The Business of Giving

Unknown Speaker 0:00
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Unknown Speaker 0:29
what's wrong with the world? Maamar people live in live thank God. I think the

Unknown Speaker 0:34
whole world's addicted to the drama Hello, everyone and welcome to the business of giving podcast. My name is Guy Dawson and I am the founder and executive director of the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce. We bring businesses and nonprofit organizations together to create synergistic relationships that benefit the community. The business of giving podcast accentuates just that the collaboration of two pillars of committee of the community, the nonprofit sector and the for profit sector. If you'd like to learn more about what we do at the cause marketing Chamber of Commerce or if you're interested in becoming a member, cause marketing chamber.com. This valuable show was made possible through the generosity of our series sponsor solar up an energy solution and conservation company specializing in solar and battery storage systems, including solar panels to learn more about them, Seoul up.com It's been a fabulous week out here in Las Vegas, the weather is getting nice spring has arrived. And one of the things that I talk about a lot on the show is the networking aspect of this collaboration that that we talk about regularly the for profit and nonprofit sectors coming together through all different types of networking. And so much of the leverage that works well, when you bring these two entities together is just getting together and finding ways to be able to collaborate to make each side more successful. And I've been doing business networking in this town for many years. I've met a lot of people and one person that I met a few years ago, really stood out on a lot of levels. Number one, he is a legendary boxing referee, many of you are going to know who he is. He's a referee, many, many World Championship fights. And I actually met my friend at a networking event. And when I met him probably 10 years ago, what really stood out to me about him was his humility and his real belief in the community, the business community being at an event like that, and we've been friends ever since we've done some other media together and I just had to have him come over and and do the business of giving podcast please welcome Joe Cortez, legendary boxing referee. I know many of you know the name. Welcome to the show, Joe.

Unknown Speaker 3:04
Hey, thank you very much, guys. So such an honor to be on your show. You know, you have a great show and everybody listened to it. And the host stated that he won for five years. It's a great station to listen to your program. So glad to be part of it today. Yes,

Unknown Speaker 3:21
Joe. Maybe you can share with the audience. I mean, I know plenty of people out there are familiar with us specially huge boxing fans like me long before I ever knew Joe. I knew what Joe was doing him. Again, having been the referee for so many fights throughout the years. Maybe you could share your background in boxing and then ultimately your transition into becoming a referee with the audience.

Unknown Speaker 3:48
Okay, great, great. Well, it all started back in New York. Well born and raised. My parents were from Puerto Rico. And being born and raised in New York. I was born and raised in an area called Spanish Harlem, red very tough neighborhood. And growing up in that area was not easy, because there are a lot of gangs. A lot of guys do a drug and all that. I thank God I never got into that. But the drugs I got into the game one day, only one day I got into a game and that did not do that for me. He kind of crazy what they're doing God fight to get other neighborhoods where bottles of sticks and all that. I said, I'm not that kind of a guy. So I got out of it one day only went to a guy gang fight back, went back home to my brother by my dessert was you know, Mother's Day razors that way. So anyway, my brother there was a gentleman by the name of gastro Indian Ortega was a fighter back in the 50s and 60s, back at in New York, and got his forte guys worldwide known as one of the best fighters ever became world champion. But he'd be better kept forever. Betty Cooper was world champion. It was a non title fight at All right, we'll give him a rematch. Anyway, he ended up fighting Mr. Griffith for the title and get Griffis stop gasp ready levels round. And as a gasp I had 185 professional fights. Now like today's fighters did retire with with 4055 that I said, but got Ortega had 185 professional fights and only got stopped twice. What would aimag review for the title and while was with Sandra, Ziggy and Italy, and on title fight anyway, guys, Ortega moved into my neighborhood in New York City, nine NISP pocket Madison way that when I was 12 years old, and him and his brother came home to what Mexico was the first Mexican fighters ever to fight the United States. Anyway, it was it was only a handful of Mexican fighters that fought back at that era in the States. And now you got so many banks good fighters fight ahead of United States. Somebody great was to like Julio Cesar Chavez. Canelo, Alvarez walborn and Marquez so many great fighters. There was a great fight today by Salvador Sanchez, whereby he was further away from Mexico, who wanted the green walls are basically up against Ortega moved to my neighborhood. He didn't speak English are bilingual. So when I saw him standing in front of my building, so he moved us not to where we live in and as we saw him in the process of building that we're getting ready to go to school a little boring. I stopped as Hey, you guys do it, you know, as a no speak English. And as it was, Oh, wow. They got those because I told the company Spanner you always buy your cup of tea as a product key. What are you doing here? What's your name? And it's all because smile as the other one was Felix and Lidl. They told me they will find a booth to neighborhood, it'd be fine, but they're in a hurry to get run in the subway system. And they asked me if I can help him a little bit. I said, Well, I gotta go to school. But when I come back, you know, anyway, I had to take him to show him how to get out to still be Gym, in behind our 55th me today Saturday. Anyway, we thought that we started our relationship between them. He was like a big brother, and got me my brother. My brother started bugging first two years before me that in 1960, I was a reality the age of 16 years old, my brother swayed me to getting into boxing. So we joined a boys club in New York. And my brother and I joined a Golden Globe tournament. And we both became world champions, and 1960 by first year as a fighter, and then it will be weird that we did I was probably gonna love it that same year. The following year, we fought for the Open Championship in New York City. We both took the New York Open Championship. I took the ACC championship, do this championship that was best whether it was crowd, the crowd was great about it. Well, 50,000 fans that we fought for the AFC Championship, we'll talk to other of our fans. And that night, I had the privilege and the honor of knocking out both appointments the same night, immense way. God it was so easy to go to a championship semifinals and finals the same night. They stopped doing that we did where to head gears. Now they were head good. They were they were bigger gloves. They were the T shirts. We didn't do the we fall lighter pearls, you know, eight ounce gloves, and no headgear. They don't like that. Anyway, then I want to try to go to the championship again. And I also want the national championships in Chicago say, so we're the first brothers ever to win the New York, the easiest and it has the same year and different weight classes. It was an honor. And that was the beginning of my career that we worked for a while for three years in a row and a fight in the vitals last year. And that is a few tools already have what are the 100 are the flyweight division. And what a better way to visit work for the Featherweight division. And that's where a lot of I first got to go fight a lot of finals also decision is vital. So did my brother back and it will we got two or three. And that was the beginning of my career. And then I went into we broke. We very liberal, they wanted to turn pro tip pro right away. And that was it as a lot about our first fight that I lost was my fifth fight it approached. I got upset and I joined the Hobby Lobby I was able to able to fight some fights in the Texas and some bed and Hawaii anyway. Do they retire what age did it what record as a professional? And that was the whole nutshell that basically my career Boxing and then after that, we went to the the phase of referees. Are you still there? We'll be putting Oh yeah, I

Unknown Speaker 10:09
know you got to, I'm listening to every word Joe.

Unknown Speaker 10:13
Well, they're gonna tell you I could write day by somebody, Joe, you got to write a book, you got to write up with for presidents, one on one talk with a one on one. You referee somebody's world championship fight, you accomplish so much, at averages are the average of violence. But you don't want. When I got involved as a, as a professional fighter, I thought maybe I can make it to become a world champion, looking for a way to make some money. We live in poverty growing up, both fighters get into boxing, because they were looking for a way to make quick buck and make it in life. And I thought maybe I can make it but I did. So I retired. I was 26 years old, where it's at. That's it. You know, I went to Puerto Rico after I got married. Four years later, my wife was from Puerto Rico. She was born, born Puerto Rico. But she was raised in New York. And she said, you don't want to go back to Puerto Rico. Then I got I got to the point where I got somebody together. And I got I had started my own distribute ad business in New York. And I met somebody somebody bought my business. And with that money I does, I was able to make a move to Puerto Rico. And I started working at the kiss the door Hotel, which is a five star hotel. And via my brother in law was able to get be able to contact with a friend of his manager, a guy by the name of Ricky Vergara. And Ricky said, Yeah, can we use your iPhone as a front desk coin? And if somebody dies, the graveyard shift. So I took it anyway. It was over. You know, I gotta give it all I gotta see what I can do. Yeah. So I started working the graveyard shift. But as either, I will do a pretty good, we'll put your day shift, probably a day shift. And then I started so I started going to a local gym. And I started to I started getting my, the bug in case I got to work it out, and a bunch of good behavior for harder. And it was a guy day by day, Joe Martinez was a trainer. And for halda Puerto Rico, and I started working on it a couple of months out lies a bad joke. usually really good man. You ready to fight again? We're gonna dig into fighting again. But is a Yo yo, you're ready. We'll get you. We'll get you back into game. If you would a full round fight it we'll see what happens. You don't talk to the fight. And a one we're not proud of affordability and fire. It is a bit of a fight. It was really good. I beat it with no probably a pretty cool culture. The Country Club is also Puerto Rico reappeared of Puerto Rico, and I beat him but then my family was all says that no, Joe, we don't want you to fight again. My wife and my family members out there that don't don't don't fight just to tell us what. Anyway, I gave it up again. So I stay with the hotel industry and hotel management and I worked my way up. And then I met a gentleman by the name of Pat Basha was the guest at the hotel. So I happen to he used to be my referee when I was referee fight. You know what I think what I was bucketed is a joke. I used to referee your fights in that square. But guess at the hotel as it really worries me the lobby that came out to the lobby. So we exchanged phone numbers. And then the following year, in 1976, December 76. I decided I wanted to go back to New York and my wife and I said okay, let's go back to New York. went to yoga club our Basha there. I saw you in Puerto Rico and way back into your you gave me a number. It says Hola, Guatemala. I will talk to you about something. So we went out for lunch. If a show you know it's only a one word referee or Hispanic referee in New York City and name is Tony Paris. And Tony Paris. Was the referee to Muhammad Ali. sighs against Joe Fraser. Look at a fight he was a good referee. A top notch referee but as it but we did avoid finding referee if somebody has identified it. And He does this by referee. So they got me started with the Police Athletic League in the Bronx in New York. And there was a guy by the name of Johnny default who was the director of the police ironically, is a joke. put out a press on sneakers. Why slacks when you come by? I gave you a PL t shirt. These are referee these young kids that were really tight for me Flavio case. You have a couple of shows I did with them is a Euro gold gloves right around the corner. I'm going to get rid of this. Sorry Europe regatta gloves. Set aside beer for the Golden Gloves. So I got into a fight about one night it was a base also in Brooklyn, New York. At base no stop. No referee showed up. I was the only referee that they had 27 fights. Guess what? You got it right. I referee all 27 Anyway, it was a great data of a great experience will be because I loved it. It was like dancing. I used to like to dance. I like I love to dance salsa. And in the ring when you when you're refereeing, you're gonna be moving around about salsa music helped me a lot. We're learning how to move. But then again, I was a boxer. Not a slugger. I was a bug. It was just right. So I had a lot of good rugby candidates. I utilize those skills. It going to gloves as a as a referee at a regional final semifinals and finals a year. Somebody roughly six months at the Golden Globes and he averages I got a call from a gentleman by the name of Frank Morris. Right Barry was a deputy commissioner your salary commission and in 1977 the same year that I referee canceled a championship play so I'm gonna go into a championship he called me to say y'all watch you last week. And bad it's great. I didn't. You did really good two championship fights. As a joke. I had a couple of our told you at your office I went there is a joke. I want you to turn pro. I said I want to do this six months. They told me three to five years they'd average before you go pro before you consider going pro. Se Jones does that's a no but we want you to go pro now. I think about going to work is a joy I promise you I get you on every car will do this for riders as if riders to get you to learn how it is an approach. And we'll see what happens from there. A year and a half later after turning pro. They got we do about first main event a Wide World of Sports. NBC what was supposed to happen we do about four main event on TV and I was so excited. I said wow, my dream is to do one world title fight. If I could do just one world title fight. I'd be too happy admit I disliked it. Well, it took me a couple of more years I got my first world title fight. I read Pryor bridge and began bowtie and Atlantic City 1982. I started refereed by first world title fight. To this day. I can't believe I got to pinch myself. Because I My dream was to become a world champion. In boxing IT arena as a fighter didn't make it. But I made it to the championship level as a referee. And I referee when I retired September 2012. I retired with 176 world championship fight either by belt and and we like a dream come true. God never thought that I would get to that level. I got to adopt a 2011 international Hall of Fame. Africa, solid New York I got a web Jersey Hall of Fame back in the previous 80s. And then I got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. About seven, eight years ago. And I got dumped into the world bucket Hall of Fame to California. So I've been to fall for Hall of Fame. I said to myself, You know what? I did? I've done that already. But let me live we packed it up Friday with 35 years as a referee. And I'm gonna give you a chance to ask more questions.

Unknown Speaker 18:35
Yeah, just a phenomenal story. I'm glad that you were able to share and yes, I know you have a lot to talk about Joe. I mean, the things that you've done as a referee and a boxer for those of you that are just tuning in, you're listening to the business of giving podcast, with Guy Dawson it K u and v 91.5. FM, jazz and more. Solar up and its channel partners are providing complimentary solar to local charities supporting for hooklink transitional housing properties, feeding pets of Volunteers of America and opportunity village. Their founder sits on the board of Nevada Conservation League. The cause marketing Chamber of Commerce is hosting its quarterly mixer by the way on Tuesday, April 16. From 6pm to 8pm. At Joey's Tavern in North Las Vegas, the featured nonprofit organization for that mixer is opportunity village. They're celebrating their 70th anniversary this year. We'd love for you all to come out and learn more about opportunity village you'll get a chance to network with giving professionals business owners and community leaders for more info cars, marketing chamber.com and every week I've been talking with you all about this cruise that we're going to be taking October 19 through the 26th 2024 through the Hawaiian Islands six days and seven nights in the Hawaiian Islands another opportunity for you Due to network with giving professionals and business owners, we're going to do all types of collaborations. While we're there, of course, enjoy being in the Hawaiian islands together. We're also going to do some service work on the island of Maui, an island that was hit with some horrendous fires back in the fall of 2023. And people are really still struggling a lot over there, we're going to provide some service for them. Proceeds from the cabin sales will go to nonprofit organizations. If you want to learn more about the cause and business cruise of the first annual cause in business cruise cars, Mark marketing chamber.com And I've been speaking with legendary boxing referee Joe Cortez. He just shared his story about his growth as a boxer and later as a referee. And one of the things when I first met you, Joe, that surprised me, I mean, I knew a lot about your background is, of course a referee. For many years, I've seen many of the bouts that you've refereed. When we met at this business networking event, I was really surprised at how much of a giver you were in terms of your entrepreneurship. And that's why I wanted to bring you on the show today is to share another part of who you are with people. And that is you've got, of course, you've got this entrepreneurial spirit that you kind of touched on earlier, where you share specifically about a business that you're engaged in right now that's helping a lot of people.

Unknown Speaker 21:33
Well, let me tell you, I'm gonna talk about two things. Let me start with one first. The one is that I own an assisted living is called a monsoon. And I'm not sure it's so beautiful. It's a home that I live in for about almost 20 years. And this home has a 30,000 square foot home. And and we decided to have as a toddler, my wife, and my daughters, they say you know Why sell the house. We do all we had to downsize, we did this. So we downsized to a 6000 square foot home. And we kept out and essentially collemaggio. If anybody didn't say maybe getting a tour of the location or something kind of bad pencil and paper had it and I'll give you the phone number. You can call up our daughter, Sandy. Sandy, you can reach her at 702-428-4232 and she'll give you some information when you come in for a tour of your property. You can see it's a high end assisted living all switchgear like risk culture types. We have a big big theater 20 See theater, a stadium type theater a beautiful theater of activity for the seniors come in. As they sit down to watch movies. They have activities for the seniors there and of course quite a lot bunch to bounce your L A radio other word banjo ma si o n. Ramos you have assisted living and as it's aterial Hills Illa. Vegas is a beautiful, beautiful setup, laid on five acres is so secure, secure, very, very private. And like I said, it's just a beautiful place. It's something that I love to go we love we love people. I was appointed by two governors. Governor Gwynn and Governor Gibbons appointed me onto the Nevada State dirty boy. So I was a board member for about a dirty boy for two terms. For years. He served eight years total. And I did that I love helping people out there. I loved the seniors. I love youngsters out there. And I was I love entertainers. I love it. The dangers I like to have I've always loved music, but I got a couple of friends out there that were slowly and surely, Stevens. They call up twice as nice. They perform every Saturday night alone was restaurant. So sabalan along with restaurant depot, forbury, Saturday night for six to 10pm lager. They're good people, and I deserve the kind of people that I have back Leonetti Mike Leonetti he had a restaurant called my brother's house. That is Seoul city. And he calls out that about a month and a half ago. And now I'm helping him also set up in different locations. He'll be performing at the 800 Hotel in the Sahara, right off of Las Vegas Boulevard or the aerogel he'd be performing there. April 28. You heavy one day contract. We're back. lionetti. It is magnificent four will be performing. I'll be hosting the show for him. So I love getting out there and helping people in the entertainment field. I love working with the seniors like As I said before, you know, we have a beautiful a Sister Libby. And that was a little bit of what I've been doing. Guy. Oh, I'm

Unknown Speaker 25:08
here. Oh, I'm not here. Joe, did you? You were on such a roll. I didn't want to. Yeah, I know. You're just someone with such a sense of community, Joe. And now again, from the time that we've known each other, I've just always admired that about you. That's why I thought it was important to have you come on to this particular show. And I mean, you really are a part of the kind of the history of this town with this being really the boxing mecca of the world. You've been a part of so many significant bouts. And, and again, you but your sense of community, I think is something that a lot of people might not know about. And just really quickly, we're gonna have to wrap up the show. But is there anything that you'd like to share with the audience about ways that they can become more a part of their community as you have? Do you have any suggestions on how they could do that really quickly?

Unknown Speaker 26:03
What did you get involved with, like you mentioned, what are your sponsors opportunity village, there were individuals that you represent opportunity village. I've been invited there numerous occasions, I bet the the Grand Marshal and I've been the mayor sorted out by events that they've had opportunity village. So I had the honor of being mayor for the night or two different occasions, and I was the grand marshal, what type of after the police, we would be nice, thank you listeners out there. She gave boy a walk. I be taking a little bit of your time, help our community like I've done. It's very easy, very rewarding, where you know, you can help somebody out there. Always try to get to give the best you can. I have a daughter, Sadie who's been a quadriplegic from auto accidents over 25 years ago, more like 30 years ago. And she's a division shipping bank operation that what I got hit with COVID and 2020, welded a hospital for five months. And my daughter said the event about by God about our family supported me gave me all the encouragement, but I always thought about my daughter said in a wheelchair. She's paralyzed from the neck down. And she's She drives all car today. She gets out there. You will she's in a wheelchair. But she is She inspired me to get out to gather data. We'll talk about a bacon. But as a fighter that I was, I refused to take the full card. I made it back here I have, again, like brand new again. I get a little short winded wasn't that I still got a little spark video fresh,

Unknown Speaker 27:39
legendary referee Joe Cortez. He's a big figure in boxing and he has an even bigger heart. Thank you so much for stopping by the show, Joe.

Unknown Speaker 27:49
Okay, Saturday night, I think back Sunday, Sunday after about four o'clock at the brilliant Hotel. There's a budget event taking place there. And I'll be combat compensated for that much about who the Pay Per View event is at the version hotel is coming Sunday at 4pm.

Unknown Speaker 28:07
All right. Thanks again. Joe. Did you know that you can listen to the business of giving podcast on Spotify, Apple podcast and Amazon music. We invite you to follow our social sites and I welcome all the listeners to tune in to the business of giving podcast every Sunday at 7:30am on K u and v 91.5. FM. The business of giving podcast was brought to you by soul UPS underwriting of our series take care of yourselves and always remember to give and do business for good. See you soon.

Unknown Speaker 28:58
The weight of the world on my shoulder as I'm getting older your people get older. Most of us only care about money.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai