Donald Killeen
Encyclopedia
Donald Killeen was an Irish-American mob boss who controlled criminal activity, primarily bookmaking in South Boston, Massachusetts
, during the 1960s and 1970s. He owned and managed a bar called 'The Transit Cafe' on West Broadway in the Boston Navy Yard
located in the Charlestown, Massachusetts
neighborhood. The 'Transit Cafe' would later be taken over by James J. Bulger
and managed by Winter Hill Gang
mob associate Kevin Weeks
. Donald was the eldest of four brothers including Kenneth, Edward and George. His two brothers Edward and George followed Donald into a life of organized crime. His last name is derived from Killen, County Tyrone
in Ireland
. His brother George was the first brother to be murdered, George was found shot to death in the North End, Boston neighborhood in 1950. His murderers were never discovered. In 1971 when an associate chewed off the tip of Michael (Mickey) Dwyer, rival Boston gang member and former brother-in-law of Boston Police Department
Commissioner Francis (Mickey) Roche he wrapped up Dwyer's nose in ice with a cocktail napkin and sent it down to Boston City Hospital
in a cab to Dwyer to be reattached. Donald's other brother, Edward was found shot to death in 1968 that was listed by the county coroner as an apparent suicide. In 1968 he became a father to a son. His organization included Whitey Bulger and William S. O'Sullivan
. He engaged in a turf war with South Boston's Mullen Gang
before being killed outside his home in suburban Framingham, Massachusetts
, on May 13, 1972 as he was called away by an associate on his son Gregory's fourth birthday. He left the house saying he was going to fetch a newspaper but in reality was going to get his son's present, a toy fire engine in the trunk of his 1971 Chevrolet Nova
. As Donald went to fetch a gun stashed underneath the driver's seat of his car, the gunman pulled open the car door and jammed the machine gun in his face before squeezing off fifteen rounds. The last and youngest brother Kenneth was jogging past a parked car in the City Point neighborhood of Boston with four men in it. A voice called him over to the car and said, "It's over. You're out of business, no more warnings" as a threat to not try and avenge his three brother's deaths or continue their rackets. Kenneth would later testify at the trial of John Connolly
that in the car was James J. Bulger
, Stephen Flemmi
and John Martorano.
Bulger has been accused of the murder by longtime rumor. However, former Mullen gang member Patrick Nee
states that the murder was actually committed by Mullen enforcer Jimmy Mantville.
South Boston, Massachusetts
South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. One of America's oldest and most historic neighborhoods, South Boston was formerly known as Dorchester Neck, and today is called "Southie" by...
, during the 1960s and 1970s. He owned and managed a bar called 'The Transit Cafe' on West Broadway in the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
located in the Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
neighborhood. The 'Transit Cafe' would later be taken over by James J. Bulger
James J. Bulger
James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger, Jr. is a former organized crime figure from Boston, Massachusetts.Local folklore depicted Bulger as a Robin Hood-style social bandit dedicated to protecting the neighborhood and its residents. Bulger allegedly masterminded a protection racket targeting drug kingpins...
and managed by Winter Hill Gang
Winter Hill Gang
The Winter Hill Gang is a structured confederation of Boston, Massachusetts-area organized crime figures, predominantly Irish-American with a small Italian-American faction. It derives its name from the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts north of Boston. Its members have...
mob associate Kevin Weeks
Kevin Weeks
Kevin Weeks is a former mobster of Irish-American descent and a longtime friend and confidant to James J. Bulger, the infamous boss of the Winter Hill Gang, a crime family based out of the Winter Hill neighborhood in Somerville, Massachusetts.After his arrest and imprisonment in 1999, he became a...
. Donald was the eldest of four brothers including Kenneth, Edward and George. His two brothers Edward and George followed Donald into a life of organized crime. His last name is derived from Killen, County Tyrone
Killen, County Tyrone
Killen is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is several miles southwest of Castlederg, on the road leading south over Scraghy Mountain. A short distance to the west lies County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 231 people.In recent...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. His brother George was the first brother to be murdered, George was found shot to death in the North End, Boston neighborhood in 1950. His murderers were never discovered. In 1971 when an associate chewed off the tip of Michael (Mickey) Dwyer, rival Boston gang member and former brother-in-law of Boston Police Department
Boston Police Department
The Boston Police Department , created in 1838, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest police departments in the United States...
Commissioner Francis (Mickey) Roche he wrapped up Dwyer's nose in ice with a cocktail napkin and sent it down to Boston City Hospital
Boston City Hospital
The Boston City Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and .....
in a cab to Dwyer to be reattached. Donald's other brother, Edward was found shot to death in 1968 that was listed by the county coroner as an apparent suicide. In 1968 he became a father to a son. His organization included Whitey Bulger and William S. O'Sullivan
William S. O'Sullivan
William S. O'Sullivan was an Irish-American loanshark and longtime enforcer for Donald Killeen, the head of the Irish mob in South Boston, Massachusetts. O'Sullivan also acted as a mentor to a young James J...
. He engaged in a turf war with South Boston's Mullen Gang
Mullen Gang
-Gang members:Paulie McGonagle was a Boston mobster and onetime leader of the Mullen Gang, a South Boston street gang involved in burglary, auto theft, and armed robbery. During the war against Donald Killeen and his brothers, McGonagle successfully led the Mullens in a string of shootings which...
before being killed outside his home in suburban Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, on May 13, 1972 as he was called away by an associate on his son Gregory's fourth birthday. He left the house saying he was going to fetch a newspaper but in reality was going to get his son's present, a toy fire engine in the trunk of his 1971 Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Nova
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a compact automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors produced in four generations for the 1962 through 1979 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped, Nova becoming the...
. As Donald went to fetch a gun stashed underneath the driver's seat of his car, the gunman pulled open the car door and jammed the machine gun in his face before squeezing off fifteen rounds. The last and youngest brother Kenneth was jogging past a parked car in the City Point neighborhood of Boston with four men in it. A voice called him over to the car and said, "It's over. You're out of business, no more warnings" as a threat to not try and avenge his three brother's deaths or continue their rackets. Kenneth would later testify at the trial of John Connolly
John Connolly
John Connolly may refer to:*John Connolly *John P. Connolly , actor*John Connolly , Irish author whose best-known novels revolve around former policeman Charlie Parker...
that in the car was James J. Bulger
James J. Bulger
James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger, Jr. is a former organized crime figure from Boston, Massachusetts.Local folklore depicted Bulger as a Robin Hood-style social bandit dedicated to protecting the neighborhood and its residents. Bulger allegedly masterminded a protection racket targeting drug kingpins...
, Stephen Flemmi
Stephen Flemmi
Stephen Joseph "The Rifleman" Flemmi is an Italian-American mobster and close associate of Winter Hill Gang boss James J. Bulger. Beginning in 1965, Flemmi was a top echelon informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation...
and John Martorano.
Bulger has been accused of the murder by longtime rumor. However, former Mullen gang member Patrick Nee
Patrick Nee
Patrick Nee is an Irish-American immigrant, former member of the Mullen Gang, Vietnam vet, and the bestselling author of the memoir A Criminal and an Irishman; The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection.-Early life:Nee was born in Ros Muc, an Irish language speaking village in the...
states that the murder was actually committed by Mullen enforcer Jimmy Mantville.
Further reading
- English, T.J. Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0-06-059002-5
- Lehr, Dick and Gerard O'Neill. Black Mass: The Irish Mob, the Boston FBI and a Devil's Deal. New York: Public Affairs, 2000. ISBN 1-891620-40-1