Naman Shrestha
In Max’s ‘Sons of Ecstasy,’ we get a detailed account of the ecstasy drug trade scene in the 1990s in Arizona. While a millionaire stockbroker named Shaun Attwood was at the center of the rave and ecstasy scene, the son of a mobster named Sammy “The Bull” Gravano — Gerard Gravano — challenged him, leading to an unlikely rivalry between the two. Amidst the drug rivalry, Shaun had the constant support of his best friend — Peter “Wildman” John Maloney, a fearsome and prominent name within the criminal underworld.
Peter “Wildman” John Mahoney Was Shaun Attwood’s Best Friend and Sidekick
It is through Shaun “English Shaun” Attwood that Peter “Wildman” John Mahoney became a public figure. Ever since they were kids, Shaun and Peter had been best friends. They grew up together in the industrial town of Wildnes in Cheshire, England, and created many fun memories together. The nickname “Wildman” was attached to him from the age of 17, invented by one of his uncles, unaware of the fact that it would become an influential name in the US criminal underworld in a few years.
In hopes of a better future, Shaun relocated to Arizona. By 1996, Peter followed his best friend to help him establish and operate an ecstasy monopoly in the rave scene of the US state, especially at the Ice House. While Shaun utilized his entrepreneurial knowledge to the best of his abilities to make profits while dealing ecstasy, Peter acted as his physical backup, capable of handling any violence and unpredictability during the business. Even when Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and his son, Gerard Gravano, gave him competition in the ecstasy business, Peter was there to watch Shaun’s back and protect him.
A Few Years After His Release From Prison, Peter “Wildman” John Mahoney Passed Away
After several years of running a profitable drug and rave enterprise in Arizona and taking their ecstasy business to meteoric heights, the duo of Shaun Attwood and Peter Mahoney was forced to quit in 2002. After the former’s house was raided by a SWAT team, both of them were arrested and taken into custody. While Shaun received a total of nine years of imprisonment, Peter was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Just serving under six years of his sentence, Shaun was released from prison and deported to the United Kingdom.
In his 2013 book, ‘ Party Time,’ he dedicated the annex to his childhood best friend: “Wild Man married and has only had three fights since his release from prison, none of which he started – all of which he won.” After his release from prison, Peter caught up with his best friend, Shaun, and maintained the friendship. They even appeared as guests on a podcast hosted by Helen Wood in 2018, where they reminisced about their earlier days and shared various anecdotes. In March 2020, during the earlier phase of COVID-19, Peter started exhibiting symptoms of the virus but was taken care of by Shaun, who issued an urgent appeal to get him medical attention. Unfortunately, just a few months after that, in November 2020, it was reported that 49-year-old Peter “Wildman” John Mahoney passed away.
Read More: Shaun “English Shaun” Attwood: Where is the Former Ecstasy Dealer Now?
