Pastrano was already married as a teenager, and by 1962, he and his wife Faye had five children: John (born 1955), Donna (1957), Frank (1959), Nicholas (1960), and Angelo (1962).
Pastrano won the world light heavyweight championship when he outpointed the great Harold Johnson on a close 15-round decision.
He successfully defended his crown by stopping Gregorio Peralta of Argentina on a TKO, and by coming back from a certain defeat on points to KO English challenger Terry Downes in 11 rounds in Manchester, England.
Managed by the legendary Angelo Dundee, Pastrano was a smooth, quick boxer with a great left hand.
On August 30, 1966, in the Milwaukee Sentinel, it was reported that Pastrano had been secretly training for a comeback, but an auto injury had sidelined it.
However, urged on by his good friend, singer Steve Alaimo, Pastrano embarked on a film career which spanned from 1967 to 1971.
[2] Pastrano's best regarded acting role was in the "B" motorcycle gang film, The Wild Rebels, which starred Steve Alaimo.
He worked as a host in a restaurant in Reno, Nevada; a chip runner in Las Vegas, and a bouncer in a strip-club in Miami[3] His well-documented party life-style led to health problems, and Pastrano's film career ended.