Читать книгу Slaughter in the Streets. When Boston Became Boxing’s Murder Capital онлайн

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Though he hadn't turned professional, Chiampa was known for boxing at various athletic clubs around the city, and the news coverage of his murder made several references to him as “the little fighter.” Boxing, even at the amateur level, was a major North End attraction during the 1920s. The sport had flourished throughout the world, but the Italian Americans of Boston's North End believed their boys were as good and tough as anyone. North End lightweight Sabino Ferullo, who took the name “Sammy Fuller” and became the most popular Italian fighter in Boston, would give away a hundred tickets to the neighborhood children; they showed up at his fights with trumpets and bugles, blaring away as he punched his opponents. For North Enders, boxing was as much a celebration of Italian life as the annual Saint Anthony's Feast in June, which is partly why Chiampa's murder hit Boston like a hammer.

Like many of the city's young men, Chiampa dabbled in crime. At the time of his death he was scheduled to appear in court to testify against some of his cronies. It was also believed that he'd recently robbed a dice game on Friend Street and hadn't shared the loot with his partners. Investigators had dozens of theories and suspects, but no one was ever charged with Chiampa's murder.