Al Reich

Al Reich began his athletic career competing for the Irish-American AC in the shot put. In 1911, he became AAU Junior Champion and was subsequently selected for the US team at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He did not start, however.

In 1912, he started boxing, winning the New York heavyweight amateur championship. One year later, he turned pro and was active until 1924. He had a hard punch in each hand but was temperamental and did not always follow the fight plan. In the 1910, he was considered one of the great “White Hopes”. Reich won 27 of his 39 bouts as a professional, all of them by knock-out. He also served as a sparring partner for the legendary world champion Jack Dempsey. In his last bout, Reich was knocked out by South-American champion Luis Angel Firpo in Buenos Aires. In the 1930s and 1940s, he acted as a wrestling and boxing referee. As the younger brother of pro basketball star Ernie Reich (1892-1922), Al also played a few professional basketball games.

In 1932, Al Reich acted as the bodyguard for Dr. John “Jafsie” Condon, who was an intermediary for the ransom handover in the kidnapping case of Charles Lindbergh’s baby. Reich was a witness in the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann.