Sport: Hot Pastrano

Teen-agers on the streets of New Orleans' Vieux Carré can still remember when their pal Willie Pastrano was a fat little five-foot butterball, the butt of all their jokes. Lately they have stopped laughing. Stretched out to his full growth (5 ft. 11 in., 181¾ lbs.), Willie, at 19, has toughened into one of the most promising heavyweight fist fighters since laughing Billy Conn came within a couple of rounds of whipping Joe Louis in 1941.

But prizefight promoters still look on Willie as not quite big enough to take care of himself; he has to get his mother's consent before...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!