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Alex Scassa Sr was a sports figure in Beaver County for nearly 50
years. He was raised in Monaca and resided in Rochester and Beaver
Falls for many years. He was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of
Fame in the meritorious service category, largely for his long
career as a promoter of both amateur and professional boxing shows
and pro wrestling. Bruno Sammartino made his professional debut on
one of Scassa’s wrestling shows in 1960 in Hopewell Township. In
his youth, Alex was both an amateur and professional boxer and was a
tri state Golden Glove champion in the lightweight class. He started
boxing in the 1920s with
Teddy Yarosz of Monaca and was a sparring
partner for the middleweight champ in his heyday. As a trainer,
manager, and second of boxers, he worked with such fighters as
General Burrows, Mike Raffa, Ernie Pelia, Harold Hazlett, and Arbie
Bowie. Alex was the organizer of the CIO Local 211 gym in
Aliquippa and was a founder of both the Beaver County Boxing Hall of
Fame and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. He
served on many fund raising committees, including the one that
helped send Judy Hult Howe and
Bud Marquette to the 1956 Olympics in
Australia. For many years, Alex researched the sports history of
Beaver County. His son,
Alex Scassa Jr,
is also a member of the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. |
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