He gets released in less than 9 years, I believe he'll be 83 YO. His gang is gone, the world and his neighborhood has changed. Where's he go? That's gotta suck but oh well he made the choices he made. Just thinking out loud. Any thoughts?

Out in 9 years are you sure? I thought he got like 75 years back in 1988?

Or are you giving a first possible parole date? I can't imagine he'd ever get out for any reason including terminal illness.

Is he still in Minnesota? I've never really seen anything on anyone in his family post TJ English's Westies book. You'd think at least a few would still be around new York.

This is a slightly different account of what I remembered reading in regards to his father's beating and kidnapping. I don't think I've ever seen it written before that his dad did accounting for mobsters. And I've only read that he was beaten while kidnapped, not prior to.

https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/organized-crime/james-coonan/

You're right alicecooper,it doesn't make any sense. Coonan went down on a RICO in 1988,and was sentenced to 75 yrs,with the judge actually recommending against parole. In spite of this,he first became eligible in 1998. I must be missing something. Of course,eligible for and getting parole are two totally different things,and I don't think he'll ever see the streets.but it still doesn't seem right. As far as I know,he's serving his time at Lewisburg,but don't quote me.

If Coonan does get out,he can make some cash going on Vlad's podcast and talking about how he was Gotti's mentor,and was actually the only non-Italian ever to be made a member of the Gambino's.
And by the way,he also killed everyone in Benonhurst one Saturday afternoon.

Lol post of the year ^^^^ especially the last sentence.

I think the actor Jeremy Renner was born to play Coonan. Maybe Casey Affleck as Featherstone, even though I'm not really a fan of his.

How there's not an awesome Westies movie I don't know. People always bring up Saving Grace but I thought that was beyond terrible.

I agree that we need a good Westies flick. Let's fire up the time machine and put Matt Damon (during the 80"s) in as a young Mickey.
I know he's not an actor,but Pete Townsend (of the Who) ,also during the 80's, was a dead ringer for Jimmy.

He'll be too old, and all he had is gone. If he ever gets out he'll live with a relative, and occasionally see old friends to talk of the old days. It is the same for anyone who has been separated from the world for 25 or more years, things have changed so much
I can't imagine how they adjust to plain old everyday life. Different culture, demographics, cameras everywhere, and the simplest things such as doctors appointments often requiring a basic use of today's technology.

State of Grace?

Good pick up on that, State of Grace was a good movie, Gary Oldman played a character based on Featherstone, and
ED Harris played a character based on Coonan. Very good movie, maybe not so realistic but few movies are. I liked it.

I want to say that the two guys in Sleepers were based on Coonan and another Westie

State of Grace is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Sleepers is awesome. It got in some shit for trying to say it was based on a true story when it wasn't. Book was boring. I've never heard of any westies connection this book. I've never read anything on a westie that could be connected to any of this story.

"*The 1996 movie "Sleepers" portrayed The Westies as "The West Side Boys". The two leaders of The West Side Boys, "Tommy 'Butter' Marcano" and "John O'Reilly", were based on two Westies that were close friends, Tommy "Butter" Moresco and Richie Ryan. In the movie’s epilogue, the murder of Tommy Marcano depicted Tommy Moresco's true life murder, and the character of John O’Reilly drank himself to death in a tenement basement, just like Richie Ryan did."
https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/941797

"Sleepers" was a fabulous movie. Realistic and well made. I never thought it received as much good publicity as it should have. Great movie!

Interesting, but I kind if feel like that article is reaching. It starts Westies leadership in 1921. Was the term used that far back? I thought it wasn't until the 70s.

As far as the characters, I'd need to hear it from the writer. Until then I call speculation. I say that partly because I don't think they ever brought this stuff up when called out on it not being a true story.

I'll post some links later today on all that drama. Great film regardless, but seeing it as a kid and thinking it was a true story really added weight.

Here's a little reading on it. Everyone calling the writer full of shit. There is a Westies mention part way down but even the mention seems like conjecture. I've read TJs book several times and I don't see it.

Still a great movie and nobody is going to convince me there wasn't extreme brutality in NY boys homes back then. Maybe not exactly as depicted, but let's be realistic.


https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/20420/is-the-novel-sleepers-a-true-account

There are tons of articles on this.

Sleepers is a great movie, agreed

The only one who claimed it was based on a true story was the author with little to substantiate his assertion but clearly Tommy Moresco and Richie Ryan were the inspiration for the characters in Sleepers.

Yes, the author that's what I'm saying. It's kind of a big deal when the author can't back his true story up.

I remember the name Richie Ryan from the Westies book. Other than being two Hells Kitchen bad guys is there anything at all in their life histories that parallels the plot of Sleepers though?

If not, I mean that's like me writing some story that takes place in 1968 Cincinnand having a famous baseball player character and drawing the conclusion that it's obviously based on Pete Rose.

Here's an NYC punk song called Jimmy Coonan

https://youtu.be/wjjwnxqJecU

Interesting, just looked that band up and Bill Weber was in it. He was playing guitar with GG Allin up until gg's death in 93.

Whatever the author(Lorenzo Carcaterra) says, he published it as a novel so his actions spoke louder than his words. Apparently he made a lot of enemies after publishing the book, including Bobby Moresco, Tommy's brother according to this article. "Yesterday, I spoke to Bobby Moresco, now an accomplished screenwriter, who had told me back then that Carcaterra had obviously appropriated the story of Moresco's dead brother and made it into "Sleepers."
"I remember all of it. I stand by everything I said 10 years ago. He lied," Moresco said. "Do I resent it? Yeah. Tell him the next time I see him I'll smack him in the face. Better yet, ask him why no one from the neighborhood remembers him?" Bobby Moresco said when I wrote the story.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...rothers-personal-life-may-be-exposed.amp

From the federal inmate web page, release date 6/1/2030, there is no fed parole or early release as far as I know


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JAMES COONAN
Register Number: 13874-054
Age: 74
Race: White
Sex: Male
Located at: Schuylkill FCI
Release Date: 06/01/2030
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He (if he is still alive) will be 82 , 83 when doors open 4 him...maybe his rat niece will be there 2 welcome him home..

Whats the story of his rat niece?

Here it is in a nutshell

https://apnews.com/article/b5ad57fc57648ee5e4a037f8e9c49733

Not sure what Hoodlum means? Maybe there is another angle to it? Technically she did rat, but exposing a 14 year old to that (if true) is begging for it. It's an act of insanity.

You're correct Alice...thank u 4 the news upload...I dont know how 2 do that...she was @ that meet w/ the Westies @ Big Paulie..hiding in a booth..she never ratted as i know of..but she WAS there..as a teenager..probably pissed her pants..

My memory is foggy on her. The article is about her testimony during a grand jury, so she definitely testified. In street terms is there any way that could not be considered ratting?

I'm thinking maybe the testimony was at around age 19 or so? Was it mainly part of a deal worked out with le over her and her boyfriend getting caught up in a drug bust unrelated to the westies? Anyone remember?

Pretty sure it's in TJs book. Exposing an 8th grader to that stuff, I mean, the term rat, ok whatever, but I'd say the testimonials is the byproduct of exposure to pure insanity, if not downright evil (and I'm not religious).

Anyone who's backed an animal into a corner can apply it to humans pretty easy. We're not all that complicated.

I would assume he would get into Marine Construction since he’s one of the owners and all and be around his boys Buddy Lehay and Jimmy Cahill