Back in the day, this quiet massachusetts town was a mafia. This story is written by michael mclean, who says, i have read all the books and the. Irish gang wars bloodied citizen somerville radio boston. Hassett the neighborhood has seen much over the decades. Once a week youll receive a brief update on city events, news, services, and opportunities to get involved as well as invitations to community meetings with mayor curtatone and your councilors. It derives its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville, massachusetts north of boston. Semiautobiographical, the book depicts what it was like growing up in east somerville among members of the winter hill gang during and after the irish gang wars of the 1960s. Before his acting days, rocco, whose name was alex petricone, and mclean were charged with murdering ber nie mclaughlin on halloween day 1961. 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. It gets its name from the 120foot hill that occupies its landscape, the name of which dates back to the 18th century. Obama, whose sweeping oratory and increasing momentum could possibly lead him into the white house, lived at 365. After his arrest and imprisonment in 1999, he became a cooperating witness. Raw, exposing all, beautifully written in the vernacular it should be written in.
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. Howie winter, 83, and exhead of winter hill gang, arrested. Growing up in somerville in the late 80s early 90s id always hear about the winter hill gang but no one really knew what the hell they were talkin about, just that they were a tough gang. Whitey bulger, and hitmen john martorano and stephen the. Winter hill, ma real estate winter hill homes for sale. In the book black mass by dick lehr and gerard oneill, the authors claimed that. You may know them as the gang that couldnt shoot straight, made famous by a jimmy breslin book. Winter was the righthand man to the originator of the gang, james buddy. See more ideas about crime, mafia gangster and mafia. Joey y was not a titan of the boston underworld, as you can discern from his lowly position at the absolute bottom of the feds organizational chart for the winter hill gang. Growing up with the winter hill gang martini, bobby. The winter hill gangs core membership was mainly irishamerican and italianamerican, deriving its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville, massachusetts, north of boston. Our shops were located a halfmile apart along the broadway section of somerville, more specifically winter hill, where the james whitey bulger mob roamed.
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. I truly enjoyed this book, although it probably will appeal mostly to nearby residents, descendants of residents, and boston area crime literature junkies. Kevin weeks born march 21, 1956 is a former irish american mobster and a longtime friend and confidant to james j. Bulger, the infamous boss of the winter hill gang, a crime family based out of the winter hill neighborhood in somerville, massachusetts. Zillow has 19 homes for sale in winter hill somerville matching. Nov 02, 2010 i truly enjoyed this book, although it probably will appeal mostly to nearby residents, descendants of residents, and boston area crime literature junkies. Hardwood floors, 2 generous bedrooms, eat in kitchen, large living room. At the top of the hill is the winter hill bakery, a. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on trulia. We all knew of the winter hill gang but we didnt really know them until this book. In the winter hill neighborhood in somerville, ma, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as italian 12. 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.
Mar 19, 2016 james whitey bulgers winter hill gang. Bulgers criminal career was winding down, he remained the undisputed mob boss. What winter hill thinks of whitey somerville, ma patch. 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. Whether you need help shoveling, or youre a teen looking. At the top of the hill is the winter hill bakery, a famous landmark in the area. The book is about howie winter and the winter hill gang, which ive heard.
See more ideas about whitey bulger, organized crime, mafia gangster. A somerville reading list somerville public library. The winter hill gang was given its name in the 1970s by journalists at the. There are also a number of people of irish ancestry 12. Boston sunday globe collaring the reader from the start, legends of winter hill pushes hard and fast, propelling largerthanlife characters across the page, never loosening its grip. An early map of the area dated 1637 from the papers of. Back in the day, this quiet massachusetts town was a mafia mecca.
Winter hill is presidential the somerville news blog. Apartments for rent in winter hill, somerville, ma. The somerville mob boss is shot to death leaving the peppermint lounge in winter hill. The somerville news blog somervilles most widely read newspaper. Atkinson also follows the career of joe mccains son, joe jr. His testimony is viewed as responsible for the convictions of fbi. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, predominantly irishamerican.
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. Irish gang wars in its streets, gentrification, decades of immigrants carving out new communities for themselves, and a future presidential candidate, barack obama, living in a basement apartment on broadway. Winter and his informant also discussed the possibility of getting actor alex rocco, a somerville native with ties to the winter hill gang, to star in the movie. My life as an enforcer for whitey bulger and the boston.
My life as an enforcer for whitey bulger and the boston irish. 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. Its members have included notorious boston gangsters buddy mclean, whitey bulger, howie winter, joe mcdonald, johnny martorano, patrick. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusetts area organized crime figures, who are predominantly of irish and italian descent. Its members have included notorious boston gangsters howie winter, james buddy mclean, james j. 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. Legends of winter hill, which had me cringing one minute and laughing the next, broadened my street education. Final chapter in winter hill gang history boston herald. Peabody author leavitt makes book on mobster mclean itemlive. Winter hill real estate winter hill somerville homes for. Winter was born in boston, massachusetts on march 17, 1929. Winter hill is located roughly north of medford street, west of mcgrath highway, and east of magoun square. Apartments for rent in winter hill somerville zillow. So once i picked this book up i couldnt put it down.
Peabody author leavitt makes book on mobster mclean. Apr 11, 2016 the winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, predominantly irishamerican and italianamerican. 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 this could be one of the bloodiest new england gang wars ever with over 60 killed. Jan 15, 2018 the winter hill gang takes its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville. Other notable neighborhoods include union square and winter hill, erstwhile home of the winter hill gang, the organized crime group headed by whitey bulger in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as east somerville, probably the last nongentrified area, which has a substantial immigrant population. In legends of winter hill atkinson traces big joes career from the day he put on his boston metropolitan police uniform in the 1950s through the heyday of his runins with mafiosi, bad cops, and ruthless killers, up to his death in 2001. Larry leavitt holds his new book on the winter hill mob in somerville. The 120foot hill that occupies the winter hill neighborhood played a key role in the american revolution but all signs of its significance during that time have vanished. Winter hill is a neighborhood in somerville, massachusetts. By 1979, howie winter and the rest of the somerville crew were all sent to prison for fixing horse races, leaving whitey bulger and stephen flemmi as the new leaders of the winter hill gang. Michael mclean grew up in somerville, massachusetts, and now lives in south boston. This could be one of the bloodiest new england gang wars ever with over 60 killed.
January 1967 edward wimpy bennett the south boston and roxbury rackets boss is gunned down in his garage at home. Michael mclean grew up in somerville, massachusetts. Dec 08, 2011 here in somerville, the book includes a passage about, on marshall street in winter hill, which was the winter hill gang s headquarters, and about the current site of the, which used to be, a. Obama, whose sweeping oratory and increasing momentum could possibly lead him into the white house. Michael mclean official author website king of winter hill. This book maps the bloody history that helped him become king of boston crime. Were kicking our list off with a few books that provide some general history. There have been many books about the mob, but every now and then, a true story appears and becomes a hit. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, who are predominantly of irish and italian descent. Winter hill somerville, ma 02145, neighborhood profile. 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. The group was founded by james buddy mclean in 1950, but was most powerful between 1965 and 1979. Over sixty men were murdered, including the leader of the winter hill gang, james buddy mclean. Com in the early 1960s a bloody civil war broke out between the two powerful.
Winter hill yacht club somerville, massachusetts sports. 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. Browse mls listings in winter hill and take real estate virtual tours at realtor. The winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, predominantly irishamerican and italianamerican.