A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection

At fourteen Patrick Nee became associated with the gang that would later battle Whitey Bulger for rights to Southie’s criminal activities. A Marine veteran of Vietnam, Pat helped the Irish Republican Army smuggle money, guns, and munitions out of the United States. He served nearly two years in prison for the Valhalla smuggling operation, received early parole, then promptly attempted to rob an armored car in order to raise funds for the IRA. He served nine years for this later conviction, and today he works as a day laborer and spends time with his two daughters and grandchildren. He lives in South Boston.

Richard Farrell won the du Pont—Columbia Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism for his film High on Crack Street. He covered the war in Bosnia, has directed several award-winning films, and has written articles for the Boston Globe and numerous other publications. He lives in southern New Hampshire.

Michael Blythe, like his good friend Pat Nee, is a lifelong South Boston resident who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a screenwriter and father of six.