Gordon O'Brien is a Taunton

Taunton, Massachusetts

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...

 mobster and associate for the Patriarca crime family

Patriarca crime family

The Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...

. Long a presence in southern New England's underworld

Organized crime

Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...

, O'Brien had extensive contacts with the Patriacra's in Federal Hill

Federal Hill

Federal Hill may refer to:in Malaysia* Federal Hill, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiain the United States :** Federal Hill, a mansion featured on Kentucky's State Quarter and the centerpiece of My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown, Kentucky...

 and, with Kevin Hanrahan

Kevin Hanrahan

Kevin T. Hanrahan was a mobster in Providence, Rhode Island, and freelance enforcer for the Patriarca crime family...

, helped Fall River mobster Timothy J. Mello

Timothy J. Mello

Timothy "Timmy the Bat" Mello is a Fall River, Massachusetts mobster associated with the Patriarca crime family.-Association with the Patriarca family:...

 make connections with the Patriarca's. As early as 1990, O'Brien was under surveillance by federal agents where he was observed with Mello at a 1990 meeting with "Cadillac" Frank Salemme

Frank Salemme

Francis P. Salemme [Salemone], also known as "Cadillac Frank" and "Julian Daniel Selig" , is a Boston, Massachusetts mobster who became a hitman and eventually the boss of the Patriarca crime family of New England before turning government witness.-Early years:In 1957, while in prison, Salemme...

 regarding illegal gambling.

In August 1990, O'Brien was arrested with Salemme, Mello and freelance contract killer William Anthony in a plot to kidnap Patriarca bookmaker

Bookmaker

A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...

 Blaise Marfeo outside his restaurant, Adesso, on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

.

In April 1991, Taunton Police raided the apartment of professional gambler Howard J. Ferrini whom Bristol County authorities believed had been hiding O'Brien. However, while Ferrini was taken into custody, police failed to find evidence O'Brien had been living there.

O'Brien was serving a state prison sentence for smuggling heroin to Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....

until he was granted parole in 2008. He died several months after being released.