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He was born in the Lower East Side of New York ,December 23 1909, Barnet David Rasofsky. Barnet would grow up in Chicago, dreaming of being a Talmudic Scholar and Hebrew teacher. Those dreams would come crashing down, when at age 14, two men shot and killed his father, while robbing the Rasofsky’s family store. That event would ultimately link Barnet with elements in the underworld that would haunt him throughout his life. As was the norm for many ***ish fighters at the time Barnet took another name, Barney Ross, so he could hide his boxing from family and to get more fights. He would also use the name Barney Rasof at times during his life.
Barney’s mother, distressed and depressed by her husbands death , would suffer a nervous breakdown forcing the family to be divided, sending Barney and brother Morrie to live with family , his three younger siblings into an orphanage. At this time Barney angry at a god that could allow this to happen turned to the streets. It was in these streets that he would join first the Miller, then the Capone crime family. It was at this time that he would befriend one Jack “Sparky” Rubenstein. [details]
Barney’s mother, distressed and depressed by her husbands death , would suffer a nervous breakdown forcing the family to be divided, sending Barney and brother Morrie to live with family , his three younger siblings into an orphanage. At this time Barney angry at a god that could allow this to happen turned to the streets. It was in these streets that he would join first the Miller, then the Capone crime family. It was at this time that he would befriend one Jack “Sparky” Rubenstein. [details]