Mike Tyson grew up in crime-infested neighborhoods of New York City. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Brownsville where he lived with his siblings and mother. Although Tyson never knew his biological father, he often witnessed the abuse of his mother by her live-in boyfriend. While growing up on the streets of New York, Tyson became involved in various criminal activities, including picking pockets, mugging people, and robbing stores at gunpoint. Tyson was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent, which means he would have been found guilty of a felony if he was 16 years or older. Tyson was placed at the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in the Bronx. After additional behavioral problems, Tyson was transferred to the Tryon School for Boys in upstate New York.

While Tyson was at Tryon, Muhammad Ali visited the center, and Tyson became interested in the attention given to Ali. Shortly thereafter...