John Willis (born May 11, 1971), nicknamed Bac Guai John in

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

, or White Devil John, is an American mobster linked with the Chinese mafia in

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 ...

and New York. Willis claims to have been the only white person within Chinese organized crime, an assertion backed by

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

agent Scott O'Donnell, who stated he has "never seen" a case like that of Willis.

Early life

Willis was raised by his mother in Dorchester in the 1970s. His father left the family when John was 2 years old. Following his mother's sudden death when he was 14, Willis was left to live by himself.

Criminal career

While working as a bouncer at a bar in Boston frequented by Chinese crime figures, Willis intervened in a fight on the behalf of Chinese gangster, Vapeng "John" Joe. As thanks, Joe gave Willis a card with a number written on it and told Willis to call if he ever needed anything. Soon, broke and needing a place to stay, Willis called the number. He was taken to a home occupied by the Chinese gang

Ping On The Ping On ( zh, t=平安, j=ping4 on1) was a Boston-based criminal organization. The organization rose to power in the 1970s and continued to operate throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. The Ping On was founded by Stephen "Sky Dragon" T ...

. Multiple reports state that Willis was then "adopted" by a Chinese family linked to the gang.

New York

After being initiated into gang life in Boston, Willis was sent to New York to act as a bodyguard and

bagman The term bagman (or bag man) has different meanings in different countries. One group of definitions centers on the idea of traveling. In British usage, "bagman" is a term for a traveling salesman, first known from 1808. In Australian usage, ...

for a Chinese gangster in the city. While in New York, Willis began to learn Chinese (

and Toisanese dialects) as a way to pick up Asian women, eventually becoming fluent. His language skills were crucial to his rise within the Chinese organized crime hierarchy. Willis eventually also learned

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

Return to Boston

In the 1990s, Willis was sent back to Boston to work for a mid-level gangster named Bai Ming. However, a Chinese turf war broke out which resulted in Bai Ming being the most important gangster left standing in Boston's Chinatown. Willis, by virtue of being Bai Ming's second in command, saw his status in Chinese organized crime skyrocket.

Prison

Willis was convicted and jailed for extortion and then, in 2000, received a five–year sentence for dealing heroin. While in prison, Willis organized an

Oxycontin Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...

trafficking ring from Florida to Massachusetts. Upon his release from prison, he became heavily involved in drug dealing and money laundering against the wishes of his Chinese organized crime peers. In August 2013, Willis was convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering for his role in the $4 million Oxycontin drug ring. He received a 20-year sentence. Willis is currently serving his sentence at Canaan USP with a projected release date of 06/10/2028.

In media

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

was developing ''White Devil'', a movie based on Willis' life. James Gray was attached to write and direct the feature.

BenBella Books BenBella Books is an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas. BenBella was founded by Glenn Yeffeth in 2001. It specializes in nonfiction books on popular culture, business, health, and nutrition, along with books on science, politics, ...

released the true crime book ''White Devil'' by Bob Halloran on January 12, 2016, detailing the story of Willis.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, John American gangsters American crime bosses American extortionists Triad members American prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Place of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Dorchester, Massachusetts American drug traffickers Chinese-American organized crime Gangsters from Boston People convicted of money laundering 1971 births