Tom Sullivan (boxer)

Early life and background

Thomas O'Suileabhain-Sullivan was born to a first generation Brittany-Irish emigrants Thomas and his mother simply identified as "Margaret (Mary) Sullivan" (1875–1957). It is unknown if that is her maiden name, or married name, as that is how she is identified in the newspaper articles concerning her son. Upon arriving to America his parents Thomas and Mary settled in South Boston. Thomas and Mary conceived two sons, Thomas, named after his paternal grandfather, not his father as is popular in American culture, following the old Gaelic-Celtic tradition. He had dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He had a younger brother also named Thomas after his paternal uncle who was a stillborn and a sister Leehna Maher-Sullivan. His father left Mary and their children at a very young age leaving all the responsibility to his mother. Mary Sullivan was a doting mother who supported her only son Tommy throughout his professional boxing career. In Joseph Barboza's autobiography Barboza, Sullivan is wrongly identified as "Rocky", not "Tommy". Thomas was known in the neighborhood as a "tough puncher" who later went to work as a longshoreman in Boston, Massachusetts and lived with his mother on East Fifth Street. Even after his boxing career finished he remained physically fit from working dock at the Boston Harbor as a longshoreman and sparred at a gym to maintain his lean physique. During the late night bar brawl with Edward McLaughlin Tommy showed immense strength and lifted up one end of the four-door sedan and was able to move the car and prop one of the wheel chassis up on the curb, putting the sedan on a tilt and allowing him access to the bloodied and battered cowering Edward McLaughlin who had retreated for cover underneath and continue the assault. His opponent, Edward was severely handicapped against Sullivan at the time of the fight, he was out of shape and was out of shape from alcoholism.

When Thomas could not financially support himself after his successful boxing career ended he moved back into his childhood home to live with his elderly mother and cared for her. It is suggested that after he stopped his boxing career that he suffered from bouts of alcoholism brought on by depression.

He became well known around Boston during his boxing career including notorious Patriarca crime family members and associates like Joseph Barboza in North Boston, although he never was positively recognized as an associate of the Patriarca crime family who managed a stable of prize fighters during that time and maintained a clean boxing record. The unsubtantiated rumors that Thomas was a prizefighter first emerged on June 9, 1942 during the match with Dave Hoblitzel in Portland, Oregon. The bout was stopped by the referees. The boxing officials in attendance stated that neither man was trying. Although he was never put under scrutiny for corruption during his professional boxing career, investigative journalist Howie Carr refers to him as a "prizefighter". After his professional boxing career ended abruptly he sought out work as a longshoreman at the Boston Harbor. While working at the docks he no doubt struck up friendly relationships with McLaughlin Brothers associate Thomas J. Ballou and Patriarca crime family mob associate Joseph Barboza.

After the death of Thomas, Mary was overcome with emotional distress and shock and confined herself to her bed. Soon afterwards she was able to walk around their first floor apartment. On January 3, 1958, eleven days after both Harold Hannon and George McLaughlin were murdered by rival gangsters, Mary Sullivan died, she was eighty-three. A newspaper quoted neighbors as saying that her son's murder would "kill her." She was too grief-stricken and emotionally distraught to attend his funeral at Gates of Heaven Parish located at 615 East Fourth Street.

Boxing career

At the age of twenty, Tom started his career as a professional boxer. He was considered by many a local celebrity in South Boston. On March 17, 1942 Tommy had his first professional boxing match against Johnny Lawless in Portland, Maine. During this match Lawless retired in his corner after the second round, due to a laceration over his eye that he received from Sullivan. On June 9, 1942 he fought Dave Hoblitzel in Portland, Maine. The bout with Hoblitzel was the boxing match that brought up allegations of corruption. Although Thomas was never put under scrutiny for corruption during his professional boxing career, investigative journalist Howie Carr referred to him as a "pug ugly prizefighter". On March 18, 1946 he fought against Jimmy Fields in Boston, Massachusetts. Fields fought the fight against Sullivan under the ring moniker "John Henry Eskew". Before a large crowd totaling 10,817, Eskew dropped Sullivan for a count of two in the second round. Following his loss, an angry Sullivan continued on and gave Eskew a brutal beating over the next two rounds. He left Fields draped over the ropes in the fourth round and won by a technical knockout. On October 14, 1946 he fought George Kochan at the Mechanics Building in Boston. During the fight he was knocked down twice before coming back to stop Kochan. This was considered "a savage slugging match." On December 14, 1946 Tommy was matched up against Al Priest in Boston. This was the largest gate ever attracted at an indoor boxing match in Boston up to that time. 13,250 spectators attended the sport, the ring accumulated $59,944 in total. On July 15, 1946 Tommy fought Anthony Jones. The referee stopped the fight with Jones reeling about the ring helplessly. Jones was winning at the end of the sixth round, but Sullivan dropped him a 9-count in round seven, and launched a "hurricane attack" in the eighth which caused the fight to be stopped. On June 2, 1947 he fought against Coley Welch. He successfully knocked down Welch twice in the third round and one in the seventh round. His last professional fight was on January 21, 1949 against Johnny Carter in Worcester, Massachusetts.

He fought with an orthodox stance and boxed 143 rounds over the span of his short career winning twenty of them with fourteen knock outs and two losses. Thomas was considered by many to be one of the more successful boxers that came out of Boston during that time period, more than Edward G. Connors, Anthony Veranis, Rocco DiSiglio and Americo Sacramone.

Barroom brawl with Edward McLaughlin

Thomas had resentment and anger towards the McLaughlin gang, and the gang leader George McLaughlin who had attempted to extort one of his close friends for money in early December. This infuriated him to no end. Two weeks before he was murdered, he made the mistake of getting into a vicious bar room brawl with Edward McLaughlin. By mob associates it was considered a good battle because both McLaughlin and Sullivan were ex-professionals, but Sullivan had a more successful bout than McLaughlin and had been a main event celebrity fighter. The trouble arose from a heated argument that soon turned violent. Edward hit Sullivan from behind with a length of iron pipe, knocking him to the floor. Edward swung again but he rolled out of the way and got to his feet, his face badly bloodied from the blindsided attack. One of Sullivan's punches during the fight tore McLaughlin's ear. The bar brawl was witnessed by many South End Bostoners including Joseph Barboza, his fellow friend, sparring partner and longshoreman.

The fight played out in the barroom and then made its way out into the street. Edward, now badly beaten, finally gave up and rolled under a car parked in the street to get away. Tommy was relentless in his attack on the gangster, he lifted up one end of the car and propped one of the wheels up on the curb allowing him access to McLaughlin.

Gangland slaying

After Edward McLaughlin was beaten, he held a great feeling of contempt and hatred for the former professional boxing celebrity. On December 24, 1957 Thomas was called to the side of a car that was idling in the street near his East Fifth Street home at 6:35 p.m. and was shot five times, killing him. It was originally believed that one of the gunman's shots mowed down Tommy in front of an old cemetery but Medical Examiner Dr. Richard Ford revealed that three shots had nearly torn off his head and two of the shots had lodged in his shoulder. During the initial murder investigation, homicide detectives became quickly convinced that his murder was connected with the Irish Mob wars between the McLaughlin Gang and the powerful Patriarca crime family. Two suspects, including Edward McLaughlin were brought in for questioning about the murder. One provided an airtight alibi clearing him of any suspicion in the murder while McLaughlin remained under suspicion. The case eventually went cold and no one was ever charged or convicted in the murder of Sullivan. Howie Carr states that Sullivan's killer was Harold Hannon. Hannon was later murdered in the ensuing Irish Mob wars.

Harold was garroted with piano wire and had his corpse tossed into the Boston Harbor on August 20, 1964.

Sullivan's bar brawling foe, mob leader Edward McLaughlin was shot dead at a bus stop in West Roxbury, Massachusetts in October 1965.