On a summer day in Boston, on June 28, 1978, a grim discovery was made that would come to be known as the "Blackfriars Massacre". Inside the Blackfriars Pub on Summer Street, five men were found dead in the basement, victims of a gangland-style slaying. One of these men was 34-year-old Freddie Delavega. The other victims were identified as the pub's owner, Vincent E.
Solmonte, 35; Peter Meroth, 31; Charles Magarian, 37; and John "Jack" Kelly, 34, a former investigative reporter who was the night manager.
The scene that greeted investigators was brutal; the men had been shot, and the crime was immediately deemed a professional job. The Suffolk County District Attorney at the time described it as one of the most shocking crimes he had ever witnessed. It was believed that two shooters were involved, using a. 12 gauge shotgun and a. 25 caliber automatic pistol. The victims were reportedly surprised while playing a game of backgammon after the pub had closed for the night. They were then herded into the basement and killed.
The motive for the massacre did not appear to be robbery. A significant amount of cash was found in an open safe, along with small quantities of cocaine and marijuana, leading police to suspect the killings were related to a drug deal. The investigation pointed towards the involvement of organized crime, with connections to the Winter Hill Gang and the Patriarca crime family.
In the course of the investigation, several individuals were considered suspects, including notorious Boston crime figures James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi. However, the only two individuals who were formally charged with the murders were Robert J. Italiano and William N. Ierardi. Their trial took place in 1979, but both men were ultimately acquitted of the crime. To this day, the murder of Freddie Delavega and the four other men in the Blackfriars Massacre remains officially unsolved, a dark chapter in the history of Boston's underworld.
