A Fistful of Murder

by Don Stradley

Published 27 October 2020
"Carlos Monzon's life was one that could have been defined with an almost unblemished boxing record, but was ultimately overtaken by a completely defaced personality. The only legacy he leaves is that the narrative, told brilliantly in the book, is unfortunately so absorbing."-Jack Porter, The Sportsman

From the pages of Fistful of Murder...

The death of Alicia Muniz wasn't a complete surprise to anyone who knew Carlos Monzon. The surprise was that no one else had died in his company.

He had a volcanic temper. He drank heavily and used cocaine. He drove recklessly, had a fascination with guns, and had been arrested many times for physical assaults. In February of 1988, with his personal life in shreds, Monzon had finally reached the nadir of an existence defined by hostility, with nothing to obstruct his most savage instincts.

***

Carlos Monzon was one of Argentina's most celebrated figures. A renowned boxing champion and movie actor who enjoyed affairs with beautiful women, he also harbored a secret life of drug use, alcohol, and domestic violence.

When his estranged wife was found dead-strangled and tossed from a balcony-Monzon confessed that they'd fought the night before, but he couldn't remember what had happened. The resulting murder trial cast a long shadow over Monzon's legacy and launched a decades-long battle between his critics and defenders.

In A Fistful of Murder, Don Stradley explores Monzon's turbulent life, from his beginnings in poverty to his dramatic rise to stardom, all the way to the case that shook a country-and still haunts Argentina today.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: The Void

CHAPTER 2: Rome, 11/7/1970

CHAPTER 3: "They Killed Themselves with Laughter"

CHAPTER 4: Luna Park 1965-69

CHAPTER 5: Champion

CHAPTER 6: Garbage and Miracles

CHAPTER 7: Bad Bennie

CHAPTER 8: Bullets

CHAPTER 9: Taking on the World

CHAPTER 10: A Glass Full of Piss

CHAPTER 11: The Boxer and the Beauty

CHAPTER 12: "He Can Be Evil"

CHAPTER 13: One Fight/One Film

CHAPTER 14: Superstar

CHAPTER 15: El Macho's Last Ride

CHAPTER 16: Desperate Sundown

CHAPTER 17: Alicia

CHAPTER 18: The Lady on the Bricks

CHAPTER 19: Murder in Mar del Plata

CHAPTER 20: Killer and Still Champion

CHAPTER 21: The Outlaw Saint

A Fistful of Murder: The Fights and Crimes of Carlos Monzon is the fifth 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.

Slaughter in the Streets

by Don Stradley

Published 12 March 2020

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!