Mob FilesPublic-domain archive of American organized crime

James Coonan

Lead defendant in the 1987 federal racketeering indictment of the group the Second Circuit calls the Westies, a Hell's Kitchen organized crime group; the court of appeals describes him as its leader. Sentenced in 1988 to seventy-five years.

Role
"the leader of the Westies" (Second Circuit, background of United States v. Bokun, 1995); "Coonan was identified as the organization's leader" (Second Circuit's account of trial testimony, 1991)
Source
United States v. Coonan, 938 F.2d 1553 (2d Cir. 1991), CourtListener
Rights
Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal court opinions state. They are works of the United States judiciary, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105. No home, family or medical detail is recorded here.

On the record

  • mid-1960s — United States v. Coonan (1991), reciting the trial evidence: "The Westies were formed in the mid-1960s when James Coonan and his confederates attempted to wrest control of criminal activity in Hell's Kitchen from the then predominant gang leader, Michael "Mickey" Spillane." The court's recital of evidence, not a separate finding.
  • 1987-08-19 — United States v. Coonan, 826 F.2d 1180: the Second Circuit affirms Judge Sand's order detaining Coonan before trial on findings of "a significant risk of flight" and "a significant risk of harm to government witnesses," noting he had been a fugitive for close to four months before his capture.
  • 1987-09-17 — United States v. Coonan, 839 F.2d 886: Indictment S 87 Cr. 249 (WK), filed this day, charged ten defendants "in connection with their alleged membership in "the Westies."" The court lists thirty-two predicate acts as the indictment alleged them.
  • 1988 — United States v. Bokun (1995): "James Coonan, the leader of the Westies, was sentenced to seventy-five years' imprisonment and a fine of one million dollars." The 1991 opinion records that eight co-defendants, Coonan among them, were tried before Judge Knapp and that "All but one of the defendants were convicted."

Every line on this page comes from the four Second Circuit opinions listed below. The role line quotes two of them and labels each: one states Coonan’s position as background to a later sentencing appeal, and the other reports what witnesses at a trial said. Neither is a chart seat, and the Westies are not one of the families charted on this site.

The 1987 opinion on his detention does not use the word “Westies.” The 1991 opinion also recites trial evidence about orders Coonan is said to have given while in prison; those passages are on the opinion’s page and are not repeated here. The summary affirmance of the 1988 convictions, 876 F.2d 891 (2d Cir. 1989), has not been read for this archive.

Records

itemUnited States v. Coonan, 938 F.2d 1553 (2d Cir. 1991): the appeal of Kevin KellySecond Circuit opinion of July 16, 1991 affirming Kevin Kelly's racketeering and related convictions. Its background recites the trial evidence about the "Westies," a group the court places in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan.itemUnited States v. Coonan, 839 F.2d 886 (2d Cir. 1988): mandamus petition during the Westies trialSecond Circuit opinion of February 11, 1988 giving its reasons for denying the Government's mandamus petition against Judge Knapp's proposed jury charge. It describes the indictment, filed September 17, 1987, against ten defendants alleged to be members of "the Westies."itemUnited States v. Coonan, 826 F.2d 1180 (2d Cir. 1987): pretrial detention of James CoonanSecond Circuit opinion of August 19, 1987 affirming an order that James Coonan be held without bail before trial, on findings of a risk of flight and a risk of harm to government witnesses.itemUnited States v. Bokun, 73 F.3d 8 (2d Cir. 1995): the sentence of a Westies defendantSecond Circuit opinion of December 27, 1995 reversing a reduction of William Bokun's sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and reinstating his thirty-five-year term. Its background summarizes the Westies prosecution and the sentences imposed in 1988.