On June 16, 1964, the Chelsea Municipal Employees Association held a dance at the American Legion Hall in Fay Square. One of the attendees was James P. Naimo, 43. He would run afoul of John J. Locke, 25, of Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester. Naimo was stabbed in the lower chest and underwent surgery at Chelsea Memorial Hospital for two and a half hours.
Mount Vernon Street was the location of the Colombia Point Housing project called “the most notorious housing project in Massachusetts. It was located on what was referred to as Mile Road which led out to a dump. It was nicknamed “Sin City” by locals and “Shame City” by newspapers.
While Locke was not arrested for his stabbing of Naimo, 1964 was still not a good year for him. He was convicted of shooting a man in a Cambridge home. They were arguing over a woman. He was sent to the Plymouth County House of Corrections for 18 months. He was released on Christmas Eve, 1965. According to police he worked as a bartender and a longshoreman. He had lived in Charlestown. He was friendly with Connie Hughes who it was said he was with shortly before Connie was murdered. He also told people he was friendly with his brother Steve.
Apparently after Connie was murdered, Locke went into a Charlestown bar holding out a pistol and shouting. “Just tell me who took care of Connie and I’ll take care of him.” Obviously, the booze had gotten the better of him. He was quickly disarmed, beaten, and thrown out onto the street.
In March 1967, Locke was found lying in the snow in Revere near the Wonderland Park T station. He had been shot in the face, the head, and the chest. Tire tracks and foot tracks in the snow showed the driver exited his automobile, went to the back door, and pulled out the body onto the snow.
The police suggested he knew he was a target having been closely associated with the McLaughlins. One opined: “He went out on the town. He was drinking heavily. That’s all they needed. He got picked up at some place and dumped in Revere.” The acting Revere police chief Phillip Gallo lamented that Revere had become the favorite dumping spots for bodies of gangland victims, noting “this is where the action is.”
There was a joint not far from where Locke was dumped called the Caravan.He May have met his end there.
But in those days it could have been any number of places along Revere Beach as well.It was not a location
where you acted up or you were in for a beer and a beating.