“One does not simply declare oneself a world-class matador, of course. So once he had set his quest, Sidney entered the bullfighting equivalent of baseball’s minor leagues. He learned the craft in the flimsy rings of small Mexican villages, finding ways to feed himself and arrange primitive transportation to the next small village.

“Being a Jew from Brooklyn earned him a little attention and a lot of skepticism. Still, as he gradually proved he was both serious and talented, he earned enough respect to perform at Chapultepec, the top ring in Mexico, and from there move to Spain, bullfighting capital of the world.” (c/o Protocols)