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Upcoming ‘Rocky’ book sheds light on grim unsolved murder of important contributor to Oscar-winning film
A forthcoming book about the making of *Rocky* examines the unsolved 1976 murder of Howie Steindler, whose Los Angeles gym hosted the film’s interior scenes and helped inspire coach Mickey Goldmill. Author Michael Sielski believes Steindler may have been deliberately targeted, raising questions about a case that received little apparent public attention.
Sielski interviewed Steindler’s daughter, a former apprentice and others, and points to the return of Steindler’s wallet and belongings to his wife nine months after the killing, in an unmarked package with no fingerprints. He says investigators may have suspected individuals but never built a case that could be prosecuted. *Going the Distance* also challenges Sylvester Stallone’s account of the film’s editing and his story about selling and buying back his dog Butkus; the article reports the book argues that the latter tale is likely apocryphal.
In short
- A new *Rocky* book revisits Howie Steindler’s unsolved murder.
- Steindler’s gym hosted filming and influenced Mickey Goldmill.
- The author questions whether the killing was random.
Explained simply
Rocky is a 1976 film about boxer Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, who also wrote the screenplay. It won the Academy Award for best picture and became known for its boxing story and characters, including Rocky’s trainer, Mickey Goldmill.
Howie Steindler ran a Los Angeles gym where the film’s interior gym scenes were shot. His manner and appearance are said to have helped shape Mickey, played by Burgess Meredith. Steindler was murdered in 1976, and the case remains unsolved.
The case has received little public attention, while the new book draws on interviews with people who knew Steindler and details such as the later return of his belongings. Its account may add context to the film’s history, but the murder has not been solved and the reported clues do not establish who was responsible.