Hey Godfather fans, want a juicy historical tidbit?
I was looking up some info on the Irish-American Winter Hill gang (in Boston) and the gang wars of the early sixties. Check out this bit on Alex Rocco (Moe Greene):
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In early September 1961, two Winter Hill associates of (James) McLean, and their friend, 22-year-old Charlestown mobster George McLaughlin rented a cottage on Salisbury Beach for a Labor Day party. Drinking with his friends throughout the day and into the late evening, McLaughlin attempted to grope one of the gangster girlfriends. Confronted by the two men, McLaughlin received a savage beating until losing consciousness. Unsure whether or not he was still alive, they dumped him at a nearby hospital and went to tell McLean what had happened.
McLean told them he would take care of it and had a talk with his friend, and George McLaughlin's brother, Bernard McLaughlin aka "Bernie".
When Buddy learned that Bernie McLaughlin wanted to take revenge and sought Buddy's help in doing it, Buddy told him his brother had been out of line and had the beating coming.[citation needed] Bernie McLaughlin stormed out in a rage. Later that night, McLean awoke to the sound of his dogs barking, and saw two men under his car. He went outside firing a .38 revolver, and found plastique wired to the ignition of his car. Suspecting the McLaughlins, he began stalking Bernie McLaughlin throughout Charlestown until he found him. He killed Bernie McLaughlin walking out of the "Morning Glory" bar in Charlestown in broad daylight and in front of almost one hundred witnesses on October 31, 1961. He was originally arrested along with Alex Petricone but the witness who picked them out later recanted and they were released. Alex Petricone who was not a killer was sent out to California by Buddy McLean to stay out of the gang war. Alex started taking acting lessons, changed his name to Alex Rocco and became an actor. One of his first roles was playing Moe Greene in the Godfather movie.