In September 1986, Judge Alvin Schlesinger overturned Featherstones conviction in the murder of Michael Holly. He was a high school drop out, like many of the Westies. Born July 31, 1965, Hell's Kitchen. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Coonan joined with the Italiansbecause Spillane had refused the Mafias efforts to control criminal activities in and around the Jacob Javits convention center. Thats when the Westies, a ruthless gang of Irish American extortionists, racketeers and contract killers, took in the violent young Featherstone and put him to work. During the early 1970s, Coonan recruited a gang of young Irish hoods and they began kidnapping, beating, and murdering any Spillane loyalists. Murrays family emigrated to the US from the small rural village of Llandinam in Powys, Wales in the late 1800s. Nobody hustles like the Hump Capone said. His younger brother is Richard Coonan. From the 1930s until his explosive death in 1975, Shondor Birns rose through the ranks in Clevelands underworld, becoming the towns most feared and extroverted mobster, constantly investigated, arrested and released, gaining a reputation as a numbers king and as a mediator between feuding gangsters. In the 1970s Coonan worked as an enforcer and bodyguard for loanshark named Ruby Stein. Coonan is serving his time at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary. He was with the Colombo's in NY and went out to work in NYC I think. I know John Thomas Coonan personally. McCarthy founded production-financing company Blue Engine to focus on developing crime stories for film and TV. Holstein lived it largehe owned many luxury cars, had two swanky apartments in New Yorks Harlem area, a house on Long Island and thousands of acres of land in the state of Virginia. Edward "Eddie The Butcher" Cummiskey Jr. (1934 Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan to August 20, 1976 Chelsea, Manhattan) was a New York mobster who served as a mentor to Jimmy Coonan, leader of the Westies. When he was . Featherstone, who said he had been Coonans right-hand man, admitted that he had lied under oath in other cases, had been in and out of mental institutions, suffered delusions and was a former abuser of alcohol and drugs. Convicted hitman Donald Frankos claimed that Irish mob boss Jimmy Coonan shot Hoffa in Michigan before dismembering his body with a power saw and meat cleaver, according to a 1989 Detroit Free press story. Unlike most crime figures of the age, Holstein slowly stepped away from the criminal life, eventually retiring in 1937 after he was arrested for his involvement in gambling, spending just 1 year in jail.[3]. [5] Coonan wanted more, and several West Side neighborhood thugs gathered around him, including Francis "Mickey" Featherstone. In addition, the jury found Coonan participated in most of the racketeering acts charged against him, including seven murders. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. A Westie named John Bokun went to Hollys bar and shot him. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. . Coonan wanted to restore his fathers pride so he went to a tenement ran by Hells Kitchen and purchased a fully automatic machine gun before firing an entire clip at Spillane and his crew. Required fields are marked *. he was slain during the wild 1970s, blown up along with his fancy Lincoln Continental by a bomb planted (purportedly) by the Hells Angels, contacted by his former enforcer Danny Greene. His father was an accountant and not involved in criminal activity. Only one defendant, John Halo, was acquitted on all charges. There is a documentary somewhere on YouTube from the early 90s where Mickey is in disguise but talks about his days in the Westies. he is the son of the notorious gangster Jimmy Coonan of the Westies, the Irish Mob in New York. His death would be one of many ordered by Salerno seeking to eliminate high ranking and veteran members of Spillane's organization. After his death, Cleveland went on to suffer many more bombings in the wake of Birns assassination, getting dubbed Bomb City, USA in the press, with 36 bombings in 1976 alone.[1]. The latest Tweets from Jimmy Coonan (@jimmy_coonan): ""The acid test of materialism is not how much I have or don't have, but my preoccupation and concern over it." Chip Ingram" [1] An amateur boxer and street fighter, he dropped out of school aged seventeen and embarked on a career in organized crime. Johnny Eng, AKA Onionhead or Machinegun Johnny, was the leader of the Flying Dragons street gang in the 1980s, controlling heroin in the Chinatown area of New York. Afraid that Eto would turn states witness, the mob decided to take him out. ! Instead of a cross, she hid an inverted pentagram in a flower engraved into the stone. His speciality? When Mickey returned to the notoriously violent, Irish dominated Hells Kitchen area of New York, his violent tendencies continued. He took aim and fired a whole 30 round magazine in one long burst at Spillane and some men with him. Coonan, 41, was found guilty of attempted murder, murder conspiracy, loansharking, extortion and income tax evasion among other crimes. Eto survived three gunshots to the head due to the bullets being hand-loaded with an insufficient amount of gunpowder (a method designed to stop investigators tracking the shooters via the spent ammo), the underpowered round grazing Etos skull as opposed to blowing off his head. James Michael Coonan (born December 21, 1946), nicknamed "Jimmy C", is an Irish-American mobster and racketeer from Manhattan, New York who, served as the boss of the Westies gang, an Irish mob group based in Hell's Kitchen, from approximately 1977 to 1988. Humphries quickly falling into to the favourite pastimes of early twentieth century kids in Chicagofist fighting and burglary. Report abuse Permalink. The Irish-American gang led by Jimmy Coonan and Francis (Mickey) Featherstone aligned itself with the Gambino crime family and enforced its racketeering schemes with a campaign of murder and. . Despite being innocent of this particular murder, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison. That was the one thing that stood out to me in the book. McCarthys also producing When Corruption Was King, set up at Paramount with Temple Hill Entertainment and based on a screenplay by Baldwin that made the 2009 Blacklist; and Havana Nocturne, for Eric Eisners L + E Pictures. reddit. The verdict came on the eighth day of jury deliberations. Your email address will not be published. In 1980, the Secret Service put Featherstone in jail for using fake currency at a massage parlor. Cummiskey was murdered by hitman Joseph Sullivan on August 20, 1976, in a bar. A year after his release in 2010, Engs wife Lori was murdered by another Flying Dragon member, David Chea, who killed himself (probably in order to avoid Johnny Engs retribution).[9]. Then, it was finally time to begin building the Jacob Javits Center in Hell's Kitchen, which would turn into a tremendous money maker. After refusing to acquiesce to Nicodemo Scarfos order to pay up a street tax to the family in order to keep operating, a move that would essentially absorb Phillys Greek mob into the Scarfo crime empire, Bouras was gunned down at the citys Meletis Greek Restaurant in 1981, where he was dining with his acquaintance Jeanette Curro, Raymond Martorano and radio host Jerry Blavat. Gmail. He was born on the upper West Side and his mother worked with the VFW and his father was a U. S. Customs officer. James Coonan is currently serving his 60 year sentence in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. In May 1977, Jimmy Coonan owed a substantial amount of money to loan shark Ruby Stein and decided to forgive his own debt by murdering Stein. The 1990 film State of Grace starred Sean Penn as an undercover officer who infiltrates the Westies. He was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Genovese crime family bookmaker Paul (Eli) Ziccardi as well as later participating in the gang war between Spillane and Coonan during the mid-1960s. This murder between friends rocked the entire neighborhood, violent as it was known for being. Jimmy Coonan brought the Westies into the 20th Century and presided over the most bloody and violent gang in New York City history. He would usually tell neighborhood youths about his criminal escapades from his violent past interjected with humor that left his audience laughing. The gang then tipped the cops thatFeatherstone killed Holly. He turned states witness in 1987, his testimony helping to bring down the Westies, seeing many members, including Coonan himself, sent to prison. Famous for his part in the 1971 robbery at the Villa Vizacaya in Florida that saw an estimated $1.5 million worth of art and silver objects, including a priceless silver bowl once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte, Stanimirovic paid his dues to society and went on to write for a living. Beattie was then instructed to go over to Dugan's apartment and bring down the carton of milk from the refrigerator. With the bad blood between Coonan and Featherstone, Coonan decided to set Featherstone up for murder. The association between Italian Americans and the Mafia is as strong as the association between Italian Americans and pizza. In addition to the racketeering convictions, some of the defendants, including reputed Westies boss James Jimmy Coonan, were found guilty of crimes ranging from attempted murder and loansharking to drug dealing and tax evasion. 3.0 out of 5 . this awesome character was inspired by one of the most fascinating men in 20th century African American history: Casper Holstein. Allegedly, they brought the head of Dugan with them, set it down on the bar stool, ordered his favorite whiskey, lit one of his cigarettes and put it in his mouth. Featherstones wife, Sissy, wore a wire and engaged other Westies in incriminating conversations to help her husband get out of jail. Featherstone and Coonan were tried for the murder of a Hells Kitchen barman in 1979 but were acquitted, not for want of evidence; one juror perjured himself at trial and a key witness just so happen to take his own life riiiight. He is a little obsessed with lists. He became known as Jimmy C. As we said last week, Jimmy C. took over the Hells Kitchen Irish mob after he made a deal with Gambino member Roy Demeo to kill the previous boss, Mickey Spillane, in 1977. The Peter Pan wiseguy they killed in NJ taught them that move. Home Crime Library Organized Crime James Coonan James Coonan was born December 21, 1946 in Manhattan, New York. Duing this time, Jimmy Coonan was in jail on gun possession charges. This dismembering method of disposing of his victims was used by Coonan many times. Eto entered the witness protection programme, relocated to Georgia where he lived a long, event free life. This was a broken man. he was slain during the wild 1970s, blown up along with his fancy Lincoln Continental by a bomb planted (purportedly) by the Hells Angels, contacted by his former enforcer Danny Greene. The Genovese crime family took over Spillanes construction business, and all of his organized crime businesses, and from that point on the Genovese crime family also ruled all of Hells Kitchen with an iron fist. Shady doings, ambitious heists and international political skulduggery are elements covered by great journalists like Vojislav Stanimirovic. The key prosecution witness, former No. When Benicio Del Toro has been cast to play a real-life figure, you know that person is bound to be a badass. But the key verdict was the jurys decision that the Westies did exist, that it constituted a racketeering enterprise and that the convicted defendants had participated in its activities to further the gangs criminal goals. However, the two soon proceeded with their real plan by brutally murdering and butchering Dugan. The racketeering charges alleged eight murders, four murder conspiracies and three attempted murders. Jimmy Coonan is currently being held at Lewisburg Federal Penetentiary, he is 59 years old and is Inmate Number 13874-054 his projected release date is November 6th, 2036, he'll be like 89 or some shit if he lives that long. After being released from jail in 1970, he started building up his own Irish gang so he could take over the rackets from Mickey Spillane. 2 Westie Francis Mickey Featherstone, said the gang had even shot a union leader as a favor to reputed Gambino boss John Gotti. During this incarceration Featherstone was injected with Thorazine. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. A trial on any single act in this indictment would have resulted in an acquittal, said Coonans lawyer, Gerald Shargel. He held sway over the citys illegal gambling rackets for years, making millions and allowing him to gain political connections that solidified his position. Click on the join beside the channel to receive special benefits!If you want to keep up with what BOTRWT does, why not follow our social media's?Twitter: @bldontherzrwire Instagram: @bldontherzrwire If you want to donate to our cause to promote a healthy lifestyle, and change the lives of everyone one day at a time, click one of the links below! Shondor Birns managed to survive the golden age of gangster historythe 20s and 30sand succeeded in the equally violent 50s and 60s. Watch. Mickey Featherstone was a complete nut case. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Unable to make a decent living, Birns family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where his mother set up an illegal alcohol still in their apartment during Prohibition. All defendants face up to 20 years apiece on both racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. he learned that he had been set up and framed by his own gang. Biography [ edit] He received a medical discharge in 1967 after just a year, claiming to have hallucinations. He became known as "Jimmy C." As we said last week, Jimmy C. took over the Hell's Kitchen Irish mob after he made a deal with Gambino member Roy Demeo to . At thirty-nine years old, he had already been convicted of assault and robbery and had been sent to Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York and at 37 was witness to the Attica Prison riot September 9, 1971 during his incarceration. There is a story that he was uncircumcised and he got drunk with a bunch of medics. Coonan and Ryan will never see the light of day (Sean Ryan wasn't a Westies anyways). He was discharged on medical grounds in 1967, claiming to be experiencing hallucinations. Even former gang members testifying for the prosecution said the name Westies was created by the police and the news media to describe Irish- American hoodlums on Manhattans West Side. Mr Anonymous Jul 01, 2010 #2 Kevin Kelly is out now. Birns was born in Czechoslovakia in 1907. [3][4], Coonan was the bodyguard/apprentice of loan shark Charles (Ruby) Stein according to The New York Times article that alleged he was "known and feared on the West Side as a murderer and kidnapper". Coonan and a number of the Westies gang owed money to a popular Jewish loan shark named Ruby Stein. However, Cummiskey was part of the Spillane crew and Dugan was part of the Coonan crew, and Spillane forbade violence against the Coonan gang unless they struck against his men first. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. [6][7], In 1979, Coonan was tried and acquitted for the murder of Harold Whitehead, but convicted on weapons charges and sentenced to four years in federal prison. [3] Author T.J. English has credited this event in several books as Coonan's motivating factor in the takeover of the Westies. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mickey Spillane or someone in his gang kidnapped Mr. Coonan for ransom and someone pistol whipped Coonans father. But that simply is not the whole story. Humphries decided that fighting fire with fire was the best plan, hijacking a Capone truck at gunpoint. You can contact the show to be a guest or to interview me!For general business inquiries: bloodontherazorwire@gmail.comIn today's video, I talk about the expriencies I've had with my brother and other various subjects. if you want to support the channel, we have multiple options for you. Later that evening, Paddy Dugan came across Dennis Curley walking around the streets of Hell's Kitchen and shot Curley twice in the head, killing him instantly. https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/49257984/download.mp3, Crooked: Interview about a Corrupt 1920s Attorney General. When you consider that the same guy also fought for the US-backed rebels in the botched Bay of Pigs invasion, got imprisoned for 2 years by the Cubans before fleeing back to the US to forge a criminal empire I mean, why are we only getting a movie now? There was also testimony by several witnesses that the Westies had forged an alliance with the Gambino organized crime family, said to be the largest and most powerful Mafia group in the country. Coonan and Cummiskey soon became known associates, as Cummiskey taught Coonan the "tricks of the trade". The hit-squad killed 68 members of Spillanes gang with most of them killed by being gunned down. You can contact the show to be a guest or to interview me!For general business inquiries: bloodontherazorwire@gmail.comIn today's video, I talk about the exp. During the early 1970s, Cummiskey took on a young protg by the name of James "Jimmy C" Coonan, a violent younger generation Irish hoodlum who wanted to take out the old-timer Mickey Spillane. In 1920, the still blew up as Birns mother was near it and killed her, leaving young Shondor to first have to live in a Jewish orphanage before eventually being taken in by his grandmother. McCarthy, Adler and Baldwin are also collaborating on an adaptation of Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Colemans Tower that Baldwin is penning. Maybe Amato. The Westies is a riveting true crime saga and also one of the great untold stories of the 20th century Irish-American experience, McCarthy said. Jimmy Coonans criminal career started in his teens. James Coonan was a baby boomer born December 21, 1946. Like. While serving time in an upstate New York prison, Cummiskey learned the trade of butchery and became a butcher with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters, allowing him to take advantage of his sentence to perfect a new and gruesome murder method. Jimmy on the left & Larry Sessa, a Colombo Crime Family mobster. We hope you enjoy the video!We also have new memberships! In another bar room fight in 1971, he shot and killed a guy named Linwood Willi. Dont forget to listen to Aaron on the Big Dumb Fun Show, live on Monday nights. The son of an accountant for famous mobsters, Coonan was no stranger to the criminal lifestyle. At least 30 of Spillanes gang were killed by bombings. In addition to the Coonans, both of Hazlet, N.J. and Bokun, the others convicted of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy were: James Jimmy Mack McElroy, 42; Richard Muggsy Ritter, 50; Thomas Collins, 53, and his wife Florence, 52, all of Manhattan.
