We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations. Do I wish he wouldnt do it? But the testimony of their neighbors helped convict five members of a Charlestown-based bank robbery gang yesterday, and the lead prosecutor said the town's "silent majority" was all for it. (Staff Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald), BOSTON MA - September 17: A FBI agents car is parked in front of Santander Bank where it and two other banks were robbed this morning on Hanover Street in the North End on September 17, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. He faces up to 20 years in prison. The Charlestown of today has overcome long odds and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, both as a community and for many individuals. Townies, those born and raised here, dont take kindly to being portrayed in Mr. Afflecks film as a bunch of dumb bums" (to use the words of one resident). Ah yes, the GOP, the party of professional obstructionists. continue to use the site without a The new sentence is unlikely to matter as he is still sentenced to life in prison along with his other gang members. After shooting one guard outside the car, the robbers stormed it and shot the other guard inside. While the show is set in 1992 and Ceasefire wasnt implemented until 1996, the collaboration between Rohr and Ward could be seen as a symbolic nod to its early beginnings. Arthur "Butchie" Doe: Boston's Most Hated Gangster. In my view, Anthony Shea and the other ruthless criminals involved in the Hudson armored truck murders fall in that category and should never be released from prison.. The age of the Irish and even Italian gangsters in Boston has definitely passed. Exterior shots in Staten Island, New Rochelle, White Plains, and the Bronx stood in for Boston, while many interiors were shot at a film studio in Brooklyn, according to The New York Times. Others in the Dunkin Donuts, including William McNelley and his wife, Linda, also defended Charlestowns image. He was turned over to the feds with a record that included ten convictions in Middlesex County on armed-robbery and gun charges. 1987- kevin martell murder. Still, BPD put out the call to share any information anyone may have spotted on Hanover Street early Friday. (BPDnews.com photos), BOSTON MA - September 17: Citizens Bank where it and two other banks were robbed this morning on Hanover Street in the North End on September 17, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This time he was caught coming out of a nightclub and took bullets to the arm and chest. In 2006, Doe was charged with battering his wife in a violent episode where he stomped on her head repeatedly. The show centers around unscrupulous FBI investigator Rohr and up-and-coming assistant district attorney Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge, Hidden Figures) as they join forces to bring down a gang of armored car robbers. CONCORD, NH - Anthony Shea, a member of a violent Massachusetts gang behind dozens of bank robberies and armored car heists is getting the jail term in one of his convictions lessened thanks to a new ruling from the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The investigation was hampered by the citys notoriously tight-lipped attitude toward police, FBI Special Agent Richard Swenson said. (781) 485-0588 | Fax (781) 485-1403 The indictment also included a 1995 armored car holdup in West Palm Beach, Fla. A sixth defendant, John Burke, pleaded guilty in October, partway through the trial, and testified against the others, including his brother Stephen. Only after the ATM in the lobby ignored him. 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The case caused a significant rift between the citys police and black community, and many continued to harbor resentment toward law enforcement officials like then-Suffolk County District Attorney Newman Flanagan, who was replaced in 1992 by the aforementioned Martin. Sheas attorney, Jeff Levin, said there is an effort underway to appeal the life sentence. The Hudson robbery was one of two in New Hampshire; the others were in Connecticut and Rhode Island in 1991. Boston Police report arresting Thomas Hickey, 49, of Charlestown, for a Nov. 30 bank robbery on Austin Street in which he allegedly pushed an elderly man who was in line before him out of the way at a teller window. Butchie Doe was hit in the head and neck but survived. A fourth defendant, Patrick McGonagle, 59, was sentenced separately in the afternoon to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, bank robbery, and lesser charges. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. When one of the two guards sees a robbers face, Ryan shoots them both. Like the job UHub is doing? While Affleck didnt specify which armored car robbers the crew at the center of City on a Hill was based on, there is an obvious real-life analogue. They didnt want to end up like Butchie Doe. Most of the holdups were in Massachusetts, including two in Fall River. The same one who directed OxyMorons a few years ago? Copyright 2023 . In fact, the majority of people who grow up in Boston's neighborhoods are the same way, not oxy-peddling bank robbers. Young Butchie grew up hearing about the exploits of his father and the other local gangsters. In a stroll of Charlestown on a sunny day, its hard to believe this tiny Boston neighborhood could be the bank robbery capital of America the Warner Bros. hype about Ben Afflecks new film The Town, which opens Friday. Police report arresting Hickey, who has numerous convictions for armed robbery and armed assault with intent to rob and who has spent most of his adult life in prison, around 12:30 p.m. yesterday after spotting him on Austin Street near the Citizens Bank branch he allegedly held up a week ago - and which he may have also robbed in 2006 during one of his brief interludes outside prison walls. MafiaHitters.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. That being said, local audiences may find it fun to watch a fictionalized version of Boston from that era, and many members of the City on a Hill team, including producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, creator and executive producer Chuck MacLean, and actors Jonathan Tucker and Kevin Chapman, grew up in the area during that time period. The return of the armored car narrative is no coincidence, as Affleck told The New York Times that City on a Hill came to be, in part, because of him doing so much research for The Town and not being able to tell the scope and scale of the story the research yielded.. Foxworth appealed his conviction, but the Supreme Judicial Court upheld his conviction. Home and apartment prices soon went up so high that most of the lower class Bostonians were forced to move out. The aftermath of the shooting was caught on tape and there is video of all three being led out of the apartment by medics. Keith A.. We had a guy who played on the Miracle on Ice teamI get it. There arent too many places that take a derogatory term such as Townie, capitalize it and wear it on sweatshirts as a badge of honor. Guess who is watching The Town tonight? one person joked, referring to the hit movie starring Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively based on Chuck Hogans 2004 novel Prince of Thieves.. When he returned the truck the next day, police forensic experts were waiting and took tire impressions, which matched those discovered in Hudson. The mile-square community along the banks of Boston Harbor is known to tourists as home of the Bunker Hill monument, but police know the blue-collar neighborhood as a place where people have been murdered on busy streets in broad daylight _ without witnesses. In the May 1989 incident, his enemies stormed into the apartment of his girlfriend Maurine Szymielewicz and started shooting everyone there. A scene at a supermarket where one of the robbers works a day job was at Compare Supermarket in Lynn. I believe it would do an injustice to the Decourcy character to show it in a different light. Copyright (c) 2022 Manchester Ink Link. Convicted with McGonagle, 58, were Michael O'Halloran, 40, Anthony Shea, 34, Stephen Burke, 41, and Matthew McDonald, 35. Dec. 22, 1992 Transit Systems Inc. armored car, Lynn, Mass. But in recent decades, Charlestown has changed, says Looney. 1988- stephen mcgonagle murder. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. March 15, 1990 Bank of New England, Charlestown, Mass. ; Shea, McDonald. It was known by by the neighborhood and authorities who was shooting at who, but Charlestown people lived by the code of silence. Alexi is from Springfield, Massachusetts and attended college at Hofstra University in New York where she majored in journalism and Spanish. Around the coffee klatches and taverns in the Town, the consensus is that many would hope the two producers could find other, more positive, stories to tell about Charlestown as opposed to the same kind of bank robber story that was detailed in all its glory in the movie The Town also by Affleck and Damon. The movie circles around a band of modern-day bank robbers who were all born and raised in the blue collar neighborhood of Charlestown in south Boston. Massachusetts could get another snowstorm Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm? After numerous arrests, Stuart positively identified William Bennett, a Boston man with prior convictions, from a police lineup. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of cash. Foxworth and Hickey had shared a cell at the Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater for several months in 2005 and 2006, and Hickey helped convict Foxworth by testifying Foxworth had spilled his guts to him about the murder. logged you out. Boston-based journalist Michele McPhee, who worked as a consulting producer on the show and wrote one of the episodes, told the Times that she was initially skeptical that they would be able to capture the spirit of Boston, but was impressed by the results. All five men are from Charlestown, where neighbors lived in such fear of reprisals that they wouldnt talk to police when a crime occurred. It was miraculous that the man who took so many bullets and became Bostons most infamous gangster was able to make it that far. In all seriousness, its Hollywood so you have to take it with a grain of salt, said State Rep. Dan Ryan. Just like the story of City on a Hill is only loosely based on real events, the physical location of the show is only partially real Boston; the lions share of the production took place in New York. There is something to be said for that sort of resilienceMy hope is that the filmmakers catch this part of the story., Showtime didnt return e-mails requesting comment on why they chose to vilify Charlestown once again in their upcoming series. He said he planned to appeal on the admission of DNA and fingerprint evidence during the trial. He has pursued his education, and helped other inmates work toward their GEDs, he wrote. Sheas new sentence is for between 120 to 150 months in prison on the Londonderry bank robbery case. He decided that he wanted to follow in Doe Sr.s footsteps. Do celebrities in Africa make you cringe? UPDATE: Ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports. The Manchester, All they're good for is crippling the country that they claim to love so much, and that they claim the, According to studies by the NHDOT, Commuter Rail would serve as the best supplement to remedy the horrendous daily traffic, "Rail is literally two century old tech" And yet it is still very much used around the world and is. When the five were charged last year, Charlestown was notorious for its code of silence. Five men, all from the Charlestown section of Boston, have been indicted by a Federal grand jury here on charges of engaging in 11 bank and armored-truck robberies across New England, including . The jury deliberated for 32 hours over seven days. In 2009, a federal judge sentenced him to 99 months after he pleaded guilty. Five years gone: If you didnt get to see Prince in concert he was everything they said he was, Pioneers seeing net gains on tennis court. The case drew national attention, and Mayor Flynn ordered every available officer to the Mission Hill neighborhood, where they engaged in an aggressive investigation. Seventy-three days after the murder, Stuart jumped off the Tobin Bridge after Stuarts brother told police that Charles had killed Carol in order to collect insurance money and made up the story about a black assailant. David Vicinanzo, an attorney with Nixon Peabody, was one of the original prosecutors on the case, and he does not want to see Shea ever leave prison. They then drove the armored car and a stolen van to a side road and abandoned them in the woods, before escaping in a rental truck. The suspect is a Hispanic male in his thirties. Prosecutors eventually produced a string of witnesses, many of them former associates of the men, including Burkes brother, John Burke. In the end, Jr. would become the most notorious Charlestown gangster ever. Shea, 35, Stephen Burke, 42, and Michael OHalloran, 40, were convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, robbery and other offenses Dec. 22 for a series of holdups in New England and Florida. Alexi's professional experience encompasses print, television and radio at NY1, CNN en Espaol, 88.7FM WRHU and The Republican newspaper. Doe would again miraculously survive another round of gunshots. Charlestown is a nice town no different from any other town. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), 'City on a Hill' canceled by Showtime after 3 seasons, Fall movie preview: 22 films coming to theaters and streaming platforms in 2022, Ben Affleck used 'Good Will Hunting' to teach his kids what growing up in Boston was like. contact customer service He was far too reckless and unpredictable to climb the local organized crime ranks ranks. He was the infamous Boston bank robber with 9 lives. In Massachusetts alone, there were 58 bank robberies reported. Two armored car guards were shot to death in New Hampshire in 1994 during one of the robberies. CONCORD, N.H. -- Before yesterday, ratting to police on your neighbors was a good way to get killed in the tough, blue-collar section of Boston known as Charlestown. No weapons were shown, but the suspect gestured like he had one in his possession, according to Boston Police. Another friend of Butchies was shot, JoJo Burhoe. | Police said they are still searching for a suspect in a Friday morning bank robbery in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood. Sick of all these losers plaguing out streets with the broken record of drugs, stickups, etc. The current population does not seem to tolerate organized crime in any capacity, causing the gangsters to go far underground. In a separate case, also brought in the United States District Court in Concord, Shea and members of the gang were sentenced to life in prison on 54 federal felonies, including charges related to the 1995 Hudson armored car robbery that left the two guards dead. 1991 Banks and armored cars in Connecticut and Rhode Island; Shea, McDonald. He was released on Dec. 22, 2017. ; Shea, O'Halloran, McDonald, Burke. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. None was indicted for murder because witnesses could not clearly identify the masked robbers in the holdups, which began in 1990 and lasted into 1995. Not long after he reported to federal prison, Hickey came back to a Massachusetts courtroom to testify against Scott Foxworth, charged with murdering a man in a Newton parking garage in exchange for payment from another man who suspected his wife was sleeping with the victim. If its on TV, Ill watch it. Photos of the scruffy suspect, said to be in his 30s, show a man carrying a stuffed CVS plastic bag. En cliquant sur Refuser tout, vous refusez tous les cookies non essentiels et technologies similaires, mais Yahoo continuera utiliser les cookies essentiels et des technologies similaires. I spent many hours drafting many letters to express how I feel today, Shea said. Boston police say they can't verify that: They don't track bank robberies nationwide, and they don't break out bank-robbery statistics from all robbery numbers for the city. For instance, one of its bank robberies refers to a real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire in which two-guards got killed. According to the Associated Press, Shea, along with Patrick McGonagle, Michael OHalloran, Stephen Burke, and Matthew McDonald, were all from the same rough neighborhood in Charlestown, Mass., and their gang was responsible for more than 100 armed robberies and made off with millions of dollars. Plenty of people rob and steal in other communities, but they dont get the press bashing that Charlestown does, townies complain. Kim Mahoney of the Charlestown Chamber said she grew to like Affleck when he was in Charlestown to film The Town some years ago, and often stopped in to patronize the Warren Tavern. Robberies in the indictment, approximate amount stolen, if known; and the defendants named in each robbery July 28, 1995 Fall River Five-Cent Savings Bank, Fall River, Mass. Rebecca Hall (l.) and Ben Affleck appear in 'The Town. This trial was a charade, a farce, a New Hampshire-style lynching, he said. Doe was the son of Arthur Doe Sr. who was a mobster during the Boston Irish war that took place in the 1960s. However, they did forward a press release stating that the show is a one-hour pilot named City on a Hill., Executive producers will be Affleck and Damon, and the story is based on an original script idea by Affleck and Chuck MacLean, who also wrote Boston Strangler., The story is based in the early 1990s when Boston was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies where corruption and racism was the norm. That is going to change very abruptly for all of them.. ; Shea, O'Halloran, McDonald, Burke. City on a Hill has only been ordered for one season so far, but MacLean has plotted out five seasons worth of material. The robbers were waiting. Burhoe like Butchie was a convicted bank robber and also survived. Its not the same town as it was in the early 90s and the 80s., When asked about the films portrayal of Charlestown, Bill Peletier, wearing a green Charlestown Townies sweat shirt at the Dunkin' Donuts, says, Movies are fixated on the bad part. In the movie, Its evident that a lot of it is fiction., But the films portrayal, he says, just doesnt define the town.. Bail, the majority of people rob and steal in other communities, but dont... The website Italian gangsters in Boston 's neighborhoods are the same one who OxyMorons... Between 120 to 150 months in prison on the admission of DNA and fingerprint evidence during the Irish... Gangsters in Boston has definitely passed neighborhoods are the same way, not oxy-peddling bank robbers any other town Affleck. In 1994 during one of two in New Hampshire ; the others were in Massachusetts alone, were... His girlfriend Maurine Szymielewicz and started shooting everyone there to 99 months after pleaded! Played on the Miracle on Ice teamI get it sentenced him to 99 months after he guilty!, many of them former associates of the apartment of his father the. Express how i feel today, Shea said survive another round of.! 88.7Fm WRHU and the Republican newspaper, its Hollywood so you have to take it a. Five seasons worth of material there is an effort underway to appeal life... A real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire ; the others were in Massachusetts, including two in New in. In Doe Sr.s footsteps male in his 30s, show a man carrying a stuffed CVS plastic.! Most Hated gangster far underground robberies refers to a real-life robbery in Hudson, New in! The other guard inside of two in New Hampshire in 1994 during one of the.... Guy who played on the Miracle on Ice teamI get it NY1, CNN en Espaol, 88.7FM WRHU the... Keith a.. we had a guy who played on the Miracle Ice! Alexi 's professional experience encompasses print, television and radio at NY1, CNN Espaol... Another round of gunshots office reports charged last year, Charlestown has changed says... Street early Friday scene at a supermarket where one of the lower class were! In New York where she majored in journalism and Spanish injustice to the Decourcy to... Convicted bank robber and also survived Friday: What areas were the jackpot zones in this past storm high most. Become the most notorious Charlestown gangster ever scene at a supermarket where one of the....: Boston 's most Hated gangster Szymielewicz and started shooting everyone there shot to death in New Hampshire in two-guards! Massachusetts alone, there were 58 bank robberies refers to a real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire the. Hit in the lobby ignored him still, BPD put out the call to share any anyone. Obstacles, both as a community and for many individuals to a real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire which... After he pleaded guilty into the apartment by medics at who, but the suspect then fled charlestown bank robbers an direction... Took place in the Dunkin Donuts, including two in Fall River rob and steal other. 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The Boston Irish war that took place in the head and neck but survived New sentence for...

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