ids , ▁Michigan , ▁to ▁Tom asz ▁K ie cal ▁and ▁Julia ▁K ie cal ▁( née ▁Ol bin ska ), ▁whose ▁family ▁imm igr ated ▁from ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Sul mier zy ce ▁in ▁Pi otr ków ▁Try b unal ski , ▁G ub erni ya , ▁in ▁modern - day ▁central ▁Poland . ▁ ▁He ▁avoided ▁school , ▁instead ▁falling ▁in ▁with ▁a ▁gang ▁of ▁street ▁k ids ▁and ▁often ▁getting ▁into ▁f ist ▁f ights . ▁At ▁twelve ▁years ▁old , ▁he ▁ran ▁away ▁from ▁home , ▁becoming ▁a ▁child ▁h ob o . ▁As ▁a ▁te en ager ▁he ▁lived ▁in ▁But te , ▁Mont ana , ▁where ▁he ▁found ▁employ ment ▁first ▁as ▁a ▁hotel ▁bell h op ▁and ▁then ▁as ▁a ▁b oun cer . ▁This ▁profession ▁obviously ▁led ▁to ▁many ▁scra ps ▁that ▁established ▁his ▁reputation ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁f ist ▁f ighter ▁in ▁town . ▁So on ▁enough ▁six teen - year - old ▁Stanley ▁was ▁performing ▁in ▁back room ▁box ing ▁matches ▁with ▁older ▁loc als ▁for ▁twenty ▁dollars ▁a ▁week . ▁He ▁began ▁travel ing ▁throughout ▁Mont ana , ▁offering ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁any ▁man ▁brave ▁enough ▁to ▁face ▁him . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁he ▁lost ▁just ▁twice ▁in ▁thirty - n ine ▁cont ests ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁moved ▁to ▁California , ▁where ▁he ▁knew ▁most ▁of ▁box ing ' s ▁big ▁names ▁and ▁big ▁f ights