This website uses cookies to improve your experience. A fifth man, Matthew McDonald, 36, will be sentenced June 18. Ward is initially portrayed as an idealist who is determined to clean up law-enforcement corruption while still playing by the rules, though that changes pretty quickly. The same one who directed OxyMorons a few years ago? The robberies, which began in 1990, were well-planned, professional jobs, carried out with machine guns, police scanners, two-way radios and stolen cars, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Vicinanzo said. Boston police say they can't verify that: They don't track bank robberies nationwide, and they don't break out bank-robbery statistics from all robbery numbers for the city. 1991 Banks and armored cars in Connecticut and Rhode Island; Shea, McDonald. It remains unknown what the suspect stole. Location manager Ryan Cook named several shots that were done in Boston, including a bar scene filmed at the downtown bar Last Hurrah, courtroom scenes filmed in various courtrooms in Government Center, and a police station scene that was shot on a set built inside the now-closed Rogers Middle School in Hyde Park. The heists took place in five states across New England, including a brazen daylight holdup of an armored car in Hudson, N.Y., in which two guards were shot to death. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations. That said, Cook said that filming exterior shots in Boston proper was difficult because of how much the architecture has changed since the 90s. U.S. District Judge Stephen McAuliffe sentenced them to life in prison and fined each man $250,000, saying they might make money from book and movie deals. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ Five men were indicted Monday after being linked to a string of bank and armored car robberies by a singular piece of evidence: a burning car containing bank bags, a bulletproof vest and a T-shirt emblazoned with a masked leprechaun and the words ``Boston Bandits.. Hickey was charged with armed bank robbery, assault and battery on an elderly person and assault by means of a dangerous weapon, police say. One of the reasons he was under attack was ripping off a partner after a bank robbery. None of the defendants was charged directly with murder, but the carjacking and armed robbery convictions stated that those felonies also led to the guards deaths, making the defendants eligible for life sentences. MafiaHitters.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you have questions about your account, please Rohr, meanwhile, is based on a composite of three infamous former FBI agents who had close relationships with the notorious late mobster James Whitey Bulger, according to The New York Times: John Connolly, who was convicted on racketeering, obstruction of justice, and murder charges and is currently in prison; H. Paul Rico, who was indicted on a charge of murder related to Bulger and Stephen The Rifleman Flemmi but died in 2004 before he could stand trial; and Dennis Condon, Ricos partner who passed away in 2009. Keith A.. Its about time Hollywood produced something nice about Charlestown, they said. When one of the two guards sees a robbers face, Ryan shoots them both. William Weld appointed as Suffolk Countys first black District Attorney in 1992. They didnt want to end up like Butchie Doe. (781) 485-0588 | Fax (781) 485-1403 "The silent majority was rooting for us to get rid of these thugs who have been intimidating their town for some time.". But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Aframe said the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that one of the original 1990s charges, that Shea is a career criminal, was Constitutionally flawed. The robbery was called in just before 11:30 a.m. Police have not released the name or location of the bank involved. North Hollywood shootout, 1997, deadly . - Anthony Shea, 34, Charlestown, already sentenced in federal courts in Boston and Concord to 31 years in prison for attempted bank robbery in Wakefield, Mass., and 22 years for attempted bank robbery in Londonderry, N.H. Indicted on charges of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to commit . Jan. 25, 1994 Wells Fargo armored car, Charlestown, Mass. Evidently not. He not only took at least 3 lives, he survived an equal amount of attempts on his own life. Immediately after he was sentenced, Anthony Shea jumped up from his seat . "The bottom line is, the statistics speak for themselves, Mr. Comcowich says. Or North Korea. When he returned the truck the next day, police forensic experts were waiting and took tire impressions, which matched those discovered in Hudson. I dont look at some of our past history as a total negative. He screwed over many people and shot one individual to death so he didnt have to share the spoils of another bank robbery. BOSTON - JUNE 3: Patrick J Mcgonagle of Charlestown, the first of three suspects brought into the Federal Court House this morning by the FBI and State Police. Alexi Cohan is a general assignment reporter covering local news and government as well as health and medicine stories. The robberies, which began in 1990, were well-planned, professional jobs, carried out with machine guns, police scanners, two-way radios and stolen cars, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Vicinanzo said. He worked with a team of townies and they would rob banks all over Boston. That being said, local audiences may find it fun to watch a fictionalized version of Boston from that era, and many members of the City on a Hill team, including producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, creator and executive producer Chuck MacLean, and actors Jonathan Tucker and Kevin Chapman, grew up in the area during that time period. Boston-based journalist Michele McPhee, who worked as a consulting producer on the show and wrote one of the episodes, told the Times that she was initially skeptical that they would be able to capture the spirit of Boston, but was impressed by the results. Connolly called the verdict a victory for the armored car guards' families and "a total victory for justice.". CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ Three men who were convicted in a deadly string of bank and armored car robberies after prosecutors finally broke the ``code of silence in Boston's rough Charlestown neighborhood were sentenced Friday to life in prison. Thanks! Rebecca Hall (l.) and Ben Affleck appear in 'The Town. Shea presented letters and evidence that hes reformed in his decades in prison, and is deserving of a lesser sentence. Police have made an arrest in connection with a brazen daytime bank robbery in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood last week. Citizens Bank, located at 315 Hanover St., was robbed at 9:10 a.m. and a Santander Bank at 287 Hanover St., was robbed a mere 4 minutes later. Burhoe would continue on in the local organized crime scene and would be convicted 25 years later of threatening businesses who didnt employ his union members. 1987- kevin martell murder. The trial began in September. But residents beg to differ with the movies portrayal of the area. Police say they apprehended a suspected bank robber late Friday morning in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood. Charlestown native Arthur Butchie Doe (1959-2018) lived a life of unspeakable violence. The return of the armored car narrative is no coincidence, as Affleck told The New York Times that City on a Hill came to be, in part, because of him doing so much research for The Town and not being able to tell the scope and scale of the story the research yielded.. ; Shea, McDonald. Vicinanzo described the men as part of a close group of career criminals, many of whom grew up together. Mr. Peletier has a lot of company. Brick houses and old-fashioned gaslights line Charlestowns narrow colonial streets, and ordinary folks bustle about the Dunkin Donuts, and the CVS drugstore. Guess who is watching The Town tonight? one person joked, referring to the hit movie starring Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively based on Chuck Hogans 2004 novel Prince of Thieves.. It was important to show what it was really like and to be unsparing, MacLean told the Globe. What you need to do is what many states have done to bypass the polsLet the people speak. Copyright (c) 2022 Manchester Ink Link. A Charlestown man was ordered held without bail in Cambridge District Court yesterday in connection with an armored-car robbery attempt and shoot out in Harvard Square Wednesday. But the testimony of their neighbors helped convict five members of a Charlestown-based bank robbery gang yesterday, and the lead prosecutor said the town's "silent majority" was all for it. During this time, all of Boston and the surrounding areas was seeing a massive influx of wealthier residents moving in. But the Boston FBI does track bank robberies nationwide, and its statistics show that the whole state of Massachusetts has fewer than 3 percent of all bank robberies nationwide. These two hometown stars could tell stories of hope, courage, and heroism that define Boston in City Hall, neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and businesses, she said. Jonathan Tucker as Frankie Ryan in City on a Hill., In 2010, Affleck directed The Town, a drama about a gang of Charlestown armored car robbers. subscription yet. One scene was filmed at the Medford Police station, which is slated to be replaced soon. Shea was part of a gang that terrorized New England with more than 100 robberies over the years, including a New Hampshire armored car robbery that left two security guards dead. BPD Community Alert, police wrote late in the day, The Boston Police Department is Seeking the Publics Help to Identify Suspect Wanted in Connection to Recent Bank Robberies in the North End.. CONCORD, NH - Anthony Shea, a member of a violent Massachusetts gang behind dozens of bank robberies and armored car heists is getting the jail term in one of his convictions lessened thanks to a new ruling from the First Circuit Court of Appeals. All . In 2006, Hickey was hauled into federal court in Maine on the charge after a Massachusetts state trooper followed him there during an investigation into several Boston-area robberies, including of the Charlestown Citizens branch, according to court documents. Not long after he reported to federal prison, Hickey came back to a Massachusetts courtroom to testify against Scott Foxworth, charged with murdering a man in a Newton parking garage in exchange for payment from another man who suspected his wife was sleeping with the victim. Real news, real hope. We need a public-relations campaign of true stories based on today. Thats a pretty good conclusion, Comcowich says. Boston police say they can't verify that: They don't track bank robberies nationwide, and they don't break out bank-robbery statistics from all robbery numbers for the city. Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresseIP, Navigation et recherche lors de lutilisation des sites Web et applications Yahoo. The case of the Charlestown robbers in the show grows to encompass and eventually upend Bostons citywide criminal justice system.. If its on TV, Ill watch it. "Numerous career bank robbers threw in the towel and testified in this trial," Connolly said at a news conference following the verdict. Shea, 35, Stephen Burke, 42, and Michael OHalloran, 40, were convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, robbery and other offenses Dec. 22 for a series of holdups in New England and Florida. Beyond fear, beyond anger. They then drove the armored car and a stolen van to a side road and abandoned them in the woods, before escaping in a rental truck. The most notorious took place outside the NFS Savings Bank in Hudson, N.Y., on Aug. 25, 1994, when an armored car pulled up shortly after 9 a.m. Aframe is dropping that charge, requiring a new sentence. Authorities say the men threatened witnesses into either not talking or lying to police and grand juries. 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Charges against the five include bank robbery, conspiracy, carjacking, assault and murder. No weapons were shown, but the suspect gestured like he had one in his possession, according to Boston Police. The mob had too many rules for a guy like Butchie. Robert H. Brady, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of bank . Our work isn't possible without your support. "There has been a culture in Charlestown that fostered that," he said. ; Shea, McDonald. ``We never had a chance in this trial. When the five were charged last year, Charlestown was notorious for its code of silence. Police report arresting Hickey, who has numerous convictions for armed robbery and armed assault with intent to rob and who has spent most of his adult life in prison, around 12:30 p.m. yesterday after spotting him on Austin Street near the Citizens Bank branch he allegedly held up a week ago - and which he may have also robbed in 2006 during one of his brief interludes outside prison walls. Like the job UHub is doing? Hollywood will do anything that will sell tickets. Butchie Doe was hit in the head and neck but survived. Ive always thought that because of our small size, isolation and reputation, Charlestown folks have had to work a little harder to compete. He decided that he wanted to follow in Doe Sr.s footsteps. In my view, Anthony Shea and the other ruthless criminals involved in the Hudson armored truck murders fall in that category and should never be released from prison.. One veteran armed robber, John Burke, testified against his own brother during the trial. Later on, Frankie eventually lets his screw-up brother, Jimmy (Mark OBrien, Halt and Catch Fire), join the crew. But their statistics do show that Charlestown has barely more than 2 percent of all Boston robberies, not just bank robberies. Out of curiosity.. In an apparent threat against his brother, Burke read a passage from the Bible saying that the destroyer would be destroyed and the traitor would be betrayed. But a visit to Charlestown suggests the townie gangs still have the power to intimidate their. At his sentencing, Stephen Burke accused the FBI and prosecutors of giving money, drugs and other incentives to witnesses. In City on a Hill, a gang of masked robbers led by Frankie Ryan (Jonathan Tucker, The Virgin Suicides) takes down an armored car. A group of young teenage boys witnessed the shooting but knew better than to cooperate with the detectives. Instead, film crews headed outside the city for a 90s feel. Help keep Universal Hub going. Change is good, and development can be good, but its definitely not 1992 Boston anymore.. We He said he planned to appeal on the admission of DNA and fingerprint evidence during the trial. The car contained stolen. The robbery came less than a year after Hickey got out of federal prison after an 8 1/4-year sentence for being an armed felon in possession of a firearm. 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