In the early morning hours of January 12, 1991, in Boston’s Chinatown, Man Cheung was inside an illegal gambling den in the basement of 85 Tyler Street when three men burst in and started a robbery that quickly turned into an execution-style massacre. According to survivor testimony, Siny Van Tran shot Man Cheung twice in the head. In about five to six minutes the gunmen systematically shot six men; Cheung and four others died at the scene and a sixth victim was critically wounded but survived. Investigators found gunpowder residue consistent with shots fired at very close range.

Police believe the motive was a power struggle over control of gambling rackets in Chinatown. The three assailants fled after the killings. Two suspects, Siny Van Tran and Nam The Tham, were later extradited from China and convicted; one suspect, Hung Tien Pham, remains at large.

Did anyone in Boston’s Chinatown at the time recall unusual activity around 85 Tyler Street that night or know more about the gambling rackets involved?