Monte Attell (July 28, 1885 – November 11, 1960), born in the Knob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States, was an American boxer who took the vacant World Bantamweight title on June 19, 1909 by defeating the 1904 bantamweight title holder Frankie Neil. He held the title until February 22, 1910. In his career he faced world bantamweight champion Jimmy Reagan and the lesser known Danny Webster in title defenses, and after losing his title, Frankie Britt, and champions Johnny Kilbane, and Joe Lynch. Early life and career Attell was born on July 18, 1885 to a struggling Jewish family that, by one account, eventually had eighteen children. As a poor Jewish kid of diminutive stature raised in a tough Irish neighborhood, Attell began his career as a fighter from a very early age. As his older brother Abe Attell (1884–1970) was the Featherweight Champion of the World during the same period, Monte and Abe became the first brothers to simultaneously hold world boxing titles. Their brother, Caesar, also fought and was called "Two and a Half," for always giving that amount whenever the hat was passed for charity at boxing events. Like his brother Abe, Monte spent some of his youth and likely some of his later life selling newspapers for a living. At the age of 14, Attell was treated for burns to the face and hands from a childhood accident with a toy cannon which may have contributed to his decline as a boxer as he aged. From fighting for survival in the streets, Monte Attell turned professional by 1902, winning his first five bouts. He lost several of his early bouts, but between February 1906 and May 1909, he won ten continuous matches. His performance earned him a chance to fight for the vacant Bantamweight championship in 1909. Before his world bantamweight championship bout, Attell defeated Dusty Miller on November 5, 1904 in a six-round points decision at the Chicago Athletic Club. Two weeks later, Attell defeated Miller again at the West End Athletic Club in St. Louis, in a ten-round points decision. In their bout in St. Louis, Attell had the lead throughout, boring in constantly, and defending with skill. Miller fought back gamely, but Attell clearly held the better hand. In the fifth to the ninth rounds, Miller stalled, and though he rallied in the tenth, the round finished even. Attell received