John "Red" Shea (born August 12, 1965) is an American former mobster from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

involved in narcotics and an associate of crime kingpin

Whitey Bulger James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. (; September 3, 1929 – October 30, 2018) was an American organized crime boss who led the Winter Hill Gang in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, a city directly northwest of Bost ...

and the

Winter Hill Gang The Winter Hill Gang is a loose confederation of organized crime figures in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. The gang members and leadership are predominantly Irish-American and Italian-American descent. The organization itself derives its n ...

during the 1980s and 1990s. He was indicted on cocaine trafficking charges in 1990 and served 12 years in prison. Shea wrote a book called ''Rat Bastards; The Story of South Boston's Most Honorable Irish Mobster'' about his experience with the Winter Hill Gang. His refusal to accept a plea deal to testify against his associates led him to serve the full sentence for his conviction. John Shea continued his writing career with the acclaimed young adult novel ''A Kid From Southie''. The story was inspired by John's life, growing up with an alcoholic father, pursuing the dream of becoming a boxer, living a teenage romance as he navigates a world of organized crime in South Boston as by someone who experienced it. During a game of football with his friend

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

and actor

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...

on the set of ''

The Departed ''The Departed'' is a 2006 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter ...

'', Baldwin accidentally fractured Shea's thumb. A fight almost broke out between the two before Wahlberg intervened. John continues to do national and local commentary for the news media, CNN, FOX and others on Whitey Bulger and additional stories about organized crime.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, John 1965 births Living people American gangsters of Irish descent American gangsters Gangsters from Boston