Named one of "The Classics of Boxing Literature" by CrimeReads
“[A] gritty, true-crime narrative…with hard-edged prose and a total absence of cheap moralizing…[A] stark and gripping account.”—Kirkus Reviews
"The historical fact that the city of Boston has seen more than its share of this breed – boxers who became intertwined with the criminal underworld – is the literary gold that author Don Stradley mines so beautifully in this book. There are moments of triumph in the ring, and some failures; Stradley is right to focus as much on the boxing careers (often misbegotten) of these men as well as their criminal associations and habits."—T.J. English, from the Foreword
From the pages of Slaughter in the Streets: When Boston Became Boxing’s Murder Capital...
Frankie spent the final seconds of his life the way James Cagney might’ve in an old Warner Bros crime drama: he stumbled down the hallway and into the office of an attorney who had leased space in the building. A female stenographer who had been at her desk filling out Christmas cards looked on in horror; the sound of guns a moment earlier had shattered the holiday mood, and now she was confronted by the sight of Frankie in the doorway, blood gushing from his wounds. Without saying a word, he walked in and sat in a chair. Then he pitched forward, dead.
In Slaughter in the Streets, Don Stradley masterfully unfolds the story of how Boston became "boxing's murder capital." From the early days of Boston's Mafia, to the era of Whitey Bulger, Stradley tells the fascinating stories of men who were drawn to the dual shady worlds of boxing and organized crime.
Boston was once a thriving boxing city. And it was also host to an ever-expanding underworld. From the early days of Boston's Mafia, to the era of Whitey Bulger, many of the city’s boxers found themselves drawn to the criminal life. Most of them ended up dead. Slaughter in the Streets tells the violent and often tragic story of these misguided young men who thought their toughness in the ring could protect them from the most cold-blooded killers in the country.
Slaughter in the Streets: When Boston Became Boxing's Murder Capital is the third in the Hamilcar Noir series. Hamilcar Noir is "Hard-Hitting True Crime" that blends boxing and true crime, featuring riveting stories captured in high-quality prose, with cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.
Contents
Foreword: T.J. English
Chapter 1: The Shooting Gallery
Chapter 2: Phil Buccola: Boston’s Beloved Mob Boss
Chapter 3: Boxing Booms in Boston
Chapter 4: Tommy Sullivan: Everybody’s Pal
Chapter 5: Eddie McLaughlin: They Called Him Punchy
Chapter 6: Joe Barboza: The King of East Boston
Chapter 7: Tony Veranis: The Tough Guy
Chapter 8: Rocco DiSeglio: Gambling Man
Chapter 9: Rico Sacramone: A Stylish Fighter
Chapter 10: Sammy Lindenbaum: Boxer, Bandit, Abortionist
Chapter 11: Eddie Connors: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Chapter 12: Tommy Tibbs: The Journeyman
Chapter 13: Paul Raymond: Heavyweight Homicide
Chapter 14: Johnny Pretzie: Sharkey’s Boy
Chapter 15: Frankie MacDonald: South Boston’s Hope
Chapter 16: Ghosts of Winter Hill
Perfect Gift For Boxing and True Crime Fans!
Slaughter in the Streets, combined with other books in the Hamilcar Noir series, makes a great gift for fans of stories about the darker side of boxing. Books in the Hamilcar Noir series also make for a great gift idea for true crime fans—whether they are a die-hard boxing fan or not, they will devour these quick reads and ask for more!
Don Stradley is the author of
The War: Hagler-Hearns and Three Rounds for the Ages (Hamilcar Publications),
Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero (Hamilcar Publications),
Slaughter in the Streets: When Boston Became Boxing's Murder Capital (Hamilcar Publications),
A Fistful of Murder : The Fights and Crimes of Carlos Monzon (Hamilcar Publications),
Schooled, a dual biography of Lebron James and Jim Morris (Scholastic), and a chapter in
The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists by Bert Sugar and Teddy Atlas. Stradley is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in publications, including
The Ring,
Ringside Seat, and
ESPN.com. Along with his boxing coverage, he's written about baseball, NASCAR, and professional wrestling. When not writing about sports, he's written about the movies for such magazines as
Cinema Retro and
Noir City.
T.J. English is a noted journalist, screenwriter, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Havana Nocturne and Paddy Whacked, as well as The Westies, a national bestseller, and Born to Kill, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. He has written for Esquire, Playboy, and New York magazine, among other publications. His screenwriting credits include episodes for the television crime dramas NYPD Blue and Homicide, for which he was awarded the Humanitas Prize. He lives in New York City.
