![\"Cover,](\"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/images\/26-0313-s2p-lasthood-800x600.jpg\")
Image caption: Cover, “The Last Neighborhood: A South Philly Memoir.”<\/em><\/p>\n
In \u201cThe Last Neighborhood: A South Philly Memoir,\u201d Rafferty takes readers back to Grays Ferry, where every block had its own identity and every kid learned early how to survive. Growing up as the son of a boxer, young Michael faced constant pressure to prove himself in a neighborhood filled with tough fighters and athletes.<\/p>\n
But this is not a Hollywood boxing story. It is a raw, honest account of a skinny, uncertain boy struggling with fear, self-doubt, and expectations. Determined to earn respect from his father and peers, Michael turns to boxing as a way to stand out and build confidence.<\/p>\n
Supported by his large family, his faith, and his community, he enters the ring as a teenager, discovering that boxing is more than a sport\u2014it is a test of character. Along the way, he learns the true meaning of discipline, resilience, and courage.<\/p>\n
The memoir explores whether faith can silence inner doubts, whether community can lift a young man through hardship, and whether heart matters more than strength. It is also the story of how a future police officer learned life\u2019s toughest lessons long before wearing a badge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis book is about where I came from, what shaped me, and how faith and perseverance helped me become who I am today,\u201d said Rafferty. \u201cIt\u2019s a tribute to South Philly and the people who never stopped believing in me.\u201d<\/p>\n
About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Rafferty was a top-ranked amateur and professional boxer for nine years. He went undefeated as a professional with a 7\u20130 record before a car accident and injuries interrupted his career. He later finished with a 9\u20131\u20131 record. Rafferty has served in law enforcement for 28 years and currently holds the rank of sergeant with the Philadelphia Police Department.<\/p>\n Book Information<\/strong><\/p>\n Email Contact: Authorpress@tellwell.ca<\/p>\n Title: The Last Neighborhood : A South Philly Memoir<\/p>\n Author: Mike Rafferty<\/p>\n
![https:\/\/authormikerafferty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-The-last-neighbourhood-book-by-author-Mike-Rafferty-4.png<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHILADELPHIA, Pa., March 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Author and former professional boxer Mike Rafferty announces the release of his new memoir, “The Last Neighborhood: A South Philly Memoir” (ISBN: 978-1834189406; March 2026, by Tellwell Publishing) a deeply personal coming-of-age story set in the working-class streets of South Philadelphia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9699,"featured_media":133879,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,12804,908,1,37,54,539,559,30],"tags":[9466],"class_list":["post-133881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books-publishing-news","category-ap","category-boxing-and-weightlifting","category-business-news","category-entertainment-news","category-pennsylvania-news","category-philadelphia-news","category-products-news","category-sports-news","tag-memoir","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":1898,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133881"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133886,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133881\/revisions\/133886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/authormikerafferty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-The-last-neighbourhood-book-by-author-Mike-Rafferty-4.png\"){kind=link}