Christopher Battalino

Christopher Battalino was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1908. He grew up on the East Side and went to Brown School. He became a boxer, and in 1927, he won the National Amateur Athletic Union featherweight championship in Boston, Massachusetts. He turned professional, and earned the nickname Battling, or "Bat" Battalino. On 23 September 1929, he defeated Andre Routis of France to become the World Featherweight Boxing Champion. The fight took place at the Velodrome in East Hartford; it went fifteen rounds, despite the fact that Bat Battalino broke both of his hands in the fourth. He remained champion until 1932, winning 58 of 88 bouts, and experiencing only one knockout defeat. Bat Battalino retired from the ring in 1940.

Bat Battalino married Lillian Rotondo on 29 April 1929. They had two daughters, Marie Battalino Peichert, and Mrs. Roger G. Doucet. Bat Battalino worked construction after retiring from boxing. In April, 1972 he began working for Associated Construction in Hartford. He died in Hartford Hospital on 26 July 1977 at the age of 69. Christopher "Bat" Battalino is buried at Mount St. Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield, Connecticut.