Cus D’Amato, arguably the greatest boxing trainer of all time, produced three world heavyweight champions: Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres, and Mike Tyson. No one else achieved such success. A pugilistic genius, Cus used the values from his Italian heritage to change the lives of many troubled kids.

The Beginning

Constantine “Cus” D’Amato was born in the Bronx on January 17, 1908, to Damiano (1868–1938) and Elisabetta (1875–1913) — both immigrants from Toritto, Italy. Cus had three brothers, Rocco, Gerald, and Anthony; and during his youth, he considered entering the priesthood.