Biography of Rubin Carter

Hurricane, a cry for innocence

May 6, 1937
April 20, 2014
Rubin Carter was born on May 6, 1937. Raised in Paterson, New Jersey, along with six siblings, soon begins to have trouble with the law. Shortly after his fourteenth birthday is imprisoned in a reformatory for assault and theft. In 1954 escapes and enlisted in the army. Passed the training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, travels in Germany where in 1974 he became interested to boxing.
It is not a good soldier and four times should be court-martialed because of various insubordination. Is discharged in 1956, after 21 months, judged unfit for military service. Upon returning to New Jersey was soon arrested and sentenced for the escape from the reformatory. Follow other crimes including assault and robbery against a middle-aged woman. During his detention in New Jersey, dusts off his interest in boxing: in September 1961 is released and soon became a professional Boxer.
Although it is one meter high and lower average height approximately seventy for belonging to the category, fights as a Middleweight. Rubin Carter possesses a powerful, shaven head, look aggressive and intimidating his presence is always in the ring. The style is aggressive: the power of his punches soon capture the public's attention and earned him the nickname "Hurricane" (hurricane). The boxing world is beginning to notice it after victories with opponents such as Holley Mims, Gomeo Brennan, Florentino Fernandez and George Bentos. In July 1963, the Ring Magazine puts it in his "Top 10". The budget of 1963 has four wins and two losses: the turning point came on December 20, when he sends down twice in the first round, Emile Griffith, winning by technical knockout.
This win earns to Rubin Carter third place in the ranking of contenders for middleweight title held by Joey Giardello. Hurricane won two more fights, then finally comes the opportunity to measure themselves against Giardello. The match takes place in Philadelphia. In fifteen rounds Carter fought well, but the judges unanimously declare winner Giardello on points. The press protest briskly.
A survey among journalists at Ringside shows that 14 out of 18 thought Carter winning. Hurricane makes no official complaint. In 1965 fighting nine times, losing four of the five matches played against opponents like Luis Manuel Rodriguez, Harry Scott and Dick Tiger. Up here the happy sports biography of Rubin Carter, then it happens a fact that mess up his life, his image and his story: on June 17, 1966 at the Lafayette Bar and Grill, at around 2.30 a.m., two black men coming into the room and shoot wildly. The bartender Jim Oliver and Fred "Cedar Grove Bob" Samuel Larner imposed die instantly. Hazel Tanis dies about a month later due to injuries return; Willie Marins survives, but loses the sight in one eye. Alfred Bello, known criminal, sees the scene and alert the police. Patricia Graham, who lives on the second floor of the Lafayette, sees two black men climb into a white car and disappear to the West. Witness of the same scene is Ronald Ruggiero. Rubin Carter's car coincides with the one seen by witnesses, so is stopped by the police, along with another man, John Artis, and brought onto the scene. Carter and Artis, are not recognized by any witness, much less by the man survived.
The police find a 32 caliber pistol in Carter's car and bullets for 12, the same caliber used in the murders. In the afternoon are subjected to lie detector, being involved in the crime. Seven months after Nice reveals to the police that night was in the company of another man Arthur Dexter Bradley. Both identify Carter as one of the armed men seen outside the bar, Nice also identifies Artis as the other gunman. Carter and Artis were arrested and indicted, although they had not been recognized by other witnesses. For them there is life imprisonment. After Nice and Bradley reprocessing the testimony: This allows Carter to get a new trial. However the judge Larner, who had presided over both the first process is the retraction, denies the motion.
Defense lawyers make another motion and although Larner denies even this new motion, the Supreme Court granted a new trial in 1976. During the retrial Nice portrayed again and back to support the testimony of 1967. Once convicted, Carter and Artis are again sentenced to life in prison. Carter's lawyers, after three years, appeal to the Federal Court. In 1985 the judge Haddon Lee Sarokin rules that Carter and Artis had not had a fair trial, marred by racial motives. In 1988 New Jersey prosecutors file the original indictments, thus dropping all charges. The touching story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter is an inspiration to many artists including singer Bob Dylan-who in 1976 writes the song "Hurricane"--and Director Norman Jewison who in 1999 runs "Hurricane-the cry of innocence," in which the actor Denzel Washington plays the role of Rubin Carter. For a long time suffering from cancer, the former boxer goes out in Toronto (Canada) at the age of 76 years, on April 20, 2014.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.