Early Life
Nee was born in Ros Muc, an Irish language speaking village in the Connemara, County Galway. He has recalled,
"Our family had it tough in Ireland, sure, but I'm not going to tell you any of that Angela's Ashes crap to try to gain your sympathy. We might not have had many good clothes, but Ma washed them every day. There was always good food. In fact, Ma never let my brothers and I go to bed hungry. And I remember falling asleep every night to a penetrating fire that burned until early morning."
Nee's four maternal aunts had already emigrated, three to Boston and one to Pittsburgh, influencing the Nees' decision to settle in Boston. Nee's father emigrated to America in 1952 and for a year worked as a laborer. He got a house together for his family and sent his wife the passage money a year later. Their cousins drove them down to Cork, where they boarded an English cruise ship for the trip to America, settling in South Boston, Massachusetts. Nee became a member of the Mullen Gang at the age of 14 and fought in several turf battles. He has recalled,
"My progression to crime was as easy as a baby's transition from crawling to walking. I didn't have an epiphany; I never sat down and had a soul searching experience in which I decided that being a criminal was my goal in life. It just seemed natural - there was a lot of money to be had if you spent the time planning the jobs right. The more I hung with the Mullens, the easier it was to go out on jobs. I'd simply ask if they needed another guy."
Upon reaching adulthood, Nee enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He arrived in Vietnam with the 4th Marine Brigade in 1965 and saw combat at Phu Bai.
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