Exclusive: 'The Westies' Is a New '80s NYC Crime Show - With a Twist

If you're missing MobLandor Peaky Blinders, the next great crime show is coming very soon. Created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, The Westies takes place in New York City in 1980, and is full of grit, humor, and thrilling gangdom twists. Focusing on the real Irish gang of the same name, The Westies is a historical drama that, like Peaky Blinders, forges its own path with unique characters.

"There was formerly a gang called The Arsenal Gang, which then gave way to the Westies in the 60s. And within the Westies, there was an intergenerational conflict that started to rear its head in the 70s," co-creator Chris Brancato tells Men's Journal. So, while some names have been changed, some of The Westies is based on real events with "composite characters." Along with co-writer Panes, Brancato stresses that although Italian mobsters are a part of the show, The Westies is designed to give the underdog Irish gangsters the spotlight. "We like to think of the Italians as organized crime, and the Irish were disorganized crime," Brancato says. "It's always fun to see a different criminal group mixing it up with your traditional Italian mobsters."

There aren't a lot of Irish gang appearances in modern culture," co-creator Panes adds. "One of the things that excited us is that this really is an arena that hasn't been done too much."

The Westies Exclusive Trailer

In the first trailer for The Westies, the show's basic premise is laid out. Simmons plays the Westies mob boss Eamon Sweeney, and Titus Welliver plays a cop named Glenn Keenan. Tom Brittney is playing the younger gangster Jimmy, who seems poised to be a breakout star of the show. The series also stars Jessica Frances Dukes, Stanley Morgan, Sarah Bolger, Allen Leech, Hilary McCormack, Vincent Walsh, and Hamish Allan-Headly as the infamous real-life mobster, John Gotti

As the trailer reveals, The Westies are trying to make a play to get as much of the profits from the construction of the Javits on the west side of Manhattan. But, as the creators have teased, there's a conflict brewing inside the gang, and threats from the police, and other bigger mobsters from without.

The Westies will hit MGM+ on July 12, 2026.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM.