Halloran Bob - White devil: the true story of the first white Asian crime boss

Praise for White Devil

Bob Hallorans White Devil opens with a bang and doesnt let up. Hallorans in-your-face narrative, honest and straightforward, packs power and punch, not to mention the elegance and integrity of old-school, gumshoe reporting. The book is daring and dangerous, full of that gritty, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners storytelling found in any classic Boston crime book. Open White Devil and enter the hell Halloran has created with this incredible, haunting read.

M. WILLIAM PHELPS,
New York Times bestselling author

The events, locations, and conversations in this book, while true, are recreated from the authors memory. However, the essence of the story, and the feelings and emotions evoked, are intended to be accurate representations. In certain instances, names, persons, organizations, and places have been changed to protect an individuals privacy.

Copyright 2016 by Moms Basement Media, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First E-Book Edition: January 2016.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Halloran, Bob, author.

White devil : the true story of the first white Asian crime boss / Bob Halloran.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-940363-79-0 (trade cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-940363-89-9 (electronic) 1. GangstersMassachusettsBostonBiography. 2. Organized crimeMassachussettsBoston. 3. Chinatown (Boston, Mass.)Social conditions. 4. Willis, John, 1971- I. Title.

HV6452.M4H35 2016

364.1092dc23

[B]

2015030748

Editing by Erin Kelley
Copyediting by Karen Levy
Proofreading by Michael Fedison and Lisa Story
Cover design and illustration by Rodrigo Corral
Design Jacket design by Sarah Dombrowsky
Text design and composition by John Reinhardt Book Design
Printed by Lake Book Manufacturing

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A dedication with devotion to my lovely wife, Eileen.
Years of love have come and gone, and many more will follow.

INTRODUCTION

I MET JOHN WILLIS at FCI Cumberland, a medium-security federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland, in the winter of 2014. After being cleared through security, I was taken to a small room with a table and two chairs. I sat with my back to the window overlooking the prison yard and facing the visitors room where several families spent time with dozens of inmates. It was a casual atmosphere with children playing and guards providing plenty of freedom to mingle.

After a few minutes, John walked in unaccompanied by a guard. He wore an orange jumpsuit, and he wasnt handcuffed. I dont think I expected him to be restrained, but I found myself surprised to be left alone in a room with a criminal known to have a violent past. I stood up and John shook my hand with a friendly greeting. And then we talked for three hours.

He was at all times engaging, charming, and clearly intelligent. He was never intimidating. His voice stayed low and under control. He didnt smile often, but there wasnt a lot of humor in our conversation. He wanted to tell his story, and he knew I was the person who would tell it. I think he was honest about everything he said, though there were some things he was reluctant to discuss.

For instance, I thought it was interesting when I asked him if he had ever killed anyone, and he smiled a little, and said: I cant answer that.

Well, if you asked me that question, I responded, I could answer it. It would be easy. Id say, No.

I dont know if Johns nonresponsiveness means that he has committed murder, or if he just wanted me to think that he might have. I think hes fond of his reputation as a tough guy, and sees the benefits of people thinking hes capable of murder.

In any event, I liked my time with John. We spent three hours the first day and four more the second. I grew very comfortable with him as we debated religion, God, philosophy, honor codes, self-determination, self-preservation, and the Boston Red Sox.

I drove away with seven hours of recorded conversation, all of which would be transcribed for accurate quotes, and all the information John gave me would need to be corroborated by other witnesses, investigators, wiretaps, federal or criminal court documents, and newspaper accounts. I also had several hours of transcribed interviews from my manager, Matt Valentinas, conducted separately with John and his girlfriend, Anh Nguyen. That information, along with my own interview with Anh, formed the basis of a lengthy research process that included additional interviews with members of Johns family, social circle, one former gang member, and the FBI.

A wealth of information and detail came directly from the first and second superceding indictments in which a grand jury charged John and several others with drug trafficking and money launderingcharges to which John and most of his associates pleaded guilty. Those indictments included transcribed phone conversations recorded by legal wiretaps. They also confirmed and added details to Johns version of money seizures, drug buys, and his own purchases of luxury items such as boats, cars, and housesall of which were cited in the money laundering charges against him.

Affidavits submitted by FBI Special Agent Timothy C. McElroy for the continued use of electronic surveillance and by FBI Special Agent Thomas Conboy in support of the governments motion to detain certain defendants clearly laid out the case against John and his coconspirators, and led to court-approved wiretaps of nine targeted telephones for nearly six months. Three of those phones were Johns. And you will read excerpts of what investigators recorded.

The FBI built a case against John and more than two dozen others that included narcotics distribution, money laundering, illegal gambling, extortion, alien smuggling, racketeering, human trafficking, and prostitution. Only one accomplice, Colby Deering, took his case to court. The trial transcripts with several coconspirators testifying under oath further corroborated or illuminated my research.

There were several reports in the Quincy Patriot Ledger, the San Francisco Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times from which I used information, eyewitness accounts, and quotes. Those are not footnoted in the book for the purpose of fluid reading, but I acknowledge them here.

What I learned from combining Johns stories with diligent research was that John had been honest, though a bit fuzzy on details and names. For instance, when John told me about a friend of his being killed right in front of him in a parking lot, this is what he said:

His name was Wing. He had just gotten out of prison for robbing jewelry stores in Lowell. I knew him when he got out. It would be 199495.