Tom Sullivan (boxer) - Early Life and Background

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 maintained 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 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.