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The Paradiso Files: Boston's Unknown Serial Killer
In this bold and suspenseful true-crime story, former homicide prosecutor Timothy M. Burke makes his case against one Leonard Paradiso. Lenny “The Quahog” was convicted of assaulting one young woman and paroled after three years, but Burke believes that he was guilty of much more – that Paradiso was a serial killer who operated in the Boston area, and maybe farther afield, for nearly fifteen years, assaulting countless young women and responsible for the deaths of as many as seven. Burke takes the reader inside the minds of prosecutors, police investigators, and one very dangerous man who thought he had figured out how to rape and murder and get away with it.
The Paradiso Files generated headlines when first published in February 2008. Nine days later, Paradiso died at the age of sixty-five without commenting on any of Burke’s accusations, including that he murdered Joan Webster, a Harvard graduate student who disappeared from Logan Airport in 1981. Boston-area prosecutors announced in September 2008 that Burke’s revelations had led them to reopen the unsolved murder cases of three young women – Melodie Stankiewicz, Holly Davidson, and Kathy Williams. There were “too many similarities between the individual cases to ignore,” a prosecutor involved in the new investigation said. Burke’s account leaves little doubt that Paradiso’s deeds should go down in infamy, alongside those of the Boston Strangler.
The Paradiso Files generated headlines when first published in February 2008. Nine days later, Paradiso died at the age of sixty-five without commenting on any of Burke’s accusations, including that he murdered Joan Webster, a Harvard graduate student who disappeared from Logan Airport in 1981. Boston-area prosecutors announced in September 2008 that Burke’s revelations had led them to reopen the unsolved murder cases of three young women – Melodie Stankiewicz, Holly Davidson, and Kathy Williams. There were “too many similarities between the individual cases to ignore,” a prosecutor involved in the new investigation said. Burke’s account leaves little doubt that Paradiso’s deeds should go down in infamy, alongside those of the Boston Strangler.
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Timothy M. Burke
5 books5 followersTimothy M. Burke grew up in rural upstate New York. The youngest of twelve children, he is a graduate of Syracuse University and Northeastern University School of Law. He successfully prosecuted more than twenty-five murder cases and more than fifty major felonies while assigned to the Homicide Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, including heading an investigation into the criminal actions of mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, recently apprehended and removed from number two on the FBI's Most Wanted List.
Burke's prosecution of Massachusetts serial killer Leonard "The Quahog" Paradiso is detailed in Burke's first book, The Paradiso Files, "a stellar exploration of the soul of a mass murderer," according to Kirkus Reviews.
The Bird's Song, Burke's second non-fiction tome, traces the interwoven heartaches of three women as they travail through the Massachusetts legal system in the late 1980's.
Currently in private practice, Burke maintains an active law career in suburban Boston.
Burke's prosecution of Massachusetts serial killer Leonard "The Quahog" Paradiso is detailed in Burke's first book, The Paradiso Files, "a stellar exploration of the soul of a mass murderer," according to Kirkus Reviews.
The Bird's Song, Burke's second non-fiction tome, traces the interwoven heartaches of three women as they travail through the Massachusetts legal system in the late 1980's.
Currently in private practice, Burke maintains an active law career in suburban Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 11, 2017
I picked out this book from the hundreds of shelves at the library because I have always loved watching Law and Order: SVU and different documentaries on serial killers and learning about the psychology behind their thinking. I looked up the words "serial killer" into the computer at the library and "The Paradiso Files" was one of the first to pop up. I read a short description and was instantly captivated by the subject of this book, Leonard Paradiso, and the choices he had made in the 1970's and 80's. I also was surprised to see that the author of this book, Timothy Burke, was the district attorney in Paradiso's case and that this book is based on true events that took place in Boston.
This book takes you through Lenny Paradiso's life and describes, in gruesome detail, the rapes and murders that he committed. He often pretended to be a cab or taxi driver and drove to discrete locations where he raped and strangled young woman once they got in his car. Several of his victims were lucky enough to make it out alive, but the bodies of those who were not were dumped in seclusive areas such as the river on Lynn Marsh Road in Lynn, MA. Towards the end of the book, you are taken through each court date. The author explains every witness' testimony and the alibi that Paradiso uses when he is accused of murdering a young woman named Marie Iannuzzi. You also hear several conversations between Burke and one of his good friends about their thoughts on the reasoning behind Lenny's actions.
I thought this book was easy to follow in the sense that everything is in chronological order which helped tremendously to understand the timeline of all of the events in the book. It also describes certain situations and people very clearly and descriptively which allows you to picture the scene in your mind fairly well. Speaking of pictures, I also love the fact that there are several pages worth of pictures towards the middle of the book. They show Paradiso on his boat, where multiple rapes and a murder were executed, and more significant places and people that are explained in the book.
Some aspects of the book, however, made it hard to get through. For example, there is a lot of court terminology that I was not familiar with before, which made it a little complicated to follow. I think if you are familiar with criminal justice and court cases, you would enjoy this book much more than I did. It is also very gruesome and traumatizing while explaining the assaults that took place during the time of Paradiso wreaking havoc which may be too much to handle for some people.
This book takes you through Lenny Paradiso's life and describes, in gruesome detail, the rapes and murders that he committed. He often pretended to be a cab or taxi driver and drove to discrete locations where he raped and strangled young woman once they got in his car. Several of his victims were lucky enough to make it out alive, but the bodies of those who were not were dumped in seclusive areas such as the river on Lynn Marsh Road in Lynn, MA. Towards the end of the book, you are taken through each court date. The author explains every witness' testimony and the alibi that Paradiso uses when he is accused of murdering a young woman named Marie Iannuzzi. You also hear several conversations between Burke and one of his good friends about their thoughts on the reasoning behind Lenny's actions.
I thought this book was easy to follow in the sense that everything is in chronological order which helped tremendously to understand the timeline of all of the events in the book. It also describes certain situations and people very clearly and descriptively which allows you to picture the scene in your mind fairly well. Speaking of pictures, I also love the fact that there are several pages worth of pictures towards the middle of the book. They show Paradiso on his boat, where multiple rapes and a murder were executed, and more significant places and people that are explained in the book.
Some aspects of the book, however, made it hard to get through. For example, there is a lot of court terminology that I was not familiar with before, which made it a little complicated to follow. I think if you are familiar with criminal justice and court cases, you would enjoy this book much more than I did. It is also very gruesome and traumatizing while explaining the assaults that took place during the time of Paradiso wreaking havoc which may be too much to handle for some people.
January 16, 2016
A vile, hideous, but ultimately satisfying read. I spent a lot of the first third of the story wanting to slam the book shut because they were having me spend so much time with the rapist/killer; but when the police and prosecutors moved into the picture and started assembling a case against him, I was greatly relieved, knowing that there are such good, dedicated people working to make things right.
October 10, 2014
This guy (Paradiso) was a real creepy guy and it's just amazing that he didn't get caught for so many years. His crimes were unreal, but what was more unreal was the fakey (and sometimes hokey) way the prosecutor (and author) described his and his friend's interactions. This excessive detail (unnecessary and uninteresting) really did take away from the latter part of the book, as it was so irritating. Still, the story amazes. It's sad that such horrible people can get away with such gruesome things and go on for so long without any suspicion cast on them.
January 18, 2009
What an incredible book! Reading it from the perspective of a former victim/witness advocate, I have a great deal of appreciation and love in my heart for the author, Tim Burke. We may never know officially if "The Fat Man" killed Joan Webster, but Burke made it his mission to put a sadistic, misogynistic monster away forever, definintely saving lives while he avenged those Paradiso took away.
August 23, 2008
I loved this book! Of course, I am emotionally connected to any parent who is suffering as these people are and coming from Hamilton, I remember the day they found Joan
Webster's body like it was yesterday. This book was so informative for those of us who are not of that world.
Webster's body like it was yesterday. This book was so informative for those of us who are not of that world.
September 15, 2016
A great book about a terrible tragedy
This was a very good story that keep you interested throughout. Thank god there are hard working district attorney's and dedicated law enforcement people out there doing the tough job, to take care of people like Paradiso.
This was a very good story that keep you interested throughout. Thank god there are hard working district attorney's and dedicated law enforcement people out there doing the tough job, to take care of people like Paradiso.
May 6, 2008
This was better than expected, and being from the area very engrossing. The raw images of this murderer were hard to forget and I recommend to anyone interested in true crime, forensics, etc.
February 11, 2014
Can I give it more stars?
October 11, 2014
really interesting story about a very evil man who got away with murder for years!
July 4, 2016
Fast moving
Paradiso sounds totally depraved. I feel sorry for his girlfriend. The book is very well written. It kept my interest and never slowed down.
Paradiso sounds totally depraved. I feel sorry for his girlfriend. The book is very well written. It kept my interest and never slowed down.
August 21, 2019
3.5 stars
“There are moments in each life when the real becomes the surreal and the ordinary becomes the outrageous. The serene becomes the storm, and the beginning becomes the end”
I´ve had this book since 2014 and I finally got around to reading it. This book is the story of Leonard Paradiso, a serial killer in Boston. I´ve always been intrigued by crime and serial killers (I know it is weird) so when I saw this book I had to immediately buy it. I enjoyed this book, it was not the best book I have ever read but it wasn’t terrible.
We follow the crimes committed by Paradiso and his eventual persecution, the author of this book is actually the lawyer who persecuted Paradiso which is my opinion is extremely awesome. However, because the topic was close to the authors heart the book became long and repetitive. The first part for me was not enjoyable at all, it is really long and repetitive. If they told me one more time what song was playing on the radio I would have lost it. To be honest the first part of the book made me want to DNF it, however thank god I didn’t because it got way much better. About past half of the book, the trial for Paradiso starts and that is when I fell for the book.
I loved to see first-hand how a trial worked, and although there were many terms I didn’t comprehend, it was so fast paced and intriguing it couldn’t stop reading. Moreover, the representation of how society “victim blames” girls that get raped is very well done.
In conclusion, this book was okay, the first part is so boring but the second part is truly worth it. In my opinion, if you are familiar with the cases of Paradiso, just skip to the trail part because that was truly interesting. The fact that it was written by the lawyer adds a lot of value and I would recommend this book if you are interested in the topic of serial killers and don’t mind a slow book at first.
“Neither could function without the other, and neither would admit its need for the other”
“There are moments in each life when the real becomes the surreal and the ordinary becomes the outrageous. The serene becomes the storm, and the beginning becomes the end”
I´ve had this book since 2014 and I finally got around to reading it. This book is the story of Leonard Paradiso, a serial killer in Boston. I´ve always been intrigued by crime and serial killers (I know it is weird) so when I saw this book I had to immediately buy it. I enjoyed this book, it was not the best book I have ever read but it wasn’t terrible.
We follow the crimes committed by Paradiso and his eventual persecution, the author of this book is actually the lawyer who persecuted Paradiso which is my opinion is extremely awesome. However, because the topic was close to the authors heart the book became long and repetitive. The first part for me was not enjoyable at all, it is really long and repetitive. If they told me one more time what song was playing on the radio I would have lost it. To be honest the first part of the book made me want to DNF it, however thank god I didn’t because it got way much better. About past half of the book, the trial for Paradiso starts and that is when I fell for the book.
I loved to see first-hand how a trial worked, and although there were many terms I didn’t comprehend, it was so fast paced and intriguing it couldn’t stop reading. Moreover, the representation of how society “victim blames” girls that get raped is very well done.
In conclusion, this book was okay, the first part is so boring but the second part is truly worth it. In my opinion, if you are familiar with the cases of Paradiso, just skip to the trail part because that was truly interesting. The fact that it was written by the lawyer adds a lot of value and I would recommend this book if you are interested in the topic of serial killers and don’t mind a slow book at first.
“Neither could function without the other, and neither would admit its need for the other”
March 26, 2020
I barely made it 50 pages in. Where does the actual facts of the cases end and the authors fantasy begin? Where do these scenes of dialog come from? How did he know what these people were thinking quietly to themselves? This isn’t supposed to be fiction.
The author freely refers to the women victims in the manner of Paradiso himself - Street hookers, bitches, etc - while also attempting to garner sympathy for these women and girls by talking about their “innocent smile” and how they were “praying to their god.” He also does a pretty bad job at depicting one victims’ “pimp,” muddling his way through a vaguely racist accent.
I’m no prude, and I have no problems whatsoever with true crime, but book is gross and sensationalized. Not worth your time.
The author freely refers to the women victims in the manner of Paradiso himself - Street hookers, bitches, etc - while also attempting to garner sympathy for these women and girls by talking about their “innocent smile” and how they were “praying to their god.” He also does a pretty bad job at depicting one victims’ “pimp,” muddling his way through a vaguely racist accent.
I’m no prude, and I have no problems whatsoever with true crime, but book is gross and sensationalized. Not worth your time.
February 25, 2019
I am from the area and remember this case very well. It was a very interesting telling. It's amazing how much the guy probably got away with and would have kept getting away with if not for the dedication of Timothy Burke.
May 23, 2022
This book came highly recommended by my librarians, who obviously know me well! LOL! I loved it.
April 23, 2008
The truth does eventually surface. There are things only family might know. Mr. Burke's account is distorted and glosses over glaring inconsistencies with the facts surrounding the Joan Webster case. This is an open murder investigation and Burke does not support his allegations with information that remains in police files. Her case is a topic on numerious discussion boards. It would be beneficial for readers to learn the facts and circumstances in the case instead of swallowing Burke's implausible effort to write the final chapter in Joan's murder. The prime suspect in the Iannuzzi murder was allowed to perjure himself before the Grand Jury and in the trial. Police reports support that. The Boston legal and criminal justice system at the time was full of corruption, protection of criminal informants and wrongful murder convictions. Burke's allegations may prove to show more of the same. Politicians furthered their careers by providing scapegoats to satisfy constituents in notable cases. There are a great many flags in my book. It seems Boston has not progressed from the days of Sarah Good and the Salem Witchhunts. Eve Carson Joan Webster's sister-in-law
December 28, 2023
THE PARADISO FILES by Timothy M. Burke subtitled "Boston's Unknown Serial Killer"
"With the misguided confidence of an unrequited lover, the lawyer waited for the call that never came."
Jury selection: "You got two Sidney Sheldons, one Robert Parker, one New York Times, five Boston Heralds, two Boston Globes, and one crossword puzzle. The other four aren't reading anything." The four non-readers were the first to be challenged by the DA.
Shakespeare was quoted by a witness: "whether it's nobler in mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against the sea of trouble".
"With the misguided confidence of an unrequited lover, the lawyer waited for the call that never came."
Jury selection: "You got two Sidney Sheldons, one Robert Parker, one New York Times, five Boston Heralds, two Boston Globes, and one crossword puzzle. The other four aren't reading anything." The four non-readers were the first to be challenged by the DA.
Shakespeare was quoted by a witness: "whether it's nobler in mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against the sea of trouble".
November 17, 2012
Author Tim Burke spent years in the front lines bringing the worst criminals in the Boston area to justice. In this compelling story, he relates the true tale of Lenny "The Quahog" Paradiso, a first hand account of the downfall of one of the monsters' who victimize so many innocent people in our world. Sad, but true, it is a book that clearly paints a picture of how one the worst creatures of society took a murderous toll on many unfortunate women.
May 23, 2016
This was a fascinating read with an interesting subject, a horrifying set of murders, and a lot of great quips about Boston (at one point the author gave a shoutout to the bar that serves my favorite veggie burger in town, and I was super thrilled!). I was distracted by the constant use of nicknames like "Ponytail" and the use of "Hizzoner" to refer to a judge. Regardless, the book delivered on what I was hoping for: a gritty, distracting novel about crime in Boston.
December 27, 2014
3.5 stars. Interesting story, but really started to drag on about halfway through the book. Also got tired of hearing about what song was playing in the background every 3 pages or so. Could have been a lot shorter.
September 29, 2008
Very interesting book that looks into the mind of serial killer Lenny Paradiso (Boston; circa 1980's) and the work that went into his capture.
August 17, 2010
Very good, interesting, straight forward and easy to follow...
December 9, 2012
FANTASTIC READ A PAGE TURNER TO THE END
December 28, 2012
This was a good book. It was fast moving and no boring courtroom scenes.
June 30, 2013
Non-stop page turner true crime story set in Boston. Great/easy read.
May 28, 2014
Very well written. An interesting read.
September 5, 2014
kind of long winded
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews