Poor Kelley was convicted in 1984 and placed on death row all the while maintaining his innocence. I bet most of our listeners dont know where the story that Frankie Salemme murdered Walter Bennett came from. In 1954, Walter Bennett was accused of funding one such operation along with Anthony Pino and Vincent Costa of Brinks Heist fame. They pistol whipped the guard and forced the bank manager and customers to the floor. Robert S. Bennett III (born 1939) is an American attorney and senior counsel to Bennett LoCicero & Liu LLP. After the cop shot at their car three times, they abandoned the car and took off on foot. He was involved in the famous Brinks robbery in 1951. Billy was shot four times in the chest. So every time we saw a strange car in the yard we were always thinking, Daddys home. He ran Walters Lounge on Dudley Street and a TV repair shop, too. And 41 years later theyve no faith left in law enforcement, either. Wimpy on January 1, 1919 in Boston to William Frederick Sr. and Flora Caroline Seymour. He was a former boxer turned street enforcer known for violent and unpredictable behavior. Von Etter of Mattapan had been found shot and beaten to death in the trunk of his car in Medford on February 1, 1967. Bennett was roughly the right age and height, had a raspy voice, and had a history of committing violent crimes, including two shootings. Joe went on to testify and put Patriarca behind bars, although much of his testimony is proven false. Oh and dont forget Vinnie Teresa claimed they were dumped in lye on a construction site somewhere along rte 93! Four days later, informant number BS-922-C stated that Stevie Flemmi and Frank Salemme had taken out Walter and Wimpy Bennett. When someone needed to be hurt or killed, the job was usually given to the eager brothers. A third brother, William Bennett, was shot and. He would soon kill the Killeen brothers to take over Southie. 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. Dickie Grasso and the five men who had been indicted back in September 1969. Other FBI informants claimed that Wimpy was killed because of Larry Baione. He had gotten his start in the mob as an associate of legendary gangster James Buddy McLean in the early 1960s. vintage bennett brothers jewelry new catalog importers and distributors 1992. There was also a monthly payment envelope that had the initials BM on it. Instead of focusing on the guys who beat up George, the brothers now put the blame on Buddy McLean. 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. His two uncles, Edward ``Wimpy,'' and Walter Bennett ran a gambling and loan sharking enterprise out of a bar called Walter's Lounge on Dudley Street, near Uphams Corner. In 1949, Wimpy along with three other local guys, found himself in a jail in Maine after fleeing from the scene of a robbery they committed at Steubens Restaurant in Boston. 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. James Spike OToole (1929-1973) He was a close friend of Buddy McLean and a member of the Winter Hill Gang. When Joe Barboza testified against the mob, he refused to provide evidence against the Flemmis even though he could connect them to murders. Let Nina & Lara be your guides through the darkest streets of Boston. BOSTON, Massachusetts (The Boston Herald) -- Any illusions Bill Bennett Jr. had about life being fair evaporated in 1967. That investigation would last for half a decade and spawn many other investigations including one into illegal lottery operations in and around the Boston area. George McLaughlin somehow survived the madness, even though his brothers Punchy and Bernie were both dead. The second agent stood to the side and wasnt involved in the conversation the other three men were having. Both have dealt with health issues. He was at one time a heated rival of Whitey Bulger but eventually joined forces with him after Whitey took over the gang. of Mattapan had been found shot and beaten to death in the trunk of his car in Medford on February 1, 1967. Sweet claimed he paid $30,000 to William Kelley and Andrew Von Etter, to murder Maxcy. Harold Hannon (1937-1964) Harold Hannon was an enforcer for the McLaughlin brothers in Charlestown during the 1950s and early 1960s. After the shooting, word got around to McLean about his real intentions, which made Dermody a marked man. He's already done readings in his hometown of Houston and Chicago. in the 1955 Deer Island prison riot and sentenced to two years in East Cambridge jail. One of our listeners who is a grand nephew of the Bennetts sent us a pic of a postcard from Walter from 1943. ``(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. I swear theyre still using the same list since some of the men well be looking at are current potential Gardner Museum Heist suspects: James Marks, Richard Megna and a few others. 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. They havent seen each other since the 1990s, Flemmi said. His brother Walter vanished three months later in April. Hes gone, reporters heard Salemme say about Flemmi as the defendant shuffled off after trial, stooped with age. About See All. Flemmis testimony Wednesday was a catalog of 1960s-era organized-crime bloodshed, delivered in a banal tone and illustrating a pattern that, prosecutors say, repeated itself in the 1993 murder of DiSarro: Fears that someone would cooperate with authorities. Actually I do. Enough of my ranting. Stevie then disposed of Walters body. Then on October 20, 1965, Buddy and Barboza took out their biggest rival Ed Punchy McLaughlin. For example, the Chico Amico, Tashi Bratsos and Tommy DePrisco murders where Patriarca decided to put an end to Barbozas crew once and for all. While Robert was sitting in Walpole awaiting trial, SA Rico pressured him into becoming, the star witness in the Billy Bennett murder case. Just like in the death of Walter Bennett, Salemme claimed that William Bennett was looking for revenge for his brothers. On April 10th, Walters wife, Barbara, reported him missing to the police. In 1953, he escaped with two other boys from Shirley. Subscribe today . He told them to get out of town and they obeyed. His crumpled body was found in a snowbank on Harvard St. near Blue Hill Ave. with a bullet through his brain. His father Arthur Sr. was involved in the McLean-McLaughlin War of the 1960s. The year 1967 was not a good one for the Bennett family. ``The voice on the other end tells her not to say a word about anything, or she'd be killed along with her whole family.''. An intruder threw a sheet over his head, stabbed him four times, shot him once in the head and then fled from the 324-acre estate. Sweet was an associate of Walter Bennetts and a frequent visitor of. Bennett and Rob Gronkowski give the Patriots two 6-foot-6-inch tight ends with a Pro Bowl on their rsum, a combination that could be impossible for opposing defenses to stop. But a rural jail wasnt going to hold Wimpy. that there was a tip that a hit had been ordered on Wimpy. The informant stated that Flemmi and Salemme were really moving and are going to be big with the organization. They were quick with a gun and always together looking for enemies. The inspiration for this podcast was Lara's late father and his stories. And Walter also loved running his mouth to the authorities. Guess what? He also survived three very high profile attempts on his own life. Hugh Shields had a record that dated back to the time he was in juvie. Bennett Brothers Stone Co Inc. Masonry Contractor . Hugh Shields and Dickie Grasso went to Stevie Flemmi and they concocted a plan to take out Billy Bennett. He said he was from Mexico and left due to his brother. There was little time to celebrate the killing of Punchy because 11 days later Buddy McLean was gunned down by the ambitious Stevie Hughes. He was the FBIs #2 most wanted man until Osama Bin Laden was killed, and then he was #1. The beating is another possible reason why Stevie hated Larry and the LCN guys, but Frankies story of being teamed up with Larry still doesnt make sense. The only visit they recall from law enforcement, in fact, was from another corrupt FBI agent, John Connolly, who they said tried to convince the family that the Angiulos, Italian mobsters, killed all three brothers. It goes too deep. Sweet was an associate of Walter Bennetts and a frequent visitor of Walters Lounge on Dudley St. near Uphams Corner in Dorchester. The failed courtroom identification in the trial of ex-mob boss Salemme and co-defendant Paul Weadick is, in part, a sign of how the trial in DiSarros death catalogs a bygone era of mob crime in New England. Det. George McLaughlin It was George McLaughlins drunken and disrespectful behavior that started the McLean-McLaughlin War. that they were paying Billy Stuart $50 a week, but the dates he gave were after both Walter and Wimpy had already disappeared. They lured Walter to Frankies garage on the premise that Frankie would help him take Stevie out. They tried to hide in a basement of a local house, but were cornered and sent back to Shirley. Experts say another 30,000 households will hit the $1 million mark in Boston in the next four years. It was a sad year for the Bennett family and put a microscope on just how bad the war had gotten with some 60 men killed. John Red Shea Red Shea is a retired gangster from South Boston who was once a part of the infamous Winter Hill Gang. . Wimpy Bennett and his two brothers Walter and William were all murdered in 1967 during the middle of the McLean/McLaughlin War. But we will probably never know the truth. Notorious killer Joe The Animal Barboza was the man who killed Connie, but he wasnt done with the Hughes brothers yet. 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. William Frederick Jr. was born on May 29, 1911, Walter Earl on August 17, 1912 and Edward Albert Wimpy on January 1, 1919 in Boston to William Frederick Sr. and Flora Caroline Seymour. There doesnt seem to be anything so out of the ordinary about their childhood. He then mentions he heard of another feud in Annesburg where a brother stole all the gold and hid it before he was killed by the brothers. Salemmes version of events was that Walter blamed Stevie and the LCN for Wimpys murder and was out for revenge. ``She hadn't even taken off her coat when the phone starts to ring,'' the son recalls. Its believed that the woman who George McLaughlin was Alexs girlfriend and that he helped administer the beating. Welcome to Double Deal! Even the FBI does not reveal the names of informers., Hugh Shields and Billy Stuart were acquitted on April 30th. Stevie Flemmi allegedly told Rico about his involvement in Wimpys murder. In 1967 all three Bennett brothers were murdered. A podcast about organized crime in Boston & New England. Jun 2016 - Present6 years 9 months. Why would you shoot one of your criminal colleagues? veteran mob prosecutor Fred Wyshak asked on direct examination. . But then the police arrived on the scene and the four men were forced to surrender at gunpoint. Donald Killeen would be murdered in 1972. He was sent to prison in 1979 for fixing horse races. What is clear is that Rocco aka Bobo Petricone was arrested with Buddy McLean the night Bernie McLaughlin was killed. The. Bennett Brothers Balm. He was suspected in multiple other murders but never charged. And before you say anything, NO that doesnt make any sense either! 4.5 out of 5 stars. Indulge me in one of my tirades for a minute. At Stuarts trial, an alleged associate of the Bennetts testified that they were paying Billy Stuart $50 a week, but the dates he gave were after both Walter and Wimpy had already disappeared. Killeen operated out of his own bar in Southie called the Transit Cafe. Frankie leaned into his attorney and told him that Stevie was soft, while motioning with his tongue in his cheek that he had a stroke. One of the boys said his boss named Steve gave him permission to use the car. Well get back to the testimony of Stevie Flemmi towards the end of the episode. vintage bennett brothers blue book of quality merchandise 1976 $80.00. Also, according to BPD Sargent Walshs testimony the bullets that killed William Bennett matched those that killed Peter Poulos. Shea turned his back on organized crime. Judy Bennett Ewell, then in her 20s, remembers terror. 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. ``I don't believe our family will ever know any satisfaction,'' Bill Bennett said. BOSTON, Feb. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kira Andreucci, 17, of Fitchburgand Harrison (Harry) Bennett, 12, of Malden today were named Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers of 2018 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Back to the Bennetts and their murders. As they switched seats in the desert, Flemmi shot and killed him, too. He violently crashed into a guardrail and died on the scene. We'll be keeping score. . Look, if it wasnt for the Feds and I dont mean just Rico and Condon, but all the way up to Hoover since they were all aware of what a bunch of fucking degenarate serial killers they were supporting, these guys would have been nothing! Hed been with the BPD for 19 years. His FBI contact John Connolly gave him advanced warnings when indictments for racketeering were about to come down in 1994. He went by the name Bobo Petricone in Boston and was close friends with Buddy McLean and an ally of the original Winter Hill Gang. ``No matter what they say, I believe the government is still trying hard to protect a guy like Rico,'' Billy Bennett said. MafiaHitters.com gets compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon. Dermody was affiliated with the McLaughlin brothers and looking to gain traction. Oral sources identify intangibles such as atmosphere, insights into character, and clarifications to points made briefly in print. The official excuse handed down by a federal judge was improper use of a grand jury. In January of `67, Edward ``Wimpy'' Bennett disappeared. Not the gangster part, the Irish part. He would be in his early 90s. He was convicted in a second trial and sentenced to life. For them, the war was an opportunity to move in on certain enemies who may have been weakened or preoccupied. Shields was sent back to Walpole on a parole violation charge. Both Walter and Wimpy enlisted in the Army at the beginning of WWII. The mystery of what happened to Wimpy and Walter still haunts the Bennett family to this day. By MINA KIMES. On July 29, 1942 Wimpy married Frances Weresko in Michigan. OMG Earl looked just like Boris Nayfeld! On the other side was the three McLaughlin brothers and the Hughes brothers. In September of 69, Frankie Salemme supposedly received an early morning phone call from Stevie Flemmi. Medical examiners concluded that a blowtorch had been used on his genitals. I was more implying that they were government collaborators for generations. 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. By killing Buddy, the Hughes brothers were the most wanted men by the McLean side. Everyone and their mother had at some point in time. Only Billy Bennett's body was ever found. He is currently 90 years old and living back in Milbury, Massachusetts. I know that people ask why confess to something you didnt do, but look at the bullshit story that Frankie told the congressional committee about being dressed as a rabbi along with Stevie! Even the FBI does not reveal the names of informers.. Robert was given a Confidential Informant number and made a Top Echelon informant in August. Hugh Shields was the trigger man. Never has there been a more violent stretch in Boston like there was in the 1960s during the McLean/McLaughlin gang war. bennett brothers blue book All Auction Buy It Now 207 Results Publication Year Topic Language Features Condition Price Buying Format All Filters VINTAGE BENNETT BROTHERS BLUE BOOK OF QUALITY MERCHANDISE 1960 $35.00 $4.16 shipping or Best Offer Bennett Brothers Vintage 1962 Blue Book of Quality Merchandise, New York Chicago $65.00 0 bids 197 people like this. Killeens main rivals were a group known as the Mullen Gang. Hannon suffered a horrific death. Stevie and Frankie are sitting in prison, and either cant remember or dont know the answer. Everyone - ABC News. Walter, the boy bootlegger! He did concede however that the Bennetts had all been his informants. ``I know that some of the rocks will probably be pulled back on guys like Rico. Bernie and his other brother Ed Punchy McLaughlin were furious at the response. Wimpy disappeared in January and was thought to have been murdered by Stephen Flemmi and Cadillac Frank Salemme. Weve alluded to this many times but there were four missing persons cases in the 60s: Billy Aggie, Tommy Richards and the Bennett brothers and what did they all have in common? Billy Stuart was indicted in February of 1970 for being an accessory after the fact in Billy Bennetts murder. While Hannon was tortured for hours, McLean decided to go easier on Willie Delaney, who just happened to be with Hannon. All tatted up in full vor style. Punchy was an ex pro boxer who drank hard and got in many bar fights. Wimpy was looking for Det. Raymond screamed ask him where Wimpy Bennett is, he was the last one to see him alive!. . McLean was shot and killed on October 31, 1965 by McLaughlin enforcer Stevie Hughes. He has been sentenced to life in prison plus several years for his litany of crimes. After going to prison for racketeering in 1999, he agreed to cooperate with the FBI after being locked up for just two weeks. Bodies were being found in the streets on a weekly basis at this time around Boston. 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. Some octogenarian central figures have spent decades in jail or in the witness protection program. 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. Buddy Mclean - informant. McLean would catch up to Bernie McLaughlin on October 31, 1961 and shoot him dead right outside of the Morning Glory Cafe in Charlestown, one of his favorite hangouts. McLean responded that George had been highly disrespectful and the beating he got was legitimately justified. he and Joseph Lewis were arrested in a basement at 335 Shawmut Ave for selling alcohol. But a rural jail wasnt going to hold Wimpy. Billy Stuart denied that he was involved in the murder, , and claimed that hed been shocked to hear that Billy Bennett had been murdered. Rico was unsuccessful, but Stevie took over the Bennetts illegal enterprises anyway. He killed both Hughes brothers and their associate Sam Lindenbaum in 1966. At the end of each month you'll receive an email from us about upcoming episodes, photos and excerpts from our upcoming book! The Irish King Of Winter Hill is available on Amazon. Yet other reporters there were many who came out to see a notorious mob figure and right-hand man to James Whitey Bulger testify as the trial nears its one-month mark thought he could have said both. The Brinks heist would continue to haunt Wimpy Bennett for years. In January of 1960 a man named Charles Kirby received a phone call at his TV repair shop by a man looking for Wimpy. Walter left behind an estate of roughly $150,000. The men took Peter Poulos with them but according to Frankies version of events, he left them in California and went back east to New York City and wasnt present when Stevie murdered Peter Poulos in the Nevada desert. If you want to hear more about that case. But Billy Stuart was free to go. He would find out later that two of his gang members, Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi had been informing on him. Raymond was pissed but Jack didnt bat an eyelash. Is that the cardboard box in the back of the beachwagon story? One of the charges against Billy Stuart was that hed participated in moving the car that had Dickie Grassos body in it from Dorchester to Brookline. You bet, Mastrodonato:FIFA president Gianni Infantino should be ashamed of ignorant remarks ahead of 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 'Significant burst' of heavy snow possible for areas of Massachusetts, up to 12 inches potential in spots, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, Boston employee payroll data shows more big-money employees than ever. They pistol whipped the guard and forced the bank manager and customers to the floor. But while they were waiting for Larry to appear, Frankie shot and killed Walter instead. An appeals-court judge later overturned the conviction on a technicality. 1 rat. The mafia also teamed up with Stephen Flemmi to kill the three Bennett brothers in Dorchester, Walter, William and Wimpy. King, Bo Diddley among many others. He sent the three men out to get tributes from the local wiseguys. In 2018, he was beaten to death by another prisoner in West Virginia, the very same day that he was put into general population. Type of material Trade catalogs Trade literature Date 1900s Variant company name Chicago, IL Company Name Bennett Brothers Inc. Place New York, New York, United States Notes content Bennett Blue Books: 1939, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1974. . He later appeared in the movies Dream A Little Dream and Get Shorty. Sweet's first trial ended in a hung jury. They were roughly a quarter Irish from the Bennett line. Flemmi will be the first witness to say he was there the night DiSarro was killed. Boston Police officer, Frankie Desario talks about the Bennett Brothers and their violent demise.Oral History. Thank goodness for our listeners sharing with us. The crimes and the mysteries of which many are still unsolved. Their violent death. He also accused the commission of asking silly questions. Hannon was the most feared shooter on the McLaughlin side early on. You know Dickie wasnt packing a full deck. I bet most of our listeners dont know where the story that Frankie Salemme murdered Walter Bennett came from. Their bodies were buried in the same remote Hopkinton, Massachusetts, area after being taken to Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, Flemmi said. Just a few days after Billy Bennett was murdered, Rico went to his home looking for documents pertaining to the activities of Wimpy and Walter, but not for the FBI, but rather to assist Stevie. That may have made it easier for him but his brother Jimmys foray into top echelon informant land more than likely helped Stevie become a CI himself. The gangs were fighting for turf in Southie and OSullivan teamed up with Whitey to gun down several Mullen members. McLean initially tried to peacefully resolve the issue until he found that the McLaughlins put a bomb under his family car. As State Honorees, Kira and Harry each . Bulger went on the run and stayed gone for 16 years. No, but the Feds had a laundry list of names that included Jack and dad that they were looking at for just about every armed robbery in those days. I swear telling people that these guys were all cut from the same cloth is like telling a kid that Santa Claus isnt real. At least they had a sense of honor.''. August 3, 2016, 8:30 AM. Community See All. Some 60 men died in the next couple years as the two sides hunted each other. It was their former underling Stephen The Rifleman Flemmi who betrayed the brothers and participated in all of their murders. When he searched under his car, he found an explosive device wired to his ignition. Unfortunately for Killeen, the youngsters wanted the power and saw the war as an opportunity to seize power. The other brother Kenny would be warned by Whitey Bulger that he was out of business, no further warnings. Bodies were being found in the streets on a weekly basis at this time around Boston. None of the sisters has any faith in the so-called new and reformed FBI either. It was one of the most horrific double murder scenes in Boston history. We've spent the past 2 years scouring through FBI 302s, newspaper articles, hearing transcripts and books. Related Story: Irish Mob vs. Italian Mafia. At the trial of Hugh Shields in April 1970, Daddieco testified that there were six men involved in the plot to kill Billy Bennett. . Consequently, there was more resignation than outrage in Bennett's voice yesterday when he learned that the government would not be charging Stevie Flemmi with the murders of his father and uncles. The prosecutor asked Flemmi to point out Salemme in the courtroom.