Mike Jacobs first saw the light of day on March 17, 1880. He was born to Eastern European immigrants in New York City, one of ten siblings forced by circumstance to scrap for survival. Jacobs first sold soda, popcorn and lemon drops on the ferries in and around the Battery. Before long, he entered the boat chartering business. But Mike Jacobs made his first real money when he began brokering tickets from the Normandie Hotel on Broadway. Jacobs first met Tex Ricard, the Don King of his day, in 1906, and by 1914 Mike was Ricard's right hand man, informal advisor, and occasional source of capital. When Tex died unexpectedly in 1929, Mike Jacobs made his move. He promoted his first boxing shows at the Bronx Coliseum and the Hippodrome. In 1935, Mike Jacobs became the sole promoter of future heavyweight champion "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis. By 1937 Jacobs had control of Madison Square Garden - a position he held, with dignity, with spice, until his death in 1949.
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