Former Dot resident sought for '91 Chinatown massacre

Photograph age progressed to age 60

A former Dorchester resident wanted for the 1991 massacre of five men in a Chinatown gambling den is now the subject of a renewed FBI-led manhunt with the lure of a $30,000 reward for his capture and conviction.

Hung Tien Pham, now 60, has been a fugitive since January 1991 when, police say, he shot six victims who were playing cards inside a social club on Tyler Street. One man who survived the attack identified Pham, along with Nam The Tham and Siny Van Tran, as the shooters.

The other two men were later caught, tried, and convicted. But Pham fled the country and was last spotted in Bangkok, Thailand, in the mid to late 1990s.

Pham, described as a “major associate” of Asian organized crime syndicate Ping On, is also wanted for another Boston murder that occurred on Jan. 8, 1991, four days before the Chinatown massacre.

Born in North Vietnam, Pham uses aliases including “Hung Suk, Hung Pham, Pham Hung, Hung-TienPham, Chung Hung Fan, Hung Tien Fan, Ah Hung, Fan Chung-Hung, Tien Pham Hung, and Hung T. Pham. He has held a variety of jobs, including but not limited to, a cook, waiter, bicycle repairman, and floor sander.”

Said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division: “As alleged, this cold-blooded killer has been on the run for 30 years and we’re hoping this reward will incentivize anyone with information on Pham’s whereabouts to come forward so we can we bring him to justice for his role in one of the bloodiest massacres in Boston’s history.”

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should take no action themselves but should immediately call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips can also be electronically submitted at tips.fbi.gov.


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