Gus Mercurio

Augustino Eugenio "Gus" Mercurio (10 August 1928 – 7 December 2010) was an American-Australian chiropractor, actor, boxing referee, boxing judge, and sports commentator. He was equally prominent as a character actor on film and television, and as a personality in the sports world. He was a long-time commentator on the Seven Network's World of Sport from 1976 to 1987. The Sydney Morning Herald described him as "one of the most recognised and loved faces in Australian television," while boxing writer Paul Upham called him "one of the great characters of Australian boxing." He had two sisters, Gerie and Connie, and a brother, Tony. The elder Mercurio was a member of the Milwaukee mob, and according to his son, was verbally and emotionally abusive. His parents were divorced when he was seven.

Mercurio served in the United States Maritime Service, then the United States Marine Corps, and was also a chiropractor. He first visited Australia during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and decided to stay. He worked as a chiropractor in regional Victoria for over a decade before he became prominent in the media.

He was later naturalised as an Australian citizen.

Sports career Mercurio's family had close ties to boxing. His father had boxed professionally under the ring name of Vince McGurk, and one of his uncles had boxed professionally under the name of Ray Miller. Mercurio began boxing while in the Marine Corps and turned professional after leaving the service. He participated in two professional boxing fights in 1950, losing both.

He first came to Australia as a 32-year old during the 1956 Summer Olympics, accompanying the US boxing team as a chiropractor. He decided to stay, moving to Melbourne and working as a boxing coach.

Mercurio was also an international boxing judge (refereeing a world title fight) and was also a well-known boxing promoter. Staying close to boxing, he judged 149 professional bouts and, starting in 1970 and until 1986, refereed 89 fights, including some world championship contests, such as the 1985 one between Barry Michael and Lester Ellis, which was a major sporting event in Australia. Mercurio was also a judge for several world title bouts including Roy Jones versus Clinton Woods, Pernell Whitaker versus Gary Jacobs, Azumah Nelson versus Juan LaPorte and Rocky Mattioli versus Elisha Obed.

He later became the president of the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame

Mercurio's rugged appearance saw him play numerous 'tough' characters.

Personal life Mercurio was married twice and fathered seven children. He had his first three children, Jo, Vincent and Tony, with his first wife, Shirley. Two of the children were born in the US, and after the family moved to Australia, their third child was born in Ballarat, Victoria. After his first marriage failed, Shirley returned to the US with the children.

Mercurio married his second wife, Jean McKibbin, after 1959, in Swan Hill. The couple had four children – Joseph, Michael, Connie and dancer/actor Paul Mercurio. They split in 1969, when Paul was five. Michael took his life in 2000.

Mercurio remained friends with both his ex-wives. from complications during surgery for a chest aneurysm. He was survived by his long-term partner Rita, six of his seven children, including Paul, and his sister Gerie in New York.

Filmography Film

Television

Theatre Year Title Role Type Ref. 1979 Two for the Seesaw Jerry Ryan NSW & VIC tour, Playhouse, Canberra with Gus Mercurio Productions 1981 True West Saul Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1985 Insignificance The Senator SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC & Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1994 The Grapes of Wrath Pa Joad Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC

Works Mercurio, G., Boxin' : all you wanted to know but didn't want to fight to ask, Regus, (Kew), 1998. Mercurio, G., Hang in There: Inspirational Gems to Empower You!, Wilkinson Books, (Melbourne), 1994.