"Journalist Nam delivers a knockout debut that shines a light on the underbelly of the boxing industry in 1970s Philadelphia. ...Nam brings '70s Philly to vivid life and manages to reignite interest in a decades-old mystery. The result is a remarkable melding of true crime and sports history." --
Publishers Weekly
"Nam has been one of this era's best boxing writers for quite some time. ... Until now, only hard-core boxing fans were aware of Everett's story. ... Now, thanks to Nam, the picture has gone from cloudy to clear and complete."
-Steve Farhood, boxing analyst for Showtime, 2017 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and former editor of
The Ring
magazine
"It's investigative reporting and storytelling at its finest with a touch of ...
Goodfellas
meets
Raging Bull
."
-Harvey Araton,
New York Times
best-selling author.
"Sean Nam has written a compelling, page-turning history of Tyrone Everett which will appeal to boxing and true crime fans alike. His comprehensive research is mind-boggling ... and his writing is top notch."
-Sean Patrick Griffin, author of
Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia's Black Mafia
"If there's a hero, it's Sean Nam, whose obsessional reporting and evocative style turn a true story into a noir worthy of a Gamble and Huff soundtrack. ... [
Murder on Federal Street
is] a wonderfully nasty business. And for the same unfortunate reasons you might be drawn to boxing, you'll love it."
-Mark Kriegel, ESPN analyst and
bestselling author of
The Good Son: The Life of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini
"We need more Sean Nams."
-Teddy Atlas, Trainer and Hall of Fame broadcaster
Six months after losing a world title fight that remains infamous as one of the last mob fixes in boxing, Tyrone "The Butterfly" Everett-a flashy, handsome lightweight southpaw on the verge of stardom-was dead. Only twenty-four years old, he was shot in the head by his girlfriend, Carolyn McKendrick, who claimed that Everett had abused her throughout their relationship. But for years, street corner talk raised doubts about what actually took place in Philadelphia at 2710 Federal Street on May 26, 1977.
What really happened on that tragic afternoon? Did Carolyn McKendrick shoot Everett in self-defense, as she claimed? Or did she pull the trigger when she caught Everett and a cross-dressing drug dealer in bed together? Or did Everett die at the hands of a jealous husband who just happened to be a member of the ruthless organized crime outfit known as the Black Mafia?
Set against a backdrop of urban decline, racial tension, gangland violence, and the treacherous subculture of prizefighting,
is the riveting story of a young man whose limitless future could not outrace the dangerous present.
Written with verve and an eye for the telling detail,
covers the Everett story from prelim bouts in Scranton, to a world championship fight at the Spectrum, to the horrific shooting in South Philadelphia, to the sensational trial of Carolyn McKendrick, to the mournful and mysterious aftermath of nearly fifty years.