Jake LaMotta, the man who inspired the story behind Raging Bull, has died at the age of 95.

A middleweight boxer, LaMotta wrote his autobiography in 1970 which Robert DeNiro then read on the set of The Godfather: Part II and became fascinated with. This, in turn, prompted Martin Scorsese to become involved and the rest, as they say, is cinematic history.

LaMotta's turbulent personal life and abusive history became the 1980 film Raging Bull, which helped to revitalise Scorsese's career. After retiring from boxing, LaMotta managed bars and clubs in New York and had a small career as an actor and comedian, appearing in 1961's The Hustler and '80s grindhouse classic Maniac Cop.

LaMotta is understood to have passed away from complications from pneumonia.