[Rocco Del Sesto]

Decided to go back with that title!

While going through papers looking for things on Dixie Lee Oliver I ran across 3 other guys from then that I found photos of the fighters in the newspaper articles!! I love it when I can find a photo of them. So decided to side track from Oliver for the moment to look at these guys. First up here is Ernie Petretti heavyweight from NJ/NY area....

Career Record: W2(KO 0) / L19(KO 9) / D1

Unknown Information has been left blank.

DOB has been estimated.

Fought 13 times beginning his career in 1940 with a 1-11-1 record. After getting KO'd in two fights in early 1941, the second to Tommy Gomez, he was out of the ring until late November 1945. Lost one and won one at the end of 1945 and then lost 4 in January 1946 ending his career per BoxRec.Fought Joe Baksi, in December 1940. Baksi, 6-0-1 KO'd Ernie in the 1st round of a 4 round affair.

A Jan 3, 1941 article in The Evening Sun (Baltimore), "Petretti is a newcomer to the boxing wars here and is reputed to be a hard puncher". It also notes Petretti as being from Newark.The Baltimore Sun, Jan 5, 1941 notes him from Newark, N.J.

The Tampa Tribune, FL, had a picture of Ernie and it's caption mentions he was from New York, a 1937 Diamond belt champion and Golden Gloves finalist in 1939.Some newspaper articles out of New York in 1939 covered the Golden Glove competitions with mentions of Petretti. One article mentions him to be and "Italian-American truck driver".

The Tampa Tribune, March 25 1941 posted this appraisal of Petretti's abilities before his fight with Tommy Gomez..."As far as we've been able to determine, Petretti is just another heavyweight, one of the boys used around New York to fill in the programs. He's reasonably clever, and has had considerable experience, but he's never fought anyone approaching Gomez' class..."!

Some earlier newspaper articles that mention Petretti refer to him as the "Garfield Italian".The Courier-News, Bridgewater, NJ, 26 Sept 1940 and The Morning Call, 28 Sept 1940 ran articles on some fights being set up in Newark. One of the fighters was Ernie Petretti which the articles places him as from Passaic. Passaic City, NJ? The Morning Call article mentions Petretti as a rough, tough nut who had been a sparring partner for Pat Camiskey.The Central New Jersey Home News, New Brunswick, NJ, 25 Oct 1940 and the Courier-News mentions Petretti as from Garfield in his win against Beams Palmer. Garfield is right beside Passaic City.So believe him to be from this area in New Jersey.But, some paper articles from back into 1938 when he was fighting as an amateur, mention him as from "East Side New York".

Could find no mention in any newspapers of Petretti during the time from after his March 1941 fight against Tommy Gomez until he shows up again in late 1945.Then only very brief, mention of any of his last fights in 1945-46.

I'll add that I found on the internet a Find a Grave website that showed the gave site of an Ernest Petretti who was born in July 8, 1919, served in the Army in WWII and died Nov. 11, 1989. Just got to wonder if it's by any wild chance this Petretti! Could find no obituary info on this Petretti.