Benny Bass boxer

Bass was born in Kiev, Russia on December 4, 1904, the second son to Jewish parents Jacob and Pauline and was brought to America three years later. His father first came to Philadelphia to earn enough money to send for his five sons and wife in Kiev. They sailed to America but were first rescued from a shipwreck on their way, spending five weeks in Queenstown, Ireland. By ten, he was making a living selling newspapers at a busy street corner in Philadelphia. In his early teens, Benny held down a job at Curtis Publishing Company, who published The Saturday Evening Post. From age twelve to sixteen, Bass won 95 of 100 bouts as an amateur. Impressively, he qualified for the Olympic Trials in the Flyweight Class in 1920, where he lost a decision to the future Gold Medal winner Frankie Genaro. Turning pro the following year, he was managed by Phil Glassman. By 1926, he was rated the number one featherweight contender.In an important early career bout, Bass defeated Johnny Dixon, a leading featherweight contender, in a ten-round newspaper decision on August 30, 1923.