Requiem for a Referee
LOGLINE: When an incorruptible prizefight referee who is also a mob associate is asked to influence a fight by a top mobster, he must battle to keep his boxing record unblemished, keep his lucrative bookmaking operation and his mob association hidden away from public scrutiny.
PITCH SYNOPSIS: Paulic Carbonara, the top mobster who controls all facets of boxing at the time (1940’s and 1950’s), is a great corruptor. When he realizes that Teddy Martin, a referee and a mob associate, is not answerable to him, he insists on his services to influence a boxing match.
When Teddy refuses, Paulie retaliates by publicly revealing the impression that Teddy is under Paulie’s control. Teddy battles back to keep his boxing record unblemished, to hold onto his lucrative bookmaking operation while disclaiming his mob association and Paulie’s insinuation. To add to his stressful life at this time, his marriage is falling apart.
SCRIPT SOURCE: The script “Third Man in the Ring” is inspired by a true story as depicted by Teddy’s daughter, Barbara Stolfi Maggio, in her memoir “My Life with The Third Man in the Ring” (available on Amazon).
Barbara’s memoir won a Reader’s Favorite contest award. The script won a Best Script award at the Hoboken Film Festival.
