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  <id>158121</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The Westies]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0312924291]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780312924294]]></isbn13>
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  <description><![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]></description>
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  <original_publication_year type="integer">1990</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Westies</original_title>
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    <author>
    <id>904440</id>
        <name><![CDATA[T.J. English]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Starting with a partnership between two sadistic thugs, Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell&#8217;s Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City&#8217;s West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loan sharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years&#8212;until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
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  <read_at>Thu May 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 09 12:58:27 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 16 06:50:39 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I first became interested in The Westies when I saw a program called &quot;True Crime&quot; on the History Channel. That particular episode was about the Westies and I was somewhat glued to my television (which is very rare ... usually I don't even turn the thing on any more). But this particular ep...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21940378">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21940378]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>69167222</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 27 19:50:23 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 27 19:57:12 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Not particularly well written, but the subject matter is fascinating and brutally described.  These people were sick psychopaths and endlessly fascinating as a result.  This is a piece of old New York history that is important to remember, and that is often overlooked in the shadow of the Italian mo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69167222">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>41556524</id>
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    <id>68317</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Greg]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[White Plains, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jan 01 20:06:29 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 01 20:14:34 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a very engaging account of the notorious Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob, with a particular emphasis on the 60s-80s period.  Meticulously researched and highly entertaining.  Based largely on testimony and (presumably) interviews with a &quot;Westies&quot; defector, the level of detail with which d...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41556524">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41556524]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>37083410</id>
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    <id>1690623</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Stacie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 06 19:44:03 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Mar 14 10:07:35 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The Westies describes the history of the Irish mob in Hell's Kitchen, which was the lower west side of Manhattan in the early-mid 20th century. T.J. English discusses the psyche of these Irish gangsters well, and provides a personal look at the violence through the eyes of Mickey Featherstone, consi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37083410">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37083410]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37083410]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>115988</id>
    <user>
    <id>13572</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Frank]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Long Beach, NY]]></location>
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  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158121.The_Westies</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[yes]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 27 14:41:05 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 27 14:53:01 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[West side NY from the 30's to the 50's where the westies resided was a place like no other.  The mob has nothing on these Irish wiseguys who thought nothing to put a bat to your head if you were late on your payment or if you just walked the wrong way.  These gamblers, loansharks, hit men and straig...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/115988">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/115988]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/115988]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34187354</id>
    <user>
    <id>1346422</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Matthew]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Providence, RI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1346422-matthew]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Wed Oct 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Sep 30 05:55:35 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 22 19:38:42 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[an interesting read.  really gets into the life of one of the nororious tough guys to come out of modern day hell's kitchen - Francis 'Mickey' Featherstone.  It starts with a prologue AND A MAP (and I can NOT stress this enough - authors, when you reference a specific geographic area over and over a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34187354">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34187354]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob]]>
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  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Starting with a partnership between two sadistic thugs, Jimmy Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell&#8217;s Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City&#8217;s West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loan sharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years&#8212;until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jan 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 22 16:07:45 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 16 17:48:55 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I can't believe this shit actually happened, that these guys were real people. Organized crime has always been an alluring place, at least in the movies but the truth is, it's a scary place. Everybody is underneath someone else's thumb. Pinned down and willing to do whatever dirty work will get them...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40707674">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40707674]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40707674]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>71862647</id>
    <user>
    <id>1695503</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sarah]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1695503-sarah]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929s/158121.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Sep 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 20 06:34:20 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 28 05:53:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this because I thought it would have more about the motion picture teamsters local.  (I think there was 4 sentences total on them).  It wasn't a good enough reason to read the whole thing.  I'd recommend reading the last 3rd of the book only, if you are compelled to pick this book up.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71862647]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71862647]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38698110</id>
    <user>
    <id>1751785</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Wayne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1751785-wayne]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 26 10:42:14 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 26 10:42:14 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Nonfiction account of the Irish Mob in New York City.  Very interesting book, but be warned practicaly all of the stories are violent.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38698110]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38698110]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>67339109</id>
    <user>
    <id>2568249</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Christian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2568249-christian-bagley]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929s/158121.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158121.The_Westies</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Aug 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 13 22:07:47 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 13 22:09:14 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A pretty good record of The Westies Crimes. Includes some swearing. If you like true crime books, I think this might be a book you'd like.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67339109]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67339109]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>45049332</id>
    <user>
    <id>1472714</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Douglas]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Arlington, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1472714-douglas]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929s/158121.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158121.The_Westies</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Feb 01 11:00:22 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Feb 01 11:01:01 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Fantastic account of Hell's Kitchen and the Irish Mob in 1960s-1980s NYC.  Not for the faint of heart.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45049332]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45049332]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55747404</id>
    <user>
    <id>168143</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[North Haven, CT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/168143-steven]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929s/158121.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158121.The_Westies</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="recent" />
        <shelf name="true-crime" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 11 20:11:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 16 15:05:22 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A tale of the Irish Mob in Hell's Kitchen Manhattan about 1960-1980, and their eventual conviction for racketeering--a couldn't put it down book.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55747404]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55747404]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34355995</id>
    <user>
    <id>721120</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mark]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/721120-mark]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Oct 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 02 07:58:05 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 08 06:37:30 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It's been a while since I've read a book that i could not put down and this is it!  It took me a second to get past the slanginess of the writing but ultimately the tone and cinematic style of it got me further entreched in the story and was a naturally and completely compelling way to tell it.  and...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34355995">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34355995]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34355995]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>28743764</id>
    <user>
    <id>915614</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Noel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/915614-noel]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">158121</id>
  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929s/158121.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158121.The_Westies</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>223</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jul 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 30 09:02:23 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jul 30 09:09:18 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The real question is, who doesn't love books about the mob, or in this case, a gang less organized, and way more ruthless, than the mob. Are genitals cut off a person's body and stuffed into a jar, then paraded around in a bar? Yup. Is a gun stuck up a person's butt, and then fired? Yup. If you're n...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28743764">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28743764]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28743764]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>59424093</id>
    <user>
    <id>2386438</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Zoe]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
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  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
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  <published>1990</published>
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    <body><![CDATA[Great!!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59424093]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>55229860</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Gary]]></name>
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  <isbn>0312924291</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312924294</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172269929m/158121.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
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  <published>1990</published>
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  <read_at>Mon Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Thu Aug 13 14:41:45 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[MUST-READ crime story for all New Yorkers as it details the rise &amp; fall of West Side Manhattan's most notorious Irish crime syndicate.<br/><br/>Due to the large amount of witness testimony and undercover surveillance, this book reads like non-fiction while providing a dramatic structure not unlike...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55229860">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55229860]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">35</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
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  <read_at>Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 03 13:44:41 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Sep 25 17:40:07 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is a brutal, true account of the gang of Irish-American hoodlums who called Hell's Kitchen home. They did much of the dirty work for the Gambino Crime Family during the 70's &amp; 80's, including murder &amp; extortion. Not for the weak-stomached, particularly the passage about the bathtub dismembermen...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31931381">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31931381]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>6387877</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
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  <date_added>Tue Sep 18 11:14:01 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 18 11:14:01 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I really thought this was cool. Most of it takes place within a few blocks of my apartment. People around here are aware of the book and know the people involved from the Coonan/Featherstone part. It's true. I've met &quot;the McManus&quot; and a few others. Hell's Kitchen Irish mob. History, but mo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6387877">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6387877]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>33834679</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Joe]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Dublin, Ireland]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3132192.The_Westies_Inside_New_York_s_Irish_Mob</link>
  <average_rating>4.33</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Oct 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Wed Oct 22 04:47:54 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Read this in less than two days, great read which reads more like a piece of very good mafia/mob fiction. The scary thing is it's true !<br/><br/>Very fast moving &amp; brutal account of the rise &amp; eventual demise Westies mob within Hells Kitchen New York City.<br/><br/>Recommended for all true crim...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33834679">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>28639745</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kyle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Stanton, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Westies]]>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Even among the Mob, the Westies were feared. Out of a partnership between two sadistic thugs, James Coonan and Mickey Featherstone, the gang rose out of the inferno of Hell's Kitchen, a decaying tenderloin slice of New York City's West Side. They became the most notorious gang in the history of organized crime, excelling in extortion, numbers running, loansharking, and drug peddling. Upping the ante on depravity, their specialty was execution by dismemberment. Though never numbering more than a dozen members, their reign lasted for almost twenty years-until their own violent natures got the best of them, precipitating a downfall that would become as infamous as their notorious ascension into the annals of crime. AUTHORBIO: T.J. ENGLISH covered the lengthy Westies RICO trial for the Irish Voice and had close to one hundred hours of telephone conversations with Mickey Featherstone, who is currently in the Federal Witness Protection Program. For this book, English gathered information from over three hundred sources, including interviews with other gang members, lawyers, cops and neighborhood residents. He lives in New York City.]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Jun 16 12:54:46 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 29 12:32:38 -0700 2008</date_added>
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    <body><![CDATA[It's hard to judge an author when writing non-fiction, but I think English did a great job of compressing years down to 300 pages. He was able to tell the story of the gang, what life was like on the west side during the time, and the struggles of people like Featherstone and others. ]]></body>
    
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