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All the United States Massachusetts Somerville Winter Hill Gang Headquarters
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Winter Hill Gang Headquarters

The former headquarters for Whitey Bulger and the notorious Winter Hill Gang.

Somerville, Massachusetts

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The nondescript building where Whitey Bulger once held court.   chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
The exterior of the building, which is now a church.   chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
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Today, the structure at 12-14 Marshall Street in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, houses a church. But it was once the central headquarters of the Winter Hill Gang and the site of grisly acts of violence.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the back room of Marshall Motors was where Howard T. Winter, John Matorano, and Whitey Bulger—who was once the second most wanted man in America after Osama Bin Laden—held court and presided over their empire. Their exploits have been the inspiration for countless books and movies.

When the Church of God acquired the property in 2008, the garage's infamous trapdoor, which led to a basement where the Winter Hill Gang tortured or disposed of their rivals, was still intact. Pastor Colin Green of the current church says he has "rebuked anything in there, in the name of Jesus."

Probably only of interest for true gangland aficionados (or those in the Winter Hill area looking for a Sunday service), 12-14 Marshall Street nonetheless has a significant place in the history of organized crime in the United States.

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Parking is available on Broadway (less than a block from 12-14 Marshall Street) and you can also stop by the former "Pal Joey's," the Winter Hill Gang's bar, which is now Winter Hill Bakery.

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May 8, 2025

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  • https://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/2008/09/from-gangsters.html
  • https://www.vice.com/en/article/nn48bq/boston-seems-to-really-hate-james-whitey-bulger
  • https://patch.com/massachusetts/somerville/winter-hill-reacts-to-whitey-bulgers-capture

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Crime Gangsters
Winter Hill Gang Headquarters
12-14 Marshall Street
Somerville, Massachusetts, 02145
United States
42.391879, -71.093086
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