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. S.C. woman wins $300,000 lottery prize -- her second jackpot in 3 years. Alleged Westie's boss Jimmy Coonan, taken in 2015 in prison. It didn't help his case that the shooter abandoned a car owned by Mickey's place of employment at the time. Feather stone was CONVICTED of murder in 86 so he was off the street minimum in 1985 in which Alite was 23 a steroid pimple faced wannabee in Queens and mixing with guys in Manhattans Hell's Kitchen? #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.''. Despite a notably sweet and boyish face, Mickey Featherstone, a Vietnam veteran who had talked his way into the Green Berets at just seventeen years old, was known as one of the most vicious and ruthless members of the gang. Featherstone and the other Westies became known as ruthless killers who enjoyed near complete impunity due to the fear they struck in potential witnesses. April 28 (UPI) -- A bear stuck in a Nevada tree was rescued by wildlife officials and firefighters who tranquilized the bruin and then caught the large animal in a tarp. Meanwhile, the District Attorneys office agreed to work with Featherstones wife to obtain evidence confirming Featherstones claims. Jimmy Coonan, the ruthless leader of the Westies in the 1970s. The Westies have been linked with the Gambino crime family for the last eight to 10 years, Morgenthau said. Francis "Mickey" Featherstone, a leader of New York City's Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, was set up by other members of the gang to take the fall for the 1985 murder of Michael Holly. An unhinged man with a hot temper and a hair trigger, Mickey Featherstone was known to kill for little to no reason at all. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. She was able to record Bokun describing the shooting of Michael Holly while wearing a wig as Featherstone. Cookie Notice How feared was Mickey Featherstonereally? Kelly is a fugitive who has been indicted for the attempted murder of a carpenter's union official. Francis T. Mickey Featherstone was a member of the Irish mob until he was framed for a murder he didnt commit and turned informant. Florida Democrats skewered Gov. He had a low boiling point to start with and if alcohol was involved, and it often was, Mickey had the potential to explode. 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. Scottish Island for sale with asking price of $188,000. on our list, Other When Mickey returned to the notoriously violent, Irish dominated Hell's Kitchen area of New York, his violent tendencies continued. A Federal prosecutor, Mary Lee Warren, said Friday that the Government had fulfilled its obligation to bring Mr. Featherstone's cooperation to the judge's attention but made no recommendation about the sentence. Jimmy on the left & Larry Sessa, alleged Colombo Crime Family mobster. There where a series of gruesome murders taking place in the neighborhood and Jimmy Coonan and, This week we are starting a multi-part series with Justin Rimmel of the Mysterious Circumstances Podcast to talk about one of the most violent, brutal crime organizations in New York City from the 60's-80's The Westies. Featherstone returned with a rifle and shot one of the brothers John Riley in the arm, for which he was arrested and probationed. Well never sell your personal information. Public DomainGambino boss Paul Castellano. The institution kept Featherstone working on the ward, out of General Population, for his own safety. 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. 44. r/Mafia. Featherstone was convicted in 1986, but his conviction was reversed later that year when the actual shooter was identified. She said the Government explained the scope and value of his cooperation, along with the severity of his offense. 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, The Hitman Who Took Down The Westies DeSantis Gets Chilly Reception in DC From Frustrated Florida Democrats [1] He was shocked at receiving his sentence of 25 years in prison, and concluded that he had been framed by his own gang. On Dec. 21, he received a suspended sentence with five years of probation after Federal and state authorities sent letters commending his cooperation to Judge Robert W. Sweet, who sentenced him in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Judge Sweet, noting that Mr. Featherstone had already served the equivalent of a five-year sentence on a murder charge that was later dismissed, said the probation on the racketeering charge included conditions that the defendant take part in counseling and rehabilitation programs. After his conviction was overturned, he struck a deal with the authorities to inform on his own organization. Anonymous. Privacy Policy. Then in April 1985, he was shot and killed on a New York City street by a man using a silencer. [1] He spent time in a series of mental hospitals, being released in 1975. On April 25, 1985, Billy Bokun (John Bokuns brother), wearing a wig to look like Featherstone, approached Holly on a crowded street and killed him, firing five bullets into his back. According to our records, Mickey Featherstone is possibly single. Francis Mickey Featherstone, a leader of New York Citys Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, was set up by other members of the gang to take the fall for the 1985 murder of Michael Holly. J.Coonan little girl.. not sure of the date this was posted. Aussie tourist 'very sorry' for drunken, nude rampage in Indonesia. Chastising them for murdering two important Mafia loan sharks in Manhattan, Castellano told Coonan the Westies should pay the family 10 percent from all of their illegal proceeds and in turn, the Gambinos would finance the Westies loansharking operation. [1] Rather than serving his sentence he instead told prosecutors that Bokun had committed the murder, and he became an informant. '', See the article in its original context from. 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. In the mid-1970s, Coonans Westies seized control of organized crime from predominant West Side gang leader, Mickey Spillane. So she cant better her life due to her family history? After providing the necessary information about the crimes of his fellow Westies, 38-year-old Francis Mickey Featherstone entered the federal witness protection program. The Westies - Billy Beattie & Mickey Featherstone - Later Days (podcast The district attorney said they were 'very brutal. 2 mo. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. Mickey nolonger has bad nightmares and is FULLY RECOVERED and states his past is a blur. Neil Patmore is a former police officer, and private investigator. That isnt her daughter, its her neice. April 28 (UPI) -- A lost dog in Northern Ireland was found 26 days later after walking more than 40 miles to the home of his former owners. From a New York Times-bestselling author: A true story of Irish gangsters in Manhattan"A harrowing account of big city crime" (Library Journal). Released to the streets of Hells Kitchen in 1975, Featherstone formed an association with another feared gangster, Jimmy Coonan, a stone-cold killer with a fierce reputation. . Mickey, whose memories of Vietnam torture him daily, is his enforcer. Public DomainJimmy Coonan, the ruthless leader of the Westies in the 1970s. Mr. Featherstone indeed served in Vietnam - as a stock clerk. 'That's the way they get the message out.'. '', ''During the 40 years of your life,'' Judge Sweet told Mr. Featherstone, ''you have experienced violence as a child, as a student in our city schools, as a soldier in Vietnam, as a criminal on the streets and as a killer and an enforcer of one of the most feared gangs in our city.'' Jimmy, a charismatic sociopath, is the leader. 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. In the criminal underworld, trust is a slippery commodity. Many people mistakenly underestimated Featherstone, given his small stature, making him even more dangerous. We have no records . Billy Bokuns attorney was Kenneth Aronson, the same attorney who had represented Featherstone in Hollys murder trial. He went on trial with Coonan for the killing of a barman, but they were acquitted in December 1979 after one witness killed himself and another refused to testify. Who is Mickey Featherstone dating? April 28 (UPI) -- An isolated private island off the coast of Scotland is for sale with an asking price of about $188,000. Morgenthau said in their heyday there were 30 Westies, but that number has been reduced to 10 or 15 as many of them have been jailed or killed. After deciding to cooperate with the authorities, Mr. Featherstone pleaded guilty to a Federal racketeering charge, admitting his participation in four murders, five murder conspiracies and additional acts of loan-sharking, drug dealing and other crimes. Jimmy, a charismatic sociopath, is the leader. Login [2] His conviction eventually came in February 1982, after using counterfeit currency at a massage parlor - he was traced because the girl remembered seeing his name tattooed on his forearm, and he was sentenced to six years. They pulled over, either to do cocaine or because one of them asked him to. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This Featherstone is littlebit like leonetti - talks clearly, calmy, but what a psycho! McElroy and Bokun are in jail charged with other killings. Jimmy, a charismatic sociopath, is the leader. Until his release last week, Mr. Featherstone had been held in custody on his racketeering charge and for a parole violation involving his earlier conviction in a counterfeiting case. IRISHORGANISEDCRIMEFORUM-Mickey Featherstone and Family UPDATE [4] Mickey Spillane, the mob leader in Hell's Kitchen at the time, was shot five times outside his apartment in August 1977, and Featherstone was arrested but acquitted for his killing. Author T.J.. DeSantis may have overreached when he went to war with Disney, and Feb 13, 2011 #28. 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. [2] His mother helped with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and his father was a United States Customs Service officer. When Steins torso washed up a few days later, a member of the gang was overheard saying we should have cut the lungs open according to the Associated Press. Morgenthau said that in November 1983 Julia Coonan visited her husband, who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator, in the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., and the two hatched the plot to kill the victim. Judge Sweet stressed that Mr. Featherstone testified as a major witness in a trial that ended early this year in the conviction of seven members of the Westies, including James Coonan, the gang's leader, who received a sentence of 75 years in prison. gb1993 2 yr. ago On April 25, 1985, 41-year-old Holly was walking down a New York street when a man stepped out of a car and shot him five times, using a gun with a silencer. Ron DeSantis for assailing Disney, which employees tens of thousands of their constituents, just to court MAGA voters. (Video) Mickey Featherstone - 60 Minutes Interview Mickey Featherstone was a complete nut case. They said that over the years it has been steeped in gambling and loansharking. The Wild Westies' last stand? - IrishCentral.com Featherstone, despite standing 57 with wide blue eyes, shaggy blonde hair, and a boyish face, soon developed a killers reputation that might not have been apparent from his appearance alone. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. In the early 1980s, Featherstone spent periods of time in mental hospitals, before returning to the Westies. When someone laid eyes on him in person the reaction was usually disbelief, with his violent notoriety disproportionate to his small physical stature. Featherstone was linked by two eyewitnesses, as well as circumstantial evidence, as the car driven by the shooter was traced to the trucking company where Featherstone was employed. It finally happened folks and it was a blast! NEW YORK -- The wife of a reputed West Side mobster and three members of his Irish gang were indicted Wednesday in the killing of a loanshark, and the Manhattan prosecutor said the gang was responsible for 28 murders. Through his work in the Westies, Art secured Billy Beattie and another Westies member . Support The National Registry of Exonerations , The Contribution of Forensic and Expert Evidence to DNA Exoneration Cases, Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States, 2022, Government Misconduct and Convicting the Innocent, Witness Recantations: Preliminary Findings, May 2013, Exonerations in the United States: 1989 - 2012, Tell us about an Exoneration that we missed, Tell Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod. 501 1/2 43rd St. Mickey Featherstone, one of the most-feared Westies who had committed multiple murders before he even got into the gang, was raised in this building with nine brothers and sisters. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. 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. Help us build our profile of Mickey Featherstone! [5], "Books of The Times; The Rise and Fall of a Thoroughly Vicious Gang", "New York Stories: Hell's Kitchen Killers", "Admitted Westies Killer Who Informed Is Free", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mickey_Featherstone&oldid=1082198232, This page was last edited on 11 April 2022, at 21:33. The District Attorneys office agreed to work with Featherstones wife, Sissy Featherstone, to see if they could obtain evidence confirming Featherstones claims. The man the gang judged responsible for the murder, Michael Holly, skipped town to escape the heat, but returned a few years later. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. Congrats to him for being the first multi-million dollar illiterate trader. If it is the first time you login, a new account will be created automatically. Julia Coonan pleaded innocent to conspiracy charges in state Supreme Court in Manhattan and Judge Peter McQuillan set $50,000 bail. More than 150 beverages delivered to woman's home without explanation. Mickey Featherstone Wiki, Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Net With this evidence in hand showing that Featherstones fellow gang members had turned on him and set him up, his conviction was overturned in September 1986, and Featherstone agreed to become an informant. The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob - amazon.com April 28 (UPI) -- Animal services officers in South Carolina responded to a home where a resident was shocked to find an alligator in his garage. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. The shooter, Featherstone had learned, was William Billy Bokun, the brother of Hollys alleged victim, John Bokun. 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. Then in 1985, Coonan, fearing a power grab by Featherstone, set him up to take a fall for murder. Shes the 2nd from the right, looks just like him. Led by Jimmy Coonan and, From an introduction made by his long time friend Tom Sheer, Joe Poletto was introduced to Art Ruffles, special agent in charge of the FBIs organized crime unit in charge of the Gambino, DeMeo and Westies cases. However, Holly returned to New York City several years later. Alligator removed from South Carolina resident's garage. ''At least for the time being,'' the judge said, ''the Westies have been broken as an organization, largely as a result of your cooperation.''. Defense Lawyers' Complaints. [1] In September 1986, Judge Alvin Schlesinger overturned Featherstone's conviction. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. Morgenthau said they were among the top hitmen in the gang. Brisman Craigslist Murder Phillip Markoff was born 1986. Outside the courtroom, Coonan's lawyer Lawrence Hochheiser said, 'She's a housewife her only crime is being his wife. Tools 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. ''This sentence is an act of trust which you have earned,'' the judge told Mr. Featherstone. Meet Mickey Featherstone, The Deranged Hitman Who Turned Informant And Helped Bring Down The Westies. Because of men like Featherstone, convictions of Westies members became increasingly difficult to secure because potential witnesses were terrified of them and their willingness to swiftly kill anyone who crossed them. After learning about Mickey Featherstone, read how Irish mobster Danny Greene took on the Cleveland Mafia or learn about mobster Frank The Irishman Sheeran. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Anyone can read what you share. He was in the westies but went into witness protection in the 80s or 90s. With the new information provided by Featherstone in 1986, prosecutors were able to obtain indictments against eight members of the Westies, including leader Jimmy Coonan, and all but one were convicted. Join. His maniacal behavior also saw Featherstone spending parts of the early 1970s in various mental hospitals. The Westies : Inside New York's Irish Mob - Google Books Even among his murderous peers, he was known as a brutal killer. Mickey's trouble started in 1977 with the murder of a member of the Westies named John Bokun. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Morgethau said the gang began as gamblers and loansharks but have committed 28 murders, five of which have been solved. [5] He was freed in December 1988[5] and went into a witness protection program. I wonder how much of it was drugs. Mickey, whose memories of Vietnam torture him daily, is his enforcer. In 1984 Vincent Leone, Jimmy McElroy and Kevin Kelly were travelling in Leone's car in New Jersey. 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. Please enable scripts and reload this page. In the following decade, the Westies teamed up with the infamous Sicilian Mafia, becoming a militant arm of the Gambino family. Thanks to everyone who came out, we had a fantastic time. The became hired killers in the 1970s, authorities said. Coonan held Holly responsible for Bokuns death, but his murder was repeatedly put off over the years. In part one we are covering the backstory of the main characters, Jimmy Coonan , CRiiiME LiiiVE! It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. Relationship history. Is he still alive? His parents divorced and mother remarried. [4] He pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge and received a suspended sentence of five years' probation from Judge Robert W. Sweet due to his cooperation with the authorities. And now, in April 2023, Carlson is gone too, even more abruptly than his predecessor, though perhaps under a similar cloud.Once again, the ouster is being crowed about by liberals who really . For more information, please see our He was born on the upper West Side and his mother worked with the VFW and his father was a U. S. Customs officer. Admitted Westies Killer Who Informed Is Free - New York Times Can you list the top facts and stats about Mickey Featherstone? One day you're a made man, the next, you're sleeping with the fishes. Those who knew him in the neighborhood often crossed the street when they saw him coming their way. 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. 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. Featherstone's penchant for violence and intimidation caught the eye of Coonan and Featherstone became Coonan's right-hand man by 1976. Morgenthau said the gang thought Leone 'manipulated the reporting of sports bets and deprived the Westies and the Gambinos of their share in the proceeds.'. April 28 (UPI) -- A Nebraska high school said it broke a Guinness World Record when more than 1,000 students participated in a water balloon toss event. 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. [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. Relationships. 1 killed in shooting at Massachusetts house party, Heavy shelling in Kherson, Kharkiv destroys residences, Cuba postpones International Workers' Day parade over fuel shortages, Democrats, Republicans remain split on debt ceiling plan, SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches following aborted mission, delays. Those who knew Featherstone in the neighborhood often crossed the street when they saw him coming their way. The Registry also maintains a more limited database of known exonerations prior to 1989. [1] He served in the Vietnam War as member of the Green Berets aged just 17 after lying about his age. #opensource #serverless. Authorities said Leone was a loanshark and a bookie who created no-show jobs and took kickbacks from dockworkers on the Hudson River piers that border the Irish gang's territory in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan's West Side. It was founded in 2012 in conjunction with the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. 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. He had been discharged from the army in 1967, suffering from hallucinations, and spent years in and out of a mental hospital.