Arthur Lakofsky (November 16, 1909 – April 2, 1980), also known as Art Lasky, was a heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Personal life Lasky was born in 1908 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and called Minneapolis his home. His parents were Jewish emigrants from Lithuania.1910 United States census Both he and his brother Maurice worked in a scrap metal yard before taking up boxing. His brothers Dave and Eli both had short, but less successful careers as boxers during the depression years of the 1930s. Lasky's brother Maurice acted as his trainer, and trained the boxer Young Harry Greb for a time.
After his boxing career ended, Lasky went on to become a cameraman, stunt coordinator, and even dabbled in acting. Being a bit of a renaissance man, and always interested in new challenges, he had a short career in the Palm Springs police department, and later became a physical therapist with a practice in three California cities; San Bernardino, then Palm Springs, and later at his home in Sky Valley, thirteen miles from Hot Springs. Lasky was also skilled in carpentry, masonry and as a surveyor and did much of the work for a home he built in California around 1964 after his boxing retirement.
His son Aron was born in 1960, and his daughter Lana was born in 1964 from his third marriage to wife Irma.
Professional career Lasky made his professional debut with a knockout of Sam Baker in May 1930. He faced his first notable opponent, Jimmy Gibbons of Saint Paul, on January 8, 1931, knocking the 28-0-2 Gibbons unconscious in the second round. Gibbons was down twice in the second from Lasky's left hooks. The round ended when Lasky' blows knocked Gibbons to the mat. He was completely out when the referee reached the count of six, and Gibbons's manager threw in the towel making the victory a technical knockout."Gorman Scores Decisive Victory in Minneapolis", Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, pg. 10, 9 January 1931
Lasky remained undefeated until his 16th bout, a newspaper decision loss to Dick Daniels, also of Minneapolis. He bounced back, however, and by September 1932 was sporting a 14–1 record when he faced Primo Carnera, one of his first rated opponents, in Saint Paul.
Meeting Primo Carnera and Joe Sekyra, 1932
Future World Heavyweight Champion Primo Carnera defeated Lasky in a ten-round newspaper decision in St. Paul on September 1, 1932. The loss appeared to do nothing to hamper Lasky's career but it was a brutal battle, as were many of Lasky's fights. In an odd spectacle of a fight, Lasky, at 188, was outweighed 78 pounds by the Italian giant, though Carnera had only a one-inch height advantage at 6' 5".Lasky outweighed by 80 pounds in "Carnera May be Matched with M. Baer", Demoines Tribune, Des Moines, Iowa, pg. 21, 2 September 1932 The fight did not feature continuous blows by either boxer until the eighth round, and the decision was a close one according to one reporter.Close fight in "Primo Carnera Wins Nod Over Art Lasky", Shamokin News-Dispatch, Shamokin, Pennsylvania, pg. 5, 2 September 1932 In the final rounds, the Italian giant's strength proved too great for Lasky.Carnera too strong in "Baer is Sought to meet Carnera", The Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah, pg. 10, 2 September 1932
Lasky became the first opponent to knock out Joe Sekyra in a brutal battle at the Auditorium in Minneapolis on November 29, 1932. The knockout, occurring one minute into the seventh round, came after Lasky's strong right to the chin and two powerful hooks to the jaw of his opponent. Earlier in the bout, Seykra reached Lasky with strong blows to the body and chin, but Lasky was able to fight on. The bout featured blows from both boxers landing almost continuously from the opening bell. Jack Blackburn, an exceptional Black lightweight, trained and seconded Lasky for the bout. Lasky started a strong offensive attack in the second round, and in the third, Sekyra retaliated with strong blows to the chin. Lasky took the fourth round with lighting lefts from a distance, and an occasional right to the chin. On the advice of Blackburn, he opened the sixth with a rapid two-handed attack that rocked his opponent who managed to stay on his feet. Showing determination, though exhausted, Seykra attempted a comeback by the end of the round. Pushing his advantage in the seventh, Lasky doubled his efforts and achieved the knock out. The win was one of the most convincing of his career, coming against a recognized heavyweight contender.Barton, George A., "Local Fighter First to Stop Chicago Veteran", Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 13, 30 November 1932.
Lasky immediately embarked on a six fight winning streak, including a fifth-round knockout of Black heavyweight Tiger Jack Fox, a boxer with a 50–5 record, at Chicago Stadium in Illinois. He achieved the fifth-round knockout with a hard right to the jaw of the black boxer. Fox attempted to rise at the count of nine, but fell to his feet. His win over the well known opponent spotlighted Lasky as a fighter to watch.Dunkley, Fox, "Art Lasky Stops Tiger Jack Fox in Fifth", Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 20, 4 May 1933
On March 31, 1933, in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden, the shrine of East coast boxing, Lasky pounded out an eight-round points decision against Hans Birkle, a competent 6' 1" German-born heavyweight. The bout was a semi-final and drew a sizable crowd of 9,000. Lasky put reach advantage and speed to good use against his opponent."Adolph Heuser Wins in Garden", The Wilkes-Barre Record, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, pg. 21, 1 April 1933"Heuser Gains Garden Chance", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, pg. 14, 1 April 1933
First injury to right eye, 1933 On May 12, 1933, Charley Retzlaff scored a six-round technical knockout against Lasky in their first State Heavyweight Championship bout at the Auditorium in St. Paul. Retzlaff's right cross and jabs landed too frequently against his opponent. A blow by Retzlaff in the second round first opened a cut on Lasky's right eye, greatly hindering his chances in the remaining rounds. A few of Retzlaff's blows again targeted the injured eye in the fifth and sixth rounds. At the end of the sixth, with Lasky staggering and unable to defend himself, the referee called the fight ending the bout. Lasky was hospitalized after the fight for several injuries, but primarily to close a severe cut above his right eye which was affecting his vision. Loss of vision would be the deciding factor in ending his career in 1939."Strong right hand in "Charley Retzlaff is Winner Over Art Lasky", The Post-Crescent, pg. 13, 13 May 1933Hospitalized with damage to right eye in "Game Art May Not Be Ready for May 26 Go", The Minneapolis Star, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 11, 13 May 1933Damage was to right eye in "Lasky Rests in Hospital After Fight", The Daily Chronicle, De Kalb, Illinois, pg. 6, 13 May 1933Injury was to the right eye according to physicians in "Retzlaff Hammers Lasky to Knockout", The Sheboygan Press, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, pg. 10, 13 May 1933
Lasky moved to California in 1933, and became a regular at two large boxing venues, Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles and Legion Stadium in Hollywood.
On December 1, 1933, Lasky put away Fred Lenhart in the third round of a bout at Legion Stadium, part of a 15-fight unbeaten streak that lasted until the fall of 1934. Lasky led in the first two rounds. After a nine count by a strong left in the third, Lasky delivered a telling right to end the Lenhart fight. Lasky had a six-inch height advantage in the bout which gave him an advantage at long range. Lenhart would fight some of the best heavyweight boxers of the 1930s including Tiger Jack Fox and Hall of Fame light heavyweight champion John Henry LewisTelling right ended the bout in "Lasky Kayoes Fred Lenhart", The Petaluma Argus-Courier, Petaluma, California, pg. 4, 2 December 1933
On February 20, 1934, Lasky scored a "smashing triumph" in a five-round technical knockout against Los Angeles heavyweight Benny Miller at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles before a crowd of 10,000. Lasky enjoyed a fourteen-pound weight advantage over his opponent. Miller's handlers threw in the towel after he suffered two knockdowns in the fifth."Lasky Defeats Benny Miller", The Petaluma Argus-Courier, pg. 4, 21 February 1934 Miller was down twice in the second round before his seconds threw in the towel. The fight helped Lasky obtain a match with Steve Hamas."10,000 Watch Art Lasky Win", Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 15, 21 February 1934
Lasky achieved a top ten rating as a World Heavyweight Contender in 1934. On March 20, 1934, Lasky won a ten-round points decision against Steve Ramage at Madison Square Garden. As Ramage had finished stronger in the ninth and tenth, the partisan crowd of 11,000 booed the decision, but Lasky's strong showing in the early rounds, particularly the seventh, gave him the decision by a shade. The Associated Press scored the battle a draw at five rounds apiece. The win moved Lasky into boxing's top ten ratings."Lasky Wins Verdict From Lee Ramage", "Star Tribune", Minneapolis, Minnesota, pg. 15, 21 March 1934
Loss to Steve Hamas, 1934 Lasky's winning ways came to a screeching halt, however, with a close ten round split decision loss to Steve Hamas at Madison Square Garden on October 5, 1934. The bout had great importance for the future of Lasky's career, as it was an elimination match to find an opponent for reigning World Heavyweight Champion Max Baer. A penalty for a backhanded punch in the fourth round may have been the only thing standing in the way of Lasky becoming a top contender for the heavyweight title. In a twist of fate, Lasky's manager appealed the back-hand penalty to the New York Boxing Commission and won, but the decision for Hamas was never reversed.
Lasky had Hamas close to knockout in both the third and ninth rounds, but the bell saved his opponent from a loss."Steve Hamas in Narrow Victory Over Art Lasky", Ames Daily Tribune, Ames, Iowa, pg. 3, 6 October 1934 Hamas took a terrible thrashing in the third round but made a comeback to win. In a close decision, no judge gave Hamas more than six rounds, and at least one considered the fight even. Hamas considered himself lucky to have won the bout, though Lasky suffered in the bout as well, as the blows reigned continuously on both sides throughout the fighting and the decision was a close one.Hamas took a thrashing in "Steve Hamas is Given Decision", Warren Times-Mirror, Warren, Pennsylvania, pg. 7, 6 October 1934Considered himself lucky to win in "Wins Decision", Ironwood Daily Globe, pg. 19, 6 October 1934
James J. Braddock and King Levinsky fights, 1934 On June 12, 1934, Lasky had his first bout with Jewish heavyweight Chicagoan King Levinsky before 9000 roaring fans at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, where Levinsky fell in 10 rounds by a unanimous decision. Levinsky, who was not known for boxing ringcraft, was groggy in the eighth and again in the tenth from the superior speed and technique of Lasky, who won decisively by the tenth round. The referee gave seven rounds to Lasky, with only two to Levinsky.The Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, pg. 13, 13 June 1934 The bout was an important win against a rated heavyweight opponent.
In late 1934, Lasky began a losing streak that included losses to heavyweight contenders Jim Braddock and Charley Retzlaff as well as a draw with fellow Jewish heavyweight contender King Levinsky.