The Westies - T. J. English

The Westies

By T. J. English

  • Release Date: 2011-11-15
  • Genre: True Crime
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 114 Ratings

Description

From a New York Times–bestselling author: A true story of Irish gangsters in Manhattan—“A harrowing account of big city crime” (Library Journal).
 It’s men like Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone who gave Hell’s Kitchen its name. 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. Jimmy, a charismatic sociopath, is the leader. Mickey, whose memories of Vietnam torture him daily, is his enforcer. Together they make brutality their trademark, butchering bodies or hurling them out the window. Under their reign, Hell’s Kitchen becomes a place where death literally rains from the sky. But when Mickey goes down for a murder he didn’t commit, he suspects his friend has sold him out. He returns the favor, breaking the underworld’s code of silence and testifying against his gang in open court. 

From one of the creators of NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street comes an incredible true story of what it means to survive in the world of organized crime, where murder is commonplace.

Reviews

  • The true Irish connection.

    5
    By leftster
    An excellent read that depicts a true story, with real facts, of an epic criminal time in our Country. The author presents a series of stories that tie together the "big story." A must read for anyone who relishes this subject.
  • The Westies

    5
    By Irish gangsters
    This book was Recommended to me. A true story about the Irish mob in NYC. The upper west side. I was young at the time and from Bergen county. The story line was close to where I lived at the time and I remember some of the headlines during that rough period in time. A good fast read keeping my attention.
  • Awesome Read

    5
    By enycco
    GREAT book. Flew through it, couldn't even put it down. If you are into criminal history, or big into NYC history, this book is a great read. Love the way T.J. writes his books, and this one is my favorite. Helluva a story.