Rocky Marciano, the legendary undefeated heavyweight boxing champion, tragically died in a plane crash on August 31, 1969. The small private aircraft, a Cessna 172, registration N3149X, encountered stormy weather conditions and crashed in Iowa, claiming the lives of all three occupants on board. The sports world mourned the loss of a true icon, whose remarkable boxing career and larger-than-life persona left an indelible mark on the sport. The crash that took Rocky Marciano’s life remains a somber chapter in the history of boxing, reminding us of the fragility of life and the enduring impact of his legacy.
A small rock and a large sign serve as a memorial to the late World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Close to the location in Newton, IA where the plane carrying Marciano and 2 others crashed.
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Image courtesy of Find a Grave. We normally only include now pictures of places that we’ve been to, but how can you have a story about Rocky without his final resting place?
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The pilot was 37-year-old Glenn Belz.
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Also killed was Frank Farrell, the son of Louis Thomas Fratto, born Luigi Tommaso Giuseppe Fratto, also known as “Lew Farrell” and “Cock-eyed”, an American labor racketeer and organized crime figure in Chicago, Illinois, and Des Moines, Iowa, from the 1930s to his death in 1967.
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The above locations can be see in the above youtube video
