Jake LaMotta had one of the best chins in boxing history. In over 110 fights against the greatest middleweights in history, LaMotta was only knocked to the canvas once in his entire 14 year career. Turning pro in the early 1940s, Lamotta ran up an impressive undefeated streak before losing. He was the first fighter to defeat the great Sugar Ray ...
Christi LaMotta, Joseph LaMotta, Stephanie LaMotta, Jake LaMotta, Jr.
Siblings
Joey LaMotta
Movies
The Bronx Bull, Mob War, Hangmen, Raging Bull, Firepower, Confessions of a Psycho Cat, The Hustler, Question D'honneur
Star Sign
Cancer
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Trademark
1
Aggressive unrelenting fighting style
2
Staying within punching distance of His opponent in order to land blows
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Lean but Muscular build
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Incredible capacity for taking punches from opponents
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Quote
1
[on Robert De Niro] Bobby's a main-event fighter. I'm not kidding. He's thirty-five, but he moves and hits like a nineteen-year-old. Anytime he wants to quit acting I could easily make him into a champion. He's that good.
2
The three toughest fighters I've ever been up against were Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Sugar Ray Robinson. I fought Sugar so many times, I'm surprised I'm not diabetic! But I did have him off the canvas once...when he stepped over my body to leave the ring.
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Fact
1
A poster advertising one of his fights can be seen in The Godfather (1972) in the scene in which Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is shot. Robert De Niro later won Oscars for playing both the younger Corleone in The Godfather: Part II (1974) and LaMotta himself in Raging Bull (1980). DeNiro's final scene in that film references Brando's previous Oscar-winning role in On the Waterfront (1954).
2
Italian-American.
3
Was turned down for service in World War II due to a mastoid operation on one of his ears.
4
His nephew John LaMotta is also a boxer turned actor.
5
A poster of him, promoting one of his historic fights, can be seen in The Godfather (1972), in the scene where Don Corlone (Marlon Brando) is shot.
Made an unsuccessful comeback in 1954, losing his last fight at Miami Beach to Billy Kilgore.
8
Owned and operated a night-club on Miami Beach called Jake Lamotta's.
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Claimed in the film Raging Bull (1980) that he was never knocked down, when in fact he was knocked down by Danny Nardico in a fight in Coral Gables, Florida.
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His brother Joey was also a professional boxer.
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Claimed he took a "dive" in his loss to Billy Fox who was 49-1 with 49 knockouts.
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Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1986.
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Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990.
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World middleweight boxing champion, 1949-1951.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Question d'honneur
1997
Short
The Happy Moose
1995
Short
Bull (voice, as The Evil Cat)
New Jack City
1991
Gangster standing at bar. (uncredited)
Mob War
1989
Don Ricci
Maniac Cop
1988
Detective
Hangmen
1987
Moe Boone
Firepower
1979
Nickel Sam
Who Killed Mary Whats'ername?
1971
Bartender (as Jake Lamotta)
Cauliflower Cupids
1970
Gentle Jim
Confessions of a Psycho Cat
1968
Rocco
La violenza dei dannati
1965
The Runaways
1965
Joe Senken
The Doctor and the Playgirl
1963
Car 54, Where Are You?
1962-1963
TV Series
Bugsy / Muscles McGuirk / Duke Thornton / ...
The Hustler
1961
Bartender
Rebellion in Cuba
1961
Julio
All Star Revue
1953
TV Series
Rocky's Pal
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Bronx Bull
2015
based on the book by
Raging Bull
1980
based on the book by - as Jake La Motta
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Bronx Bull
2015
consultant
Raging Bull
1980
consultant - as Jake La Motta
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Real Rocky
2011
TV Movie
Himself - Friars Club Roast
Resurrecting the Champ
2007
Himself (voice)
ESPN 25: Who's #1?
2006
TV Series documentary
Himself
Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story
2005
Documentary
Himself
Bud Greenspan's Reflections
2004
TV Series documentary
Himself
The 100 Greatest Films
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself (as Jake La Motta)
The Sweet Science
1999
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Howard Stern Show
1992
TV Series
Himself
Late Night with David Letterman
1982
TV Series
Himself
The 53rd Annual Academy Awards
1981
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member (as Jake La Motta)
Evening Magazine
1981
TV Series
Himself
The Way It Was
1976
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1971-1972
TV Series
Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1970
TV Series
Himself - Audience Bow
The New Life Style (Just to Be Love)
1968
Himself - U.S. inserts
Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts
1951-1952
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Biography
2005
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Sweet Science
1999
TV Series documentary
Himself
Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights and Dark Shadows of a Champion
$13 Million