An update on past news
Wednesday, June 5, 1996
Wednesday, June 5, 1996
Answer: He died in Gardena, Calif., Oct. 28, 1989, at age 74. A natural left-hander who became a right-hander early in his career, he was both a power puncher and a skilled boxer.
He had a 57-14-3 record with 21 knockouts as a pro fighting in Hawaii and around the world.
Marino was born at Olowalu, Maui. As an amateur boxer, he eventually fought in Boston in 1940, winning a runner-up silver medal. He turned professional in 1941 and won his first 15 fights--10 by knockout. He didn't get his first shot at a world title until 1947, losing a disputed 15-round decision to Ireland's Rinty Monoghan in London.
He made an unsuccessful bid for Manny Ortiz's bantamweight crown in 1949, losing a 15-round decision in Honolulu Stadium. The following year, fight promoter Sad Sam Ichinose offered flyweight champion Terry Allen of England $17,500 to defend his title against Marino in Honolulu Stadium. Marino won the title at age 35 on Aug. 1, 1950, in front of a crowd of 10,762. He retained it a year later with another decision over Allen. But he lost it when Japan's Yoshino Shirai knocked him out two months later in Tokyo. Marino eventually retired from the ring in 1952, moving to California the following decade.