The Blackfriars Massacre: An Unsolved Boston Mob Hit

The Discovery of the Crime Scene

• 💡 The episode details the discovery of five bodies in the back office of the Black Friars Pub in Boston on June 28, 1978.
• 🎯 The victims were all men in their 30s, shot to death, with four identified as known mobsters and the fifth as the pub's night manager, Jack Kelly.
• 🔍 The janitor cleaning the pub found the gruesome scene, leading to a swift police response.

Initial Investigation and Theories

• 📊 Police found weapons, marijuana, $15,000 cash, and cocaine in an open safe, leading to theories of a robbery gone wrong.
• 💰 However, the presence of the cash and drugs, especially from an open safe, made a simple robbery seem unlikely.
• 🎯 The prevailing theory was that the five men were playing high-stakes backgammon when they were surprised and forced into the office by at least three armed assailants.
• 💥 The victims were killed with shotguns, except for Jack Kelly, who was shot twice in the head with a handgun, suggesting a possible distinction in the targeting.

Suspects and Mob Connections

• 🕵️‍♂️ Key suspects included James "Whitey" Bulger, leader of the Winter Hill gang, who allegedly had disputes with pub owner Vincent Solamonte over drug money.
• 🎯 Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmy, another Winter Hill gang member and FBI informant, was also a suspect, believed to have targeted Vincent and Jack over unpaid deals.
• 👤 Nicholas Famia, who later joined the Winter Hill gang, was suspected by the FBI of being one of the trigger men, though evidence was insufficient for charges.
• 🔪 James Marterano, a contract killer associated with the Winter Hill gang, was also considered a potential shooter.

The Trial and Unresolved Questions

• ⚖️ William Larardi and Robert Italiano were arrested and charged with the murders, with a witness claiming they were there to steal cocaine.
• 🚫 The prosecution's case, relying heavily on witness testimony about drug deals and lacking direct evidence, led to William and Robert being found not guilty in 1979.
• 💔 Jack Kelly's sister expressed disappointment, feeling the police did not pursue the case vigorously enough, and the case remains officially unsolved.
• 📌 The incident is noted as a rare mass murder in Boston, and despite the lack of convictions, it is widely believed to be connected to organized crime.