Bill Raisch

Bill Raisch was born of German immigrant parents in New Jersey in 1905. After graduating from high school, Raisch took a job at a construction site hauling cement. When he wasn't working, he lifted weights at Sig Klein's Gym in New York City. Raisch was noticed by a society girl looking for a dancing partner and he escorted her to various parties as her date and dancing partner. Raisch came to the attention of Marilyn Miller the star of Ziegfield Follies. She introduced him to Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who signed Raisch up for his dance troupe. In the late 1920s, Raisch danced for Ziegfield at the New Amsterdam Roof Theater where he got to work with Maurice Chevalier making his first American stage appearance and he also appeared in the stage musical "Whoopee" starring Eddie Cantor. While he was dancing in New York, Raisch, coming home from work one evening, was attacked by five muggers on the street. Although he was worked over, Raisch took them on and beat them all up single-handily. Th