"They'll Never Find Them . . ."

By Rick Farris

At the WBHOF meeting yesterday, a voice asks, "Did any of you guys see the special on TV last week, the one on Howie Steindler's murder?" Some had. "Carol Steindler still has a $50,000 reward for any info leading to the arrest of her father's killers", said the voice.

I was standing with Mando Muniz and former featherweight contender and WBHOF referee, Vince Delgado. When Delgado heard the news on Carol Steindler's reward, he just shook his head. "Thirty-two years? They'll never find who did it, it was a mob hit", says Delgado.

Armando Muniz shook his head, "Just like Vic", he acknowledged. Muniz was referring to his manager, Vic Weiss, whose decomposing body was found in the trunk of his Cadillac, in the parking structure to the Universal Sheraton Hotel, within months of the death of Steindler.

"And just like my uncle, Carlos Chavez", Delgado pointed out.

I asked Vince about the death of Carlos Chavez. "Wasn't Chavez killed in a street fight in Lincoln Heights, fighting off punks trying to rob him of money from a check he'd just cashed at a liquor store?"

The silver haired former L.A. headliner just shook his head, his expression turned bitter. "No, it was all a set-up, not a robbery as everybody believes. The police know, we all know, but they don't want to waste time chasing shadows."

I wanted to talk more with Vince, but our meeting had ended and we all had business elsewhere. "Hey Vince, would you mind discussing this more in the future?" I asked. "Yes Rick, I'll be glad to talk about my uncle, he was my first teacher. He taught me how to box, and he also kicked my ass when I didn't do things right," Vince smiled.

Yes, we'll talk.