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Irish Mob

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The Irish Mob, or Irish Mafia, is one of the oldest organized crime groups in the United States, in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish American street gangs, as immortalized by author Herbert Asbury's 1926 book The Gangs of New York, the Irish Mob has appeared in most major American cities, including Boston (see The Charlestown Mob and The Winter Hill Gang), New York City (see The Westies), New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Providence, Kansas City, St. Louis, Atlantic City, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Chicago. In Canada, the West End Gang of Montreal is a force in the city's underworld.

Internationally, Irish, English and Scottish cities including London, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Glasgow have all had a history of Irish gang activities.

Specifically in Australia, Melbourne has a long history of Irish organized crime stemming from the poor Irish Catholic working classes. Many Melbourne trade unions have been infiltrated or brought under the mob's control. Originating from waterfront workers in the Melbourne docklands after World War II, they controlled a large part of the drug trade until the old Painters and Dockers Union was disbanded in 1984. Since the late 1990s, the Moran family is one of the more powerful Irish crime families in Melbourne and allegedly played a significant role in the 1998-2006 Melbourne gangland killings.

Contents

  • 1 Boston
    • 1.1 Prohibition
    • 1.2 The Winter Hill Gang
    • 1.3 Irish Mob Wars
    • 1.4 Recent years
  • 2 New York
    • 2.1 Pre-prohibition
    • 2.2 Prohibition in New York
    • 2.3 The post-war years and the Westies
  • 3 Philadelphia
    • 3.1 Post-WWII
    • 3.2 Recent years
  • 4 Chicago
    • 4.1 Prohibition
  • 5 Other cities
  • 6 Irish mob in popular culture
    • 6.1 Films
    • 6.2 Television
    • 6.3 Books
  • 7 Further reading
  • 8 See also
  • 9 External links

Boston

Prohibition

Boston has a well-chronicled history of Irish mafia activity, particularly in the heavily Irish-American neighborhoods like Somerville, Charlestown, and South Boston ("Southie") where the earliest Irish gangsters arose during Prohibition. Frank Wallace of the Gustin Gang dominated Boston's underworld until his death in 1931, when he was ambushed by Italian gangsters in the North End (the death of Jewish bootlegger Charles "King" Solomon in 1933 would ensure control of Boston's underworld by North End mobster Philip Bruccola until 1954). Numerous gang wars between rival Irish gangs during the early and mid 20th century would contribute to the gradual domination of New England by Italian mobsters by the end of the 1960s, following the end of the Winter Hill-Charlestown Mob wars.

The Winter Hill Gang

The Winter Hill Gang, a loose confederation of Boston-area organized crime figures, was one of the most successful organized crime groups in American history which controlled the Boston underworld from the early sixties until the mid ninties. It derives its name from the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, north of Boston and was founded by first boss James "Buddy" McLean.

While Winter Hill Gang members were alleged to have been involved with most typical organized crime related activities, they are perhaps best known for fixing horse races in the northeastern United States. Twenty-one members and associates, including Bulger's predecessor Howie Winter, were indicted by federal prosecutors in 1979.

The gang was then taken over by James J. "Whitey" Bulger and hitman Stephen J. "The Rifleman" Flemmi.

The Winter Hill Gang also played a central role in the Boston Irish Mob Wars of the 1960s between Winter Hill leader James McLean and Bernard McLaughlin's Charlestown Mob.

Irish Mob Wars

The Irish Mob War was a conflict in the 1960s between the two dominant New England Irish-American organized crime gangs in Massachusetts: the Charlestown Mob in Boston, led by brothers Bernard and Edward "Punchy" McLaughlin, and the Winter Hill Gang of Somerville (just north of Boston) headed by James "Buddy" McLean. The war resulted in the eradication of the Charlestown Mob with all its leaders having been either killed or put in prison and the death of Buddy McLean, who was succeeded by his right hand man, Howie Winter. The remnants of the Charlestown Mob were then absorbed into the Winter Hill Gang, who were then able to become the dominant Irish Mob in the New England area.

Recent years

During the 1970s and 80s, the FBI's Boston office was largely infiltrated through corrupt federal agent John J. Connolly, by which Whitey Bulger was able to use his status as a government informant against his rivals (the extent of which would not be revealed until the mid to late 1990s). This was the basis for the book Black Mass.

New York

Pre-prohibition

During the "Gangs of New York" era, countless Irish-American street gangs such as the Forty Thieves, Dead Rabbits and the Whyos dominated New York's underworld for well over a century before facing competition from others, primarily recently arriving Italian and Jewish gangs during the 1880s and 90s. Although gang leaders such as Monk Eastman of the Eastmans and Paul Kelly of the Five Points Gang would rise to prominence during the early 1900s, others such as the Hudson Dusters and the Gopher Gang would remain formidable rivals during the period.

However, with the emergence of Italian criminal organizations such as the Morello crime family and the Black Hand gangs encroaching on the long Irish-held New York waterfront, the various Irish gangs which had plagued the area for decades united to form the White Hand Gang during the early-1900s. Although initially successful in keeping their Italian rivals at bay, its unstable leadership and infighting would prove the gangs downfall as the murders of Dinny Meehan, "Wild" Bill Lovett and Richard "Peg Leg" Lonergan would cause the White Hand to disappear by the mid-1920s as the waterfront was taken over by mobsters Vincent Mangano, Albert Anastasia, and Joe Adonis.

Prohibition in New York

During the early years of Prohibition, "Big" Bill Dwyer emerged among many in New York's underworld as a leading bootlegger. However, following his arrest and trial for violation of the Volestead Act during 1925 and 1926, Dwyer's former partners were split between Owney "The Killer" Madden, a former leader of the Gopher Gang, and Frank Costello (born Francesco Castigglia) against Jack "Legs" Diamond, "Little" Augie Pisano, Vannie Higgins and renegade mobster Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll.

The post-war years and the Westies

The Westies is the name of an organized crime gang hailing from the West Side of Manhattan, New York City, in particular from around the Hell's Kitchen area. They were predominantly Irish American.

The most prominent members have included Edward O'Neill, James Coonan, and Mickey Featherstone. During the late 1970s they forged a loose alliance with the Gambino crime family, the Mafia faction then led by Paul Castellano. Coonan was also associated with Roy DeMeo, and DeMeo is thought to have murdered the previous Westie boss Mickey Spillane (no relation to the author of the same name) in order to let Coonan become the leader.

Coonan was imprisoned in 1986 under the RICO act, along with multiple charges of murder. Coonan had let his wife, Edna, become involved in his affairs, and she too was imprisoned. Coonan was alleged to have been linked to John Gotti.

Mickey Featherstone became an informant after his arrest in the early 1980s.

Little is known about Edward O'Neill except for the fact that he seemed to be an unofficial leader of sorts who could have information about him disappear without a trace. To this day it is unknown where the O'Neill family has spread.

The Irish-American gangster Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll is sometimes named as an early member of the Westies, although the solitary nature of his actions often leaves him outside any specific gang.

Philadelphia

Post-WWII

In the years following World War II, the Northeast Philly Mob, also known as The K&A Gang, was the dominant Irish gang in the city's underworld. A multi-generational organized crime group made up of predominantly Irish and Irish American gangsters, the Philly Mob origininated from a youth street gang based around the intersections of Kensington and Allegheny, which grew in power as local hoods and blue collar Irish Americans seeking extra income joined its ranks. In time, the group expanded and grew more organized, establishing lucrative markets in gambling, loan sharking, and burglary.

During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, they were one of the most organized and successful burglary rings in the country.[1] Originally limiting themselves to mansions in luxurious Philadelphia suburbs, they eventually expanded operations as far north as Maine and as far south as Florida.[2] They were allegedly responsible for the Pottsville Heist, a large safe robbery in which approximately half a million dollars was stolen. They were linked to many Irish-American unions, most notably the Roofers Union.

The group shifted gears in the 1980s and expanded into neighborhoods beyond Kensington. It was during this time that Italian Mafioso Ray Matorano, and over 36 others were indicted for their alleged involvement in a large methamphetamine ring.

Recent years

The group continued into the 1990s without much publicity. It's alleged they were involved in hits and attempted hits of certain Italian Mafia figures.

In the 2000s, the group has remained very much under the radar and some speculate reduced their activities immensely. In 2002 Ray Matorano, upon his release from prison, forged a plan to take over the Philadelphia Mafia. To this end, he requested backing from the Five New York Families and enlisted the help of various biker gangs, including the Pagans and Warlocks. It was also alleged he had hired a couple dozen hitmen from the Northeast Philly Mob for the forthcoming mob war. When Ray Matorano was shot and killed on the way to his doctor's office, the war had ended before it got off the ground.[3]

The group is known to have links to the Italian Mafia, the Irish Republican Army, Biker gangs, the Roofers Union, the Polish Mob, The Jewish Mob and various independent drug and hijacking gangs of various European ethnicities.

Prominent former and current members include:

Chicago

Prohibition

The successors of Michael Cassius McDonald's criminal empire of the previous century, the Irish-American criminal organizations in Chicago were at their peak during Prohibition, specializing in bootlegging and highjacking. However, they would soon be rivaled by Jewish and Italian mobsters, particularly Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit.

The organizations existing before Prohibition included the North Side Gang, which included Dean O'Banion, Bugs Moran, and Louis Alterie, the Southside O'Donnell Brothers, the Westside O'Donnell's, Ragen's Colts, the Valley Gang, Roger Touhy, Frank McErlane and Jim O'Leary; all were in competition with Capone for control of the bootlegging market.

Other cities

Irish mob in popular culture

Films

Early Irish mob films, referred to as "The Mob", first appeared during the early "gangster" films of the 1930s and film noir of the 1940s identified by actors such as James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Frank McHugh, Ralph Bellamy, Spencer Tracy, Lynne Overman, Frank Morgan popularly known as the "Irish Mafia" (although Bellamy and Overman were not of Irish descent) as well as stars including Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson.

Television

  • Brotherhood (2006), Set in Providence, Rhode Island, this TV show revolves around the unlikely alliance between two Irish-American brothers. Michael Caffee, played by Jason Isaacs, is an aspiring mob boss and Tommy Cafee is one of the State's most powerful politicians. The show has modeled itself on the The Sopranos, with which it shares a similar moral grey area. It has developed a cult following, causing Showtime to renew it for another 10 episode season. Season 2 will debut in 2007.
  • The Black Donnellys (2007), an upcoming crime drama on NBC that follows four young Irish brothers in New York’s infamous Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and their involvement in organized crime.
  • Paddy Whacked: The Irish Mob (2006), a documentary stating the rise and fall of the Irish mafia; it includes the Irish mob's involvement with the death of JFK.

Books

  • All Souls, Author Michael Patrick MacDonald tell the story of his life in South Boston during the reign of Irish mobster Whitey Bulger.
  • Street Soldier, Edward "Eddie Mac" McKenzie tells the story of his violent past as an enforcer for the Boston Irish Mob.
  • The General, written by Joe Flemmi telling the story of the life of Ruaraidh 'The General' Fitzpatrick, Irish mob boss and of his rise to power within the group that became known as the Irish Mafia.
  • Black Mass, Story of the alliance between the Irish Winter-Hill Gang and the F.B.I.
  • Legends of Winter Hill (2005), About Somerville, Massachusetts Police officer Joe McCain and his life during the 1960s as a cop during the Irish Mob Wars.
  • The Brothers Bulger, Veteran Boston Herald reporter Howie Carr tells the story about the rise of power to the longtime Massachusetts senate president Billy Bulger and his brother Whitey who took over the Irish mob.
  • Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob, Kevin Weeks tells his story of the time he spent as a mob enforcer for Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger.
  • Rat Bastards by John "Red" Shea, The story of John "Red" Shea, the most honorable Irish Mobster from Southie. He was Whitey Bulger's Lieutenant in the Winter Hill Gang who controlled the drug trade for the gang until his arrest in 1992.
  • The Westies by T.J. English, The story of the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob that terrorized the Westside of Manhattan since the Prohibition era up until the fall of James "Jimmy C" Coonan
  • Paddywhacked:the untold story of the Irish American Gangster also by T.J. English follows the evolution of the American underworld, predominantly focusing on the Irish influence.

Further reading

  • Downey, Patrick. Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld, 1900-1935. Barricade Books, 2004. ISBN 1-56980-267-X
  • English, T.J. Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0-06-059002-5
  • Jacobs, James B., Coleen Friel and Robert Radick. Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime. New York: NYU Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8147-4247-5
  • Porrello, Rick. To Kill the Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia. Novelty, Ohio: Next Hat Press, 2004. ISBN 0-9662508-9-3

See also


Wikipedia information about Irish Mob
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