Boxing and the Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science

Written by:
Jeffrey Sussman
Narrated by:
David Marantz

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
1
Narrator
1
Release Date
May 2019
Duration
7 hours 47 minutes
Summary
More than any other sport, boxing has a history of being easy to rig. There are only two athletes and one or both may be induced to accept a bribe; if not the fighters, then the judges or referee might be swayed. In such inviting circumstances, the mob moved into boxing in the 1930s and profited by corrupting a sport ripe for exploitation.

In Boxing and the Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science, Jeffrey Sussman tells the story of the coercive and criminal underside of boxing, covering nearly the entire twentieth century. He profiles some of its most infamous characters, such as Owney Madden, Frankie Carbo, and Frank Palermo, and details many of the fixed matches in boxing's storied history. In addition, Sussman examines the influence of the mob on legendary boxers-including Primo Carnera, Sugar Ray Robinson, Max Baer, Carmen Basilio, Sonny Liston, and Jake LaMotta-and whether they caved to the mobsters' threats or refused to throw their fights.

Boxing and the Mob is the first book to cover a century of fixed fights, paid-off referees, greedy managers, misused boxers, and the mobsters who controlled it all. True crime and the world of boxing are intertwined with absorbing detail in this notorious piece of American history.
Reviews
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Cris Sayago

The Sweet Science isn't always sweet. Sometimes a gentleman with a briefcase full of money will tell you to take a dive in the fifth. Sometimes you might work for said gentleman and his associates, men of so called "honor" in perhaps scaring a poor schmuck into paying a debt. Sometimes you might say no, and get blackmailed/blackballed for saying "No" and live with the consequences of your integrity. This was a great listen hearing all the stories of years yonder and how these so-called "men of honor" influenced various fights in shadowy deals behind the scenes.

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