On June 28, 1978, five men were found shot to death in the basement of the Blackfriars Pub on Summer Street in Boston. One of the victims was 34-year-old Freddie Delavega. The other four victims were Vincent E. Solmonte, 35, the pub’s owner; Peter Meroth, 31; Charles Magarian, 37; and John Jack Kelly, 34, the night manager and a former investigative reporter.

Investigators described the scene as a gangland-style slaying. Reports say the men had been playing backgammon after the pub closed when they were surprised, herded into the basement and killed by two shooters using a 12 gauge shotgun and a .25 caliber automatic pistol. The motive did not appear to be robbery: cash was found in an open safe and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana were present, prompting investigators to look at possible drug-related motives and links to organized crime, including the Winter Hill Gang and the Patriarca crime family.

Several well-known Boston crime figures were considered during the probe, and Robert J. Italiano and William N. Ierardi were tried in 1979 but were acquitted. The Blackfriars Massacre, including the murder of Freddie Delavega, remains officially unsolved.