LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Boxing Hall of Famer and
Ambassador Jose Torres, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Jose "Chegui" Torres, a former light-heavyweight champion who
became a boxing official and a literary presence in the sport as a biog-
rapher of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, died on Monday, January 19, 2009,
in Ponce, Puerto Rico, at age 72; and
WHEREAS, Revered both in Spanish Harlem and in Puerto Rico, Jose
Torres was one of New York's renaissance men: world champion athlete,
trend-setter, journalist and author; and
WHEREAS, Fighting professionally from 1958 to 1969, Jose Torres had a
record of 41-3-1; he captured the light-heavyweight crown in March of
1965 when the referee stopped his fight with Willie Pastrano after the
ninth round; after three title defenses, he lost the championship to
Dick Tiger of Nigeria on a decision in December of 1966; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres was inducted into the International Boxing Hall
of Fame in 1997; he was the chairman of the New York State Athletic
Commission from 1984 to 1988, becoming the first former professional
boxer and the first Latino to head the agency, which oversees boxing in
the state; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres was the author of STING LIKE A BEE: THE MUHAMMAD
ALI STORY (1971), and FIRE AND FEAR: THE INSIDE STORY OF MIKE TYSON
(1989), and he wrote for THE NEW YORK POST and the New York newspaper EL
DIARIO LA PRENSA; Jose Torres, a native of the Ponce, Puerto Rico area
and the son of a businessman, learned to box in the Army and captured
the light-middleweight silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics; he
earned his first boxing paycheck serving as a sparring partner for Sugar
Ray Robinson in 1957; and
WHEREAS, Early in his pro career, Jose Torres became friendly with
young writers, among them Pete Hamill, who was with THE NEW YORK POST;
Pete Hamill helped Jose Torres get a column in the paper, and Jose wrote
often on Latino community affairs; and
WHEREAS, When Jose Torres was introduced as the state athletic commis-
sioner in November 1984 by Governor Mario Cuomo, his guests included Cus
D'Amato, his former manager; Pete Hamill; Budd Schulberg, who wrote the
epilogue to the Ali biography; and Norman Mailer; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres cited Cus D'Amato as "the man who created the
fighter" and Norman Mailer as "the man who created my intellectual
capacity"; Jose vowed that as chairman of the athletic commission, he
would promote educational opportunities for fighters "at least so they
can read their contracts"; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres, a member of the athletic commission before
becoming its chairman, had also been active in societal affairs, working
for Paul O'Dwyer when he was the president of New York's City Council
and for Andrew Stein when he was the Manhattan borough president; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres distinguished himself in his profession by his
sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of his
community; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres' commitment to excellence, and his spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; and

WHEREAS, Jose Torres is survived by his wife, Ramonita; now, there-
fore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Boxing Hall of Famer and Ambassador Jose Torres,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Jose Torres.