- Upon seeing Robert DeNiro's portrayal of him in Raging Bull (1980), he reportedly asked his wife if he was really as bad as he was in the film. His wife told him that he was worse.
- Owned and operated a night-club on Miami Beach called Jake La Motta's.
- A poster advertising one of his fights can be seen in The Godfather (1972) in the scene in which Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is shot. Robert De Niro later won Oscars for playing both the younger Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974) and LaMotta himself in Raging Bull (1980). DeNiro's final scene in that film references Brando's previous Oscar-winning role in On the Waterfront (1954).
- Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1986.
- Was turned down for service in World War II due to a mastoid operation on one of his ears.
- Made an unsuccessful comeback in 1954, losing his last fight at Miami Beach to Billy Kilgore.
- His nephew John LaMotta is also a boxer turned actor.
- A poster of him, promoting one of his historic fights, can be seen in The Godfather (1972), in the scene where Don Corlone (Marlon Brando) is shot.
- World middleweight boxing champion, 1949-1951.
- His brother Joey was also a professional boxer.
- After retiring from boxing, Jake La Motta made a statement to the boxing authorities regarding the Mafia's involvement in fixing some of the bouts.
- Claimed in the film Raging Bull (1980) that he was never knocked down, when in fact he was knocked down by Danny Nardico in a fight in Coral Gables, Florida.
- Italian-American.
- Preceded by a French-Algerian as world middleweight champion, Marcel Cerdan. Succeeded by a French-Algerian as the oldest surviving world champion, Robert Cohen.
- Claimed he took a "dive" in his loss to Billy Fox who was 49-1 with 49 knockouts.
- Uncle of William Lustig.
- Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990.
- Was never knocked out at any time during his professional career.
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