Page 161 - Cousins - Celebrities, Saints & Sinners

Before he employed the long-experienced Jack Kearns as his manager, Dempsey was first managed by John J.
Reisler.
One year later, in 1918, Dempsey fought in 17 matches, going 15–1 with one no-decision. One of those fights
was with Flynn, who was knocked out by Dempsey, coincidentally, in the first round. Among other matches
won that year were against Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky, Bill Brennan, Fred Fulton, Carl E.
Morris, Billy Miske, heavyweight Lefty Jim McGettigan, and Homer Smith. In 1919, he won five consecutive
regular bouts by knockout in the first round as well as a one-round special bout.
On July 4, 1919, Dempsey and World Heavyweight Champion Jess Willard met at Toledo for the world title.
Pro lightweight fighter Benny Leonard predicted a victory for the 6′1″, 187 pound Dempsey even though
Willard, known as the "Pottawatamie Giant", was 6′6½″ tall and 245 pounds. Ultimately, Willard was knocked
down seven times by Dempsey in the first round.
After 6 successful title defenses, in September 1926, Dempsey fought the Irish American and former U.S.
Marine Gene Tunney ( in Philadelphia, a fighter who had only lost once in his career. In spite of his record,
Tunney was considered the underdog against Dempsey.

The match ended in an upset, with Dempsey losing his title on points in 10 rounds. When the defeated
Dempsey returned to his dressing room, he explained his loss to his wife by saying, "Honey, I forgot to
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duck." Fifty-five years later president Ronald Reagan (9 Cousin, 1 Time Removed) borrowed this quote when
his wife Nancy visited him in the emergency room after the attempt on his life.
Dempsey retired from boxing following the Tunney rematch, but continued with numerous exhibition bouts.
Following retirement, Dempsey became known as a philanthropist. In June 1932, he sponsored the "Ride of
Champions" bucking horse event at Reno, Nevada with the "Dempsey Trophy" going to legendary bronc
rider Pete Knight. In 1933, Dempsey was approached by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to portray a boxer in the
film, The Prizefighter and the Lady, directed by W. S. Van Dyke and co-starring Myrna Loy.
The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural and Convention Center in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, built in 1930,
was a gambling casino supposedly financed by Al Capone and managed by Jack Dempsey. Its clientele
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included Myrna Loy, Lana Turner (14 cousin, 1 time removed) and Dolores del Río.
In 1935, Dempsey opened Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in New York City on Eighth Avenue and 50th Street,
across from the third Madison Square Garden. The restaurant's name was later changed to Jack Dempsey's
Broadway Restaurant when it relocated to Times Square on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets. It
remained open until 1974. Dempsey was also a co-owner of the Howard Manor in Palm Springs, California.

Dempsey married four times; his first two wives were Maxine Gates (married from 1916 to 1919) and Estelle
Taylor (married in 1925). Dempsey divorced Taylor in 1930, and married Broadway singer and recent
divorcee Hannah Williams in 1933. Williams was previously married to bandleader Roger Wolfe Kahn.
Dempsey and Williams had two children together and divorced in 1943. Dempsey then married Deanna
Piatelli, remaining married to her until his death in 1983. The couple had one child, a daughter, whom they
adopted together, and who would later write a book on Dempsey's life with Piatelli.
On May 31, 1983, Dempsey died of heart failure at the age of 87 in New York City. His body was buried
at Southampton Cemetery in Southampton, New York.

References:
1. Relative Finder, associated with FamilySearch, and the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS)
2. Wikipedia.org
3. Learn more – Jack Dempsey: The Man Who Inspired Mike Tyson
4. LDS Family Tree #

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