James Coonan
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| James Coonan | |
|---|---|
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| Born | December 21, 1946 New York City |
| Penalty | Imprisonment until 2036 |
| Status | incarcerated |
| Occupation | gangster |
| Spouse | Edna |
James "Jimmy C" Coonan (b. December 21, 1946) is an Irish-American mobster and racketeer.
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[edit] Early life
James Coonan was born and grew up with several siblings in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, the son of an accountant. When Coonan was a young man, Mickey Spillane, a well-known mobster, kidnapped his father.[citation needed] He frequently did this to merchants in the area, and would ransom them back to family. His father was pistol-whipped and severely beaten. After, Coonan nursed a powerful grudge against Spillane.
[edit] Career
Coonan formed a more powerful crew and took the neighborhood over from Spillane. Spillane eventually went into in hiding and was killed by the Gambino mob as a favor to Coonan. Mickey Featherstone was Coonan's right-hand man.
[edit] Arrest and Downfall
Coonan was arrested on numerous charges, many dismissed, including counterfeiting. He was then arrested and acquitted for the murder of Harold Whitehead. Sentenced to four years in federal prison on weapons charges he was paroled in 1984 but was eventually tried and convicted in 1988, for 75 years under RICO when Featherstone became a informant.
[edit] Later life
He lived with his wife, Edna, in Hazlet, New Jersey before his conviction. He is currently serving 75 years for racketeering and has been denied parole.[citation needed]
[edit] Sources
- The Westies, T.J. English (1991) St. Martin's Paperbacks ISBN 0-312-92429-1
- Murder Machine, Gene Mustaine (1993) Onyx Books ISBN 0-451-40387-8
