The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-03-08
"The BIGGEST Sports OF AIl'
Garden Couldn't Make Boxing Pay Until
Jacobs Took Over, Became Monopolist
Signing Joe Louis
Was Biggest Item
In Mikes Success
Eighth Of IL articles ON "The
Biggest Sports Of All.
BY HARRY GRAYSON
NEA Service Sports Editor


BY HARRY GRAYSON
NEA Service Sports Editor
New York, March 0-Michael
Strauss Jacobs doesn't know left
hook from the dressing room, yet
when he entered the pugilistic pro-
motional field reluctantly in the
winter of io33-34 It was inevitable
that he would wind up with the
works.
when the Free Milk Fund for Ba.
bies couldn't make a satisfactory
deal with Madison Square Garden,
Michael 8. Jacobs took Barney Ross
and Billy Petrolle to the Bronx,
drew $4,000, and turned 'em away.
Born So years ago on Washington
street, adjacent to the Battery, JAG
obs has been huslting since he. was
eight. AS a taewsboy, he fought for
his corner by the elevated stairway.
II had saved 1000 when was
16, and haven't been broke since"
he tells you.
METROPOLITAN OPERA GAVE
HIM AN EARLY BREAK
The man could put his hands on
q million quickly right now. He re-
sides on baronial estate at Rum
son, N. j., owns couple Of farms
and many houses nearby.
Jacobs was a Coney Island waiter.
He sold excursion boat tickets on
the waterfront, leased catering priv
ileges on Coney Island and Rock
away pleasure and Albany day boats
and quickly was running boats Of his
own. ...., 49,. :,
He started specializing in fight
tickets before the turn Of the CEN
fury made his first important
money In the ticket business through
. q favorable connection with the
Metropolitan Opera House.
Before. he guaranteed Jack Dep
sey $4,000 and Georges Carpenter
100000 for fighting ct Boyle's
Thirty Acres In 1921, Tex Richard
had three partners-John Ringing
william A. Brady and Charles E.
, Cochran-the latter Of London.
But the partners couldn't see that
: kind Of an outlay plus the overhead
. inflicted by Jersey City politicians
. and Rickard was pretty sick unit
!, Jacobs showed him how to finance
: the production through the advance
> sale Of tickets, the best Of which
were Immediately paid for by Uncle
Miguel, who always knew gooe
thing when he saw one.
Jacobs skyrocketed to the pugi'
listic promotional heights with Jot
Louis, but was on his way before thu
, current heavyweight champion wa!
heard of, and was smart enough Il
land the Negro lock, stock and bar
~ rel.
e PUT FOUR CHAMPS
: ON SINGLE PROGRAM
a Some consider Jacobs q sure thin
n operator In comparison with Rick
n ard, the gambler, yet Mike tool
). something of q chance and brok
: everything but the Monroe Doctrin
e in taking the Braddock-Louis mattel
4. to Chicago when Braddock brok
Il his contract with the Madison
Y Square Garden corporation in 1881
n Jacobs will put 1t UP. No question
n about that. He guaranteed $685. so
d in purses alone-swelling his nut t
y $216, O00-in giving the trade fou
world championship battles on on
card Lou Ambers and Pedr
Montanez, Marcel Thil and Ere
B. Apostoli, Barney Ross and Ceferin
= Garcia, and Sixto Escobar an
n Harry Jeffra at the Pol
20 Grounds in September, 1887.
30 When he took over the boxin
30 privileges at the Garden that montl
80 the Madison Square people admitte
"a they could not make the sport sho
IS a profit.
SO But Jacobs offered James J. Johr
S6 ston, who was the Garden ringmas
81 ter, $27, 500 a year to work with hin
38 and when Johnston refused, he pal
80 the corporation $4,000 for 16 show
80 and cleaned up more than $4,000
40 for himself.
46 DREW $5,OOO,OO0 IN
TWO-YEAR SPAN
j. At the close of his first year as a
n, associate of the Garden Corporation
. Jacobs fistic productions hs
. crossed 81 1856 600, including the n
ceipts of the second Max Schmelinl
Louis engagement which we
L. swelled to $l,0l5.00O by radio ar
% pictures.
% In q little more than the tv
40 years that elapsed between IL
80 schmeling-Louis scraps. Jacobs va
80 ious shows played to more than s.
80 OOO, 900.
80 Jacobs works more than Is hou
"a q day. He Is q bundle Of nerves. o
"a casional crabby spells are due to
"a tacks of sinus. He snaps at his be
IS friends at times. and then goes I
81 out Of his way to apologize. :.
81 His false teeth click as he tall
40 He thinks so rapidly that no O
II can keep Up with him. He is an 4
a yeterate cigaret smoker drin
coffee by the gallon.
eW HAS MENA0ERIE WHICH
Oh INCLUDES PRIZE MONKEY
ri He Will walk out Of the most Il
ri. portant conference perha
led walk down the block and buy . ~
hat or some neckties 1. and
Ala return will pick up the conveEi
tloh Is though he had not been {
sent,
Jacobs does many charitable 0
~ but insists they not be publlciz
a. He's crazy about Kids. although
saii has mons himself, Ne u . bug
asd flowers and has Q nnenAgegie Of q
lew and eats and Q prize monkey.
snt Jacobs has been criticized a
mltt m0nOpollst, but the fact
aap mains that he revived Q nloElbl
an came brought about q FeEl
Isst iancs Of professlonal boxing Nj
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