Career
McLean was well known throughout the Greater Boston area as an unstoppable street fighter. He accumulated injuries including several scars on his neck and face as well as a damaged left eye. James McLean was orphaned at a young age and adopted by an immigrant Portuguese-American family in Somerville, Massachusetts.
McLean began to slowly amass a formidable criminal organization due to the admiration of his ability to fight along with a strong sense of street smarts.
He would eventually dominate the local underworld in northern Boston which included running numbers, loansharking and truck hijackings. Drinking with his friends throughout the day and into the late evening, McLaughlin attempted to grope one of the gangster girlfriends.
Confronted by the two men, McLaughlin received a savage beating until losing consciousness. Unsure whether or not he was still alive, they dumped him at a nearby hospital and went to tell McLean what had happened.
Bernie McLaughlin stormed out in a rage.
Later that night, McLean awoke to the sound of his dogs barking, and saw two men under his car. He went outside firing a.38 revolver, and found plastique wired to the ignition of his car. Suspecting the McLaughlins, he began stalking Bernie McLaughlin throughout Charlestown until he found him.
He killed Bernie McLaughlin walking out of the "Morning Glory" bar in Charlestown in broad daylight and in front of almost one hundred witnesses on October 31, 1961.
He was originally arrested along with Alex "Bobo" Petricone but the witness who picked them out later recanted and they were released. Alex Petricone who was not a killer was sent out to California by Buddy McLean to stay out of the gang war.
Alex started taking acting lessons, changed his name to Alex Rocco and became an actor. One of his first roles was playing Moe Greene in the Godfather movie.
Although he was acquitted of the murder charge, McLean went to prison for two years for illegal possession of a firearm.
He was succeeded by Howie Winter then, later, by James "Whitey" Bulger.