We've spent the past 2 years scouring through FBI 302s, newspaper articles, hearing transcripts and books. What started out as a personal conflict between Buddy McLean and the McLaughlin brothers turned into a citywide gang war that raged all throughout the 1960s. He told them to get out of town and they obeyed. But they knew better. Edward Wimpy Bennett (died 1967) Wimpy Bennett was the most powerful Irish mobster in Boston in the 1950s and early 1960s. Just like in the death of Walter Bennett. Besides their criminal activities, Walter had his lounge, Wimpy, his variety of businesses ranging from a smoke shop, construction and smut peddling. 197 people like this. Sweet was an associate of Walter Bennetts and a frequent visitor of. Wimpy was looking for Det. MafiaHitters.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Back to Frankies rabbi schtick. A third brother, William Bennett, was shot and. But his son didnt report him officially missing until March. The Patriots had to make a decision on his future now . There was, for example, the Bennett brothers. The following day Wimpy met with a friend at 10:00 am and was supposed to sign a company payroll after that, but never showed up. You know Dickie wasnt packing a full deck. Hope you join us again. McLean responded that George had been highly disrespectful and the beating he got was legitimately justified. Russell Nicholson (1931-1964) Russell Nicholson was a police officer, but also a close associate and actual member of the Winter Hill Gang. 4.5. $100.00. Walters car was eventually found in a parking lot at Logan Airport. The informant stated that Flemmi and Salemme were really moving and are going to be big with the organization. He's completed nine other books,. But then the police arrived on the scene and the four men were forced to surrender at gunpoint. Just like in the death of Walter Bennett, Salemme claimed that William Bennett was looking for revenge for his brothers. Wayland, a town tucked into the majestic Finger Lakes Region of New York, is rich in heritage and history. Located on the Northeast Cape Fear River with a shipping lane depth approach, Cape Fear Marina offers security and convenience, located minutes from Historic Downtown Wilmington and Wilmington International Airport (ILM). Was her phone tapped? Shea turned his back on organized crime. Hannon suffered a horrific death. Before the end of his time in the service Wimpy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. I bet most of our listeners dont know where the story that Frankie Salemme murdered Walter Bennett came from. He soon went back to prison for narcotics trafficking. Howie Winter had an entirely different version of events which at least had the location and events spot on. Five men were named: Hugh Shields, Frank Salemme, Stevie Flemmi, Peter Poulos, and Robert Daddieco. Here is a brief history of the Bennett Automobile Agency and the building, by Guy Bennett Jr. 1939 Car lot with cars front to back order 39, 38, 37, 36. How many authors, journos, former law enforcement officers, congressmen and ordinary folk have bought that story and regurgutated it like they had been there watching it unfold! Moving on. The cops found Dickies corpse face up in the trunk after theyd towed it to the police garage. There were no fingerprints or weapons found at the scene, but a couple of months later Von Maxcys widow Irene came forward to say that her lover Johnny Sweet arranged for the murder of her husband. He has appeared on various documentaries and local news interviews. Sweet's first trial ended in a hung jury. They pistol whipped the guard and forced the bank manager and customers to the floor. The rivalry got so heated that other Boston gangsters were forced to take sides. New England officially cut ties with Martellus on Wednesday in a move that will free up roughly $6.2 million in salary cap space for 2018. James Whitey Bulger (1929-2018) Whitey Bulger was by far the most well known and powerful mobster in the history of the New England mob. Guess what? Unlike most mob turncoats Weeks went back to his old stomping grounds in Southie, seemingly with little fear of his safety. Boston Police officer, Frankie Desario talks about the Bennett Brothers and their violent demise.Oral History Definition:Oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. He was out on bail at the time of his murder after being indicted with Earl back in November of 66. But he stated that he had never revealed his sources even to his bosses. That was one of dads lines, but hed say 4th grade. Salemme claimed that William Bennett was looking for revenge for his brothers. OMG Earl looked just like Boris Nayfeld! The Italian mafia inserted themselves into the war on a few occasions over the years. He would be in his early 90s. Flemmis successful flight to avoid prosecution spared Rico, and the FBI the risk of the embarrassment and controversy that disclosure of Flemmis dual status as an FBI informant and an alleged murderer has recently entailed. was accused of funding one such operation along with Anthony Pino and Vincent Costa of Brinks Heist fame. He eventually joined Joe Barboza and Vinnie Teresa in the newly created Witness Protection Program. Even the FBI does not reveal the names of informers., Hugh Shields and Billy Stuart were acquitted on April 30th. They pistol whipped the guard and forced the bank manager and customers to the floor. Luckily, Buddy McLean had Joe Barboza on his side and Barboza was ready and willing to kill anybody to win the war, he was the ultimate street soldier. Murder indictments against Whitey Bulger underworld associate Stephen The Rifleman Flemmi claimed he killed the brothers in turf battle. In 2018, he was beaten to death by another prisoner in West Virginia, the very same day that he was put into general population. Buddy had a handsome baby face but was a feared streetfighter. Two California brothers who beat a groom to death just hours after he said "I do" have been convicted in his brutal baseball bat killing. Nina, who was the first to find themselves in trouble with the law? McLean, knowing the McLaughlins were fully prepared to kill him and his family now would become the hunter. When someone needed to be hurt or killed, the job was usually given to the eager brothers. Years later after Howie Winter went to prison, he took over the Winter Hill Gang with Flemmi as his 2nd in charge. He cut a hole in the roof and off he went. It all started at a drunken weekend getaway at Salisbury Beach with two different gangs that ended up getting violent. Stevie and Frankie are sitting in prison, and either cant remember or dont know the answer. Punchy was gunned down in 1965 at a bus stop while on his way to his brother Georges murder trial. Five men were named: Hugh Shields, Frank Salemme, Stevie Flemmi, Peter Poulos, and Robert Daddieco. After going to prison for racketeering in 1999, he agreed to cooperate with the FBI after being locked up for just two weeks. He was involved in the famous Brinks robbery in 1951. Dickie Grasso and the five men who had been indicted back in September 1969. In June of 2018, Stevie Flemmi took the stand to testify against Frankie Salemme. Robert was given a Confidential Informant number and made a Top Echelon informant in August. Stevie Hughes (died 1966) Stevie Hughes was the man who killed Buddy McLean in 1965, among many others. His father Arthur Sr. was involved in the McLean-McLaughlin War of the 1960s. Prosecutors say Salemme was concerned that DiSarro would cooperate with the government about his hidden interest in The Channel, DiSarros South Boston night club. The McLaughlin Gang faded away completely but the Winter Hill Gang continued to prosper. .''. The Irish King Of Winter Hill is available on Amazon. While Robert was sitting in Walpole awaiting trial, SA Rico pressured him into becoming, the star witness in the Billy Bennett murder case. Killeen operated out of his own bar in Southie called the Transit Cafe. Pilgrims! Piecing together the stories and the players in Richies tangled tale. that while Walter Bennett had not been that helpful he was a valuable pipeline and further contact should be maintained to nurture this cooperation., In October of 1966, citrus Baron Charles Von Maxcy was attacked in the bedroom of his Florida home. After losses at Boston College and North Carolina, Virginia coach Tony Bennett played different combinations in stretches, and the changes paid off. He was at one time a heated rival of Whitey Bulger but eventually joined forces with him after Whitey took over the gang. Billy Stuart was indicted in February of 1970 for being an accessory after the fact in Billy Bennetts murder. Decades back former SA and convicted felon John Connolly tried to convince one of the Bennett descendants that the Angiulos had killed the three brothers. In 1974, Stevie Flemmi returned to Boston and the Bennett murder charge (among others) was dropped, just as the same charge against Frankie Salemme had earlier been dropped. Bennett will finish his book tour in Boston this weekend and head to New York City on Monday. But while they were waiting for Larry to appear, Frankie shot and killed Walter instead. Oh and dont forget Vinnie Teresa claimed they were dumped in lye on a construction site somewhere along rte 93! His father had passed away the previous summer. More like a hobby or in his case a condition since he appeared to be a klepto. On the lam some time later, Flemmi was driving across the country with one of the men who helped orchestrate the car bombing. Weve covered a lot of Wimpys activities in other episodes, so we wont go into all of it again. Wimpy and Fats Buccelli were sentenced to one year in Deer Island for possession of part of the Brinks loot, but in May of 1957 Fats and Wimpy were cleared of being accessories after the fact. Howie Winter knew hed been betrayed but refused to become a rat himself, instead opting to spend years in prison. Earl Smith, who was neither Irish nor Italian, but a Russian Jew! When he searched under his car, he found an explosive device wired to his ignition. . A huge crowd witnessed the murder but no one cooperated. FBI SA H. Paul Rico, Stevie Flemmie, Frankie Salemme and so on. Georgie got drunk and groped a girlfriend of one of the men. Weeks was released in 2005 and retired from mob activity. Enough of my ranting. Joe Barboza was killing men in the war and also doing contract killings for the Patriarca Family in Providence. Shields was sent back to Walpole on a parole violation charge. Buick sedan was found in Brookline a week later. Harold Hannon (1937-1964) Harold Hannon was an enforcer for the McLaughlin brothers in Charlestown during the 1950s and early 1960s. So their cooperation came naturally to them. It was a horrific murder scene. I think Whitey had a number going back to 1965 when he came home from Alcatraz. Our agency is extremely humbled to be able to own a building with a rich history. We were inspired to create Bennett Brothers Balm when our friend and former classmate was diagnosed . In typical Flemmi fashion, Stevie called up Billy Stuart to save him. Cornelius Connie Hughes (died 1966) Connie and his brother Stevie Hughes were by far the most feared members of the McLaughlin crew. Howard Howie Winter (born 1929) Howie Winter was the boss of the powerful Winter Hill Gang in the 1970s. Informant added that they did this to pacify the LCN since there could not be any peace with Wimpy feuding with Larry Baione. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Back to the Von Maxcy case. The mystery of what happened to Wimpy and Walter still haunts the Bennett family to this day. He was often tipped off about the activities of his rivals and more than once was given a heads up about potential informants. A month after her father disappeared, police found his car, empty. was held on contempt charges after refusing to cooperate with prosecutors in the Brinks investigation. After the cop shot at their car three times, they abandoned the car and took off on foot. There was also a monthly payment envelope that had the initials BM on it. Hannon was a higher level member and suffered a horrific death as his genitals were repeatedly burned with a blowtorch. He was being protected by a crooked FBI agent named H. Paul Rico. Bennett Brothers Balm is made by our family, in our kitchen, always with cancer patients in mind, and 100% of our profits are donated. McDonald didnt know at the time that he was being betrayed by two Winter Hill underlings, Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi. They never caught up with Barboza and he went on to testify against Patriarca and the Office. Were the Feds involved in the disposal of their bodies? At the trial of Hugh Shields in April 1970, Daddieco testified that there were six men involved in the plot to kill Billy Bennett. Wimpy enlisted in the Army on December 17, 1941 and served as a private in the Air Corps as did Walter. See more of Bennett Brothers Stone Co Inc on Facebook. He cut a hole in the roof and off he went. After the cop shot at their car three times, they abandoned the car and took off on foot. Hugh Shields and Billy Stuart were acquitted on April 30th. The war continued to rage after his death. Oral sources identify intangibles such as atmosphere, insights into character, and clarifications to points made briefly in print. I know, you just found it. They tried to hide in a basement of a local house, but were cornered and sent back to Shirley. Wimpy on January 1, 1919 in Boston to William Frederick Sr. and Flora Caroline Seymour. he certainly knows how they exited this vale of tears. That investigation would last for half a decade and spawn many other investigations including one into. They tried to hide in a basement of a local house, but were cornered and sent back to Shirley. Det. . Fast forward to June of 2018, as we mentioned at the beginning of this episode Stevie was on the stand and asked to ID Frankie in the courtroom and he couldnt. He drove them back to the murder scene and helped them move the car to Brookline with Grassos body in it. Freshman Ryan Dunn played early, primarily for defense . Hugh Shields was the trigger man. In 1967 all three Bennett brothers were murdered. When the McLean-McLaughlin War broke out, Punchy was right in the middle of it, killing McLeans friend Russell Nicholson. By then, the state's star witness, Irene, had been prosecuted for perjury. Prosecutors say co-defendant Paul Weadick, who worked at The Channel, also participated in the murder. He was a witness, said Flemmi, whos pleaded guilty to 10 murders. Yesterday three daughters of Walter Bennett, who was 55 when they last saw him, said that for years they believed hed come home one day to Dorchester and his 13 children. but admitted that hed been running what he called a little dice game in Attleboro in 1949. ``(Paul) Rico was pushing my Dad pretty hard for the books,'' Bill Bennett said, yesterday afternoon, when contacted by phone.``I know, because I heard him. Boston Police officer, Frankie Desario talks about the Bennett Brothers and their violent demise.Oral History. Notorious killer Joe The Animal Barboza was the man who killed Connie, but he wasnt done with the Hughes brothers yet. The criminals werent the only ones in trouble. I do NOT agree. he and Joseph Lewis were arrested in a basement at 335 Shawmut Ave for selling alcohol. They weren't asking.''. But since Stevie Flemmi was involved, the whole thing went terribly wrong. Though he may never know what ultimately happened to his uncles, or if there are any remains left to be unearthed . Georges brother Bernie McLaughlin knew Somerville gangster Buddy McLean casually and reached out to him to get information on his brothers attackers. Stevie then disposed of Walters body. . The Brinks heist would continue to haunt Wimpy Bennett for years. They would later work together. The year 1967 was not a good one for the Bennett family. A similar version of the story that we quoted earlier from Frankie. By now, most of the main early targets of the war were dead or in jail. A portion of the money we raise goes into a fund that Dana-Farber set up for our friend's oncologist, Dr. Amy Billett. After showing up at Larry Zanninos social club, they were killed and robbed of the money they had raised. There also exists a pre-conceived notion that oral history is less reliable than written records. BOSTON, Massachusetts (The Boston Herald) -- Any illusions Bill Bennett Jr. had about life being fair evaporated in 1967. His crumpled body was found in a snowbank on Harvard St. near Blue Hill Ave. with a bullet through his brain. His killer was Johnny Martorano. A fifth accomplice shot another cop and fled the scene. McDonald would die of natural causes- a stroke, in 1997. Bennett Brothers Stone Co Inc. Masonry Contractor . Hannon and his friend Willie Delaney were set up by Buddy McLean and the feared Joe The Animal Barboza in 1964. Sensing trouble, he grabbed his pistol and ran outside where he spotted two men by his family car. George McLaughlin somehow survived the madness, even though his brothers Punchy and Bernie were both dead. His first remark was Well what do you want to know about Diaferio? Referring to Sonny. After his brother was gunned down in May of 1966, Stevie was now missing his layers of protection. When McLean got killed in 1966, Winter took over the Winter Hill Gang, which was not named after him. With all those supposedly involved, you would expect someone to know where the bodies of Walter and Wimpy are buried. McLean teamed up with Barboza in 1964 for a double murder of McLaughlin associates Harold Hannon and Willie Delaney. Not now. The force of impact caused the car door to open, and Billys dead body fell out of the car and into the middle of the street in Dorchester. But a rural jail wasnt going to hold Wimpy. But instead Stevie sent the Feds on a wild goose chase and the Bennett family had their hopes dashed once again. They visited him in jail warning him of the contract on his life and even suggesting that he cooperate against Raymond. At least Williams body was found, shot and tossed in a Dorchester snow bank. Stevie Flemmi - informant. Puchy had been in many bloody street fights. Does Wimpys boosting count as a profession? So Sweet was freed. Questions or comments, email lara@doubledealpodcast.com or nina@doubledealpodcast.com. George was the one who got drunk and disrespectful and took the beating that caused the whole war to start. He had been warned by his protege Bulger to lay low but OSullivan refused and as a result was gunned down right in front of his family home. They are still missing to this day. The informant stated that Flemmi and Salemme were really moving and are going to be big with the organization. The Bennetts were well established gangsters in the area and one of the strong Irish sets that resisted working with Patriarca and the Italian Office in Providence, Rhode Island. Maybe he was in juvie, but theres no mention of him having a juvenile record on his rap sheet. Punchy was transferred there by ambulance not lured there by Earl Smith. Forced to take the stand in front of the Massachusetts Crime Commission, Walter refused to state his present occupation but admitted that hed been running what he called a little dice game in Attleboro in 1949. I was more implying that they were government collaborators for generations. Buccelli was killed on June 19, 1958. a man named Charles Kirby received a phone call at his TV repair shop by a man looking for Wimpy. Wimpy and Fats Buccelli were sentenced to one year in Deer Island for possession of part of the Brinks loot, but in May of 1957 Fats and Wimpy were cleared of being accessories after the fact. Was her father hiding someplace? The memory of watching his mother return from the morgue after identifying his father's body two days before Christmas, is one that's never dimmed in 33 years. The Flemmi brothers Stephen and Jimmy the Bear were in a precarious spot, being Bennett disciples but also ties with Barboza and Winter Hill. When court adjourned for the day, he had not yet gotten to the night 25 years ago that DiSarro went missing. That's roughly 2.5 miles from the Beth Israel Hospital. Early Notables of the Bennetts family (pre 1700) Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas Bennett, Sheriff of London in 1594, and Lord Mayor (1603-1604); when he was knighted, he purchased the manor of Beachampton in Berkshire; W. Benett, Mayor of Chester in 1652; Sir Thomas Bennet, 1st Baronet (c. 1597-1667); Sir Levinus Bennet, 2nd Baronet (1631-1693); Sir Richard Bennet, 3rd .