The Charlestown Mob, also known as the McLaughlin Gang, was an

Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...

gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

in Charlestown, which figured prominently in the history of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

for much of the 20th century. The gang was headed by the McLaughlin brothers Bernie, Georgie, and Edward "Punchy" McLaughlin, along with their primary enforcers, the brothers Stevie and Cornelius "Connie" Hughes. The gang's associates included Will Delaney, Harry Hannon, William Bennett, Edward Bennett, John Shackelford, Frank Murray, Leo Lowry, Ron Dermody and Joe "Rockball" O'Rourke. The Charlestown Mob became involved in a gang war with a rival Irish mob group, the

Winter Hill Gang The Winter Hill Gang was a loose confederation of American organized crime figures in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It was generally considered an Irish mob organization, with most gang members and the leadership consisting predominantly of ...

of Somerville led by James "Buddy" McLean, beginning in 1961. By 1966, two of the McLaughlin brothers, Bernie and "Punchy", had been killed, while the other, Georgie, was sentenced to life in prison for murder. The Hughes brothers suffered almost identical fates, as they were both shot to death on separate occasions.

History

The

McLaughlin siblings from the Charlestown neighborhood of

originally consisted of five brothers, two of whom were killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The remaining brothers were Edward "Punchy" McLaughlin, a prize fighter and enforcer; Bernard "Bernie" McLaughlin, a gang leader and organizer; and George "Georgie" McLaughlin, a psychopathic and violent alcoholic. The McLaughlin brothers had a reputation as a treacherous, ruthless, and murderous gang. The brothers controlled gambling and loan sharking on the docks around the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

in Charlestown.Gangsters of Boston
George Hassett, ''American Mafia'' (May 15, 2013) Confessions of a Loan Shark
Springs Toledo, ''

City Journal ''City Journal'' is a public policy magazine and website, published by the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, that covers a range of topics on urban affairs, such as policing, education, housing, and other issues. ...

'' (Autumn 2021) The McLaughlin brothers forged ties with the

Mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...

, carrying out contract killings for the

Patriarca crime family The Patriarca crime family (, ), also known as the New England Mafia, the Boston Mafia, the Providence Mafia, the Boston–Providence Mafia,

in Boston and the

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family (), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and Ne ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In the late 1950s, the brothers aligned themselves with New York gangsters in an attempt to take control of waterfront rackets in Boston, but the move was successfully resisted by an alliance of hoodlums from Somerville and

South Boston South Boston (colloquially known as Southie) is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay (Boston Harbor), Dorchester Bay. It has under ...

. A truce followed, during which the McLaughlin brothers and their partners, the brothers Stevie and Cornelius "Connie" Hughes, would regularly drink with gangsters from the neighboring suburb of Somerville, including James "Buddy" McLean and Joseph "Joe Mac" McDonald, at the Celtic Tavern in Charlestown.

The Charlestown–Somerville War

During a party at Salisbury Beach on

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

weekend 1961, Georgie McLaughlin made an advance on the girlfriend of Alexander "Bobo" Petricone, a member of the Somerville

. Teresa, Vincent. ''My Life in the Mafia''. McLaughlin was subsequently beaten unconscious by Somerville gangsters and dumped outside Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport. Bernie McLaughlin then visited Winter Hill Gang leader McLean at his headquarters, the Tap Royal Bar in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, and demanded that he hand over the members of the gang who beat his brother, to which McLean refused.The Boston Irish Gang Wars Terrify a City
New England Historical Society In the early hours of October 30, 1961, Bernie and Georgie McLaughlin and another unidentified man were planting a

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roug ...

on the undercarriage of McLean's automobile, which was parked outside his home, when the sleeping McLean was awakened by his barking dog. McLean chased off the three Charlestown gangsters by firing at them with a

Luger pistol The Pistole Parabellum or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just the Luger or Luger P08, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1 ...

, and found five sticks of

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...

attached to his car.Dynamite
''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' (October 30, 1961)Bomb Found Wired To Car of Figure In Assault Trial
''

'' (October 31, 1961) The following afternoon, McLean and two accomplices tracked down Bernie McLaughlin as he collected loan sharking debts and shot him dead in front of over a hundred witnesses outside the Morning Glory Café in Charlestown's

City Square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rel ...

. In early 1962, the McLaughlin Gang bombed the unoccupied car of Petricone's wife, prompting him to flee Boston. Afterwards, there was a lull in hostilities between the Charlestown and Winter Hill gangs as McLean was sentenced to two years in prison. Although he was arrested for McLaughlin's murder, the charge was dismissed when witnesses refused to testify, and he was convicted of weapons offenses. The corrupt

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

(FBI) agent H. Paul Rico aligned with the Charlestown Mob's Somerville rivals after he heard Georgie and "Punchy" McLaughlin make disparaging remarks on an illegal

wiretap Wiretapping, also known as wire tapping or telephone tapping, is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connecti ...

. Carr, Howie (July 26, 2009)
"Rifleman's 'Fifth' toll rises"
''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

''. Mobster of the Week: George McLaughlin

Howie Carr Howard Louis Carr Jr. (born January 17, 1952) is an American conservative radio talk-show host, political author, news reporter and award-winning writer. He hosts '' The Howie Carr Show'' originating from his studios in Wellesley, Massachuset ...

, ''

'' (June 5, 2011) The McLaughlins accused Rico of having a homosexual threesome with his bosses,

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...

and

Clyde Tolson Clyde Anderson Tolson (May 22, 1900 – April 14, 1975) was an American law enforcement officer who was the second-ranking official of the FBI from 1930 until 1972, from 1947 titled Associate Director, primarily responsible for personnel and dis ...

, and referred to the FBI men as "fags". "Punchy" McLaughlin also threatened the brother of Dennis Condon, Rico's FBI partner.‘Rifleman’: Agent Rico and Stevie like blood brothers

, ''

'' (April 10, 2013) Rico began leaking information to the Winter Hill Gang which allowed them to track down members of the McLaughlin Gang.Former mob boss tells of access to FBI
Shelley Murphy, ''

'' (February 13, 2004) At a christening party in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood on March 15, 1964, Georgie McLaughlin was involved in a drunken argument with another partygoer who had spoken fondly of McLean. McLaughlin returned to the party after leaving to retrieve a gun, and fatally shot another man, bank teller William "Billy" Sheriden, in error. On May 3, 1964, Charlestown Mob member Frank Benjamin was shot in the head and killed by the brothers Vincent "Jimmy the Bear" Flemmi and Stephen "the Rifleman" Flemmi, who were loyal to the Winter Hill Gang, at a bar owned by Stephen Flemmi after he had threatened to kill McLean and other Somerville gangsters. Because the gun used to kill Benjamin belonged to a corrupt Boston police officer, the Flemmi brothers decapitated Benjamin to avoid being identified by ballistic tests run on the bullet in Benjamin's head. Benjamin's decapitated body was found in the trunk of a stolen car in South Boston, while his head was buried.Howie’s latest takes on mob’s ‘Plug Uglies’

, ''

'' (October 19, 2014) The Winter Hill Gang made their first attempt on the life of "Punchy" McLaughlin on November 23, 1964, shotgunning him as he entered his car outside the Beaconsfield Hotel in Brookline.Punchy, Minus Hand, Lauds Police Chief
Jerome Sullivan, ''

'' (September 1, 1965) Despite having half his jaw blown off, McLaughlin survived after he was rushed to Boston's Beth Israel Hospital."Punchy's" Brother Is Shot in Brookline
''

'' (November 23, 1964) The Roxbury gangster Earl Smith arranged a meeting with McLaughlin in a parking garage at the hospital. McLaughlin was then ambushed by two Winter Hill gunmen, Stephen Flemmi and Francis "Cadillac Frank" Salemme, disguised as rabbis. He again survived his wounds.Mobster of the Week: Earl Smith

, ''

'' (April 13, 2008) Wanted for the murder of Sheriden, Georgie McLaughlin was added to the

FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives is a most wanted list maintained by the United States's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, and William ...

list. After the FBI located the fugitive gangster hiding out in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Rico obtained a "throwdown" revolver from Stephen Flemmi which he planned to plant on McLaughlin after shooting him during his arrest. Rico abandoned the plan, however, due to concerns that another FBI agent may not assent to the killing, and McLaughlin was captured without incident on February 24, 1965.J. Edgar Hoover Breaks the News
''

'' (February 24, 1965) He was convicted of Sheriden's murder and sentenced to life in prison at

Bay State Correctional Center Bay State Correctional Center (BSCC) was a small, general population medium security facility that stood on the grounds of the original dormitory buildings of Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Norfolk. It housed both long and short term ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. On August 16, 1965, the third murder attempt was made on "Punchy" McLaughlin when Somerville gunmen ambushed him as he arrived in his car at his girlfriend's house in Westwood.Punchy Fitted For Artificial Right Hand
''

'' (September 20, 1965) Although Howard "Howie" Winter blew McLaughlin's right hand off using a scoped

Winchester rifle Winchester rifle is a comprehensive term describing a series of lever action repeating rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Developed from the 1860 Henry rifle, Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. Th ...

, McLaughlin escaped following a car chase along

Route 128 The following highways are numbered 128: Canada * New Brunswick Route 128 * Ontario Highway 128 (former) * Prince Edward Island Route 128 Costa Rica * National Route 128 (Costa Rica), National Route 128 India * National Highway 128 (India) Ja ...

. "Punchy" McLaughlin was killed on the fourth attempt, shot seven times as he boarded a bus on October 20, 1965.Punchy McLaughlin Is Shot to Death On Fourth Attempt
''

North Adams Transcript The ''North Adams Transcript'', prior to being merged into '' The Berkshire Eagle'' in 2014, was an American daily newspaper published Mondays through Saturdays in North Adams, Massachusetts. It was one of four Massachusetts newspapers owned by ...

'' (October 20, 1965) In November 1965, McLaughlin Gang associate John "Maxie" Shackleford survived a shooting in Charlestown. He subsequently fled the Boston area.Mobster of the Week: John ‘Maxie’ Shackleford

, ''

'' (April 20, 2008) John Locke, a minor member of the McLaughlin Gang and one of the few remaining Charlestown gangsters, was found shot to death after being thrown onto a snowbank in the parking lot of Wonderland station in Revere in March 1967.Mobster of the Week: John Locke

, ''

'' (May 18, 2008)

Former members and associates

* Frank "Frankie" Benjamin – Benjamin was shot and killed by

Vincent Flemmi Vincent James Flemmi (September 5, 1935 – October 16, 1979), also known as "Jimmy The Bear", was an American mobster who freelanced for the Winter Hill Gang and the Patriarca crime family. He was also a longtime informant for the Federal Bureau ...

and

Stephen Flemmi Stephen Joseph Flemmi (born June 9, 1934) is an American gangster and convicted murderer and was a close associate of Winter Hill Gang boss Whitey Bulger. Beginning in 1975, Flemmi was a top echelon informant for the Federal Bureau of Investiga ...

of the

at Stephen Flemmi's bar on May 3, 1964. He was then decapitated and his body was left in the trunk of a car in

. His severed head was buried. * John Locke – Locke was a minor member of the McLaughlin Gang. One of the few remaining members, he was found dead, shot in the head and chest, and thrown onto a snowbank in the parking lot of Wonderland station in Revere in March 1967. * George Patrick "Georgie" McLaughlin – Georgie McLaughlin was the youngest of the McLaughlin brothers. He was added to the

list after shooting and killing bank clerk William Sheridan during a party in Roxbury on March 15, 1964. On February 24, 1965, McLaughlin was arrested at a Dorchester apartment, where he had been living under the alias "John T. O'Connor". He was convicted of first-degree murder on October 26, 1965 and sentenced to life imprisonment.Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. George P. McLaughlin

Justia Justia is an American website specializing in legal information retrieval. It was founded in 2003 by Tim Stanley, formerly of FindLaw, and is one of the largest online databases of legal cases. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, Cal ...

(November 1, 1973) * Joseph "Rockball" O'Rourke – O'Rourke was a minor Charlestown hoodlum and associate of the McLaughlin Gang. He was a rival of the Dorchester gangster James "Spike" O'Toole.Mobster of the Week: Joseph ‘Rockball’ O’Rourke (1925-??)

, ''

'' (February 10, 2008) * John "Maxie" Shackleford – Shackleford was a longshoreman and McLaughlin Gang associate. He survived a shooting in Charlestown in November 1965. Shackleford fled Boston for New Hampshire in 1965.

References

{{Organized crime groups in Boston 1950s establishments in the United States 1966 disestablishments in the United States Charlestown, Boston Gangs in Boston Irish-American culture in Boston Irish-American organized crime groups Organizations disestablished in 1966 Organizations established in the 1950s

History

The Charlestown–Somerville War

Former members and associates

See also

References