Disney sues Florida Gov. Mickey Featherstone news, gossip, photos of Mickey Featherstone, biography, Mickey Featherstone girlfriend list 2022. 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. By the late 1970s, the Westies had also become an enforcement arm of the equally feared Gambino family, carrying out assigned executions and sharing in weekly profits. 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. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod. 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. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. In April 1986, Featherstone was convicted of Hollys murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Florida Democrats skewered Gov. Featherstone's penchant for violence and intimidation caught the eye of Coonan and Featherstone became Coonan's right-hand man by 1976. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He also said he'd been ordered to carry out the murder in a wig, which he believed was meant to make him look like Mickey. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Grasping defeat from the jaws of victory. He made it clear that he is not in it for the money but to let the public be aware of the TRUTH and most of all how he was framed by his lawyers, the westies, friends, and the NYPD for the Holly Killing. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. He never saw combat. This Featherstone is littlebit like leonetti - talks clearly, calmy, but what a psycho! In late November, McElroy and Kelly also paid a visit to their leader, Morgenthau said. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Put this image on your website to promote the show -, Report inappropriate content or request to remove this page. 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. Then in 1985, Coonan, fearing a power grab by Featherstone, set him up to take a fall for murder. The district attorney said they were 'very brutal. He volunteered for combat in Vietnam and would claim he spent time killing with the Special Forces. Shout Box: Site Links >Help Page >More Smilies >GBB on Facebook >Job Saver >Godfather Website >Scarface Website When Mickey returned to the notoriously violent, Irish dominated Hell's Kitchen area of New York, his violent tendencies continued. 2 mo. In this case, he was not only innocent of the crime, he also knew who had done it. 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.'. Well never sell your personal information. In the early 1980s, Featherstone spent periods of time in mental hospitals, before returning to the Westies. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. S.C. woman wins $300,000 lottery prize -- her second jackpot in 3 years. Featherstone had served in the Vietnam War, but was discharged in 1967 after hallucinations landed him in a mental hospital. Based on the car and the eyewitness identifications, Featherstone was convicted of Hollys murder in April 1986 and sentenced to spend 25 years to life in prison. Francis (Mickey) Featherstone, an admitted killer who turned informer, has won his freedom, largely in return for testifying against his former associates in a violent gang called the Westies. ''This sentence is an act of trust which you have earned,'' the judge told Mr. Featherstone. But the Westies now had an enemy in Featherstone. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. This is legendary NYC drug kingpin Frank Mathews. Led by Jimmy Coonan and, From an introduction made by his long time friend Tom Sheer, Joe Poletto was introduced to Art Ruffles, special agent in charge of the FBIs organized crime unit in charge of the Gambino, DeMeo and Westies cases. gb1993 2 yr. ago Francis Mickey Featherstone, a leader of New York Citys Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, was set up by other members of the gang to take the fall for the 1985 murder of Michael Holly. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The shooter, Featherstone learned, was Billy Bokun. [2] Featherstone did time in the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield Missouri on the psychiatric ward in 1982. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. Privacy Policy. The became hired killers in the 1970s, authorities said. His biological father is Jewish and mother Catholic. 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 DEA ranks him as one of the top 10 drug traffickers in US history. Outside the courtroom, Coonan's lawyer Lawrence Hochheiser said, 'She's a housewife her only crime is being his wife.' For those of you who were too St. Paddy's Day wasted to make it, don't you worry, there will be more! Lol. He was charged with three murders over the years, but was always able to get acquitted after pleading insanity. 'They shared in the proceeds of gambling and loansharking on the West Side and they also have been used as hired guns for the Gambino family,' he said. Coonan's former underling, Francis 'Mickey' Featherstone, has pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering charge and is cooperating with authorities, leading to the recent spate of arrests. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. He was born on the upper West Side and his mother worked with the VFW and his father was a U. S. Customs officer. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contract murders are a relatively new enterprise, they said. Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 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 had been discharged from the army in 1967, suffering from hallucinations, and spent years in and out of a mental hospital. Initially the job was given to Mickey Featherstone but he refused, the job was then given to Jimmy McElroy and Kevin Kelly. She was able to record Bokun describing the shooting of Michael Holly while wearing a wig as Featherstone. 'That's the way they get the message out.'. [1] He served in the Vietnam War as member of the Green Berets aged just 17 after lying about his age. Billy Bokuns attorney was Kenneth Aronson, the same attorney who had represented Featherstone in Hollys murder trial. The website is updated daily, frequently with exonerations that occurred in the past. The title should be changed to 'The True Crime Classic About Mickey Featherstone's Time As Part Of New York's Notorious Irish Mob'. Public DomainGambino boss Paul Castellano. 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. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. [1] He served in heavy combat and then as a stock clerk. Neil Patmore is a former police officer, and private investigator. NEW YORK -- The wife of a reputed West Side mobster and three members of his Irish gang were indicted Wednesday in the killing of a loanshark, and the Manhattan prosecutor said the gang was. He went on trial with Coonan for the killing of a barman, but they were acquitted in December 1979 after one witness killed himself and another refused to testify. [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. 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. He is famous for Irish American mobster and Vietnam Vet. At first, it appeared that he had won. James Coonan is awaiting trial for an alleged revenge killing against a gang member. This book is a lot more focused on one man's role (Mickey Featherstone) in the Westies, rather than the Westies as a whole. After all, Featherstone had killed men in neighborhood bars in front of witnesses multiple times and beat the charges. So she cant better her life due to her family history? 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. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Increasingly drunk on a regular basis, Featherstone was disciplined by the armed forces for various acts of criminal mischief, and after only a year, claiming to suffer from hallucinations, was medically discharged in 1967. It's men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell's Kitchen its name. He had been informed by Westies member Kevin Kelly the night before Hollys murder that Holly was going to be killed. Morgethau said the gang began as gamblers and loansharks but have committed 28 murders, five of which have been solved. We have no records of past relationships for Mickey Featherstone. With the new information provided by Featherstone in 1986, prosecutors were able to obtain indictments against eight members of the Westies, including leader Jimmy Coonan, and all but one were convicted. Francis "Mickey" Featherstone, a leader of New York City's Irish organized crime gang known as the Westies, was set up by other members of the gang to take the fall for the 1985 murder of Michael Holly. 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. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. After learning about Mickey Featherstone, read how Irish mobster Danny Greene took on the Cleveland Mafia or learn about mobster Frank The Irishman Sheeran. 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. Coonan held Holly responsible for Bokuns death, but his murder was repeatedly put off over the years. 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. 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. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. [1] In September 1986, Judge Alvin Schlesinger overturned Featherstone's conviction. After DeSantis pushed a last-minute repeal of the company's prized status through the legislature, he romped to . 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. They said that over the years it has been steeped in gambling and loansharking. McElroy and Bokun are in jail charged with other killings. He would act out frequently while in the hospitals, leading to him being restrained and injected with thorazine. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. /r/Mafia features stories, interviews, documentary and news articles about organized crime around the world. Aussie tourist 'very sorry' for drunken, nude rampage in Indonesia. Who is Mickey Featherstone dating? [1] He was shocked at receiving his sentence of 25 years in prison, and concluded that he had been framed by his own gang. 11/2=60yr old scumbag, This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, http://www.visitmonmouth.com/sheriff/up 007web.jpg. 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. Stranded bear rescued from Nevada tree using tranquilizer, tarp. Mickey looks like a piece of shit, as always. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Featherstone, This week we finish up our series with Justin Rimmel from Mysterious Circumstances talking about the downfall of one of the most violent gangs in the history of NYC. Yet to those closest to him, Mickey was kind, devoted and generous to a fault. Featherstone, despite standing 57 with wide blue eyes, shaggy blonde hair, and a boyish face, soon developed a killers reputation that might not have been apparent from his appearance alone. 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. [2] The police suspected him of a series of mob contract killings. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. All these years later, the legend of the wild, wild Westies -- the Gaelic gangsters of the '80s and '90s, led by the likes of Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone -- lives on. In the late 1970s, the Westies began collaborating with the Gambino family and its notorious Mafia, with the Westies functioning as an enforcer arm of the Gambino ring carrying out assigned executions and sharing in weekly profits. He was a house mom for his first couple of yrs in the WPP and he is now a day trader investing only personal funds. Judge Sweet stressed that Mr. Featherstone testified as a major witness in a trial that ended early this year in the conviction of seven members of the Westies, including James Coonan, the gang's leader, who received a sentence of 75 years in prison. Or, as was the case with Mickey Featherstone, you find you've been chosen as the fall guy for a power grab within the gang. 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. I wonder how much of it was drugs. Through his work in the Westies, Art secured Billy Beattie and another Westies member . I would say unlikely. [3][4] He received a medical discharge in 1967 after just a year, claiming to have hallucinations. Is he still alive? In May 1977, Jimmy Coonan owed a substantial amount of money to loan shark Ruby Stein and decided to forgive his own debt by murdering Stein. Help us build our profile of Mickey Featherstone! Mr. Featherstone and his family are now in the Government's witness protection program, which provides for relocating them under a new name. After his conviction was overturned, he struck a deal with the authorities to inform on his own organization. Irish mobster Danny Greene took on the Cleveland Mafia. 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. Westie members murdered and dismembered him in the back of Coonans bar, then threw his remains in the Hudson River. Brisman Craigslist Murder Phillip Markoff was born 1986. Mickey Featherstone relationship list. Mr. Featherstone indeed served in Vietnam - as a stock clerk. Julia Coonan pleaded innocent to conspiracy charges in state Supreme Court in Manhattan and Judge Peter McQuillan set $50,000 bail. 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. An unhinged man with a hot temper and a hair trigger, Mickey Featherstone was known to kill for little to no reason at all.
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