Carmine Vingo
Carmine Vingo (boxer) (December 28, 1929 – June 2, 2015), was a highly regarded and world ranked heavyweight boxer best remembered for his career ending bout with future world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, which nearly ended in tragedy when Vingo got knocked out and suffered brain injury.[1]
Professional career
Nicknamed 'Bingo Vingo' for his willingness to take chances to win in the ring, Vingo started his career by winning 16 of his first 17 professional bouts, losing an only a questionable decision to undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight prospect Joe Lindsay in White Plains, New York in 1948. Vingo won 12 consecutive fights, including a unanimous decision over highly regarded 16-2 contender Joe Modzele on a boxing card at Yankee Stadium in August 1949. A second round knockout of Al Robinson at Sunnyside Garden in Queens, New York, propelled Vingo into the world heavyweight rankings, and a crossroads bout with rising Rocky Marciano to determine a serious 'white hope' successor challenger for former world heavyweight champion Joe Louis and world heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott.
Fight with Rocky Marciano
On December 30, 1949, at Madison Square Garden, Vingo, then 16-1, and Marciano, 24-0, fought a slugfest. Marciano put Vingo down in the first and second rounds. Vingo fought back well, and by the end of the fifth round, was hurting Marciano with right hand power shots, and seemed to be gaining momentum. Marciano later described his bout with Vingo as "The toughest fight of my career."
At 1:46 of round six, Vingo was knocked out by a Rocky Marciano uppercut. Unconscious, Vingo had to be carried on a stretcher to a hospital two blocks away as no ambulance was available at the scene. Marciano paced the corridors of the hospital, praying for Vingo's life, in what became a public media event. Administered last rites by a priest, and given only a 50-50 chance of survival after slipping into a coma, Vingo underwent brain surgery,[2] eventually recovered and went home from the hospital two months later in February 1950. His left side was slightly paralyzed, ending his promising boxing career. Marciano waited for Vingo to recover before resuming his career.[3]
Life After boxing
Vingo's name faded from public recognition. After getting out of the hospital, Vingo married his high school sweetheart and worked at an office building on Broadway in Manhattan as a 'security porter' (as it was called, a combination of both positions) for many years.
Friendship with Rocky Marciano
After his health improved, Vingo visited Rocky Marciano's training camps, attended Rocky Marciano's wedding as an invited guest, and attended Rocky's second fight with Jersey Joe Walcott as Marciano's guest in May 1953. In September 1969, Vingo attended the funeral of Rocky Marciano in 1969 in Florida at his own expense. In a 1971 interview, Vingo described Marciano as "One of the nicest guys you'd ever want to talk to."[4]
Death
Vingo died on June 2, 2015, at age 85 of natural causes in Bronx, New York, having survived the near fatal tragedy of his bout with Marciano by 65 years, unassisted by and long forgotten by the boxing establishment.[5]