Jake LaMotta

Giacobbe La Motta (born July 10, 1921), better known as Jake LaMotta, aka 'The Bronx Bull', is a former boxer who was world middleweight champion and whose life was as controversial outside the ring as it was inside it.

Film about his early life, and its effects

In 1980, Hollywood executives approached him with the idea of a movie about his life. The film, Raging Bull, was a huge success both for director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro, who gained about 60 pounds (27 kg) during the shooting of the film, to play the older, corpulent, broken-down LaMotta in the scenes of LaMotta's later life.

Related Topics:
1980 - Raging Bull - Martin Scorsese - Robert De Niro

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The movie depicted a violent and problematic LaMotta who once even went as far as beating his own brother, manager Joey LaMotta, accusing him and his wife (Vicky LaMotta, who once posed for Playboy magazine) of having an affair.

Related Topics:
Joey LaMotta - Vicky LaMotta - Playboy magazine

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In a 2004 interview, LaMotta recalled that after attending the premiere of "Raging Bull" with his by then ex-wife (the two had divorced in bitterness in the 1950s), he told her he could not believe he was that bad. Vicky replied: "That's right; you were worse!"

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