The Westies: Inside the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob - amazon.com Nicky Scarfo the former head of the Philadelphia crime family pictured in the late 80s, One of the most blood thirsty and paranoid bosses of his time. The Westies grew out of a Hell's Kitchen bootlegging mob formed by former Cotton Club owner Owen Madden, authorities said. Who's Online Now: 1 registered members (1 invisible), 74 guests, and 3 spiders. District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said the gang was linked with the Gambino crime family, New York's strongest Mafia group, and served as 'hired guns' for the Gambinos, whose reputed leader, John Gotti, is standing trial in Brooklyn. But the Westies now had an enemy in Featherstone. [2] The police suspected him of a series of mob contract killings. Federal officials said Friday that Mr. Featherstone was released from custody on Dec. 23, two days after he was given probation on a racketeering charge involving the Westies, a gang that terrorized an area of Manhattan west of Eighth Avenue between 42d and 57th Streets. Or, as was the case with Mickey Featherstone, you find you've been chosen as the fall guy for a power grab within the gang. information about the Registry, Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense. The district attorney said they were 'very brutal. Outside the courtroom, Coonan's lawyer Lawrence Hochheiser said, 'She's a housewife her only crime is being his wife.' He had his wife Sissy record some conversations with Westie Billy Bokun, brother of John, in which he admitted to killing Holly. After DeSantis pushed a last-minute repeal of the company's prized status through the legislature, he romped to . They pulled over, either to do cocaine or because one of them asked him to. In the mid-1970s, these two longtime friends take the reins of New York's Irish mob, using brute force to give it hitherto unthinkable power. Mickey Featherstone was second-in-command to Jimmy Coonan, leader of the Westies, an extremely violent Irish mob that operated in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, in the 1970s and 1980s. Featherstone excelled in training and joined the special forces, but was disappointed to serve as a stock clerk while other recruits saw combat. [1] Rather than serving his sentence he instead told prosecutors that Bokun had committed the murder, and he became an informant. Featherstone was given 25 years to life for Holly's murder. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Mickey Featherstone news, gossip, photos of Mickey Featherstone, biography, Mickey Featherstone girlfriend list 2022. Westie members murdered and dismembered him in the back of Coonans bar, then threw his remains in the Hudson River. It finally happened folks and it was a blast! #7 Convicted ''One of your trademarks was the murder and dismemberment of your victims in order to terrorize and avoid detection,'' the judge said, adding that Mr. Featherstone had been ''hospitalized for alcoholic addiction and psychiatric problems.''. The District Attorneys office agreed to work with Featherstones wife, Sissy Featherstone, to see if they could obtain evidence confirming Featherstones claims. Nine gang members, including two of the three indicted Wednesday, are awaiting trial or serving prison terms. For example, Featherstone got probation for shooting a man in the arm, and when he killed a man outside a bar in 1971, Featherstone beat the rap with an insanity plea. [1] His testimony at Coonan's racketeering trial during 198788 helped to bring down Coonan's gang. Francis Mickey Featherstone was born on West 43rd Street on Sept. 2, 1948. An unhinged man with a hot temper and a hair trigger, Mickey Featherstone was known to kill for little to no reason at all. Mickey Featherstone is an American Criminal. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Then in April 1985, he was shot and killed on a New York City street by a man using a silencer. 'That's the way they get the message out.'. In the latest indictment, Julia Coonan, 44, wife of imprisoned Westies leader James Coonan, was charged with scheming to murder the loanshark, he said. 'Fog of bees' briefly interrupts PGA Tour's Mexico Open. Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 Francis T. "Mickey" Featherstone (born September 2, 1948) is a former Irish American mobster and member of the Westies, an organized crime syndicate from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan in New York City, led by James Coonan. Mickey Featherstone : r/Mafia - Reddit At first, it appeared that he had won. In the mid-1970s, these two longtime friends take the reins of New York's Irish mob, using brute force to give it hitherto unthinkable power. Grow up. In the late 1970s, the Westies began collaborating with the Gambino family and its notorious Mafia, with the Westies functioning as an enforcer arm of the Gambino ring carrying out assigned executions and sharing in weekly profits. I would say unlikely. Public DomainJimmy Coonan (right) in a prison photo circa 1990. Meanwhile, the District Attorneys office agreed to work with Featherstones wife to obtain evidence confirming Featherstones claims. Witnesses described a man who looked a lot like Featherstone. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Put this image on your website to promote the show -, Report inappropriate content or request to remove this page. That's 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. Congrats to him for being the first multi-million dollar illiterate trader. His parents divorced and mother remarried. In March 1986, Featherstone was found guilty, and faced a sentence of 25 years to life. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. He was charged with three murders over the years, but was always able to get acquitted after pleading insanity. Join. Dog missing for 26 days walked 40 miles to his former home. He was a house mom for his first couple of yrs in the WPP and he is now a day trader investing only personal funds. Seems like a quiet shy guy but in reality he's a stone cold killer. The three, James McElroy, 36, William Bokun, 29, and Kevin Kelly, 31, allegedly killed Leone in Guttenberg, N.J., on Feb. 11, 1984. [1] He spent time in a series of mental hospitals, being released in 1975. He was a model prisoner, seen daily picking fine lint off of his perfectly made bunk to pass inspection, and starting arguments with others for not polishing their door frame brass. This pic is of edna. Public DomainJimmy Coonan, the ruthless leader of the Westies in the 1970s. He has to be up there in age, 58 maybe, 60 maybe? According to our records, Mickey Featherstone is possibly single. He has since been living in anonymity in the federal witness protection program. Featherstone was convicted in 1986, but his conviction was reversed later that year when the actual shooter was identified. He was circumcised. IRISHORGANISEDCRIMEFORUM-Mickey Featherstone and Family UPDATE [3] To his disappointment, he was pulled from combat duty, he was involved in criminal mischief with his friends and was disciplined for many drunken pranks. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. Francis T. "Mickey" Featherstone (born September 2, 1948) is a former Irish American mobster and member of the Westies, an organized crime syndicate from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan in New York City, led by James Coonan. Brisman Craigslist Murder Phillip Markoff was born 1986. The Westies reign of terror was largely built on the back of, The Westies, a gang long known to law enforcement officials, if not to the public, as one of the most savage organizations in the long history of New York gangs. Then in 1985, Coonan, fearing a power grab by Featherstone, set him up to take a fall for murder. Based on the car and the eyewitness identifications, Featherstone was convicted of Hollys murder in April 1986 and sentenced to spend 25 years to life in prison. DeSantis Gets Chilly Reception in DC From Frustrated Florida Democrats The evidence seemed overwhelming, and the next day Featherstone was booked. According to The National Registry of Exonerations, Francis "Mickey" Featherstone was a member of the violent Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, who sought power in the underworld of New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood from the 1960s to the late '80s. Back in Hells Kitchen, Featherstone soon found himself involved in more serious forms of criminal mischief. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in federal court against Florida Gov. The Wild Westies' last stand? - IrishCentral.com Thanks to everyone who came out, we had a fantastic time. At 17, Featherstone lied about his age and joined the army with dreams of becoming a Green Beret. Featherstone contacted prosecutors from his trial and convinced them that the shooter may have been Billy Bokun, wearing a wig to look like Featherstone. New York law enforcement attributed at least thirty unsolved murders to the Westies in the 1970s and 1980s, and they were known as an extremely violent group, even by gang standards. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Featherstone was born on West 43rd St.,[1] one of nine children. The Westies reign of terror was largely built on the back of Featherstones ferocious reputation. The DEA ranks him as one of the top 10 drug traffickers in US history. The became hired killers in the 1970s, authorities said. As they were interviewing employees, Mickey Featherstone walked right into their midst - short, slight and light-haired. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The institution kept Featherstone working on the ward, out of General Population, for his own safety. When Mickey returned to the notoriously violent, Irish dominated Hell's Kitchen area of New York, his violent tendencies continued. Coonan's former underling, Francis 'Mickey' Featherstone, has pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering charge and is cooperating with authorities, leading to the recent spate of arrests. Mickey, whose memories of Vietnam torture him daily, is his enforcer. Mickey Featherstones Oldest Son Was in Kuwait before 9/11 and is now married to a School Teacher, His 2nd son Just received a Medal of Bravery from the armey his oldest daughter is married and has her own business and his youngest daughter is in college on a Athletic Schollarship. Joey and Friend David Rafeli Owner/CEO at Rafaeli's Cigars. The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob - Goodreads Sissy Featherstone had regular interactions with Billy Bokun, and she was able to record Bokun describing the shooting of Michael Holly while wearing a wig, as well as expressing his belief that Kevin Kelly had asked him to wear the wig in order to eliminate Featherstone as a competitor for power within the Westies. IRISHORGANISEDCRIMEFORUM-Mickey Featherstone and Family UPDATE Yeah, Featherstone is a strange character. According to The National Registry of Exonerations, Francis "Mickey" Featherstone was a member of the violent Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, who sought power in the underworld of New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood from the 1960s to the late '80s. Morgethau said the gang began as gamblers and loansharks but have committed 28 murders, five of which have been solved. [1] He served in the Vietnam War as member of the Green Berets aged just 17 after lying about his age. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. The title should be changed to 'The True Crime Classic About Mickey Featherstone's Time As Part Of New York's Notorious Irish Mob'. Author T.J.. Francis T. "Mickey" Featherstone is a former Irish American mobster and member of the Westies, an organized crime syndicate from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan in New York City, led by James Coonan. [3][4] He received a medical discharge in 1967 after just a year, claiming to have hallucinations. Law enforcement attributed at least 30 unsolved murders to the gang and the innocuous-looking Mickey Featherstone was recognized as one of their most vicious members. Rich and Shefsky, joined by show favorite Jeremiah Watkins, took over the Bel, 12 Angry Menis a 1957 Americancourtroom drama filmdirected bySidney Lumet, adapted from ateleplay of the same namebyReginald Rose. '', See the article in its original context from. Mickey Featherstone, The Hitman Who Took Down The Westies This is legendary NYC drug kingpin Frank Mathews. Mickey Featherstone interview at 29 mins. : r/Mafia - Reddit He made it clear that he is not in it for the money but to let the public be aware of the TRUTH and most of all how he was framed by his lawyers, the westies, friends, and the NYPD for the Holly Killing. [1] He served in heavy combat and then as a stock clerk. Scottish Island for sale with asking price of $188,000. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. James Coonan is awaiting trial for an alleged revenge killing against a gang member. On this installment we will discuss what caused the rift between, This week we are getting even deeper into Hell's Kitchen. Featherstone's penchant for violence and intimidation caught the eye of Coonan and Featherstone became Coonan's right-hand man by 1976.
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