AMIGO bROTHERs

4 Amigo Brothers

Amigo Brothers

by Piri Thomas

BACKGROUND

This story is about two friends (amigos in Spanish) living on

the Lower East Side of New York City. Many boys from the

Lower East Side have dreamed of building a better life by

winning the New York Golden Gloves, a boxing tournament

started in 1927 by Paul Gallico, a newspaper writer. This tour-

nament marks an amateur’s entry into the world of big-time

boxing.

Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas were both seventeen years old.

They were so together in friendship that they felt themselves to

be brothers. They had known each other since childhood, grow-

ing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the same tene-

ment

building on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Antonio was fair, lean, and lanky, while Felix was dark,

short, and husky. Antonio’s hair was always falling over his eyes,

while Felix wore his black hair in a natural Afro style.

Each youngster had a dream of someday becoming light-

weight champion of the world. Every chance they had, the boys

worked out, sometimes at the Boys’ Club on 10th Street and

Avenue A and sometimes at the pro’s gym on 14th Street. Early

morning sunrises would find them running along the East River

Drive, wrapped in sweat shirts, short towels around their necks,

and handkerchiefs Apache style around their foreheads.

While some youngsters were into street negatives, Antonio

and Felix slept, ate, rapped, and dreamt positive. Between them,

they had a collection of Fight magazines second to none, plus

1. tenement n. used as adj.: apartment. Tenement buildings are often

cheaply built and poorly maintained.

Underline the names of the

two main characters. Circle

three details that tell how

similar, or alike, they are.

Why do you think the author

wants us to know this?

LITERARY FOCUS

Reproduced by permission of the author.

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Amigo Brothers 5

a scrapbook filled with torn tickets to every boxing match they

had ever attended, and some clippings of their own. If asked a

question about any given fighter, they would immediately zip out

from their memory banks divisions, weights, records of fights,

knockouts, technical knockouts, and draws or losses.

Each had fought many bouts representing their com-

munity and had won two gold-plated medals plus a silver and

bronze medallion.

The difference was in their style. Antonio’s

lean form and long reach made him the better boxer, while

Felix’s short and muscular frame made him the better slugger.

Whenever they had met in the ring for sparring sessions,

it had

always been hot and heavy.

Now, after a series of elimination bouts, they had been

informed that they were to meet each other in the division finals

that were scheduled for the seventh of August, two weeks away—

the winner to represent the Boys’ Club in the Golden Gloves

Championship Tournament.

The two boys continued to run together along the East

River Drive. But even when joking with each other, they both

sensed a wall rising between them.

Underline the details in this

paragraph that describe each

youngster’s fighting style.

How does the author con-

trast the two boxers’ styles?

READING FOCUS

Comprehension

Knowing what you do about

Felix and Antonio, what do

you think they might feel

about having the opportu-

nity to fight in the Golden

Gloves Championship

Tournament?

READ AND DISCUSS

Selection Vocabulary

In boxing, a competition

between two boxers is called

a bout, just as a competition

between two baseball teams

is called a game. Why do

you think different terms are

used to label competitions in

different sports?

VOCABULARY

2. sparring sessions: practice matches in which boxers use light punches.

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6 Amigo Brothers

One morning less than a week before their bout, they met as

usual for their daily workout. They fooled around with a few jabs

at the air, slapped skin, and then took off, running lightly along

the dirty East River’s edge.

Antonio glanced at Felix, who kept his eyes purposely

straight ahead, pausing from time to time to do some fancy leg

work while throwing one-twos followed by uppercuts to an imag-

inary jaw. Antonio then beat the air with a barrage of body blows

and short devastating lefts with an overhead jaw-breaking right.

After a mile or so, Felix puffed and said, “Let’s stop a while,

bro. I think we both got something to say to each other.”

Antonio nodded. It was not natural to be acting as though

nothing unusual was happening when two ace-boon buddies

were going to be blasting each other within a few short days.

They rested their elbows on the railing separating them

from the river. Antonio wiped his face with his short towel. The

sunrise was now creating day.

Felix leaned heavily on the river’s railing and stared across

to the shores of Brooklyn. Finally, he broke the silence.

“Man. I don’t know how to come out with it.”

Antonio helped. “It’s about our fight, right?”

“Yeah, right.” Felix’s eyes squinted at the rising orange sun.

“I’ve been thinking about it too, panin.

In fact, since we

found out it was going to be me and you, I’ve been awake at

night, pulling punches on you, trying not to hurt you.”

“Same here. It ain’t natural not to think about the fight.

I mean, we both are cheverote

fighters and we both want to win.

But only one of us can win. There ain’t no draws in the

eliminations.”

Felix tapped Antonio gently on the shoulder. “I don’t

mean to sound like I’m bragging, bro. But I wanna win, fair and

square.”

3. panin (PAH NEEN) n.: Puerto Rican Spanish slang for “pal” or

“buddy.”

4. cheverote (

CHEH VEH RO TEH) adj.: Puerto Rican Spanish slang for “the

greatest.”

Word Study

What might the word ace-

boon mean here? Use con-

text clues to help you.

VOCABULARY

Comprehension

What is happening between

the boys now?

READ AND DISCUSS

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Amigo Brothers 7

Antonio nodded quietly. “Yeah. We both know that in the

ring the better man wins. Friend or no friend, brother or no …”

Felix finished it for him. “Brother. Tony, let’s promise

something right here. OK?”

“If it’s fair, hermano,

I’m for it.” Antonio admired the cour-

age of a tugboat pulling a barge five times its welter-weight size.

“It’s fair, Tony. When we get into the ring, it’s gotta be like

we never met. We gotta be like two heavy strangers that want the

same thing and only one can have it. You understand, don’t cha?”

“Sí, I know. ” Tony smiled. “No pulling punches. We go all

the way.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Listen, Tony. Don’t you think it’s a good

idea if we don’t see each other until the day of the fight? I’m

going to stay with my Aunt Lucy in the Bronx. I can use Gleason’s

Gym for working out. My manager says he got some sparring

partners with more or less your style.”

Tony scratched his nose pensively. “Yeah, it would be better

for our heads.” He held out his hand, palm upward. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Felix lightly slapped open skin.

“Ready for some more running?” Tony asked lamely.

“Naw, bro. Let’s cut it here. You go on. I kinda like to get

things together in my head.”

“You ain’t worried, are you?” Tony asked.

“No way, man.” Felix laughed out loud. “I got too much

smarts for that. I just think it’s cooler if we split right here. After

the fight, we can get it together again like nothing ever

happened.”

The amigo brothers were not ashamed to hug each other

tightly.

“Guess you’re right. Watch yourself, Felix. I hear there’s

some pretty heavy dudes up in the Bronx. Suavecito,

OK?”

“OK. You watch yourself too, sabe?”

100

5. hermano: (EHR MAH NOH) n.: Spanish for “brother.”

6. suavecito (

SWAH VEH SEE TOH) adj.: Puerto Rican Spanish slang

for “cool.”

7. sabe (SAH

BEH) v.: Spanish for “you know.”

Academic Vocabulary

In this paragraph, Felix tells

Antonio that he plans to

train alone. What impact, or

effect, do you think this will

have on their friendship?

VOCABULARY

What is happening between

the boys here?

READ AND DISCUSS

The suffix –ly usually turns

adjectives into adverbs.

Rewrite this sentence using

the adjective lame rather

than the adverb lamely.

LANGUAGE COACH

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8 Amigo Brothers

Tony jogged away. Felix watched his friend disappear from

view, throwing rights and lefts. Both fighters had a lot of

psyching up to do before the big fight.

The days in training passed much too slowly. Although

they kept out of each other’s way, they were aware of each other’s

progress via the ghetto grapevine.

The evening before the big fight, Tony made his way to the

roof of his tenement. In the quiet early dark, he peered over the

ledge. Six stories below, the lights of the city blinked and the

sounds of cars mingled with the curses and the laughter of

children in the street. He tried not to think of Felix, feeling he

had succeeded in psyching his mind. But only in the ring would

he really know. To spare Felix hurt, he would have to knock him

out, early and quick.

Up in the South Bronx, Felix decided to take in a movie in

an effort to keep Antonio’s face away from his fists. The flick was

The Champion with Kirk Douglas, the third time Felix was

seeing it.

The champion was getting beaten, his face being pounded

into raw, wet hamburger. His eyes were cut, jagged, bleeding,

one eye swol len, the other almost shut. He was saved only by the

sound of the bell.

Felix became the champ and Tony the challenger.

The movie audience was going out of its head, roaring in

blood lust at the butchery going on. The champ hunched his

shoulders, grunting and sniffing red blood back into his broken

nose. The challenger, confident that he had the championship in

the bag, threw a left. The champ countered with a dynamite right

that exploded into the challenger’s brains.

Felix’s right arm felt the shock. Antonio’s face, superimposed

on the screen, was shattered and split apart by the awesome force

of the killer blow. Felix saw himself in the ring, blasting Antonio

against the ropes. The champ had to be forcibly restrained. The

challenger was allowed to crumble slowly to the canvas, a broken

bloody mess.

110

120

130

Comprehension

How does the boys’ decision

to train separately add to

what you know about Felix

and Antonio?

READ AND DISCUSS

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Amigo Brothers 9

When Felix finally left the theater, he had figured out how

to psych himself for tomorrow’s fight. It was Felix the Champion

vs. Antonio the Challenger.

He walked up some dark streets, deserted except for small

pockets of wary-looking kids wearing gang colors. Despite the

fact that he was Puerto Rican like them, they eyed him as a

stranger to their turf. Felix did a fast shuffle, bobbing and

weaving, while letting loose a torrent of blows that would

demolish whatever got in its way.

It seemed to impress the

brothers, who went about their own business.

Finding no takers, Felix decided to split to his aunt’s.

Walking the streets had not relaxed him; neither had the fight

flick. All it had done was to stir him up. He let himself quietly

into his Aunt Lucy’s apartment and went straight to bed, falling

into a fitful sleep with sounds of the gong for Round One.

Antonio was passing some heavy time on his rooftop. How

would the fight tomorrow affect his relationship with Felix? After

all, fighting was like any other profession. Friendship had nothing

to do with it. A gnawing doubt crept in. He cut negative thinking

real quick by doing some speedy fancy dance steps, bobbing and

weaving like mercury. The night air was blurred with perpetual

motions of left hooks and right crosses. Felix, his amigo brother,

was not going to be Felix at all in the ring. Just an opponent with

another face. Antonio went to sleep, hearing the opening bell for

the first round. Like his friend in the South Bronx, he prayed for

victory via a quick clean knockout in the first round.

Large posters plastered all over the walls of local shops

announced the fight between Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas as

the main bout.

The fight had created great interest in the neighborhood.

Antonio and Felix were well liked and respected. Each had his

own loyal following. Betting fever was high and ranged from a

bottle of Coke to cold hard cash on the line.

Antonio’s fans bet with unbridled faith in his boxing skills.

On the other side, Felix’s admirers bet on his dynamite-packed

fists.

140

150

160

170

How does Felix deal with his

internal conflict by watching

the movie?

LITERARY FOCUS

Selection Vocabulary

The word torrent means

“flood” or “rush.” Why does

Felix release a torrent of

punches here?

VOCABULARY

Comprehension

What is going on with the

boys now?

READ AND DISCUSS

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10 Amigo Brothers

Felix had returned to his apartment early in the morning of

August 7th and stayed there, hoping to avoid seeing Antonio. He

turned the radio on to salsa

music sounds and then tried to read

while waiting for word from his manager.

The fight was scheduled to take place in Tompkins Square

Park. It had been decided that the gymnasium of the Boys’ Club

was not large enough to hold all the people who were sure to

attend. In Tompkins Square Park, everyone who wanted could

view the fight, whether from ringside or window fire escapes or

tenement rooftops.

The morning of the fight Tompkins Square was a beehive

of activity with numerous workers setting up the ring, the seats,

and the guest speakers’ stand. The scheduled bouts began shortly

after noon and the park had begun filling up even earlier.

The local junior high school across from Tompkins Square

Park served as the dressing room for all the fighters. Each was

given a separate classroom with desk tops, covered with mats,

serving as resting tables. Antonio thought he caught a glimpse of

Felix waving to him from a room at the far end of the corridor.

He waved back just in case it had been him.

The fighters changed from their street clothes into fighting

gear. Antonio wore white trunks, black socks, and black shoes.

Felix wore sky-blue trunks, red socks, and white boxing shoes.

They had dressing gowns to match their fighting trunks with

their names neatly stitched on the back.

The loudspeakers blared into the open windows of the

school. There were speeches by dignitaries, community leaders,

and great boxers of yesteryear.

Some were well prepared; some

improvised on the spot. They all carried the same message of

great pleasure and honor at being part of such a historic event.

This great day was in the tradition of champions emerging from

the streets of the Lower East Side.

Interwoven with the speeches were the sounds of the other

boxing events. After the sixth bout, Felix was much relieved

8. salsa (SAHL SAH) n. used as adj.: Latin American dance music, usually

played at fast tempos.

180

190

200

Has Felix completely resolved

his internal conflict about

fighting Antonio? How do

you know?

LITERARY FOCUS

Comprehension

What picture is the author

painting for us?

READ AND DISCUSS

Word Study

Yesteryear is a term that is

not in common use today.

Draw a line between “yes-

ter” and “year.” What might

this word mean?

VOCABULARY

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Amigo Brothers 11

when his trainer, Charlie, said, “Time change. Quick knockout.

This is it. We’re on.”

Waiting time was over. Felix was escorted from the class-

room by a dozen fans in white T-shirts with the word 

across their fronts.

Antonio was escorted down a different stairwell and

guided through a roped-off path.

As the two climbed into the ring, the crowd exploded with

a roar. Antonio and Felix both bowed gracefully and then raised

their arms in acknowledgment.

Antonio tried to be cool, but even as the roar was in its first

birth, he turned slowly to meet Felix’s eyes looking directly into

his. Felix nodded his head and Antonio responded. And both as

one, just as quickly, turned away to face his own corner.

Bong—bong—bong. The roar turned to stillness.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Señores y Señoras.”

The announcer spoke slowly, pleased at his bilingual efforts.

“Now the moment we have all been waiting for—the main

event between two fine young Puerto Rican fighters, products of

our Lower East Side.”

“Loisaida,”

called out a member of the audience.

210

220

Compare Felix’s and

Antonio’s actions as they

enter the ring and greet

each other.

READING FOCUS

9. Loisaida (LO EE SY DAH) n.: Puerto Rican English dialect for “Lower

East Side.”

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12 Amigo Brothers

“In this corner, weighing 134 pounds, Felix Vargas. And in

this corner, weighing 133 pounds, Antonio Cruz. The winner will

represent the Boys’ Club in the tournament of champions, the

Golden Gloves. There will be no draw. May the best man win.”

The cheering of the crowd shook the window panes of the

old buildings surrounding Tompkins Square Park. At the center

of the ring, the referee was giving instructions to the youngsters.

“Keep your punches up. No low blows. No punching on the

back of the head. Keep your heads up. Understand? Let’s have a

clean fight. Now shake hands and come out fighting.”

Both youngsters touched gloves and nodded. They turned

and danced quickly to their corners. Their head towels and

dressing gowns were lifted neatly from their shoulders by their

trainers’ nimble fingers. Antonio crossed himself. Felix did the

same.

BONG! BONG! ROUND ONE. Felix and Antonio turned

and faced each other squarely in a fighting pose. Felix wasted no

time. He came in fast, head low, half-hunched toward his right

shoulder, and lashed out with a straight left. He missed a right

cross as Antonio slipped the punch and countered with

one-two-three lefts that snapped Felix’s head back, sending a

mild shock coursing through him. If Felix had any small doubt

about their friendship affecting their fight, it was being neatly

dispelled.

Antonio danced, a joy to behold. His left hand was like a

piston pumping jabs one right after another with seeming ease.

Felix bobbed and weaved and never stopped boring in. He knew

that at long range he was at a disadvantage. Antonio had too

much reach on him. Only by coming in close could Felix hope to

achieve the dreamed-of knockout.

Antonio knew the dynamite that was stored in his amigo

brother’s fist. He ducked a short right and missed a left hook.

Felix trapped him against the ropes just long enough to pour

some punishing rights and lefts to Antonio’s hard midsection.

Antonio slipped away from Felix, crashing two lefts to his head,

which set Felix’s right ear to ringing.

230

240

250

260

How has the conflict

between the two friends

changed?

READ AND DISCUSS

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Amigo Brothers 13

Bong! Both amigos froze a punch well on its way, sending up

a roar of approval for good sportsmanship.

Felix walked briskly back to his corner. His right ear had

not stopped ringing. Antonio gracefully danced his way toward

his stool none the worse, except for glowing glove burns showing

angry red against the whiteness of his midribs.

“Watch that right, Tony.” His trainer talked into his ear.

“Remember Felix always goes to the body. He’ll want you to drop

your hands for his overhand left or right. Got it?”

Antonio nodded, spraying water out between his teeth. He

felt better as his sore midsection was being firmly rubbed.

Felix’s corner was also busy.

“You gotta get in there, fella.” Felix’s trainer poured water

over his curly Afro locks. “Get in there or he’s gonna chop you up

from way back.”

Bong! Bong! Round two. Felix was off his stool and rushed

Antonio like a bull, sending a hard right to his head. Beads of

water exploded from Antonio’s long hair.

Antonio, hurt, sent back a blurring barrage of lefts and

rights that only meant pain to Felix, who returned with a short

left to the head followed by a looping right to the body. Antonio

countered with his own flurry, forcing Felix to give ground. But

not for long.

Felix bobbed and weaved, bobbed and weaved, occasionally

punching his two gloves together.

Antonio waited for the rush that was sure to come. Felix

closed in and feinted with his left shoulder and threw a right

instead. Lights suddenly exploded inside Felix’s head as Antonio

slipped the blow and hit him with a pistonlike left, catching him

flush on the point of his chin.

Bedlam broke loose as Felix’s legs momentarily buckled. He

fought off a series of rights and lefts and came back with a strong

right that taught Antonio respect.

Antonio danced in carefully. He knew Felix had the habit of

playing possum when hurt, to sucker an opponent within reach

of the powerful bombs he carried in each fist.

270

280

290

300

Compare and contrast the

boys’ actions. In lines 239-271

underline Antonio’s actions.

Circle Felix’s actions. How are

they similar and different?

READING FOCUS

Comprehension

What do you learn from the

advice of the two trainers?

READ AND DISCUSS

Word Study

The author states that Felix

had the habit of “playing

possum when hurt”. Possums

(short for opossums) are

animals that pretend to be

asleep, ill, or dead when

in danger. Why might Felix

choose to “play possum”

when boxing?

VOCABULARY

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14 Amigo Brothers

A right to the head slowed Antonio’s pretty dancing. He

answered with his own left at Felix’s right eye that began puffing

up within three seconds.

Antonio, a bit too eager, moved in too close, and Felix had

him entangled into a rip-roaring, punching toe-to-toe slugfest

that brought the whole Tompkins Square Park screaming to its

feet.

Rights to the body. Lefts to the head. Neither fighter was

giving an inch. Suddenly a short right caught Antonio squarely

on the chin. His long legs turned to jelly and his arms flailed out

desperately. Felix, grunting like a bull, threw wild punches from

every direction. Antonio, groggy, bobbed and weaved, evading

most of the blows. Suddenly his head cleared. His left flashed out

hard and straight, catching Felix on the bridge of his nose.

Felix lashed back with a haymaker, right off the ghetto

streets. At the same instant, his eye caught another left hook

from Antonio. Felix swung out, trying to clear the pain. Only the

frenzied screaming of those along ringside let him know that he

had dropped Antonio.

Fighting off the growing haze, Antonio

struggled to his feet, got up, ducked, and threw a smashing right

that dropped Felix flat on his back.

Felix got up as fast as he could in his own corner, groggy but

still game. He didn’t even hear the count. In a fog, he heard the

roaring of the crowd, who seemed to have gone insane. His head

cleared to hear the bell sound at the end of the round. He was

glad. His trainer sat him down on the stool.

In his corner, Antonio was doing what all fighters do when

they are hurt. They sit and smile at everyone.

The referee signaled the ring doctor to check the fighters

out. He did so and then gave his OK. The cold-water sponges

brought clarity to both amigo brothers. They were rubbed until

their circulation ran free.

Bong! Round three—the final round. Up to now it had been

tic-tac-toe, pretty much even. But everyone knew there could be

no draw and that this round would decide the winner.

310

320

330

Selection Vocabulary

Frenzied means “wild.” Why

do you think the use of this

word is appropriate in this

scene?

VOCABULARY

Comprehension

How is the match going

so far?

READ AND DISCUSS

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Amigo Brothers 15

This time, to Felix’s surprise, it was Antonio who came out

fast, charging across the ring. Felix braced himself but couldn’t

ward off the barrage of punches. Antonio drove Felix hard

against the ropes.

The crowd ate it up. Thus far the two had fought with

mucho corazón.

Felix tapped his gloves and commenced his

attack anew. Antonio, throwing boxer’s caution to the winds,

jumped in to meet him.

Both pounded away. Neither gave an inch and neither fell

to the canvas. Felix’s left eye was tightly closed. Claret-red blood

poured from Antonio’s nose. They fought toe-to-toe.

The sounds of their blows were loud in contrast to the

silence of a crowd gone completely mute. The referee was

stunned by their savagery.

Bong! Bong! Bong! The bell sounded over and over again.

Felix and Antonio were past hearing. Their blows continued to

pound on each other like hailstones.

Finally the referee and the two trainers pried Felix and

Antonio apart. Cold water was poured over them to bring them

back to their senses.

They looked around and then rushed toward each other.

A cry of alarm surged through Tompkins Square Park. Was this a

fight to the death instead of a boxing match?

340

350

10. mucho corazón (MOO CHO KO RA SOHN): Spanish for “a lot of heart.”

Comprehension

How does round three connect

to the boys’ fears of fighting

their best fights?

READ AND DISCUSS

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16 Amigo Brothers

The fear soon gave way to wave upon wave of cheering as

the two amigos embraced.

No matter what the decision, they knew they would always

be champions to each other.

BONG! BONG! BONG! “Ladies and Gentlemen. Señores and

Señoras. The winner and representative to the Golden Gloves

Tournament of Champions is … ”

The announcer turned to point to the winner and found

himself alone. Arm in arm the champions had already left

the ring.

360

Underline details that build

suspense right up to the

climax of the story. Circle

the resolution that shows

whether Antonio and Felix

can still be friends. What do

you think of what has hap-

pened here?

LITERARY FOCUS

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