The middle child out of seven, Hyman Morton Wiseman was born on March 24, 1911 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Jacob and Rebecca, had immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1906 with their eldest daughter Esther. Jacob owned his own painting business in Brooklyn and continued to do so when the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1913.
The Wisemans joined the small Jewish community in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921. Jews had lived in Des Moines since its incorporation in the 1850s. A German Jew named William Krause started the first store and helped establish the first public school in Iowa's capital city. Decades later, the Wisemans were able to buy their own house in Des Moines for about $5,000.
At 5'5", Hymie was short, dark, and handsome. He combed his black hair back as was the style of the day. He became a professional boxer in 1926 at the age of 15, peering at opponents through hazel eyes. Wiseman fought his entire nine year career during Iowa's newspaper decision era. Since Iowa didn't allow official decisions to be rendered for far longer than most states, fights would only become official if a boxer was stopped or disqualified. As a result, Wiseman, who was never knocked out, only had a one official loss on his record, a points defeat to future featherweight world champion and Hall of Famer Freddie Miller in Chicago.
Beginning his career as a flyweight, Wiseman showed grit in getting up from a knockdown in the third round against Gaspard LaVoie in Nebraska in 1927. The 16 year old was already a veteran of 16 fights when he got off the canvas to slice up LaVoie's lip before the end of the round. Though Wiseman finished the six round fight strong, the referee called it a draw on account of the knockdown.
An "artistic jabber," Wiseman rattled off countless newspaper decisions in Iowa over the next year and traveled to California during the summer of 1928. He got in some good work with respected lightweight Mickey Cohen, who was visiting from Denver. Wiseman won an unpopular decision over Freddie Albin at the Hollywood Legion Stadium in July.
Wiseman was guided by Roy Feltman, a rotund and experienced manager from Omaha, Nebraska who oversaw the career of quality welterweight Tommy Grogan, and Dave Fidler, an ex-boxer and matchmaker from Des Moines who would run Club 100, an entertainment and gambling hub.
As he filled into a featherweight, Wiseman developed knockout power. He only had three KO victories before 1929, but ten total in 1929 and 1930. The start of the new decade was especially auspicious for "The Corn Belt Ace." In January, he defeated Henry Falegano in a show promoted by Pinkie George. Falegano was considered "Iowa's leading featherweight" before the bout. In July, Wiseman ended the career of 18-year pro Billy DeFoe with a sixth round knockout. He was building a reputation as a show stealer.
A win over Emil Paluso punctuated a great year and earned him some recognition. "One of the best looking youngsters seen in Des Moines in some time is Hymie Wiseman, a hard punching featherweight," crowed Collyer's Eye. Wiseman was ready to take on B-level opponents and a year away from fighting the best in the world, said the Chicago-based sports journal.
On January 12, 1931 Wiseman faced former world title challenger Archie Bell, a Brooklyn-based fellow Jew, in a fight scheduled for ten two-minute rounds. No longer at his peak, Bell would still challenge for versions of a world title three more times in his career. Wiseman dominated his more decorated foe, surrendering only one round: the sixth.
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Wiseman had to delay a fight against Harry Fierro two weeks after suffering from tonsillitis. When the fight happened, Wiseman won the newspaper decision. He was expected to beat Carl Wilfing of Omaha, and did so, but his upset victory over prospect Paul Dazzo of Chicago continued his ascent. A strong body puncher, Wiseman scored two knockdowns in the first and two in the second to win the six-round decision.
"Doc" Kearns took notice. The former manager of Jack Dempsey hoped to add Wiseman to a stable that included Mickey Walker and Jackie Fields. He offered the tandem of Feltman and Fidler $10,000 for Wiseman's contract; the offer was declined. Another player who took notice was Bushy Graham, the former bantamweight world champion. Wiseman learned a lot from Graham in a newspaper decision defeat in Des Moines on May 11. The local kid had trouble with the former champ's bobbing style and was rocked in the fourth round, but closed strong. It was his first loss in two years, albeit an unofficial one.
Even after the loss, Wiseman was deemed "the best leather pusher to come out of the corn belt in recent years." Pundits felt the Graham fight was a case of too much too soon. "Just another promising boy sent up too fast and ruined- Hymie Wiseman," Collyer's Eye declared. "Wiseman's handlers pulled an unforgivable boner when they pitted Hymie against Bushy Graham. They followed it up with another 'silly move ' in taking on Mike O'Dowd." Wiseman and O'Dowd fought to a six-round draw at Chicago Stadium two weeks after the Graham fight.
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On September 23, 1931 Wiseman was back at Chicago Stadium to face Solly Schuman, a Jew from Chicago. Wiseman was just 1-2-2 in his last five fights, although the draw to O'Dowd was the only official decision. Hymie beat Schuman three rounds to two in a lackluster five-round battle. Notorious gangster Al Capone watched from ringside.
After a newspaper win over Kid Lehr, who was floored twice, Wiseman beat Schuman once again. Schuman retired after his second loss to Wiseman in under a month. Hymie next fought Carl Wells in a Sioux City rematch. Wells won the newspaper decision the month before, but Wiseman scored a knockdown in the fourth round in seeking revenge.
After a couple of fights, Wiseman won a newspaper decision over Billy Shaw. The fight was notable because of the referee, Alex Fidler of Cedar Rapids, who later claimed to hold the record for most boxing and wrestling matches officiated. Not so coincidentally, he was Dave Fidler's brother.
In January, Dave Fidler's entire stable was suspended from fighting Kansas when one of his boxers no-showed. For Wiseman, it was guilt by association. He never fought in Kansas again.
In March, Wiseman moved over to Joe Glazer, a manager from Chicago, who also guided the career of Jewish puncher Ray Miller. That August, Wiseman faced his toughest test, future featherweight world champion Freddie Miller. Miller split open Wiseman's lower lip in the second round and won the eight-round fight at Chicago Stadium by comfortable decision.
Hymie then didn't fight for over a year. He married Julie, six years his senior, on July 29, 1933 in Iowa, but he only stepped into the ring twice that year and not at all the following year. There was talk of a 1934 fight against Leo Rodak, but it fell through. He resurfaced in California for a fight on January 4, 1935. Wiseman scored a second round knockout at the Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco. Later in the month he impressed Los Angeles locals while training at the Manhattan Gym. But he remained inactive until he fought in September back home in Iowa.
In his third fight that month, he took on the toughest test of his comeback, Canadian featherweight champ Frankie Wolfram. On the 23rd, Wiseman won when Wolfram fouled him in the fifth. A month later, Wiseman won a newspaper decision in the rematch with Nate Fidler acting as referee. He promptly retired. His remarkable record stood at 80-7-13 with 18 KOs. In 100 pro fights, Hymie was never stopped.
Wiseman spent the early part of his retirement from the ring working with aspiring fighters. At the 1939 Des Moines Golden Gloves, he served as kind of a floating trainer for any boxer who desired his expertise. In 1941, he acquired the contract of promising heavyweight Lee Savold from Pinkie George, who felt he had been shoved out of the way. George and Wiseman made up a couple years later.
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| Wiseman (left), Savold (center), Daly (right) |
After Savold stopped Lee Nova in 1942, Wiseman cracked, "I wouldn't say he quit. He just didn't continue." Wiseman and co-manager Bill Daly were credited with saving Savold's boxing career with their shrewd management, enabling the "Battling Bartender" to make a living at something other than tending bar.
The beginning of the end of the relationship was evident when neither Wiseman nor Daly knew that Savold had briefly enlisted in the U.S. Maritime service. After Savold lost to Joe Baksi, Doc Kearns plucked the heavyweight away from Wiseman and Daly's clutches. Turnabout was fair play.
Wiseman next operated an illegal gambling ring out his Sports Arcade club in downtown Des Moines. He and his partner Louis "Cockeyed Louie" Fratto, aka Lew Farrell, practiced some shady accounting in 1947. A Chicagoan, Fratto was first sent to Des Moines as Al Capone's representative in Iowa. In March of 1948, Des Moines police raided the club and arrested Wiseman and Fratto. The charges were eventually dropped in November.
In 1951, Fratto squawked to the Kefauver Committee, a Senate initiative to combat organized crime. In his testimony, Fratto mentioned Wiseman. On August 18, 1954 Wiseman dined with another mobster Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe at Ciro's in Chicago. Gioe had been Capone's Iowa rep before Fratto replaced him and still owned two theaters in Des Moines. When Wiseman and Gioe got into their car, another vehicle with three people inside pulled up beside them. Two men pointed guns and fired. A bullet entered Gioe's head, killing him instantly. Wiseman was hit, but managed to escape with his life. "All of a sudden I saw flashes and heard shots and I dropped to the ground," Wiseman recalled. When he heard the car speed off, he got up and ran, hailed a cab, and went to the Seneca Hotel where Gioe had resided. Gioe was killed by gunmen affiliated with mobster Joey Glimco. Wiseman didn't finger the culprits and temporarily stymied the investigation, offering false statements to police.
After this incident, Hymie Wiseman seemed to lay low for the rest of his days. Wiseman passed away in 1971 at the age of 60. His life was a testament to the toughness, resilience, and versality of the Jewish people.
Sources
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