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Bernie McLaughlin
| Bernie McLaughlin was the boss of the Charlestown crew that bore his family’s name. He was a loanshark and legbreaker, and had amassed enough money to move to Melrose. When members of the Winter Hill Gang beat up his brother Georgie, he went to Buddy McLean and demanded that Buddy turn over his guys. Buddy told Bernie his brother had been out of line, and refused. The next night, Bernie tried to plant a bomb in the car used by Buddy’s wife. That kind of provocation could not go unavenged, and the next day Buddy tracked Bernie down to City Square in Charlestown and shot him in the back of the head in front of dozens of witnesses, all of whom declined to make a positive ID. The getaway car was driven by Russ Nicholson, a crooked MDC cop who would later be murdered by the McLaughlins. |
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August 1948: This is John B. Wenzler, both a Boston city councilor and state rep. He also owned a bar, and one night, after last call, he was leaving with the night’s receipts when he was jumped by two stick-up artists. A cop happened by and shot one of the robbers – 26-year-old Bernie McLaughlin of Charlestown. Bernie survived, and went on to become a major waterfront gangster in Charlestown. He was shot again, in October 1961, by Buddy McLean. That time he did not survive. |
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