Tom Sullivan (boxer)

See "On the Boston Waterfront" (Springs Toledo, City Journal, Winter 2016) for the story of Tommy Sullivan.

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

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

On December 22, 1957 Tommy was shot and killed on East Fifth Street as he was making his way back to work. During the initial murder investigation, homicide detectives became quickly convinced that his murder was related to disturbances on the waterfront that involved out-of-town racketeers. 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.

At the age of twenty, Tommy started his career as a professional boxer. He was 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. 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 the knockdown, 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.

Thomas Sullivan, also known as "Tommy", and "Irish Tommy" (July 9, 1919 – December 22, 1957 in South Boston) was an American professional light heavyweight boxer whose murder remains unsolved.