{"product_id":"the-westies-inside-new-yorks-irish-mob-9780312362843","title":"The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom T. J. English, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob\u003c\/i\u003e is the true account of the vicious gang that ruled Hell's Kitchen from the 1960s through the 1980s.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEven among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Starting with a partnership between two sadistic thugs, Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loan sharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years--until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their ascension into the annals of crime. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis revised and updated chronicle of the Westies served as the basis of the crime film \u003ci\u003eState of Grace\u003c\/i\u003e, starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris, and Gary Oldman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eT.J. ENGLISH\u003c\/b\u003e is a noted journalist, screenwriter and author of several books, including \u003ci\u003ePaddy Whacked\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBorn to Kill\u003c\/i\u003e (which was nominated for an Edgar Award), and the upcoming \u003ci\u003eThe Havana Mob\u003c\/i\u003e. His first book, \u003ci\u003eThe Westies\u003c\/i\u003e (a national bestseller and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book), launched his career as an expert on the multi-ethnic nature of organized crime in America. A former writer for \u003ci\u003eIrish America Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, English has also been published in \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePlayboy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eNew York\u003c\/i\u003e magazine. He lives in New York City.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"St. Martin's Griffin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50503216955666,"sku":"9780312362843","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_eeaab9c9-ed34-44de-b095-05488bf5f35c.jpg?v=1730785378","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-westies-inside-new-yorks-irish-mob-9780312362843","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}