Thank you for helping to keep the podcast database up to date. Dog missing for 26 days walked 40 miles to his former home. Francis T. Mickey Featherstone was a member of the Irish mob until he was framed for a murder he didnt commit and turned informant. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. From a New York Times-bestselling author: A true story of Irish gangsters in Manhattan"A harrowing account of big city crime" (Library Journal). Meanwhile, the District Attorneys office agreed to work with Featherstones wife to obtain evidence confirming Featherstones claims. Well never sell your personal information. Francis T. Featherstone - National Registry of Exonerations Pre 1989 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. He is also working with Movie Director Sheridan on a movie about the Westies called Emerald City that will be out in 2008 He expects to make some fierce funds from this. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mickey Featherstone - Wikiwand 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. In late November, McElroy and Kelly also paid a visit to their leader, Morgenthau said. Contract murders are a relatively new enterprise, they said. The Registry provides detailed information about every known exoneration in the United States since 1989cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence. 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. The ruthless reputation of the gang came to the notice of the Gambino family, and boss Paul Castellano, who summoned Coonan and Featherstone to a meeting in a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn restaurant in 1978. Ron DeSantis and other officials . Westie members murdered and dismembered him in the back of Coonans bar, then threw his remains in the Hudson River. James Coonan is awaiting trial for an alleged revenge killing against a gang member. Featherstone was convicted in 1986, but his conviction was reversed later that year when the actual shooter was identified. ''These conditions are imposed to protect you from a psychiatric breakdown and any resulting harm to the community in which you will live. Disney sues Florida Gov. Kevin Kelly effectively took over the day to day running of the Westies when Jimmy Coonan moved to New Jersey. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. When Mickey returned to the notoriously violent, Irish dominated Hell's Kitchen area of New York, his violent tendencies continued. On March 25, 1977, Westie John Bokun was shot dead by police after an argument with another Hells Kitchen resident, Michael Holly. In the following decade, the Westies teamed up with the infamous Sicilian Mafia, becoming a militant arm of the Gambino family. The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in federal court against Florida Gov. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over control of Reedy Creek Jimmy Coonan, the ruthless leader of the Westies in the 1970s. Mickey Featherstone - Top podcast episodes - Listen Notes 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.'. Coonan held Holly responsible for Bokuns death, but his murder was repeatedly put off over the years. From a New York Times-bestselling author: A true story of Irish gangsters in Manhattan--"A harrowing account of big city crime" (Library Journal). Featherstone and the other Westies became known as ruthless killers who enjoyed near complete impunity due to the fear they struck in potential witnesses. After his conviction, Featherstone quickly concluded that Westies members and Kenneth Aronson had colluded to set him up to take the fall for Hollys murder. After all, Featherstone had killed men in neighborhood bars in front of witnesses multiple times and beat the charges. One day you're a made man, the next, you're sleeping with the fishes. He has since been living in anonymity in the federal witness protection program. He would act out frequently while in the hospitals, leading to him being restrained and injected with thorazine. Who's Online Now: 1 registered members (1 invisible), 74 guests, and 3 spiders. The Westies : Inside New York's Irish Mob - Google Books Coonan liked what he had seen from Featherstone, and recruited him as second in command, all while the Westies upped the violence, leaving behind a string of often dismembered corpses. Many people mistakenly underestimated Featherstone, given his small stature, making him even more dangerous. Circumcision, Serial Killing, Criminal Behavior and American Medical Public DomainJimmy Coonan (right) in a prison photo circa 1990. Stranded bear rescued from Nevada tree using tranquilizer, tarp. She was arrested Wednesday in her home in Hazlet, N.J. Three other members of the Irish gang were charged with carrying out the killing of Vincent Leone, 47, the recording secretary of Local 1909 of the International Longshoremen's Association. Anonymous. (Video) Mickey Featherstone - 60 Minutes Interview The Wild Westies' last stand? - IrishCentral.com Those who knew him in the neighborhood often crossed the street when they saw him coming their way. Congrats to him for being the first multi-million dollar illiterate trader. After DeSantis pushed a last-minute repeal of the company's prized status through the legislature, he romped to . [4], Featherstone was convicted in March 1986 for the April 1985 murder of Michael Holly, despite being innocent of this particular murder, which was a revenge attack probably carried out by another of the Westies, Billy Bokun. The Westies reign of terror was largely built on the back of Featherstones ferocious reputation. 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. Wrongfully convicted of murder, Featherstone sought to clear his name by becoming a government witness. The man the gang judged responsible for the murder, Michael Holly, skipped town to escape the heat, but returned a few years later. He disappeared without a trace in 1973 at the age of 29 and has not been seen in 49 years. on our list, Other Other Westies had indeed cooked up the frame job to eliminate Mickey as a threat to their power in the organization. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. [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. 229. American military personnel of the Vietnam War. 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. The shooter, Featherstone learned, was Billy Bokun. These convictions marked the demise of the reign of the Westies. Put this image on your website to promote the show -, Report inappropriate content or request to remove this page. Joey and Friend David Rafeli Owner/CEO at Rafaeli's Cigars. 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. Is he still alive? DeSantis Gets Chilly Reception in DC From Frustrated Florida Democrats Featherstone and Coonan had a falling out over the latter's alliance with the Gambino crime family, which Featherstone saw as a betrayal of all the Irish-Americans in Hell's Kitchen. gb1993 2 yr. ago Aussie tourist 'very sorry' for drunken, nude rampage in Indonesia. 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. Mickey Featherstone relationship list. 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. It was very difficult for police and prosecutors to convict men associated with this group because witnesses were terrified of the members and their willingness to quickly kill anyone who crossed them. Author T.J.. If it is the first time you login, a new account will be created automatically. April 29 (UPI) -- An Australian tourist facing possible flogging after being accused of going on a drunken nude rampage in the Indonesian province of Ache says he felt "almost possessed" at the time. 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. 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. Mickey Featherstone : r/Mafia - Reddit [2] Featherstone did time in the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield Missouri on the psychiatric ward in 1982. Alleged Westie's boss Jimmy Coonan, taken in 2015 in prison. Can you list the top facts and stats about Mickey Featherstone? 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. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. The became hired killers in the 1970s, authorities said. According to our records, Mickey Featherstone is possibly single. [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. Jimmy Coonan (right) in a prison photo circa 1990. McElroy and Bokun are in jail charged with other killings. [2] The police suspected him of a series of mob contract killings. 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. 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. . In the early 1980s, Featherstone spent periods of time in mental hospitals, before returning to the Westies. [1] He served in the Vietnam War as member of the Green Berets aged just 17 after lying about his age. After providing the necessary information about the crimes of his fellow Westies, 38-year-old Francis Mickey Featherstone entered the federal witness protection program. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Less than three months later, the three killers drove the victim to New Jersey 'where Kelly took out a pistol and shot Leone two times in the back of the head,' the district attorney said. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. DeSantis may have overreached when he went to war with Disney, and [1] His testimony at Coonan's racketeering trial during 198788 helped to bring down Coonan's gang. Admitted Westies Killer Who Informed Is Free, https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/01/nyregion/admitted-westies-killer-who-informed-is-free.html. J.Coonan little girl.. not sure of the date this was posted. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. Free Podcast Hosting with custom domain. Mr. Featherstone and his family are now in the Government's witness protection program, which provides for relocating them under a new name. This Featherstone is littlebit like leonetti - talks clearly, calmy, but what a psycho! 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. Mr. Featherstone indeed served in Vietnam - as a stock clerk. 10 American Mobsters Who Were Not Italian Americans Mickey nolonger has bad nightmares and is FULLY RECOVERED and states his past is a blur. Featherstone returned with a rifle and shot one of the brothers John Riley in the arm, for which he was arrested and probationed. Meet Mickey Featherstone, The Deranged Hitman Who Turned Informant And Helped Bring Down The Westies. #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 Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob - Goodreads Mickey Featherstone is a member of the following lists: People from Manhattan, 1947 births and American military personnel of the Vietnam War. Outside the courtroom, Coonan's lawyer Lawrence Hochheiser said, 'She's a housewife her only crime is being his wife.' ago. Thiscourtroom dramatells the story of ajury of 12 men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of an 18-year old defendanton the basis ofreasonable do, Joe Poletto continues his conversation with Billy Beattie, founding member of the notorious Westies and Art Ruffles, FBI special agent in charge of the organized crime unit. Defense Lawyers' Complaints. Mr. Featherstone also provided information in other investigations, and testified in the continuing trial of several men accused of committing murders and other racketeering acts as part of the Gambino crime family. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Register Log In Home Forums Organized Crime - Real Life How feared was Mickey Featherstone . April 28 (UPI) -- A British piercing enthusiast broke his own Guinness World Record when the number of flesh tunnels in his face increased to 17. According to our records, Mickey Featherstone is possibly single. ', Asked if she was a member of the Westies, he responded, 'She's hardly a member of anything at all.'. 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. Privacy Policy. Relationship history. As they were interviewing employees, Mickey Featherstone walked right into their midst - short, slight and light-haired. The institution kept Featherstone working on the ward, out of General Population, for his own safety. [2] After borrowing Coonan's gun, he shot dead Linwood Willis in a confrontation outside a bar in 1971, but was found not guilty due to insanity. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. Mickey Featherstone interview at 29 mins. : r/Mafia - Reddit Thanks to everyone who came out, we had a fantastic time. She said the Government explained the scope and value of his cooperation, along with the severity of his offense. Tucker Carlson out at Fox News: What it took to topple Tucker. Who is Mickey Featherstone dating? But I completely agree with, amongst others, Will Corocan's review. 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. But the Westies now had an enemy in Featherstone. After his conviction was overturned, he struck a deal with the authorities to inform on his own organization. He had been informed by Westies member Kevin Kelly the night before Hollys murder that Holly was going to be killed. Grasping defeat from the jaws of victory. 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. 2 mo. Featherstone was stunned to finally be convicted of a murder, and not just because he had dodged so many guilty verdicts in the past. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. However, Holly returned to New York City several years later. 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. 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. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. [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. 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's legacy of crime is attributable to his circumcision as an asocial Sacrificed Returned. [1] He served in heavy combat and then as a stock clerk. The National Registry of Exonerations is a project of the Newkirk Center for Science & Society at University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. Nevertheless, his temper was infamous and if alcohol was involved, he was especially prone to violence. Featherstone contacted prosecutors from his trial and convinced them that the shooter may have been Billy Bokun, wearing a wig to look like Featherstone. The DEA ranks him as one of the top 10 drug traffickers in US history. Prior to the murder of Michael Holly, Featherstone had been charged with at least three other murders, but each time he had entered pleas of insanity and was acquitted. We have no records of past relationships for Mickey Featherstone. information about the Registry, Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense. Mickey Featherstone, The Hitman Who Took Down The Westies Mickey's trouble started in 1977 with the murder of a member of the Westies named John Bokun. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. After effectively destroying the Irish mob in Manhattan, 38-year-old Mickey Featherstone entered the witness protection program and has lived under the radar ever since.
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