Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Lacombe was born to a [[France|French]]-[[United States|American]] couple, Camille LaCombe (1888-1954) and the former Clementine Charrier (1890-1968), in the [[rural]] unincoporated community of Echo in Rapides Parish, some twenty miles south of the parish seat of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]]. As an infant, he moved with his family to the Irish Channel section of New Orleans, where he attended St. Michael's School and St. Aloysius High School. He joked that he had received "college training" at the Press Lounge, a bar on Poydras Street popularly known as Raymond's Beach. He promoted fights, first at the age of thirteen when responding to a dare from a girl. He had already been betting on [[horse]]s for three years despite not being old enough to place the bets legally. He said that he was addicted on [[gambling]] after he won $1.40 on his first bet. His first full-scale sports promotion was the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl, in which rival sandlot [[football]] teams in Irish Channel competed. The event soon moved to City Park Stadium and drew 15,000 or more spectators.<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-l/|title=Lacombe, Allen "Black Cat"|publisher=''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'': Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 1, 2020}}</ref>

Lacombe was born to a [[France|French]]-[[United States|American]] couple, Camille LaCombe (1888-1954) and the former Clementine Charrier (1890-1968), in the [[rural]] unincoporated community of Echo in Rapides Parish, some twenty miles south of the parish seat of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]]. As an infant, he moved with his family to the Irish Channel section of New Orleans, where he attended St. Michael's School and St. Aloysius High School. He joked that he had received "college training" at the Press Lounge, a bar on Poydras Street popularly known as Raymond's Beach. He promoted fights, first at the age of thirteen when responding to a dare from a girl. He had already been betting on [[horse]]s for three years despite not being old enough to place the bets legally. He said that he was addicted to [[gambling]] after he won $1.40 on his first bet. His first full-scale sports promotion was the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl, in which rival sandlot [[football]] teams in Irish Channel competed. The event soon moved to City Park Stadium and drew 15,000 or more spectators.<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-l/|title=Lacombe, Allen "Black Cat"|publisher=''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'': Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 1, 2020}}</ref>

In 1942, LaCombe was drafted into the [[United States Army]] and staged military boxing matches in [[Iran]]. The Shah reportedly sparred with LaCombe’s boxers, LaCombe also hunted gazelles with King Farouk of [[Egypt]] and staged a [[camel]] race among the ancient [[pyramid]]s.<ref name=lahist/>

In 1942, LaCombe was drafted into the [[United States Army]] and staged military boxing matches in [[Iran]]. The Shah reportedly sparred with LaCombe’s boxers, LaCombe also hunted gazelles with King Farouk of [[Egypt]] and staged a [[camel]] race among the ancient [[pyramid]]s.<ref name=lahist/>