Jake LaMotta

There was only one thing I wanted out of life. That was to be the champ.

All my life I made a living out of hurting people. Now, I make a living out of making people laugh.

Besides being a slum kid with no great education in anything except how to fight and stay alive and steal, I also had this temper.

When I was a kid, I wanted to fight Joe Louis. But I think if I had seen Mike Tyson at that time, I would have said, 'Nah, I don't want to fight him.' He's deadly. He could have been one of the great heavyweight champions. But he goofed.

I was tough at a very young age, where I was just fighting all the time.

I fought in Detroit 23 times.

Forward, always moving forward, from the time I can remember - a kid. I was short, and the big guys would take advantage; I had to turn myself into a body puncher. By that time I was in reform school, they'd have a boxing match every week; they'd bring guys in from outside to fight me.

I been in jail twice. The first time was reform school: they got me for carrying burglar's tools, something like that. The morals charge was a frame-up.

Most of the time, husbands and wives argue about stupid, foolish things. If it doesn't mean that much to you, give in to your wife.

I ask for personal appearance fees because I've earned them. I deserve them. My presence at events is what they need, so they ought to pay for it.