | Jan 31, 1973 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 12–0–1 | Al Sewell | KO | 7 (8) | Dec 15, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 11–0–1 | Carlos Novotny | KO | 3 (8) | Nov 22, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 10–0–1 | Oreste Lebron | PTS | 8 | Oct 10, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 9–0–1 | Charles Hayward | PTS | 6 | Sep 11, 1972 | Gaelic Park, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 8–0–1 | Gabe Bowens | PTS | 4 | Aug 28, 1972 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Jerry Caballero | TKO | 4 (6) | Jul 21, 1972 | Singer Bowl, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Don Sauls | PTS | 6 | Jun 30, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 5–0–1 | Lenny Carter | KO | 2 (?) | May 26, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | John Presley | KO | 1 (?) | Apr 11, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 3–0–1 | Ivelaw Eastman | PTS | 4 | Mar 1, 1972 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 3 | Draw | 2–0–1 | Charles Hayward | PTS | 6 | Feb 17, 1972 | Embassy Hall, North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Juan Rivera | PTS | 6 | Jan 17, 1972 | Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Ivelaw Eastman | PTS | 4 | Nov 30, 1971 | Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S. | |

## Titles in boxing
### Major world titles

* WBA middleweight champion (160 lbs)
* WBC middleweight champion (160 lbs)

### The Ring magazine titles

* The Ring middleweight champion (160 lbs)

### Regional/International titles

* European light middleweight champion (154 lbs)

### Undisputed titles

* Undisputed middleweight champion