Newsday from New York, New York • 224

iiiiituiHiinmniiiiitiinimunutiiiiiiiiHiniiiiiiiiiiniumtiHiiiiiniHiiiimiiuiiiiinimtitimiw Hoping an Olympic Bell Will Ring i i- Ex-Champion Now Follows Acting Career By Mickey Kramer When Vito Antuofermo ascended to boxings middleweight championship in the late 1970s, a big concern was fog tendency to cut easily. As he compiled a 50-6-2 career record, facial abrasions contributed to five of his losses. Now, however, the only cuts" that concern him are the ones from film directors. Antuofermo, who retired from the ring in 1984, is now studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Institution. I feel great about it acting," the former champ says.

Its like I felt about boxing I knew I was going to make it. Thats how I feel about acting." He already has appeared in three fear ture films. He followed a bit part in The Freshman with roles in Good-Fellas and The Godfather, Part HI." Though Antuofermo lost his crown in March, 1980, to Alan Minter in a fourth-round knockout, he continued to fight until he lost a 1981 bout by TKO to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He came back in 1984 and performed to win four in a row before being stopped by current contender Matthew Hilton. Unfortunately, I cut a lot, Antuofermo said of his career.

Courage, I had. If Id had less courage, I might have been a better fighter." Antuofermo is still performing today just in front of the movie cameras. He plans to continue at school and his friend James Cun may have a role for him in the faU. Believe it or not, it might be a comedy with Father Guido SarduccL People who know me probably wont believe it" Probably not. Mickey Kramer it a freelance writer.

i I I Briggs 19, learned his lessons well By Robert Cassidy STAFF warrea Shannon Briggs has been boxing for only three years and hes already experienced his share of ups and downs. Fortunately for Briggs, though, most of the downs havent occurred when hes in the ring. Briggs, a 19-year-old who lives in East Flatbush, has won most of the tournaments hes entered. He forged a relationship with perhaps the top manager in pro boxing and then severed it. And despite losing at the U.S.

Olympic Festival, he still managed to sneak in the back door for this months Pan Am Games. Inside the ring, Briggs is as quick as a cat. Outside of it, he always lands on his feet. I think the boy is guided by a light from heaven, his trainer, Jimmy OPharrow, said. Some things are just meant to be.

If it was meant for Briggs to be a heavyweight champion, he was certainly born in the right dace Brownsville. While growing up, Briggs romped on the same streets as top heavyweights Mike Tyson, a former world champion, and Riddick Bowe, who won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics. But Briggs didnt get involved in boxing untQ he and his mother, Margie Briggs, moved to East New York. They lived on Milford Street, where street fighting eras as much a part of growing up as schoolbooks were. His mother begged him to do anything but hang out on the streets.

There were two crack houses cm each' comer, Briggs said. My mom would always tell me I should fold something to do, but I would just hang out with the fellas. We always talked about going to the gym, but never went. One dqy I just asked myself, Where are these guys gonna be in two yean? It wasnt hard for Briggs to come up with an answer. So he went to the Star-rett City Boxing Club and, the moment he walked in, wanted to climb into the ring.

OPharrow managed to convince him to wait a month before sparring. When he did box for the first time, with a local pro, it turned out to be an ugly affair. I got the hell beat out of me, Briggs recalled. He knocked me down maybe seven times. I just kept getting up and he took no pity.

My mom didnt want me to go back, but I just had to learn what he knew. Briggs learned his lessons well (remember, he was bom in Brownsville). But after winning his first two fights he drifted back to the streets. Briggs stayed out of the gym for a year and finally made his way back to Starrett City in 1989. Since then hes won the 1990 Empire State Games gold medal, the 1990 National PAL title and the 1991 Metro-ABF Golden Gloves.

Of course, there have been some disappointments, too. Last year, Shelly Finkel, who manages heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, saw Briggs potential and sent him to Virginia to train under Lou Duva. They were nice to me when we were together," Briggs said. I like Shelly a lot. But when I was in camp I hardly heard from him.

We sparred every day. I was 18 and it took its toll. SOFTBALL This Umps a Gem on the Diamond nmnnin League. Basilio Simmons had a home run and a two-run single. York Met Ed Kranepool.

I was behind the plate for a Monroe High School game many years ago and Kranepool argued a called strike, recalls I called strike two on the next pitch and he really got upset. When I called him out looking on the next pitch, he flung his bat in the air. I told him, If that bat hits the ground, youre outta here. When the bat hit the ground, he was gone. Marano, has worked games in Eb-bets Field and Yankee Stadium.

AROUND THE LEAGUES: Dennys steak pub and Conco Roofing advanced to the Championship Finals of the Sheepshead Bay League with victories last weekend. DennyS defeated Wheelers 14-3 in one semi-final as Werner Kropp went 4-4 with five RBI, Pick Lunberg went 3-3 and Bill Marangi added two hits and four RBI, including a three-run homer. Conco defeated Characters Bar 1-0 in the other semi-final as Louie Giorgiannis drove in the games only run Brooklyn (12-2) defeated Sandy 9-6 to By Jeff Bernstein Dom Marano is the senior umpire for the Bensonhurst Park Softball League. He may well be one of the most senior umpires in all of New York City, having arbitrated over 5,300 games in his 35-year career. I started umpiring games in 1956 up in the Bronx," says Marano, who also umpires for the PSAL.

At one time, I averaged about 350 games per year. Now, I ump maybe 200 or 250. For 35 years, Marano has kept records of all the games hes worked. Carrying a notepad, he keeps track the total amount of innings hes worked and the total amount of runs scored. To date, the 63-year-old Bensonhurst resident has seen nearly 50,000 runners cross home plate.

One while Steve Acosta added three hits and three RBI Robbie McQueen hit a pair of home runs as the Royals (22-4) swept the Reds 9-3 and 10-9 in a Luna Park League doubleheader. Lou Noritz and Rusty Tepedino were the winning pitchers Brooklyn (23-4) upped its Eastern Division lead with 18-1 1 and 10-3 wins over the Hawks in Brownsville Community League play. Alan Watson had eight RBI, while Pat Really had five hits and five RBI in the doubleheader. Dave Goldstein pitched both victories and added four hits. Western Division leader Mo Better (24-4) was swept by Brooklyn UAA.

(22-6) 11-5 and 10-3 the K.C. Royals (8-4) clinched a playofT spot in the Sunday Flames League with a 13-3 victory over-the Gamblers. Handel Edwards two-run single and Jeff Bernsteins three-run homer highlighted a six-run fifth inning. Ronnie Moses pitched six innings for the victory. the Brooklyn Knights (20-6) defeated Ariolas Molars 8-7 and 12-5 NEW YORK NEWSOAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST 11.

II to maintain its first (dace standing in the Four Diamonds League. win the regular-season titleinthe Pa- I i see. HOPEFUL' dri Page'll 1.