Boom Boom Mancini gets warm welcome at today's showings of his film

YOUNGSTOWN

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini lives in California, but he hasn’t forgotten his Youngstown roots.

The former lightweight boxing champion was in town Saturday to attend three viewings of the “The Good Son,” a movie based on his life. Following the showings of the documentary at the Oakland Center for the Arts, Mancini answered questions from the audience, spending as much time as it took to answer them all, then greeted fans in the lobby and signed autographs.

“What I love about Ray the most is he never forgot about where he came from,” said Linda Frattaroli of Poland. “And I highly respect him for that, and how far he’s come.”

Frattaroli read the book of the same title that was the basis for the movie. She attended the event because she was interested in learning more about Mancini’s life.

“It was excellent,” she said. “It was definitely a moving story. It moved me for sure.”

Read more about the showing in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.