Winter Hill: A Chronicle of the McLean-McLaughlin Gang War in 1960s Boston

[This is a premium version that includes select photos in color. There is a less expensive version with a B&W interior. Click "See all formats and editions"]In 1960s Boston, a band of longshoremen, teamsters, shop owners, and laborers waged war against the ruthless Irish mob and, by extension, the formidable New England Mafia.The slow-burning clash over work and extortion exploded into violence after an insult to a woman and an attempted car bombing, escalating into one of the bloodiest gang wars in US history and leaving over 100 people dead, missing, or wounded and thousands of lives traumatized.The fierce conflict ranged across the greater Boston area, crystalizing around the home neighborhoods of two families: the McLaughlin brothers and their gang, who controlled historic Charlestown, and Buddy McLean (front cover) and his allies (below), who operated out of the working-class suburb of Somerville, in an area known for centuries as Winter Hill.This book captures for the first time ever the stories of gang war participants and eyewitnesses as they recounted the struggle to save their lives and the soul of their community. Read more