Joe McDonald (mobster)
Joe McDonald | |
---|---|
Born | Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. | July 14, 1917
Died | August 6, 1997 | (aged 80)
Nationality | American |
Other names | Joe Mac |
Occupation | Mobster |
Allegiance | Winter Hill Gang |
Criminal charge | Armed robbery |
Joseph Maurice "Joe Mac" McDonald (July 14, 1917 – August 6, 1997) was an American mobster and a charter member of the Winter Hill Gang.
Early life[]
McDonald was born in 1917 in Somerville, Massachusetts. He was of Scottish and Irish descent.
Winter Hill Gang[]
McDonald was one of the originators of the Irish/Italian Winter Hill Gang and was a close friend and mentor to mob bosses Buddy McLean and Howie Winter. A veteran of World War II, McDonald was a skilled contract killer. In 1963, he escaped from prison while serving a 12 to 18 year sentence for armed robbery. Along with twenty-one other associates, including Winter, McDonald was indicted on charges of fixing horse races in 1979. He subsequently went on to be a fugitive in Florida. Later, while on the lam, McDonald and associate, Johnny Martorano, murdered businessman Roger Wheeler in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1]
Personal life[]
Joe had one brother, Leo McDonald, who was also a criminal affiliated with the Winter Hill Gang. McDonald died of a stroke in 1997.
References[]
- ^ Landsbaum, Claire (September 23, 2015). "Here's What's Fact and What's Fiction in Black Mass". Slate. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- 1917 births
- 1997 deaths
- People from Somerville, Massachusetts
- American gangsters of Irish descent
- American gangsters
- American people of Scottish descent
- Winter Hill Gang
- Gangsters from Boston
- American military personnel of World War II
- Deaths from cerebrovascular disease