Roland La Starza

Born in 1927, La Starza grew up in the Van Nest section of the Bronx. La Starza’s skills for boxing showed early, and would become a very crafty defensive out-boxer. He had a very successful amateur career, winning five Golden Gloves titles in New York in 1944 and 1945. He began his professional career on July 7, 1947, and in less than three years, put together an undefeated record of 37 straight victories. This would line him up for a fight with another undefeated, rising heavyweight.[1]

La Starza and Rocky Marciano met for the first time on March 24, 1950. La Straza fought well, and although the fight went against him on a split decision, La Starza may have come closer than any other boxer to defeating Marciano. The scoring for the bout was 5–4, 4–5, and 5–5, but La Starza lost on a supplemental point system used by New York and Massachusetts at that time (which was awarded to Marciano on account of him scoring the fight’s only knockdown). La Starza felt he was robbed of victory, and even went on record in the New York Herald Tribune, March 25, 1950, as saying, "The fact is [Rocky’s] manager Al Weill was matchmaker for the Garden. I would say that had a lot to do with the decision." He maintained that belief for over 50 years after the bout.

Over the next three years, La Starza fought 18 more times, (lossing on points to Dan Bucceroni and Rocky Jones, before avenging both losses in 1952), and eventually won a heavyweight title eliminator against Rex Layne in early 1953. This set himself up for what was arguably the most important fight of his career: a world heavyweight championship bout that was a rematch against Marciano on September 24, 1953. The fight took place in an outdoor venue—the Polo Grounds in New York City. La Starza fought Marciano on even terms for the first six rounds but began to tire afterwards. Referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the fight in an eleventh round. Marciano had knocked La Starza through the ropes in that round. La Starza beat Goldstein's count, but the bout was stopped shortly thereafter on a TKO as Marciano battered La Starza relentlessly. This was La Starza's first fight (out of 53) in which he was stopped.[2][3]

La Starza was injured during the title fight, and required surgery to repair damage done to his arms during the fight. He continued his boxing career but was never the same again. He lost his next match in March of 1954 to top rated British fighter Don Cockell, and would only fight 8 more times after that. He finally retired after his final fight on May 8, 1961. During his over 14 year long career, he fought a total of 446 rounds in 66 professional fights, and won 57 of them with 27 by knockout.[4]

After his boxing career La Starza appeared on television in a number of stereotypical tough-guy roles. His biggest break was a regular role as Pvt. Ernie Lucavich on the short-lived World War II series The Gallant Men. He also did guest appearances on various shows including 77 Sunset Strip, The Wild Wild West and Perry Mason. He appeared in two episodes (13 and 14) of the Batman series of the 1960s, and appeared in movies including Point Blank (1967) and The Outfit (1973).[5]

He, his wife (Jane) and two children (Amy and Mark) left California to retire at their family's cattle ranch outside of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, in 1972.

La Starza died on September 30, 2009, in Port Orange, Florida, at the age of 82.[6]