Used in the Exhibit: Play by Play - A Century of L.A. Sports Photography, 1889-1989 The son of an immigrant auto mechanic, East L.A.'s Richard "Pancho" Gonzalez was a high-school dropout who muscled his way into a sport dominated by the country-club wealthy. He learned the game at Exposition Park, then won the U.S. Nationals in 1948 and 1949 before renouncing his amateur status at a time when Grand Slam tourneys were closed to pros.Gonzalez spent his prime on tennis' fringe, but those who saw him remember his aggressive, dynamic style well. An opponent once described him at net as, "A God patrolling his personal heaven." Photo dated: September 19, 1949.
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