The Legacy of Gabriel Manning, Jr.

The Legacy of Gabriel Manning, Jr.

[written by him on] May 08, 2008

I dropped the Jr. after my dad, Gabriel Manning, Sr. Died.

I was born on April 24, 1916 at Piopio St. where the Hilo Lagoon Center swimming pool is now. I was the 2nd child [in] a family of ten children. I have eight sisters and one brother by the name of David. We are the children of Gabriel Manning, Sr. and Emilia Wright Manning. We were all delivered by a midwife, Mrs. Fernandez, who lived across Kapiolani School cafeteria on Mohouli St. Our baby sister was delivered by Dr. Roll at home.

I went to Kapiolani School from kindergarten to the sixth grade. At the [in] sixth grade, [I] competed with another sixth grade [team] in barefoot football. One of the teachers organized the teams. His name was Mr. Kum. He was a football player. He played for the Hawaii A.C. [Athletic Club]. In those days, sports was very important. If you were a good athlete, it was easy for you to get a job.

All types of teams [played at] the county park and many public recreation sponsored different sports. Even the all the schools had sports.

When I got to the 7th grade, that’s when I started in competitive sports. The first team I played for was the Lincoln Wreckers A.C. [Athletic Club]. 75 lbs. Barefoot football team. There were many teams there Olaa Sugar Co., Waiakea Pirates, Hilo Sugar Co., Waiakea homestead team. We played every Saturday morning up at the Hilo Boarding School field. All games started at 9am. All weigh-ins are on Fridays after school at the Hilo Boarding School.

Why it was called Hilo Boarding School... It was for all the boys who wanted to go to Hilo High School. They could board there. They even had a woodwork shop also if you wanted to learn woodwork, you could go there.

For the girls from the country, they could board at King Daughters Home next to Haili Church gym. I also played for the Lincoln Wreckers 110 lbs. Bare football team which played every Saturday morning at Mooheau Park. While going to school and playing football, basketball, and softball I also had to [deliver] newspaper. It was called the Hilo Tribune Herald, then. Now it is called Hawaii Tribune Herald.

More Legacy:

Born April 24, 1916 Piopio St.

Moved to Waiakea Houselots in 1921 at 482 Mililani St.

Houselots was like Panaewa Forest There was only Manono St. To Lanikaula St. To Kilauea St. To Hilo town

Attended Kapiolani. Graduated from Hilo High School Shop 1935

Sports:

Lincoln Wreckers A.C> 75 lbs, 100 lbs. Leagues, Shell A.C., 120 and 135 lbs. League

After graduation was depression years - no jobs

Went to Waimea Civilian Conservation Corps.

Was West Hawai’i 135 lbs. Boxing Champion

In July 4th, 1934 was bicycle champion. Went around the Island in 3 ½ days

It was then 320 mile around the island.

The race was from the wharf to Mooheau Park

Rowing: Rowed with Hilo, Hawaii Million dollar kid crew.

They called us the million crew because no crew could beat us.

We even rowed against our senoir crew in the work boat and left them way behind.

[During] July 4th, 1935 race, the closest crew behind [us] was Myrtle Crew from Honolulu

They were 22 boat lengths behind.

Our crew consisted of David Napeahi (stroker), Johnny Spence (HS?) ,

Arthur Campbell #4, Eddie Bento, #3, Joe Broto #2, , Gabe Manning #1

We broke the record of Walter Victor by 2 seconds. He was on the kid crew years before us.

Then I went to Waimea CCC which means Civilian Conservation Corps. President Roosevelt made that to give us young boys jobs. Those were the best years of my life.

You stay in CCC for 2 years.

While at CCC, I went up and around the island many times because I was a mechanic and got paid $30.00 a month, the other boys got paid $25.00 a month.

We could keep only $5.00 and they send the rest home to help our families because it was the Depression years. While at CCC, I was the boxing welterweight champion, at 135 lbs. Football champions and West Hawaii basketball champions. We also [were] Waimea MIA territory champions. (Church league?)

The basketball team was invited to Richard Smart the owner of Parker Ranch wedding or welding? We were well liked by the Waimea people. George and Thelma Lindsey were like parents to us. We went to church and MIA all the time. George and Thelma were our MIA leaders.

When we went to Kohala to play football, the Kohala seminary girls were our rooting section because they were from Waimea attending Kohala High School.

Left the CCC in September of 1937 because my 2 years was up.

Worked for Ruddle sales and service played softball and was on the swimming team. We won the 100 meter relay race in June 1938.

In early 1939, Kid Salvador, who went to CCC with me, was a professional fighter. [He] urged me to go fight amateur for Hawaii boxing club, he told me I could beat all the fighters in my weight group. While at CCC, I was one of his sparring partners. That is where I met Dado Marino, the world flyweight champion. Dado and I grew up together in Hilo. The Saint Patrick boxing club from Honolulu was coming over to fight us. I had this guy all set up for a knock out when the referee and I got tangle[d] up. I fell backwards and I hit my head on the floor and knocked myself out. When I was taking a shower the referee came in and told me he was sorry to get in my way. Johnny Laresma from St. Patrick boxing club said to me, “What happened, kid? You were leading then I saw you on the floor.” That was the first fight I lost. Then, their coach came over and asked me to go to Honolulu with them to box. He also asked Dado Marino. Dado went and became the flyweight champion of the world. I told Charlie Miller, I didn’t want to leave Hilo. I don’t know if I would become a world champion because there were many good fighter in my bracket, I did not want to make my living fighting.

Then, I join[ed] the Eagles Boxing Club. I won every fight until I thought I was too good and did not need road work until I met this one guy who was just as good as me and just as fast. Had a good fight and I was leading by a few points. Then I stared to get tired. Then he started to beat me to the punch. I was too slow for him. I took the worst beating of my life. He even knocked my mouth piece out of my mouth. I tasted my own blood. I knew I had to knock this guy out to win. I did every trick I knew but I was too slow. So, I did the last thing I knew to do. I made him follow me and used the ropes as a sling shot. It worked until I threw the punch with all I had. He ducked, I miss[ed] him, it was like my [w]hole inside was coming out. I swore to myself that I was going to quit football and train for boxing fully so I can meet this guy again. I was fighting on Saturday nights and play[ing] football on Sundays. I thought play[ing] football on Sundays was enough to make up for the road work training. But that is not enough. On Monday, I got up and took 4 miles of road work a boxer should. After that no one could beat me.

Then, I found out I was too vicious. My boxing coach told me not to hold back my punches. He said if the guy in the ring with me cannot defend himself, he had no business to be in the same ring with me. Then, I was a fight machine until one time our heavyweight ask[ed] me to spar with him. He said he want to develop speed. He was a Navy champion. We spared for 5 rounds. He weighed 195 lbs. and I weighed 142 lbs. That’s my best fighting weight. I put all the power I had in my hands. We train with 15 ounce gloves and fight with 8 oz. gloves. For every 4 punches I hit him, he hit me once and I would fly across the ring. After the sparing match, one of the seconds? came over to us and said, “What you guys trying to do, kill each other?” Both of us won our fight in Kohala.

Another time, I was fighting Guy Kueo from Pahala in Kau. When I walked in, someone told him. “That’s Manning.” He looked me over as I was going to the dressing room. This guy Kueo is 6 feet tall and had a long reach. When I looked him over, I knew I could beat him. He was too slow.

When it our time to fight we step into the ring, I told myself, “if this guy thinks he can beat me, he’s got to show me.” This has always been my attitude. When it started, he bent low and came in. I beat him to the punch all the time, he was slow. The 2nd round, I set him up for a knock out when he starte[d] to come in I dropped low and started my upper cut from the floor. The timing was perfect, I told myself I was going to either break his jaw or break my hand, but somehow he stopped. I put all the power in my right hand when I started the upper cut up. He stopped. My hand just clipped his jaw and his nose. I also flew up with the punch with all the power behind it. After the fight was over, my second came to me and told me what he said. “Boy, Manning almost kill me.” That’s when I decided it was time for me to quit boxing.