Philadelphia boxing trainer Marty Feldman dies at 83

Veteran Philadelphia boxing trainer Marty Feldman died Tuesday at age 83.

Feldman developed many fighters during his career, most famously Southwest Philly-bred Frank Fletcher in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, Feldman ran a gym called Ladies Toneup in Springfield, Pa.

During his years in the ring, Feldman compiled a 20-3 record as a middleweight fighter between 1953 and 1962. He often fought in the Philadelphia region, especially at the former Cambria Athletic Club near Kensington and Somerset Streets.

Local boxing promoter J Russell Peltz offered this tribute to Feldman on Facebook:

It was as a trainer that I knew him, working with fighters like Augie Pantellas, Fletcher, Prince Charles Williams and Dave Tiberi and many, many others.
We were as close as two people could be in this wonderful (?) business.

Marty taught me a lot about people and a lot about life. I first met him when I was 22. I popped into a deli in West Philly where he was working. It was at the beginning of my career and I tried to get Augie Pantellas, the Broomall, PA, featherweight Marty was training, to fight for me.

Marty always reminded me there was no such thing as 99% loyalty. He told me you're either 100% or you're nothing. Don't ever tell someone you've been with him in the past, but THIS time you have to go the other way. NOT! That didn't cut it in Marty's world. Either you're 100% or get lost.

[...]

I remember once saying that if one of my sons ever became a boxer, I wouldn't let anyone train him but Marty. It may not have been a popular statement with other trainers, but it was true.

He also managed and trained Micky Diflo, Mike Picciotti and Victor Pappa, three tough Upper Darby/Ridley Park kids known as Mic, Pic and Vic. Plus Kenny Carpenter and so many, many more there isn't enough space to list them all.