Edward J. McLaughlin (May 16, 1917 – October 20, 1965), known as "Punchy", was an American

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

and

mobster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...

who was a member of the McLaughlin Gang from the Charlestown neighborhood 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 ...

Vincent Teresa Vincent Charles Teresa (November 28, 1928 – February 21, 1990) was an American mobster in the Boston branch of the Patriarca crime family who claimed to be a top captain for Raymond Patriarca before becoming a protected government witnes ...

, former mobster described Edward in his biography "My Life in the Mafia" as, "Punchy was just as crazy as George... a legbreaker for the longshoreman's union (

International Longshore and Warehouse Union The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, and in British Columbia, Canada; on the East Coast, the dominant union is the Intern ...

). Punchy was a cuckoo and as hotheaded as they came." After his brother Bernard McLaughlin was murdered in October 1961 by their former friend, "

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 ...

" leader

James "Buddy" McLean James Joseph McLean (January 26, 1930 – October 31, 1965), known as "Buddy" McLean, was an American mobster, who was the original boss of the Somerville, Massachusetts-based Winter Hill Gang during the 1960s. McLean was well known throughout t ...

(Punchy and his brothers had been known to perform hits for gangs all over

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

, including the Winter Hill Gang), Punchy and brother George McLaughlin murdered

Russell Nicholson Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) ** Bertrand Russell *Justice Russell (disambiguation) Places *Russell Island (disambiguation) *Mount Russel ...

who was rumored to be McLean's driver in the shooting. After surviving many assassination attempts, one where he lost a hand and another where he lost half his jaw, Punchy was on his way to Boston's Suffolk Superior Courthouse for his brother Georgie's murder trial, and was shot dead at the Spring Street Metropolitan Transit Authority Loop in

West Roxbury, Massachusetts West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the village of Chestnut Hill and the town of Brookline to the north, the city of Newton to the northwest, t ...

References

* English, T. J. ''Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster''. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2005. * Teresa, Vincent ''My Life in the Mafia''

External links

Edward (Punchy) McLaughlin
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Edward 1917 births 1965 deaths People murdered in 1965 20th-century American criminals 20th-century American sportsmen American male boxers American male criminals Boxers from Boston Deaths by firearm in Massachusetts Gangsters from Boston Mafia hitmen Murdered American gangsters of Irish descent People murdered by the Winter Hill Gang People murdered in Massachusetts