Joseph LaMotta

Background

Like his father, Joseph LaMotta took up boxing, going so far as to compete on the amateur boxing circuit.

Career

He entered some Golden Gloves competitions. Coral Park defeated Norland in the sold-out dual meet with people looking in from the roof. Anyone who was there will always remember that even the official and wrestlers stopped to see Joe"s mother, the beautiful Vikki LaMotta, making her entrance into the gym.

Joe got upset by Louis Wallen that night.

Joe LaMotta was convicted of trafficking cocaine, for which he served half of his five-year sentence. Joe LaMotta was the president of LaMotta Foods, Incorporated.

His last creation was a product called LaMotta Tomatta Sauce. Joseph LaMotta died at the age of 49 aboard Swissair Flight 111 when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coastal town of Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia.

He was headed to Geneva to promote LaMotta Tomatta Sauce.

His father filed suit against Swissair and Boeing, which a year earlier had acquired McDonnell Douglas, the manufacturer of the Doctor of Medicine-11 aircraft that crashed.

Achievements

• Joe LaMotta was a FHSAA State High School Wrestling State Champion while wrestling for Miami Norland Senior High School in 1966 and he and his team were State Champions his junior year in High School.

Views

He was also unable to defend his individual State title at 167 pounds. During the 1967 FHSAA State finals he was beaten by the famous Doc Blanchard"s son Paul Blanchard.