Steve Dunleavy one of a kind reporter

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Steve Dunleavy

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Having just completed an expose′ on the world’s biggest entertainer, Elvis Presley, Steve was up for the challenge for all the madness New York could dish out.  The book “Elvis, What Happened?” was no small feat; Steve got the exclusive from three of Presley’s confidants.  This was the first time anyone publicly profiled Elvis in a manner contrary to the wishes of his manager.  The way in which Steve exposed Elvis’ frailties would have modern day head shrinks seeing dollar signs.  Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of this book may have been too much for the shy, humble country boy from Tupelo, Mississippi to handle.  On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley, having obtained an advance galley some two weeks earlier, died on the day of the book’s release.  For the first time in his career Elvis took second billing.  It was now Steve’s headline, “Dunleavy’s book: Did it kill Elvis?” 

Far away from Elvis’ Memphis, New York -- fresh off the blackout riots, which became a national model of uncivil disobedience -- was dealing with a homegrown serial killer, David Berkowitz, a.k.a., “The Son of Sam.”  Berkowitz had been recently arrested and competing against Presley for space on the Front Page of New York’s dailies.  The “Son of Sam” story was owned by another Irishman, Jimmy Breslin.   Breslin, a legend in his own right, was a product of New York City and thus may have had the edge.  But Dunleavy, perhaps inspired by his new insight into the wholesome days of Elvis, the kid from Memphis who in 1956, without any formal musical education, owned the New York media with his appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The Dunleavy – Breslin matchup resulted in some of New York’s best daily histrionics, requiring a score card to determine which reporter had bested the other.  The final tally was unimportant; New Yorkers welcomed a respite from the madness the Big Apple had become.  The competition forever changed the model of print news in New York.  However, the Presley and Berkowitz stories put Steve in the enviable position of competing against himself for space on the front page.

This competitive spirit was not to be outdone by a pennant chase in the Bronx.  What Steve had become to the world of NY print media Billy Martin was to NY baseball.   During game 2 of the 1977 World Series the camera captured a 5 alarm blaze a few blocks from the stadium.  Living rooms throughout America now had a visual of the gravamen of New York life in that era.  The Yankees went on to win the ’77 series and Martin and Dunleavy became fast friends.  It seemed only natural since both rose to the top of their professions in an unapologetic way and were frustrated by the manner in which others had bastardized the fundamentals of their chosen careers.

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