Abe Attell

Abraham Washington "Abe" Attell (February 22, 1883 – February 7, 1970), often referred to by newspapers as "The Little Hebrew", was a boxer who became known for his record-setting, six year consecutive reign as World Featherweight Champion from 1906-1912, and his nearly consecutive ten-year reign starting in 1902. Said to be a friend of the gangster Arnold Rothstein, Attell was charged with game fixing in the Black Sox Scandal in 1919, but the charges were dismissed before trial. He also was suspected of other infractions including fixing fights, and using drugs during a fight.

Life and career

Attell was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Jewish parents. Many sources give his year of birth as 1884, but in an article published in the October 1961 issue of Cavalier magazine, he stated that he had turned 78 that year. There also is an extant copy of his passport that gives his birth year as 1883. And the 1900 U.S. Census gives his age as 17. Growing up in a mostly Irish neighborhood, he was often involved in fights with neighborhood boys. He said as a kid, he sometimes had up to 10 bouts each day. After his father abandoned the family when Attell was 13, he sold newspapers to earn money. Selling at the corner of 8th and Market, where the Mechanics Pavilion was, Attell was able to see the fight between Solly Smith and George Dixon for the world's Featherweight championship. With that, Attell and his brothers Caesar and Monte became convinced that maybe they had futures in boxing.