Angelo Taramaschi immigrated to San Francisco, California from Northern Italy. He supported his family as a wrestler for live audiences near the piers, entertaining at Garibaldi Hall (an Italian Men’s Club) while catering to Italian politicians, crooks, teamsters, city workers, alcoholics and gamblers.
Mob figures once told Taramaschi, "The World's Greatest Italian Wrestler" to deliberately lose a bout. He refused and crushed his opponent. They retaliated by attempting to poison him to send a message to other fighters that they had to conform. When asked why he had rejected the demand, he replied, "I'm uh justa' too proud - I don't ah' never wanna loose uhnoh' Fight - Capiche?!".
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