Dewey Bozella (born 1959) is a former amateur boxer who is best known for being imprisoned for a conviction which was eventually overturned. Convicted in 1983 for the murder of an elderly woman, Bozella served 26 years in prison before his conviction was overturned in 2009. Bozella had previously served nearly three years in prison for attempted robbery.
On October 28, 2009, after being released from custody, Bozella began working with youths at a local gym in Newburgh, New York. At the gym, which is now closed, he worked with teenagers teaching them about boxing and about the dangers of joining gangs. He frequently visits various organizations to deliver speeches about his life experiences. Bozella is a frequent sight at New York City area boxing cards.
Bozella currently lives in Fishkill, New York with his wife, Trena. While accepting an award in 2011, he told an ESPN reporter that he still dreamed of having at least one professional fight one day. In 2011, boxing champion Bernard Hopkins helped Bozella’s dream come true.
ABOUT THE T.J. MARTELL FOUNDATION:
The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s largest foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. The Foundation sources and supports early-stage research projects aimed at developing more effective clinical treatments which otherwise might not be funded.
The Foundation, headquartered in New York, is a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1975 by music industry executive Tony Martell and his colleagues in loving memory of his son, T.J., who died of leukemia. It is dedicated to raising funds for the innovative initial and ongoing research for improved treatments and cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. The Foundation has provided more than $250 million dollars for research that supports eleven top hospitals in the United States.
This year marks the 37thanniversary for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Honors Gala.
