Download or read book The Murder of Sonny Liston written by Shaun Assael and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Las Vegas, the 1970s. Richard Nixon was launching America's first war on heroin; boxing was in its glory days; The Strip was being transformed from a playground for the mob to a mecca for corporate dollars. Sonny Liston was cashing in on his fading notoriety in the casinos, dealing drugs, working as an enforcer for a crime syndicate, and trying to break into Hollywood as an action star. On January 5, 1971, Liston was found dead in his home, with heroin in his blood. Accidental OD-- or murder? Assael treats Liston's death as a cold case, and takes a fresh look at Liston and the town he called home.