"California Split"

                                                  By kiki

In early 1974 I received a phone call from Howie Steindler telling me that he needed me, Frankie and Tony the following week at the Olympic Auditorium for a movie shoot, I always wanted to be a movie star, so I said, “we’ll be there, Howie”

I don’t remember what day of the week it was, but the following week we showed up at the Olympic. Howie introduced me to the movie director whom name I don’t recall. The name of the movie is “California Split” starring George Segal, Elliott Gould and Ann Prentiss

When we got to the Olympic I saw that Joe Medrano, a Jackie McCoy fighter and bantamweight champion to be Albert Davila, were also there. The movie script called for Davila to kayo Medrano in the second round of a fight, I was to play Medrano’s chief corner man. With Medrano on the floor I was to jump into the ring and take his mouth-piece out. Frankie and Tony were to spar before Albert and Joe’s fight, which they did.

We stood around for hours while the director and his people fiddle around. We were finally called into the ring. Davila and Medrano were introduced, just like in a real fight, by Jimmy Lennon. Don’t remember who played the referee, but he gave instructions to Albert and Joe. In the first round Albert and Joe went toe to toe. After the first round I started to give Joe instructions, just like in a real fight, and as I am doing so, Joe said “Frank I don’t want to get kayo” I told him he had to get kayo, that it was in the script, that it was just a movie, he then said to me “but Frank, I’ve never taken a dive in my life” I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Joe went along with the script and took a "dive", as he was lying on the floor I jumped in the ring, and as I went for his mouth-piece he started laughing so hard he was rolling on the ring floor. I thought he had ruined the scene, but the director said that was fine, that he had gotten what he wanted.

We were paid in cash. I was given $1000.00.  Off that Frankie and Tony got $300.00 each and I kept $400.00…It was not the first time the manager kept more than the fighter.

Most of our scene wound-up on the cutting floor, I appeared for about three seconds in the movie.