Silas Jayne

popular name: Willie Marfeo

date_of_death: July 13, 1966

age: 40

cause_of_death: Gunshot wounds from mob hit

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Willie Marfeo was a New England mobster who operating his card games and dice games in various locations in Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1960s Willie was doing quite well - well enough to loudly brag that he didn't need Raymond Patriarca and refused to pay his weekly "tribute" money. To add insult to injury Willie also refused to pay his gambling debts to the Jewish bookmakers that worked for Raymond. This incensed Raymond so much that he order a hit on Willie Marfeo. Luckily for Willie, for one reason or another, several contracts for his life were set in play only to be called off due to external circumstances. On July 13, 1966 a gunman burst into the Korner Kitchen restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and ordered everyone except Willie to lay down on the floor. The unidentified gunman then forced Willie into the phone booth and filled him with 4 shotgun blasts. Based on notorious mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza's testimony, Raymond Patriarca and underboss Enrico "Henry" Tameleo were indicted in 1967 for the murder of Providence bookmaker Willie Marfeo. Patriarca was convicted and began serving time in 1969 during which time Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo served as acting boss. Patriarca resumed control of the family after his release from prison in 1974.

popular name: James McLean

date_of_death: October 31, 1965

age: 35

cause_of_death: Gunshot wounds

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: James "Buddy" McLean was a feared and respected Irish-American mobster from Somerville, Massachusetts, best known as the original leader of the Winter Hill Gang. Born in 1930, McLean rose through the ranks of Boston's underworld in the 1950s and early 1960s, earning a reputation as a tough street fighter and savvy criminal strategist. Under his leadership, the Winter Hill Gang became a dominant force in Boston’s organized crime scene, engaging in activities like bookmaking, loan sharking, and extortion. His criminal career reached a turning point when he became involved in a deadly turf war with the rival McLaughlin Brothers gang from Charlestown, igniting the Irish Gang War—a brutal series of killings that gripped Boston’s underworld. On October 30, 1965, McLean was gunned down outside a Somerville bar by a McLaughlin associate, Stevie Hughes, marking a pivotal moment in the gang war. His death further escalated the violence, but it also solidified his status as a legendary figure in Boston mob history. After his murder, Howie Winter took over the Winter Hill Gang, continuing the legacy McLean had started. His funeral attracted over 4,000 mourners and James McLean's final resting place can be found at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts.

popular name: Anton Schuessler Jr.

date_of_death: October 16, 1955

age: 11

cause_of_death: Homicide

claim_to_fame: Crime and their Victims

best_know_for: Anton Schuessler Jr. was a young boy who was brutally raped and murdered with his brother John Schuessler and friend Robert Peterson in 1955. The crime scene where the bodies where found was largely contaminated by investigators and photographers who destroyed important evidence. This murder case remained unsolved for 40 years until stable handyman Kenneth Hansen became a suspect (along with his boss Silas Jayne) thanks to evidence that was unearthed as a result of an investigation into another sensational cold case - the 1977 murder of candy-company heiress Helen Vorhees Brach.