QUEENSBURY RULES


Chapter 1

Tuesday night was a work night, but on June 13th, 1935 not many people had jobs to go to. Even if they did, they spent that night glued to their radios. It was one hell of an event when Jimmy Braddock beat Max Baer in the heavyweight championship bout. Braddock found his right, countered with his left and America found her Cinderella story in the heart of a city that was crumbling under the weight of poverty. James J. Braddock gave them hope with the sound of pop, pop, bang and all that came back to him with a big cha-ching. Happy days are here again!

It seemed to take all night for the crowd at Madison Square Garden to disperse. Jimmy Braddock stuttered his way through interview after interview. He got a second chance at the salad days when some folks didn't make it to the first round. .

"Hey, boyo! Get your sorry ass home to Mae and the kids."

Joe Gould was still wound tighter than a drum. He gambled everything on this man, the Cinderella Man, and the son of a bitch came through for him. How the fuck did it happen?

Gould wasn't sharing his thoughts, but he held his hands out and looked up at the open sky above the Garden. "Divine intervention!"

"Heya, Joe. Take it easy, huh, before a lightning bolt strikes ya. We won buddy, you and I. No more pink slips."

"You got that right buddy boy. Don't forget to buy the turtles. The kids will be disappointed."

"Not any more they won't. We're gonna eat breakfast every morning from now on. Hey, I think me and the wife are gonna take a trip up to the Catskills. Have a second honeymoon." James waggled his brows. "She deserves it for puttin' up with me all these years."

"Don't make no plans yet, Jimmy. You're gonna be busier then a cat trying to bury shit on a hot tin roof."

"Nice way a puttin' it, Joe. Hey, you think you can get me outta here? There's a crowd out front."

Joe gave Jimmy a pat on the back. "You're their hero, ya lucky Irish bastard. You're everyone's hero. I'm damn proud of ya, too. Damn proud." Joe nudged his head toward the door. "C'mon. I'll get ya out the back."

"Hey, know an all night pet shop?"

"Fucking turtles! Fucking world championship turtles!"
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The Braddock kids were still awake when their daddy got home. In fact, the entire country was still awake. James showed them that with a little bit of determination and a shit load of courage, anything was possible.

Life was about to do a one eighty for the Braddock family.

It was Rosiecheeks who met him at the door first. Jay and Howie followed as Mae stood back to let the kids revel in their father's victory. With little Rosie clasping on to his leg and the boys holding on to his arms, Jim looked up at Mae and winked.

"Hello, Mrs. Braddock. Start packing. We're gonna buy a house. We got us enough money to move out of this joint."

"You got us enough money, Jimmy. No more boxing, right?"

James didn't answer her. He knew he couldn't agree with her, so he changed the subject.

"I'm going to get you a nice house in Jersey, Mrs. Each of the kids will have their own room and I'm gonna get you one of them washing machines where you don't have to wring nothing out."

He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. "I figure we'll have some privacy, too, maybe make a little noise once in a while, huh?"

"James Braddock! Not in front of the children." Mae blushed. "Speaking of the children, it's time for you three to go to bed, past time even. C'mon. Say g'night to the champ."

"Daddy..." Rosie tugged on his hand. "Where's the turtle? You were s'posed to bring home the turtle."

"Don't you worry none, Rosiecheeks. Tomorrow we're going to buy you the best turtle in alla New York, right after we have breakfast."

Banking hugs and kisses from all three of his kids, James helped Mae tuck them in. Rosie was asleep before her head hit the pillow as was Howie, but Jay fought it for a while. The elder of the three gave in soon enough, though. A little before dawn, all three Braddock kids were sawing logs, so to speak.

"That's that." Mae stretched and yawned. She slapped a hand over her mouth to squash a giggle as her husband surrounded her with his arms.

"I love you, Mae Fox Braddock."

"Ah, Jimmy. I'm so proud of you. You're the champion of my heart. I love you."

"You're the champ, sweetheart. Never would have got this far without you. It won't be long and we'll be in our own home with a yard and good schools. I thought we'd check out North Bergen."

"Yeah, baby. I'd like that."

"Whattaya say we go to bed. I still got some fight left in me."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Stepping up on her tippy toes, she kissed his brow. James lifted her up in his arms and took it a step forward, kissing her soundly.
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A few weeks had passed before they moved into their new home in North Bergen. They found a great house with a big back yard on Park Avenue, right in the old stomping grounds. Jimmy had managed to pay back every penny of the public assistance that he and Mae had obtained during those lean years. She thought the boxing was over, but it was less then a month from the Baer fight when Joe Gould had him in the ring again.

It was just an exhibition match in Columbus, Ohio with a pugilist by the name of Jack McCarthy. He was a light heavyweight from Oakland California and really no match for the champ, but Joe was convinced that Jimmy had to keep the ball rolling. Publicity was the name of the game and a few exhibition matches would give the down and out people of the country a chance to see the champ in action.

"You owe it to 'em, Jimmy. You got outta the trenches and gave 'em hope. They gotta see you; they gotta have a chance to touch the champ, boyo. You'll make some more green for the family, too. Keep the lights on in the big new house of yours."

"I don't like being away from them, Joe. I ain't getting any younger. You said it yourself."

"I know. McCarthy's a chump, but he's a good egg. You're helping him out, too. He ain't goin' no where as a fighter, but putting him in the ring with you for show will give him a name. I set up a contract with six bouts." Joe shrugged. "Tell Mae you're doing your duty for your country. She'll understand and she'll hate me even more than she does now."

"She don't hate you, Joe. Mae's a good catholic girl. She don't hate no one, but you piss her off."

"It's alright, Jimmy. Let her blame me. It'll keep the peace for you at home."
"If I told her it was my doin', she wouldn't believe me anyways."
It was what Joe Gould arranged after the exhibition fights that fostered another change in the Braddock's lives. It had to do with a man they called the Brown Bomber and his name was Joe Louis.

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