John Willis

John Willis (born May 11, 1971), nicknamed Bac Guai John in Cantonese, or White Devil John, is an American mobster linked with the Chinese mafia in Boston and New York. Willis claims to have been the only white person within Chinese organized crime, an assertion backed by FBI agent Scott O'Donnell, who stated he has "never seen" a case like that of Willis.

Early life Willis was raised by his mother in Dorchester in the 1970s. His father left the family when John was 2 years old.

Criminal career While working as a bouncer at a bar in Boston frequented by Chinese crime figures, Willis intervened in a fight on the behalf of Chinese gangster, Vapeng "John" Joe. As thanks, Joe gave Willis a card with a number written on it and told Willis to call if he ever needed anything.

New York After being initiated into gang life in Boston, Willis was sent to New York to act as a bodyguard and bagman for a Chinese gangster in the city. While in New York, Willis began to learn Chinese (Cantonese and Toisanese dialects) as a way to pick up Asian women, eventually becoming fluent. Willis is currently serving his sentence at Canaan USP with a projected release date of 06/10/2028.

In media

In 2013 Warner Bros was developing White Devil, a movie based on Willis' life. James Gray was attached to write and direct the feature. BenBella Books released the true crime book White Devil by Bob Halloran on January 12, 2016, detailing the story of Willis.