Former boxer, decorated Marine still going strong in Nashua at 95

Maurice “Kid Sharkey” Sposato has trained and traveled with some of the biggest names in boxing. The legendary trainer, now settled in Nashua with his daughter Judy Sposato, celebrated his 95th birthday on Tuesday. Nine bladder surgeries and many years of dealing with World War II injuries have weakened Sposato’s health, yet his love of the sport hasn’t diminished in the least. If he could climb into the ring, Kid Sharkey would still be at it. “Boxing is scientific,” Sposato said. “I just can’t concentrate like I used to.” He started boxing at 14 in White Plains, N.Y., eventually testing his skills on the bootleg circuit, where experienced boxers often battled under assumed names to earn cash. He fought against other young notables, including Sugar Ray Robinson, and amassed an impressive record of 58-9-1. Money was a motivator for the young Sposato, who wanted to help his family financially, but it also kept him off the street. “It kept me active, kept me going all of the time, and out of trouble,” Sposato said. Like many young men of that era, Sposato joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, the public work relief program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of the New Deal.