In 1979 winter, mcdonald and other members of the winter hill gang were arrested and indicted on federal horse race fixing charges. Among his numerous crimes, bulger is wanted for 19 counts of murder, conspiracy to murder, narcotics distribution, and money laundering. Buddy mclean, boss of the notorious winter hill mob during bostons irish gang war. Full text of winter hill gang see other formats, ft t is requested a control file be opened to control incoming intelligence information pertaining to past and current members of the winter hill gang. Howie winter, 83, and exhead of winter hill gang, arrested. This could be one of the bloodiest new england gang wars ever with over 60 killed. Dec 17, 2019 james joseph whitey bulger and stephen flemmi were murdering partners in bostons notorious winter hill gang. A boston herald journalist in the 1970s dubbed them the winter hill mafia, though the group was actually rivals with the famed italianamerica patriarca crime. A look inside bostons organized crime underworld by seth ferranti july 22, 2012 july 22, 2012 with the recent capture of the infamous gangster whitey bulger and the arrest of 83yearold howie winter, from bostons notorious winter hill gang, see accompanying article, irish mobsters are back in the news. Growing up with the winter hill gang martini, bobby, keratsis, elayne on. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. The book outlines the rise of buddy mclean from his humble beginnings as a hardworking truck driver, to leading the now infamous winter hill gang, to his murder in 1965. Jan 15, 2018 the winter hill gang takes its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville.
Sep 23, 2015 black mass, the selfproclaimed true story of infamous boston gangster james whitey bulger and the winter hill gang, hit theaters on friday sept. James joseph whitey bulger and stephen flemmi were murdering partners in bostons notorious winter hill gang. The greatest racefixer of them all the new york sun. The book outlines the rise of buddy mclean from his humble beginnings as a hardworking truck driver, to leading the now infamous winter hill gang, to his murder. Bulger, the infamous boss of the winter hill gang, a crime family based out of the winter hill neighborhood in somerville, massachusetts. In 1979, the boss and deputy of the winter hill gang, as it became known, were arrested for fixing horse races, and bulger took over the gangs leadership. Elayne keratsis is a film producer and lifelong scribe living the reel gypsy life of traveling the world. Sep 10, 2015 but theres another new book about this significant period in bostons criminal past, one written by the son of a key player. Society boy won, and the winter hill gang dropped a bundle on the race. Mar 24, 2019 peabody the winter hill gang on somerville is perhaps best known for being the crime organization that spawned the late whitey bulger.
An amazing compilation of first hand whitey bulger, winter hill gang, and italian mafia stories as told by boston organized crime figure mark silverman. In the book black mass by dick lehr and gerard oneill, the authors claimed that the winter hill gang were far more feared and powerful than their rivals, the boston branch of the patriarca crime family run by the angiulo brothers. And hes had 12 years in federal prison to think about it all of it for two cases in which bulger has provided information to the fbi. Cops, con men, and joe mccain, the last real detective. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, while also committing a slew of other crimes, the executioner acted as the gang s enforcer and murdered repeatedly at the behest of flemmi and bulger. The irish king of winter hill is the story of the rise and fall james j. Winter hill gang howie carr columnist howie carr has written two new york times bestsellers, is a member of the national radio hall of fame and has won a national magazine award. Mclean was well known throughout the greater boston area as an unstoppable street fighter. The movie is pure fiction based on a true story from 19781994, kevin weeks served as a member of the winter hill gang, and a.
Black mass, the selfproclaimed true story of infamous boston gangster james whitey bulger and the winter hill gang, hit theaters on friday sept. Michael mclean official author website king of winter hill. Owen orourke peabody the winter hill gang on somerville is perhaps. After his arrest and imprisonment in 1999, he became a cooperating witness. The winter hill gang takes its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville. Growing up with the winter hill gang 9780982991503 by martini, bobby. What winter hill thinks of whitey whitey had nothing to do with it. A look inside bostons organized crime underworld gorilla. Stephen the rifleman flemmi and bostons winter hill gang. Winter hill natives talk about their neighborhood and the winter hill gang. Johnny martorano killed at least 20 for the mob then. After the irish gang war, the winter hill gang was reputed to be not only the top irish mob syndicate in the new england area, but along the east coast as well.
This could be one of the bloodiest new england gang wars ever with over 60. Larry leavitt holds his new book on the winter hill mob in somerville. It derives its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville, massachusetts north of boston. James whitey bulger from winter hill gang leader to fugitive is a biography of james whitey bulger a wanted fugitive and alleged leader of bostons irish mafia called the winter hill gang. He was indicted on cocaine trafficking charges in 1990 and served 12 years in prison.
Jul 12, 2017 whitey bulgers enforcer slams black mass. Buddy mclean boss of the notorious winter hill gang during bostons irish gang war. The movie is pure fiction based on a true story from 19781994, kevin weeks served as a member of the winter hill gang, and a close friend. Instead, because of bulgers highlycontroversial relationship with the fbi in massachusetts, the trip made by a lieutenant of his to the motor city indirectly led to him gaining even further control. A jury found him guilty of participating in 11 of 19 murders for which he faced charges in 1995. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, while also committing a slew of other crimes, the executioner acted as the gangs enforcer and murdered repeatedly at the behest of flemmi and bulger. Bulger worked with fbi agent john connolly, who grew up in south boston and went to school with bulger. For more than a decade, until his capture in june 2011, he was listed by the fbi as one of its 10 mostwanted fugitives. Bulger and flemmi were a criminal tandem for twentyfive years. Howie winter, the 83yearold former powerful head of the winter hill gang and the predecessor of gangster james whitey bulger, was arrested thursday evening on charges of trying to. Kevin weeks born march 21, 1956 is a former irish american mobster and a longtime friend and confidant to james j. Neighbor news howie carr talks bulger, winter hill gang at book signing. Silverman recalls his own deadly encounter with notorious fbi covert operative, james whitey bulger.
Johnny martorano killed at least 20 for the mob then walked. Howie winter never saw bulger coming the boston globe. Bobby martini is a former cop, a onetime amateur boxer, a teamster for films and television, stuntman and lifelong resident of somerville. Winter hill gang stephen joseph the rifleman flemmi born june 9, 1934 is an italianamerican gangster and close associate of winter hill gang boss whitey bulger. Buddy mclean, from his humble beginnings as a hardworking truck driver in boston, to leading the original and now infamous winter hill gang, to his untimely murder in 1965. Its members have included notorious boston gangsters howie winter, james buddy mclean, james j. Back in the day, this quiet massachusetts town was a mafia mecca. Kind of but youre looking at a loose collection of irish american drug dealers who probably arent making anywhere near as much as the new england mafia or. Buddy mclean, boss of the notorious winter hill mob during bostons irish gang war leavitt, larry on. Over sixty men were murdered, including the leader of the winter hill gang, james buddy mclean. Winter was the righthand man to the originator of the gang, james buddy mclean and took over the rackets, along with joe mcdonald, when mclean was killed during the irish mob wars in 1965. Apr 17, 2015 stephen the rifleman flemmi testified against old gang partner james whitey bulger.
After the irish gang war, the winter hill gang was reputed to be not only the top irish mob syndicate in the new england area, but along the entire east coast as well. The winter hill gang is one of the most infamous crime organizations that hailed from massachusetts. Apr 10, 2018 kind of but youre looking at a loose collection of irish american drug dealers who probably arent making anywhere near as much as the new england mafia or. Jul 11, 2018 after that, johnny martorano was off to the races as a feared enforcer for the winter hill gang.
The next day donnally was told to meet some people at a. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, predominantly irishamerican. James joseph buddy mclean january 26, 1930 october 31, 1965 was an irishamerican mobster boss, who was the original boss of the somerville, massachusettsbased winter hill gang during the 1960s. At the top of the hill is the winter hill bakery, a. Author michael mcleans father was buddy mclean, a truck driver who was the leader of the infamous winter hill gang until his murder in 1965. Bulger was the irish american mob boss of the winter hill gang from the 1970s to the 1990s. What winter hill thinks of whitey somerville, ma patch. James whitey bulger from winter hill gang leader to. He accumulated injuries including several scars on his neck and face as well as a damaged left eye. The irish gang war was between the mclaughlin gang of charlestown, led by bernie mclaughlin and the winter hill gang of somerville, led by james buddy mclean. Stephen joseph the rifleman flemmi born june 9, 1934 is an italianamerican gangster and close associate of winter hill gang boss whitey bulger. James whitey bulger personally owned, used butter knife winter hill mob gangster. Jan 17, 2005 his bulk he stood 6 feet 3 inches and weighed 350 when dieting and connections to bostons old winter hill gang made it easy for him to muscle jockeys, trainers, and jockey agents into playing ball with him. The winter hill mob is an intersesting reality but this seems to about some cop and his peculiar involvement.
By then, if you ask people in somerville, the winter hill gang was no more than a name, but a name that stuck. The winter hill gang, important to this story as youll later read, was based out of the winter hill area of somerville, one of those typical working class neighborhoods with two and threefamily row houses squeezed between bars and shops. Whitey bulger, and hitmen john martorano and stephen the. What few knew at the time was that bulger had been an fbi informant since at least 1974. Keratsis, elayne and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. Elayne keratsis in the early 1960s a bloody civil war broke out between the two powerful irish mob families in the somerville massachusetts neighborhood known as winter hill. Bulgers criminal organization had moved in to try and take control of wheelers world jai alai firm. Kevin weeks born march 21, 1956 is an irishamerican former mobster and longtime friend and mob lieutenant to whitey bulger, the infamous boss of the winter hill gang, a crime family based in the winter hill neighborhood in somerville, massachusetts.
On the night of may 11, 1982, bulger was told the whereabouts of halloran, known on the streets as balloonhead. Peabody author leavitt makes book on mobster mclean. In the book black mass by dick lehr and gerard oneill, the authors make the unsubstantiated claim that the winter hill gang were far more feared and powerful than their rivals, the boston branch of the patriarca crime family run by the angiulo brothers. Howie carr talks bulger, winter hill gang at book signing. In the early 1960s a bloody civil war broke out between the two powerful irish mob families in the somerville massachusetts neighborhood known as winter hill. Cops, con men, and joe mccain, the last real detective atkinson, jay on. Carr, who has written numerous books about the subject, shared anecdotes about bulger and other members of the winter hill gang, including milford resident and former hitman john martorano. After that, johnny martorano was off to the races as a feared enforcer for the winter hill gang. John martorano, a member of the winter hill gang, confessed to 20 murders and later testified against mr.
Beginning in 1975, flemmi was a top echelon informant for the federal bureau of investigation fbi. Hes been intimately linked to howie winter and the winter hill gang since childhood. Back in the day, this quiet massachusetts town was a mafia. Mar 18, 2020 whitey bulger, american crime boss who, as head of the bostonarea winter hill gang, was a leading figure in organized crime from the late 1960s to the mid1990s. Iconic boston irish mob boss james whitey bulgers infamous winter hill gang touched down in detroit in the mid1970s. Bulgers winter hill gang, confessed to 20 killings but recoiled at being called a hit man or a mass murderer or a serial killer. Douglas glenn cyr was the secret son of lindsey cyr and whitey bulger, the former leader of the winter hill gang, an irishamerican crime family based in boston. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, who are predominantly of irish and italian descent. William barnoski is reputed to be a onetime member of the winter hill gang, a group of somervillebased criminals.
Whitey bulgers crew, from the rifleman to the executioner. Brian halloran died 1982 was an associate of the winter hill gang who later turned informant and was murdered by james j. August 12, 1965 is a former irishamerican mobster from boston who was involved in narcotics and was a lieutenant of crime kingpin whitey bulger and the winter hill gang during the 1980s and 90s. Jun 07, 2012 howie winter, the 83yearold former powerful head of the winter hill gang and the predecessor of gangster james whitey bulger, was arrested thursday evening on charges of trying to. Based in the city of somerville just minutes from boston, the winter hill gang ruled the mob world in the state for much of the 60s and 70s until they were taken town by multiple arrests in the 80s. It derives its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville, massachusetts, north of boston.