A guide for parents and youth leaders by vaughn j featherstone and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. These two vicious young men formed a partnership in 1976 that was to rule hells kitchen until the mid80s, forging ties with the mafia and leaving a trail. Dick francis takes you into the thrilling world of horse racing with this gripping tale about the illusion of film and the reality of murder. The nameused by the press and the police, not by the mobsters themselvesdesignated a group of ruthless and vicious hoodlums, led by jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone, who cut up.
Francis mickey thomas featherstone had a heart and a conscience. Champion jockey robert sherman has disappeared right before his wife was about to give birth. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. The westies were bossed by jimmy coonan, a vicious thug and killer determined to take over the neighborhood rackets. After getting nailed for several mob murders he flipped against coonan and the rest of his former buddies and brought down the whole hells kitchen gang. Since his fathers death, felix has carried on to publish novels with his fathers name in the title, including a return for sid halley dick franciss refusal, 20. He and his gang of young irish hoods began kidnapping, beating, and murdering spillane loyalists. Bestselling author and producer nicholas pileggi, who. Felix francis is a british novelist who carved his niche as a crime writer. Mickey featherstone born june 3, 1949 is a former irish american mobster and member of the westies, an organized crime syndicate from hells kitchen, manhattan in new york city, led by james coonan. The only threetime recipient of the mystery writers of americas edgar award for best novel, his awards include the gold dagger, the cartier diamond dagger, the mwas grand master award for lifetime achievement, an honorary doctorate of humane. May 14, 2010 francis mickey featherstone was certainly no one to play around with.
He enrolled at london university and pursued a degree in physics and electronics. When he returned, lucich testified, there was blood on the kitchen floor and tassiellos body, with a knife in the chest, was in the bathtub. He acted one way around criminals, he could be incredibly cold and vicious, and that was what the newspapers reported and what most people in new york city remembered, but around the regular people and the kids in the neighborhood he was normal. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, james coonan and mickey featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of hells kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of new york citys west side. This book is a lot more focused on one mans role mickey featherstone in the westies, rather than the westies as a whole. Its all very well writing in the name of your father, but its refreshing when the progeny of literary stardom show a little independence. Honours edit francis is the only threetime recipient of the mystery writers of america s edgar award for best novel, winning for forfeit in 1970, whip hand in 1981, and come. Mickey spillane 19341977 new york mobster and head of manhattan s hells kitchen during the 1950s and 1960s. Coonans main contact was roy demeo, who had brought him word of spillanes assassination. Mickey featherstone born september 2, 1948 is a former irish american mobster and member of the westies, an organized crime syndicate from hells kitchen, manhattan in new york city, led by james coonan. Books blog when dick francis s son joined the family stable. Coonan soon enlisted a 24yearold vietnam vet by the name of francis mickey featherstone as his righthand man in.
Featherstone national registry of exonerations pre 1989. In 1953, dick francis and wife mary margaret bore a child, felix francis. Mickey featherstone born september 2, 1948 is a former irish american mobster. They became the most notorious gang in the librarians note. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android.
Coonan and his chief henchman, francis mickey featherstone, were masters at wriggling out of legal complications. Its men like jimmy coonan and mickey featherstone who gave hells kitchen. English book about organized crime in cuba in the 1950s. The early years foundation stage is the first experience of learning for children, which should be made as enriching as possible. Admitted westies killer who informed is free the new york times. Dick francis, 19202010 a former champion steeplechase jockey, was the author of many bestselling mysteries set in the world of horse racing. Jan 01, 1989 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. By the mid1970s, francis mickey featherstone had become coonans righthand man and the westies secondincommand. He was much like the character jackie flannery, played by gary oldman, in the movie state of grace.
The title should be changed to the true crime classic about mickey featherstones time as part of new yorks notorious irish mob. May 10, 2016 francis mickey thomas featherstone had a heart and a conscience. Francis tucket and his adopted family, lottie and billy, are heading west in search of franciss parents on the oregon trail. Daniel roke is a young, wealthy, successful horse breeder in australia who has his life turned upside down literally when he is invited to come to the uk to investigate some bizarre goingson in the world of thoroughbred horseracing.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The westies moneymaking activities centered around loansharking, narcotics dealing, extorting local labor unions and controlling new yorks west side piers. The mary frances books 100th anniversary collectionmary. The title should be changed to the true crime classic about mickey featherstone s time as part of new yorks notorious irish mob. They even kidnapped members of the mafia and held them for ransom. When a 36 year old school teacher from merchantville, new jersey wrote the first mary frances book in 1912, little did she know the lasting legacy she would leave and that 100 years later, her books would still be enjoyed, collected and adored. The westies academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Westie gang member busted by feds caught with todo list with. Dust jacket browned and edgeworn along reading edges, chipped and bumped at corners and headfoot of spine, spine lightly browned and scuffed at foot with one small spot stain, boards clean and in good condition, pp clean and clear to read, pages 179182 uncut edges at foot, binding sound.
Mickey featherstone stood trial for the murder and was found not guilty. The irishamerican gang led by jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone aligned itself with the gambino crime family. Below is a list of dick francis books in order of when they were originally published. Once the steeplechase jockey for the british queen mother, crime writer richard stanley dick francis was born in wales in 1920. I suspect the other twoadults at the time, two of his killersare both dead. 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. No one could have guessed this strange twist of events but that is how the author got to accomplish his literary feats. There is an alternate cover edition for this edition of this book here.
Coonan invested in a bar located on the corner of 43rd street and 10th avenue. I am only one of three people who knows the exact location of the body. Like a few that went to war in vietnam, mickey wanted go kill someone there, but the us military disappointed him when he never saw any combat. During the late 1970s coonan tightened his alliance between the westies and the gambino organization, then run by paul castellano. The irishamerican gang led by jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone aligned itself with the gambino crime family and enforced its racketeering schemes with a campaign of murder and. An american legend, which was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, won the book sense nonfiction book of the year award and.
But when winter comes early, francis turns south to avoid the cold, and leads them right into enemy territorythe mexican war of 1848. Based on the latest theories of child development, the best selling little books series uses a practical and simple approach to provide anyone working with children with fresh and inspirational ways to build a strong foundation for later education. Books blog when dick franciss son joined the family stable. He acknowledged his spouses input in his writing once during an interview saying that she was the one who used to carry out research for the books contents. Francis left school at fifteen to become a jockey and he became a horse trainer when he was eighteen. Mickey featherstone 1949 new york mobster and member of the hells kitchen westies who committed several mob killings before becoming an fbi informant and taking down jimmy coonans gang. How do i go about contacting mickey featherstone, who is in. Dick francis hardcover books for sale in stock ebay. Featherstone 20 march 1918 3 september 20 was a british author of more than forty books on wargaming and military history. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought. During their glory days in the 197080s they were led by two very feared killers, jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone.
Dick francis books list of books by author dick francis. Mickey featherstone with images irish mob, mafia gangster, irish. Mickey featherstone is a former irish american mobster and member of the westies, an organized crime syndicate from hells kitchen, manhattan in new york city, led by james coonan. For kicks certainly remains one of the very best dick francis books, even 50 years after it was first released. How do i go about contacting mickey featherstone, who is in witness protection, to ask him something.
Dick francis wrote his books with the help of his wife margaret. Jimmy coonan organized crime encyclopedia wiki fandom. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Since his fathers death, felix has carried on to publish novels with his fathers name in the title, including a return for sid halley dick francis s refusal, 20. Mickey featherstone was a top assistant and partner to jimmy coonan of the westies irish mob. The author spent many hours interviewing featherstone, first while he was being held in federal prison and later when he was relocated into the witness protection program. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986.
Apr 27, 2017 this tenuous equilibrium was disturbed in the 1970s, beginning with the ascendancy of james jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone, whose stories are this books primary focus. Mickey featherstone born 3, 1949 is a former irish american mobster and member of the westies, an organized crime syndicate from hells kitchen, manhattan in new york city. Dick francis wrote his first fiction novel in 1962, called dead cert. Chick lit for men they may have been, but franciss novels provided me with an exhilarating glimpse of another world alison flood mon 15 feb 2010 07. He is also the son of renowned author dick francis, who was also a steeplechase jockey. Talking about goodfellas nick pileggi, irwin winkler and. 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. Mar 18, 2014 how do i go about contacting mickey featherstone, who is in witness protection, to ask him something. He said he left his apartment for about two hours while coonan and his reputed secondincommand, francis. The book tells the story of the gang primarily from the point of view of mickey featherstone, who was the number two man in the gang behind boss jimmy coonan. The small but violent irish gang had terrorized hells kitchen during the 70s and the early 80s.
Its been 25 years since goodfellas, the iconic film that forever changed the rules of gangster movies. Coonan soon enlisted a 24yearold vietnam vet by the name of francis mickey featherstone as his righthand man in his war against spillane. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was. One new york bank robbery suspect was so well organized that cops found a todo list with the words rob bank written on it in the crooks. He was released in late 1971 and continued on with his war and his criminal career. The book follows one criminal in particular, mickey featherstone, but it provides. This book is a lot more focused on one mans role mickey featherstone in the westies, rather than the westies as.
Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Francis mickey featherstone was the main enforcer and secondincommand in the westies gang. Feb 15, 2010 chick lit for men they may have been, but francis s novels provided me with an exhilarating glimpse of another world alison flood mon 15 feb 2010 07. This tenuous equilibrium was disturbed in the 1970s, beginning with the ascendancy of james jimmy coonan and francis mickey featherstone, whose stories are this books primary focus. The thrilling world of dick francis books the guardian. Mickey featherstone born september 2, 1948 is a former irish american mobster and member of the westies, an organized crime syndicate from.
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