Murder on Federal Street
Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, Fixed Fights and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing
Courtesy Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc.
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 at 2710 Federal Street on May 26, 1977.
What really happened on that tragic morning? 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, Murder on Federal Street 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, Murder on Federal Street 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.
“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.
Whodunit?
Maybe the guys who stole a decision the night of Everett’s biggest fight. Maybe a boyfriend.
Or a girlfriend.
Or the girlfriend’s drug dealer husband.
Then there’s the diabolical criminal consortium lurking behind everything, the Black Mafia.
It's 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 New York Times bestselling author of The Good Son: The Life of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini
“Nothing—not politics, not industry, not pop culture, not the four major sports—provides the rich and irresistible stories routinely found in professional boxing. In Murder On Federal Street, Sean Nam details the tragically short life of former Philadelphia boxer Tyrone Everett with impeccable research and crisp, clean prose. That doesn’t surprise me; Nam has been one of this era’s best boxing writers for quite some time.
I’ve always rated Philadelphia as America’s best boxing city, at least in its prime. And in Nam’s book, Philly is a central character. Combine Everett’s journey, Philadelphia, and the impact of the city’s Black Mafia and you have non-fiction that reads like a novel.
Until now, only hard-core boxing fans were aware of Everett’s story—minus perspective and large chunks of critical and significant facts. 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
“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
“Murder on Federal Street....[is] 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, covers everything from urban and racial politics to the boxing scene to the underworld, and his writing is top notch. Nam exhaustively details a complex and controversial story in colorful, gripping prose, and the result is a full and rewarding assessment of Everett’s shortened life.”
—Sean Patrick Griffin, Professor of Criminal Justice at The Citadel and author of Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia’s Black Mafia
Sean Nam is co-vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Murder on Federal Street is his first book.