Mickey Featherstone  Francis T. "Mickey" Featherstone (born September 2, 1948) is a former Irish American mobster and member of the Westies, an organized crime syndicate from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan in New York City, led by James Coonan. Featherstone committed several mob killings before he was convicted in 1986 of a murder he had not committed. Facing almost 25 years in jail, he became an informant and brought down Coonan's gang. Featherstone was born on West 43rd St., one of nine children. His mother helped with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and his father was a United States Customs Service officer. He had blond hair and was often said to be baby-faced. He served in the Vietnam War as member of the Green Berets aged just 17 after lying about his age. He served in heavy combat and then as a stock clerk. To his disappointment, he was pulled from combat duty, he was involved in criminal mischief with his friends and was disciplined for many drunken pranks. He received a medical discharge in 1967 after just a year, claiming to have hallucinations. When a group from New Jersey, called the Riley brothers, entered Hell's Kitchen a fight started with the outsiders. Featherstone returned with a rifle and shot one of the brothers John Riley in the arm, for which he was arrested and probationed. After borrowing Coonan's gun, he shot dead Linwood Willis in a confrontation outside a bar in 1971, but was found not guilty due to insanity. He spent time in a series of mental hospitals, being released in 1975. He would act out frequently while in the hospitals, leading to him being restrained and injected with thorazine. He began spending time in saloons like Club 596 and Sunbrite that were hangouts for the Westies. Featherstone's penchant for violence and intimidation caught the eye of Coonan and Featherstone became Coonan's right-hand man by 1976. Mickey Spillane, the mob leader in Hell's Kitchen at the time, was shot five times outside his apartment in August 1977, and Featherstone was arrested but acquitted for his killing. The police suspected him of a series of mob contract killings. He went on trial with Coonan for the killing of a barman, but they were acquitted in December 1979 after one witness killed himself and another purjured himself at trial. He was finally jailed after using fake currency at a massage parlor - he was traced because the girl remembered seeing his name tattooed on his forearm.