9 5 5 ▁when ▁he ▁lost ▁to ▁Sug ar ▁Ray ▁Robinson . ▁ ▁These ▁two ▁exception al ▁f ights ▁were ▁featured ▁on ▁ESP N ' s ▁" Class ic ▁F ights ▁of ▁the ▁Century ". ▁ ▁Cast ell ani ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Lu zer ne ▁County , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁to ▁Att ilio ▁Cast ell ani ▁( 1 8 8 9 – 1 9 7 4 ) ▁and ▁Rose ▁Is op i ▁Cast ell ani ▁( 1 8 9 6 – 1 9 3 8 ), ▁who ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁Marg ate ▁City , ▁formerly ▁South ▁Atlantic ▁City . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁box ing ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager ▁at ▁local ▁g ym s , ▁and ▁at ▁a ▁younger ▁age ▁would ▁box ▁oppon ents ▁to ▁entertain ▁neighborhood ▁k ids . ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁he ▁fought ▁as ▁a ▁Marine ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁I wo ▁J ima ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁He ▁box ed ▁in ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁" Ch ampion ▁of ▁All ▁China ▁and ▁Gu am ". ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁dis charge ▁from ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁he ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁his ▁professional ▁box ing ▁career ▁around ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁three ▁month ▁lay off ▁from ▁the ▁ring ▁on ▁May ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁Cast ell ani ▁hand ily ▁defeated ▁Tony ▁De M ic co ▁before ▁ 1 4 3 5 ▁fans ▁in ▁New ▁York ' s ▁St . ▁Nicholas ▁Arena ▁in ▁a ▁well ▁public