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    A Criminal and an Irishman

    The Inside Story of the Boston Mob - IRA Connection

    Author Patrick Nee, Richard Farrell, Michael Blythe
    Look inside
    Paperback
    $19.95 US
    | $25.95 CAN
    Pushkin Press | Steerforth
    On sale Mar 03, 2026 | 240 Pages | 9781586424299
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    A former rival and associate of Whitey Bulger tells all in this true crime memoir about the inner workings of life in the Irish mob

    Perfect for readers of Say Nothing, Black Mass, and Paddy Whacked

    “Even as he chases someone with a rifle through South Boston, he's the sort of guy you want to root for. . .” — The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

    ** 20th Anniversary Edition ** A Boston Globe Bestseller **

    A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee’s life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a combat marine in Vietnam and convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former rival-turned-associate of James “Whitey” Bulger. His narrative transports readers into the criminal underworld, taking them inside preparation for armored car heists, gang wars, and revenge killings.

    Nee details his evolution from tough street kid to armed robber to dangerous potential killer, disclosing how he used his underworld connections as a secret operative for the Irish Republican Army.

    For years, Pat smuggled weapons and money from the United States to Ireland — in the bottoms of coffins, behind false panels of vans — leading up to a transatlantic shipment of 7 ½ tons of munitions aboard the fishing trawler Valhalla. No other Southie underworld figure can match Pat’s reputation for resolve and authenticity.
    "Not one account in this book is taken from a newspaper article, a police report, or somebody else's 'gangster' book. Everything detailed in this book I have either done, seen done, or heard about from the person who did it. Most reporters and authors who write Southie gangster books use CIs - confidential informers - as sources. However, seldom is the majority of information compiled by these sources correct information. Confidential informers are self-serving criminals who lie. This book is different from other books on the Boston Irish mob or any other 'Whitey/Southie' crime book. If my recollections don't match those in some other book by some other criminal, I don't care. My memory is not perfect. This is my life as I remember it. And I'm comfortable with that." - Author's Note, Patrick Nee
    . All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
    “A profane, often brutal memoir . . . Nee maintained an uneasy alliance with Bulger while pursuing his personal cause—raising money and smuggling weapons for the Irish Republican Army.”
    —The Boston Herald
     
    “Nee commits some horrible crimes, from attempted murder to armed robbery. Yet even as he chases someone with a rifle through South Boston, he's the sort of guy you want to root for . . . Scenes in which Nee interacts with his parents or siblings are most touching. He’s a good son, a bit of a smart-aleck and a fine drinking buddy as well as a gunrunner and would be assassin.”
    —The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune
    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. View titles by Patrick Nee
    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. View titles by Richard Farrell
    Michael Blythe View titles by Michael Blythe
    Author’s Note
    1. How to Rob an Armored Car
    2. Ireland
    3. Gunslinger
    4. The Mullen Gang
    5. The Stuttering Marine
    6. Hawaii
    7. A War We Should Have Won
    8. Crime Pays
    9. Peter Nee
    10. Hunting
    11. The Southie Gang War
    12. “The Truce”
    13. A Criminal and an Irishman
    14. The Long Journey Home
    15. The Birth of Valhalla
    16. Seven Tons of Guns
    17. The Atlantic Ocean
    18. Circle of Green

    About

    A former rival and associate of Whitey Bulger tells all in this true crime memoir about the inner workings of life in the Irish mob

    Perfect for readers of Say Nothing, Black Mass, and Paddy Whacked

    “Even as he chases someone with a rifle through South Boston, he's the sort of guy you want to root for. . .” — The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

    ** 20th Anniversary Edition ** A Boston Globe Bestseller **

    A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee’s life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a combat marine in Vietnam and convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former rival-turned-associate of James “Whitey” Bulger. His narrative transports readers into the criminal underworld, taking them inside preparation for armored car heists, gang wars, and revenge killings.

    Nee details his evolution from tough street kid to armed robber to dangerous potential killer, disclosing how he used his underworld connections as a secret operative for the Irish Republican Army.

    For years, Pat smuggled weapons and money from the United States to Ireland — in the bottoms of coffins, behind false panels of vans — leading up to a transatlantic shipment of 7 ½ tons of munitions aboard the fishing trawler Valhalla. No other Southie underworld figure can match Pat’s reputation for resolve and authenticity.

    Excerpt

    "Not one account in this book is taken from a newspaper article, a police report, or somebody else's 'gangster' book. Everything detailed in this book I have either done, seen done, or heard about from the person who did it. Most reporters and authors who write Southie gangster books use CIs - confidential informers - as sources. However, seldom is the majority of information compiled by these sources correct information. Confidential informers are self-serving criminals who lie. This book is different from other books on the Boston Irish mob or any other 'Whitey/Southie' crime book. If my recollections don't match those in some other book by some other criminal, I don't care. My memory is not perfect. This is my life as I remember it. And I'm comfortable with that." - Author's Note, Patrick Nee
    . All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

    Reviews

    “A profane, often brutal memoir . . . Nee maintained an uneasy alliance with Bulger while pursuing his personal cause—raising money and smuggling weapons for the Irish Republican Army.”
    —The Boston Herald
     
    “Nee commits some horrible crimes, from attempted murder to armed robbery. Yet even as he chases someone with a rifle through South Boston, he's the sort of guy you want to root for . . . Scenes in which Nee interacts with his parents or siblings are most touching. He’s a good son, a bit of a smart-aleck and a fine drinking buddy as well as a gunrunner and would be assassin.”
    —The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune

    Author

    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. View titles by Patrick Nee
    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. View titles by Richard Farrell
    Michael Blythe View titles by Michael Blythe

    Table of Contents

    Author’s Note
    1. How to Rob an Armored Car
    2. Ireland
    3. Gunslinger
    4. The Mullen Gang
    5. The Stuttering Marine
    6. Hawaii
    7. A War We Should Have Won
    8. Crime Pays
    9. Peter Nee
    10. Hunting
    11. The Southie Gang War
    12. “The Truce”
    13. A Criminal and an Irishman
    14. The Long Journey Home
    15. The Birth of Valhalla
    16. Seven Tons of Guns
    17. The Atlantic Ocean
    18. Circle of Green

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