Lou DeBella, Oscar Bonavena, and Love Ranch

People in the boxing world are already familiar with boxing promoter Lou DiBella. DiBella has been a driving force in New York City boxing circles. DiBella currently promotes Jermain Taylor, Ike Quartey, Andre Berto, and Paulie Malignaggi. Lou DiBella is the promoter and producer of "Broadway Boxing" which often airs on the Madison Square Garden cable channel. Broadway Boxing has introduced such exciting boxers as Curtis Stevens and Jaidon "The Don" Codrington. Jaidon Codrington was well-known to east coast boxing aficionados for his appearances on Broadway Boxing, but then gained widespread media attention for his participation in The Contender Series on ESPN. The battle he fought and lost against Sakio Biko in the Contender Series finals was disappointing but not to Codrington's career. ESPN boxing fans describe the fight as a candidate for Fight of the Year. Jaidon Codrington is better known now than ever.

What most people don't know about Lou DiBella is that he's a repressed movie mogul. Dibella's pal, Mark Jacobsen, wrote the New York Magazine piece upon which the film "American Gangster" was based. Now Jacobsen is working on the production of a film called "Love Ranch." Jacobsen's already written the screen play for the film about the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada. DiBella has interesting friends which include Taylor Hackworth, Oscar winning director and husband of the acclaimed British stage, television, and screen actress, Helen Mirren. Hackworth previously directed "An Officer and a Gentleman", "The Devil's Advocate", and "Ray", the film for which he won an Oscar.

Hackworth will direct the "Love Ranch" film, which has at least one connection to boxing. It was at the Mustang Ranch in Nevada where former heavyweight boxer Oscar Bonavena was murdered by a shot fired from a high-powered rifle in the hands of a Joe Conforte bodyguard named William Brymer. Brothel owner Joe Conforte married another brothel owner named Sally Burgess. Bonavena was enamored of Sally Conforte and paid for it dearly.