The Irish Mob (also known as the Irish mafia or Irish organized crime) is a collective of

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

syndicates composed of ethnic Irish members which operate primarily in Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia, and have been in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish-American

street gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

sfamously first depicted in

Herbert Asbury Herbert Asbury (September 1, 1891 – February 24, 1963) was an American journalist and writer best known for his books detailing crime during the 19th and early-20th centuries, such as ''Gem of the Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago U ...

's 1927 book, '' The Gangs of New York''the Irish Mob has appeared in most major U.S. and Canadian cities, especially in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

and the urban industrial

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

, including

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Organized crime also exists in Ireland, predominantly

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, but only became of any significance in recent decades. The groups are not related to the American Irish Mob and most often consist of families focusing on the drug trade.

United States

New York

Pre-prohibition

Irish-American street gangs, such as the

Dead Rabbits The Dead Rabbits was the name of an Irish American criminal street gang active in Lower Manhattan in the 1830s to 1850s. The Dead Rabbits were so named after a dead rabbit was thrown into the center of the room during a gang meeting, prompting s ...

(led by future Congressman

John Morrissey John Morrissey (February 12, 1831 – May 1, 1878), also known as Old Smoke, was an Irish American politician, bare-knuckle boxing champion, and criminal. He was born in 1831 in Ireland. His parents moved to New York State when he was a ...

) and

Whyos The Whyos or Whyos Gang, a collection of the various post-Civil War street gangs of New York City, was the city's dominant street gang during the mid-late 19th century. The gang controlled most of Manhattan from the late 1860s until the early 1 ...

, dominated New York's underworld for well over a century. Beginning in the 1880s and 1890s, however, they faced competition from gangs consisting of recently arrived Italians and Jews. The

Five Points Gang The Five Points Gang was a criminal street gang of primarily Irish-American origins, based in the Five Points of Lower Manhattan, New York City, during the late 19th and early 20th century. Paul Kelly, born Paolo Antonio Vaccarelli, was an It ...

(led by Paul Kelly) would rise to prominence during the early 1900s, strongly rivaled by the

Hudson Dusters The Hudson Dusters was a New York City street gang during the early twentieth century. Formation Formed in the late 1890s by "Circular Jack", "Kid Yorke", and "Goo Goo Knox", the gang began operating from an apartment house on Hudson Str ...

, the

Gopher Gang The Gopher Gang was an early 20th-century New York street gang who counted among its members Goo Goo Knox, James "Biff" Ellison, and Owney Madden, born in England of Irish ancestry. Based in the Irish neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, the Gopher G ...

, and others during the period. In the early 1900s, with Italian criminal organizations such as the

Morello crime family The Morello crime family () was one of the earliest crime families to be established in the United States and New York City. The Morellos were based in Manhattan's Italian Harlem and eventually gained dominance in the Italian underworld by defea ...

encroaching on the waterfront, various Irish gangs united to form the White Hand Gang. Although initially successful in keeping their

Black Hand Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to: Extortionists and underground groups * Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s * Black Hand ...

Italian rivals at bay, unstable leadership and infighting would lead to their eventual downfall. The murders of

Dinny Meehan Dennis L. Meehan (June 5, 1889 – March 31, 1920) was the leader of the White Hand Gang in the 1910s. Dinny Meehan was described by the police as "the most desperate gang leader in Brooklyn." Biography Born in Brooklyn, Meehan apparently joi ...

Bill Lovett William J. "Wild Bill" Lovett (July 15, 1894 – November 1, 1923) was an Irish American gangster in early 20th century New York. Beginnings Lovett was brought to New York City as a child and first fell in with the local Irish gangs around the ...

, and Richard Lonergan led to the gang's disappearance by 1925. The waterfront was then taken over by Italian mobsters Vincent Mangano, Albert Anastasia, and Joe Adonis. The Irish mob, however, reemerged in Coal Country and remained strong.

Prohibition

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

Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress, designed to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919), which established the prohibition of alcoholic d ...

during 1925 and 1926, Dwyer's former partners were split among Owney "The Killer" Madden, the English-born former leader of the Gopher Gang, and

Frank Costello Frank Costello (; born Francesco Castiglia; ; January 26, 1891 – February 18, 1973) was an Italian-American crime boss of the Luciano crime family. In 1957, Costello survived an assassination attempt ordered by Vito Genovese and carried out by ...

against Jack "Legs" Diamond, "Little" Augie Pisano, Charles "Vannie" Higgins and renegade mobster Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll.

The Westies

The Westies The Westies were a New York City-based Irish American organized crime gang, responsible for racketeering, drug trafficking, and contract killing. They were partnered with the Italian-American Mafia and operated out of the Hell's Kitchen nei ...

are an Irish American gang hailing from Hell's Kitchen on the West Side of Manhattan. The most prominent members have included

Eddie McGrath Edward J. McGrath (born January 31, 1906 – 1994) was an Irish-American crime boss from New York City, who controlled the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob and the lucrative waterfront throughout the 1940s. Criminal career Born to Irish immigrant pa ...

James Coonan James Michael Coonan (born December 21, 1946), nicknamed "Jimmy C", is an Irish-American mobster and racketeer from Manhattan, New York who, from approximately 1977 to 1988, served as the boss of the Westies gang, an Irish mob group based in Hell ...

Mickey Featherstone Francis T. "Mickey" Featherstone (born September 2, 1948) is a former Irish American mobster and member of the Westies, an organized crime syndicate from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan in New York City, led by James Coonan. Featherstone committed sev ...

James McElroy James "Jimmy Mac" McElroy (1945 - 2011) was an Irish American mobster and racketeer from Manhattan, New York who was an enforcer for The Westies, a criminal organization that operated out of Hell's Kitchen. Biography Jimmy McElroy was born ...

, and

Edward Cummiskey Edward "Eddie The Butcher" Cummiskey Jr. (1934 Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan to August 20, 1976 Chelsea, Manhattan) was a New York mobster who served as a mentor to Jimmy Coonan, leader of the Westies. Cummiskey is reputed to have shown Coonan how t ...

. In the Irish/Italian Mob War of the 1970s, the Irish mob saw an increased threat from the Italian Mafia as the

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American M ...

sought control over the soon-to-be-built

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, commonly known as the Javits Center, is a large convention center on Eleventh Avenue between 34th Street and 38th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by architect James ...

. Also around this time, a power struggle emerged between Mickey Spillane and James Coonan, a younger upstart from Hell's Kitchen. Since the convention center was located in Spillane's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Spillane refused to allow any involvement by the Italians. Although the Italian gangsters greatly outnumbered the members of the Irish mob, Spillane was successful in keeping control of the convention center and Hell's Kitchen. The Italians, frustrated and embarrassed by their defeat to Spillane, responded by hiring a rogue Irish-American hitman named Joseph "Mad Dog" Sullivan to assassinate

Tom Devaney Tom Devaney (died July 20, 1976) was a New York mobster and an enforcer to Mickey Spillane during the 1960s and 70s. As Spillane's chief lieutenant, Devaney played a leading role in the growing animosity between Spillane and the Genovese crime f ...

, Eddie "the Butcher" Cummiskey, and Tom "the Greek" Kapatos, three of Spillane's top lieutenants. In 1977 Spillane was murdered in a hail of bullets by assassins from the Genovese crime family. This prompted Coonan to form an alliance with

Roy DeMeo Roy Albert DeMeo (; September 7, 1940 – January 10, 1983) was an Italian-American mobster in the Gambino crime family of New York City. He headed a group referred to as the "DeMeo crew", which became notorious for the large number of murders ...

of the

Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Ame ...

. The Genoveses decided that the Westies were too violent and well-led to go to war with and mediated a truce via the Gambinos. Coonan was imprisoned in 1986 under the RICO act. Featherstone became an informant after his arrest in the early 1980s.

Boston

Prohibition

Boston has a well-chronicled history of Irish mob activity, particularly in the heavily Irish-American cities and neighborhoods like

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

, Charlestown, South Boston ("Southie"), Dorchester and Roxbury where the earliest Irish gangsters arose during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

. Frank Wallace of the

Gustin Gang The Gustin Gang was one of the earliest Irish-American gangs to emerge during the Prohibition era and dominate Boston's underworld during the 1920s. The name "Gustin Gang" came from a street in South Boston ("Southie"), which was off of Old Colon ...

dominated Boston's underworld until his death in 1931, when he was ambushed by Italian gangsters in the North End. Numerous gang wars between rival Irish gangs during the early and mid 20th century would contribute to their decline.

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. It controlled the Boston underworld from the early 1960s until the mid-1990s. It derives its name from the Winter Hill neighborhood of

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

, north of Boston, and was founded by first boss

James "Buddy" McLean James Joseph McLean (January 26, 1930 – October 31, 1965) was an American mobster boss, who was the original boss of the Somerville, Massachusetts-based Winter Hill Gang during the 1960s. McLean was well known throughout the Greater Boston ar ...

. 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 Howie Winter, Joe McDonald,

Johnny Martorano John James Vincent Martorano (born December 13, 1940; also known as "Vincent Joseph Rancourt", "Richard Aucoin", "Nick", "The Cook", "The Executioner", "The Basin Street Butcher") is an American former gangster and former hitman for the Winter Hi ...

, and Sal Sperlinga were indicted by federal prosecutors in 1979. The gang was then taken over by James J. "Whitey" Bulger and hitman

Stephen Flemmi Stephen Joseph Flemmi (born June 9, 1934) is an American gangster and convicted murderer and was a close associate of Winter Hill Gang boss Whitey Bulger. Beginning in 1975, Flemmi was a top echelon informant for the Federal Bureau of Investiga ...

and was headquartered in South Boston. During the 1980s, Bulger's criminal associates were

Kevin Weeks Kevin Weeks (born March 21, 1956) is an American former mobster and longtime friend and mob lieutenant to Whitey Bulger, the infamous boss of the Winter Hill Gang, a crime family based in the Winter Hill neighborhood in Somerville, Massachuset ...

, Patrick Nee, and Billy Shea. The present Winter Hill Gang operates in secrecy and often avoids drawing public attention and scrutiny. With the activation of RICO law, the Winter Hill Gang's ranks were quickly thinned with federal indictments against key players like George Hogan and Scott "Smiley" McDermott. The Winter Hill Gang quickly disbanded in the late 90s to early 2000s after many of the federal indictments failed to stick due to a lack of evidence and cooperating witnesses, making room for younger predecessors like Tommy "Two Guns" Attardo, Seán "Irish Car Bomb" McKenna, and Mickey "Mean Machine" Murphy to join the ranks. Irish-American organized crime outfits such as the "Irish Kings" who were active from 2013 to 2016 and others who are still presently active form the backbone of organized crime in South Boston and the greater Boston area.

Irish Mob War

The Irish Mob War is the name given to conflicts throughout the 1960s between the two dominant Irish-American organized crime gangs in Massachusetts: the

Charlestown Mob The Charlestown Mob was an Irish mob group in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, which figured prominently in the history of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston for much of the 20th century. The gang was headed by the McLaughlin brothers (Bernard " ...

, led by brothers Bernard and Edward "Punchy" McLaughlin, and the Winter Hill Gang of

(just north of Boston) headed by

and his associates, Howie Winter and Joe McDonald. It is widely believed that the war began when George McLaughlin tried to pick up the girlfriend of Winter Hill associate Alex "Bobo" Petricone, also known as actor

Alex Rocco Alex Rocco (born Alessandro Federico Petricone Jr.; February 29, 1936 – July 18, 2015) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive, gravelly voice, he was often cast as villains, including Moe Greene in ''The Godfather'' (1972) and his Pr ...

. McLaughlin was then beaten and hospitalized by two other Winter Hill members. Afterward, Bernie McLaughlin went to Buddy McLean for an explanation. When McLean refused to give up his associates, Bernie swore revenge but was soon killed by McLean in Charlestown City Square. The war resulted in the eradication of the Charlestown Mob with its leaders, Bernie and Edward McLaughlin, and Stevie and Connie Hughes all having been killed. George McLaughlin, the one who started the war, was the only one who survived by being sent to prison. McLean was also killed, by Charlestown's Hughes brothers, and leadership of The Winter Hill Gang was taken by his right-hand man, Howie Winter and mentor, Joe McDonald. The remnants of the Charlestown Mob were then absorbed into the Winter Hill Gang, who were then able to become the dominant non- Mafia gang in the New England area. In the early 1970s, another mob war was taking place in South Boston between two other Irish-American gangs: the

Killeen Gang The Killeen Gang was an Irish-American Boston-based crime organization started by Donnie Killeen. At one time, the gang was led by Whitey Bulger. Along with Bulger, Billy O'Sullivan was a notable associate. The Killeen Gang eventually combined ...

, which controlled bookmaking and loansharking, and the

Mullen Gang The Mullen Gang was an Irish-American gang operating in Boston. Gang members Paulie McGonagle (died November 1974) was a Boston mobster and onetime leader of the Mullen Gang, a South Boston street gang involved in burglary, auto theft, and a ...

, which was made up of thieves. In 1971, Killeen enforcer

Billy O'Sullivan Billy O'Sullivan (born 22 September 1968) is an Republic of Ireland, Irish sportsman. He played hurling with his local club Ballygunner GAA, Ballygunner and with the Waterford GAA, Waterford senior inter-county team. Early life Billy O'Sul ...

was shot and killed outside his house. The following year, Donald Killeen was murdered and the remaining members of both organizations were absorbed into the Winter Hill Gang. One of Killeen's key associates was

Whitey Bulger James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. (; September 3, 1929 – October 30, 2018) was an American organized crime boss who led the Winter Hill Gang in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, a city directly northwest of Bost ...

. In 1973, Bulger was appointed by Howie Winter to operate the South Boston rackets. Throughout the remainder of 1970s, Bulger used his influence to have rival mobsters murdered. Among his victims were Spike O'Toole,

Paul McGonagle Paul McGonagle Sr. (January 21, 1939 – November 1974) was an Irish-American mobster and leader of the Mullen Gang, a South Boston street crew involved in burglary and armed robbery. Early life Paul ("Paulie") McGonagle was the oldest of sev ...

, Eddie Connors and Tommy King.

FBI corruption

During the 1970s and 1980s, 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). The scandal was the basis for the non-fiction book ''Black Mass'' and its 2015 dramatic film adaptation, and it was partially the inspiration for the film ''

The Departed ''The Departed'' is a 2006 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter ...

''.

California

Family Affiliated Irish Mafia

The Family Affiliated Irish Mafia (FAIM) was formed in the mid 1990s in the county of Contra Costa the founder was former Aryan Brotherhood association Coby Philips. The FAIM was originally an enforcement Gang for the Aryan Brotherhood but soon expanded to include its own operations, typically drug trafficking and dealing. After Coby Philips was arrested for murdering Aryan Brotherhood associate Darryl Grockett he denounced White supremacy and Neo-Nazism. Although FAIM hasn't been as active as they were in the 1990s and 2000s they have still been a present threat in the East Bay Area. Recently a member of FAIM was killed in a shootout with police in Martinez.

Philadelphia

Pre-prohibition

The prominent Irish street gang pre-twentieth-century were the Schuylkill Rangers headed by Jimmy Haggerty, whose boyhood home was located on Arch Street in the area between Eighteenth and Nineteenth Street known as "McAran's Garden". After numerous arrests for theft and similar offenses, Haggerty and Schuylkill Ranger Hugh Murphy were convicted of the robbery of a Ninth Street store and sentenced to ten years imprisonment on December 12, 1865. He was pardoned by Governor

Andrew G. Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the cr ...

eight months later, in part due to Haggerty's political connections and his promise to leave the country upon his release, and lived in Canada for a brief time before returning to the city to resume his criminal career. Haggerty remained a major underworld figure in Philadelphia until January 1869 when he was arrested on several counts of assault with intent to kill; during his arrest, he shot the arresting police officer. He was caught trying to escape from prison but was later released on bail and fled the city. Staying in New York City for a brief time, he returned to Philadelphia in April to surrender himself to authorities after the wounded police officer had received "

hush money Hush money is a term for an arrangement in which one person or party offers another an attractive sum of money or other enticement, in exchange for remaining silent about some illegal, stigmatized, or shameful behavior, action, or other fact abou ...

". He won both court cases against him but was ordered at the second trial to return to the Eastern State Penitentiary by the District Attorney for violating the terms of his release. While his lawyers argued the ruling, Haggerty disappeared from the courthouse during a recess in what was suspected to have been a planned escape.

Prohibition

Daniel "Danny" O'Leary fought with Maxie Hoff over control of

's bootlegging throughout Prohibition. Jack "Legs" Diamond was a prominent mobster in both Philadelphia and New York City.

Post-World War II and the K&A Gang

In the years following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the K&A Gang was the dominant Irish gang in the city's underworld. A multi-generational organised crime group made up of predominantly Irish and Irish American gangsters, the gang originated 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 organised, establishing lucrative markets in gambling, loan sharking, and burglary. The gang moved into the

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

trade in the late 1980s and expanded into the Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods. John Berkery, a member of the K&A burglary crew, became leader of the gang and was influential in expanding the drug trade. In 1987, Scarfo crime family soldier Raymond Martorano, Berkery, and dozens of others, were indicted for their involvement in a large methamphetamine ring.

Chicago

Prohibition

The successors of

Michael Cassius McDonald Michael Cassius McDonald (1839 – August 9, 1907) was a crime boss, political boss, and businessman based out of Chicago. He is considered to have introduced organized crime to the city, and to have also established its first political machine ...

's criminal empire of the previous century, the Irish-American criminal organizations in Chicago were at their peak during

, specializing in bootlegging and highjacking. However, they would soon be rivaled by Italian mobsters, particularly

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

and the Chicago Outfit. The organizations existing before Prohibition – including the North Side Gang, which included Dion O'Banion, Bugs Moran, Hymie Weiss, and

Louis Alterie Louis "Two Gun" Alterie (August 2, 1886 – July 18, 1935), born Leland A. Varain, and aka "Diamond Jack Alterie", was a Californian who became a notorious hitman for the Chicago North Side Gang during the early years of Prohibition. Early years ...

; the Southside O'Donnell Brothers, with the McKenna Crime family; the Westside O'Donnell's (led by Myles O'Donnell);

Ragen's Colts Ragen's Colts was a chiefly Irish street gang which dominated the Chicago underworld during the early twentieth century. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, the gang became part of the Chicago Outfit under Al Capone. Originally established as a ...

; the Valley Gang;

Roger Touhy Roger Touhy (September 18, 1898 – December 16, 1959) was an Irish American mob boss and prohibition-era bootlegger from Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. He is best remembered for having been framed for the 1933 faked kidnapping of gan ...

;

Frank McErlane Frank McErlane (1894–1932) was a Prohibition-era Irish American gangster. He led the Saltis-McErlane Gang, allied with the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone Gang, against rival bootleggers, the Southside O'Donnell Brothers. He is credited with introducin ...

;

James Patrick O'Leary James Patrick O'Leary (1869 – January 22, 1925) was a gambling boss and saloon owner in Chicago. His parents were Patrick and Irish-born Catherine O'Leary, in whose barn the Great Chicago Fire is alleged to have begun. Biography O'Leary was ...

; and

Terry Druggan The Valley Gang was an Irish-American street gang in Chicago, Illinois during the early 20th century, which ultimately made the transition to organized crime and became a de facto extension of the Chicago Outfit under Al Capone. Formed in the 18 ...

– most of them were in competition with Capone for control of the bootlegging market.

Cleveland

Pre-Prohibition

The Irishtown Bend (also known as the Angle), Haymarket (was located at the site of the

Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex 200px, Logo for the Gateway Sports Complex The Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex is an entertainment complex located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1994 and is owned by the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County and is managed ...

), Ohio City,

Detroit Shoreway Detroit ( , ; , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the Canada–United States border, United States–Canada border, and the County seat, seat of gov ...

, and Whiskey Island neighborhoods produced prominent pre-prohibition gangs included the McCart Street Gang and the Cheyenne Gang. The Blinky Morgan Gang became notorious after a robbery led to the murder of Detective William Hulligan. The crime was extensively covered, in newspapers, and a reward of $16,000 was offered. Most of the gang was caught, in Michigan, after being infiltrated by undercover police. Publisher Daniel R. Hanna Sr. hired Chicago gangsters James Ragen and

Arthur B. McBride Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride (March 20, 1888 – November 10, 1972) was the founder of the Cleveland Browns professional American football team in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League. During McBride's tenure as owner ...

as heavies during the Cleveland circulation wars between the Cleveland Leader and

Cleveland News The ''Cleveland News'' was a daily and Sunday American newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. It was published from 1905 until 1960 when it was absorbed by the rival paper ''The Cleveland Press''. History The ''Cleveland News'' traces its antecedents to 1 ...

verses

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

Prohibition and the Cleveland Syndicate

Thomas Joseph McGinty known as Blackjack McGinty, was a former professional featherweight boxer, one of the city's largest bootleggers, and operated gambling establishments on West 25th Street as well as the Mounds Club in Lake County. The Mounds Club was repeatedly raided by law enforcement, including Safety Director

Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago. He was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables. H ...

, and was eventually shut down in 1950. McGinty was a member of the Cleveland Syndicate, which was also composed of Jewish gangsters

Moe Dalitz Morris Barney Dalitz (December 25, 1899 – August 31, 1989) was an American gangster, businessman, casino owner, and philanthropist. He was one of the major figures who shaped Las Vegas in the 20th century. He was often referred to as "Mr. Las V ...

Louis Rothkopf Louis Rothkopf, also known as Louis Rhody, Lou Rody or John Zarumba (October 11, 1902 – July 17, 1956), was an American businessman and career criminal. He was a bootlegger in Cleveland, Ohio, during Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a ...

, Maurice Kleinman, Sam Tucker, and Charles Polizzi the adopted brother of

Alfred Polizzi Alfred Polizzi (born Alfonso Polizzi; ; March 15, 1900 – May 26, 1975) was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who was boss of the Cleveland crime family in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1935 to 1945. He stabilized the Cleveland crime family after ...

, head of the Italian

Mayfield Road Mob The Cleveland crime family or Cleveland Mafia is the collective name given to a succession of Italian-American organized crime gangs based in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. A part of the Italian-American Mafia (or ''Cosa Nostra'') phenom ...

. It operated casinos in Youngstown, Northern Kentucky and Florida. John and Martin O'Boyle were also part of the Irish faction of the Syndicate. The Syndicate had significant operations, in Newport, Kentucky and Northern Kentucky, which had eighteen casinos or gambling halls, including the original Flamingo, and

Tropicana Tropicana may refer to: Companies *Tropicana Entertainment, a former casino company that owned several Tropicana-branded casinos *Tropicana Products, a Chicago-based food company known for orange juice Hotels and nightclubs *Tropicana Casino & Re ...

. A notable casino was The Beverly Hills Club, which had high-profile entertainment acts such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole. These establishments were the precursors to the casinos built in Las Vegas. The Syndicate's reign, in Northern Kentucky, came to an end following a botched attempt to discredit George Ratterman, a reform minded candidate for sheriff and a federal crack down during the Kennedy Administration. McGinty and other members of the Syndicate were founders of the

Desert Inn The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was the ...

in Las Vegas. He was also involved in Meyer Lansky's

Hotel Nacional de Cuba The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a historic Spanish eclectic style hotel in Havana, Cuba, opened in 1930. Located on the sea front of Vedado district, it stands on Taganana Hill, offering commanding views of the sea and the city. History Design ...

in Havana, Cuba. McGinty held an interest in numerous race tracks, including Maple Heights, Fair Grounds Race Course, Thistledown Racecourse, Fairmount Park Racetrack,

Aurora Downs History Aurora Downs was a horse racing facility in Aurora, Illinois, that hosted thoroughbred racing and harness racing events as early as 1891. The Downs was originally a half-mile track named Aurora Driving Park, located north of Illinois Avenu ...

, and the Agua Caliente Racetrack. In the 1930s, James "Shimmy" Patton and Daniel T. Gallagher operated a large movable casino known as the Harvard Club at several locations on Harvard Ave. It could accommodated 500–1,000 people and was one of the largest casinos between New York and Chicago. It defied numerous raids until it was finally shut down by Frank Lausche in 1941 "Handsome" Larry Davidson a former prohibition agent, and Dan F. Coughlin operated a rum-running organization on Lake Erie from Cleveland. The ring imported liquor from Canada to

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...

and Toledo and then distributed the alcohol to the Chicago area. The gang also had an overland route from Florida to transport booze. A member of the ring, Ollie Zess, bribed Coast Guardsmen to accomplish the bootlegging. In the late 1930s,

launched a wire service that supplied bookmakers with the results of horse races. He also invested in the Continental Press and Empire News, both based in Cleveland and run by mobsters Morris "Mushy" Wexler and Sam "Gameboy" Miller. James Ragen, another friend and associate in the wire business, was murdered in 1946 in a Chicago gangland feud. A federal grand jury in 1940 indicted 18 people, including McBride and Wexler, over the supply of information used in gambling. The allegations were based on federal laws that forbade interstate transmission of lottery results; prosecutors treated the race results as lottery lists. He was never arrested or tried over his role in the business. McBride went on to found the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

Post World War II

In the 1960s and 70s, the Kilbane Brothers, Martin, and Owen Kilbane operated prostitution, gambling, and loan sharking rackets on Cleveland's east side. The Kilbane Brothers were convicted of murder for hire of Marlene Steele by her husband Euclid Municipal Judge Robert Steele. The Kilbane Brothers were also convicted of killing Andrew Prunella, a rival pimp and gangster.

Danny Greene

Danny Greene Daniel John Patrick Greene (November 14, 1933 – October 6, 1977) was an Irish-American organized crime figure based in Cleveland, Ohio. Greene gained power first in the local chapter of the International Longshoremen's Association, where h ...

, was the former president of the Longshoreman Local 1317, who was ousted for corruption. He then became an enforcer for mobster Alex "Shondor" Birns. Also,

underboss, Frank "Little Frank" Brancato employed Greene as muscle for the city's garbage rackets. Greene got into a dispute with a garbage hauler "Big Mike" Frato. Greene caused his car to be blown up. Following this Frato attacked Greene in a park and fired three shots, which missed. Greene shot and killed Frato during the attack. Greene formed a crew known as "The Celtic Club." He moved into the vending machine racket, which was controlled by Thomas "The Chinaman" Sinto. His relationship with Alex "Shondor" Birns also soured after a dispute concerning a loan. Birns and Greene put contracts on each other. Birns was murdered by a car bomb, which was planted by a Hell's Angel member who was hired by a Greene associate.

John Scalish John T. Scalish (September 18, 1912 – May 26, 1976), also known as "John Scalise", was an Ohio mobster who became the boss of the Cleveland crime family. His death resulted in the ascension of James T. Licavoli to the head of the Cleveland Mob a ...

the head of the

died, leaving a power vacuum.

James Licavoli James T. Licavoli (born Vincentio Licavoli; August 18, 1904 − November 23, 1985), also known as "Jack White" or "Blackie", was an American mobster based in Cleveland, Ohio, and one of the earliest organized crime figures to be convicted under t ...

and

John Nardi John Nardi (January 21, 1916 − May 17, 1977) was an influential associate of the Cleveland crime family who was involved in labor racketeering in Cleveland, Ohio. At the end of his criminal career, Nardi turned against his crime family in a blo ...

both attempted to take control. Open warfare broke out between the Licavoli and Nardi factions. Greene backed

's claim. The Licavoli faction had difficulty killing Greene and hired Ray Ferritto, a Buffalo gangster, to kill Greene. The war was costly.

Consigliere Leo "Lips" Moceri was murdered.

was killed exiting the Teamsters Joint Council 41 office by a car bomb.

was murdered coming out of his dentist's office by a car bomb. During the war, 37 car bombs were used and Cleveland went by the moniker "Bomb City, USA." Throughout Greene's criminal activities he was a top-echelon informant for the FBI. Ray Ferritto was arrested for the killing and flipped on the

and other gangsters. This led to numerous arrests. During the investigation,

Jimmy Fratianno Aladena James Fratianno (born Aladena Fratianno; November 14, 1913 – June 29, 1993), also known as "Jimmy the Weasel", was an Italian-born American mobster who was acting boss of the Los Angeles crime family. After his arrest in 1977, Fratianno ...

, the boss of the Los Angeles crime family become a government informant. This was the first time a mafia boss became a cooperative government witness. Greene's story became the subject of the film

Kill the Irishman ''Kill the Irishman'' is a 2011 American Biopic, biographical Crime film, crime film directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, and starring Ray Stevenson (actor), Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, and Val Kilmer. Written by Hensleigh ...

. Members of Greene's crew, Kevin McTaggart, Keith Ritson, Frederick (Fritz) Graewe, and Hartmut (Hans the Surgeon) Graewe went on to work in a drug ring with

Thomas Sinito Thomas James Sinito, also known as "The Chinaman" (September 18, 1938 − December 21, 1997), was a powerful Caporegime in the Cleveland crime family who was once accused of plotting the assassination of then mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Dennis J. ...

. The drug ring was a major distributor of marijuana and cocaine. The ring was responsible for 19 murders. Ritson was murdered while in the ring, McTaggart was sentenced to life and the Graewe Brothers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

Detroit

The Joseph "Legs" Laman gang specialized in the "snatch racket," which involved kidnapping wealthy bootleggers and gamblers. Many kidnappings attributed to

the Purple Gang The Purple Gang, also known as the Sugar House Gang, was a criminal mob of bootleggers and hijackers comprised predominantly of Jewish gangsters. They operated in Detroit, Michigan, during the 1920s of the Prohibition era and came to be Detr ...

were committed by the Laman gang. The gang ran into trouble when it began kidnapping legitimate business people. During a ransom pickup of David Cass, a wealthy real estate dealer, the police arrived and Laman was shot and taken into custody. After Laman was arrested his associates executed Cass. Laman turned state's witness and the gang was broken up. Laman was sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison.

Hot Springs

Owney Madden was a former bootlegger, who controlled the Hell's Kitchen rackets and owned several night clubs including the Cotton Club. Madden relocated to Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1935. Upon arriving he operated the Hotel Arkansas casino and a wire service. During Madden's time

Hot Springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

became a gambling hot spot with had ten large casinos, numerous smaller gambling dens, and off-track betting parlors.

Milwaukee

Minneapolis

Tommy Banks operated an organization known as the Minneapolis Syndicate that engaged in bootlegging.

Kid Cann Isadore Blumenfeld (September 8, 1900 – June 21, 1981), commonly known as Kid Cann, was a Romanian Jewish-American organized crime enforcer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for over four decades. He remains the most notorious mobster in the ...

and his two brothers led a

Jewish-American organized crime Jewish-American organized crime initially emerged within the American Jewish community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been referred to variously in media and popular culture as the Jewish Mob, Jewish Mafia, Kosher Mob, K ...

family known as the Minneapolis Combination and as "The AZ Syndicate". Banks and Cann divided Minneapolis into territories with a handshake and worked side by side both during and after prohibition. Another powerful Irish-American gangster based in Minneapolis was Edward G. Morgan, alias "Big Ed", whom Paul Maccabee has described as, "a slot machine king and muckraking journalist for the ''Twin City Reporter'' scandal sheet", who operated in a close alliance with St. Paul-based Irish mob boss

Danny Hogan "Dapper" Danny Hogan (c. 1880 - December 4, 1928) was an Irish-American organized crime figure, political fixer, and the boss of Saint Paul, Minnesota's Irish Mob both before and during Prohibition. Following Hogan's 1928 murder by car bomb, his ...

New Orleans

An early prohibition gang, the Terminal Gang, consisted of many from the Irish Channel neighborhood, including Frankie Mullen, Harold “The Parole King” Normandale, and Fred Kelly. The gang was closely aligned with Democratic Mayor Martin Behrem and was named for the

Terminal Station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...

where many acted as livery drivers. The gang would rob fares as well as engaging in gambling, alcohol, and narcotics rings. The gang was decimated after the defeat of Mayor Martin Behrem. William Bailey and business partner Manuel Acosta operated a bootleg and hijack gang during prohibition. In 1930, Bailey was murdered on the orders of

New Orleans crime family The New Orleans crime family or New Orlean Mafia was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in the city of New Orleans. The family had a history of criminal activity dating back to the late nineteenth century. The family reached its height ...

acting boss

Silvestro Carollo Silvestro Carollo (, ; June 17, 1896 – June 26, 1970), nicknamed "Silver Dollar Sam", was an Italian-American mob boss, boss of the New Orleans crime family. He transformed the New Orleans's Black Hand gang into a Cosa Nostra crime family, and a ...

. New Orleans Police believed the killing was in retaliation for a liquor hijacking. Unlike, other Irish mobsters the new leader has asscioates across various ethnic organizations. Gaining the respect of both the Italians and African American groups. Today, it's believed to be run by Danny "Pretty Boy" Nickens, who's kept a low key profile, up until his retirement from the military.

Oklahoma City

An Irish prison gang established itself as an alternative to the Aryan Brotherhood. The gang expanded from dealing drugs in prison to drug trafficking in Oklahoma, Kansas, and California. In 2015 they were involved in a deadly prison riot where four people died including two members of the Irish Mob, all charges where dismissed against everyone involved. There war with the Aryan Brotherhood would not end there in 2018 3 members of the Irish Mob would be arrested for intimidation witnesses in the deadly gang shootout between AB members and Irish Mob members near a motel in Oklahoma. In 2022 the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

would claim to have effectively dismantled the Oklahoma Irish Mob after a five year long investigation that resulted in 125 arrests. Of those arrested was David Postelle brother of then recently executed inmate Gilbert Postelle. Both brothers where arrested and imprisoned for a Quadruple murder they committed in 2005

Omaha

Racketeer and political boss Tom Dennison controlled prostitution, gambling and bootlegging, in the 1920s

Rock Island

John Patrick Looney John Patrick Looney (1865–1942) was an Irish-American political fixer and Irish mob boss based in Rock Island, Illinois during the early 20th century. At the height of his power, Looney controlled most of the illegal gambling, prostituti ...

controlled gambling, prostitution, illegal liquor, extortion, and protection rackets in Rock Island. He studied law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1889. He was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He operated a newspaper, which was used to blackmail opponents. He controlled approximately 150 gambling dens. The Looney gang entered into a war with William Gabel's gang. During the war, William Gabel and John Patrick Looney's son, Connor Looney, were murdered. Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and served 8½ years. Looney died in 1942 at a tuberculosis sanitarium in El Paso, Texas. Looney served as the model for John Looney, a major character in Max Allan Collins' graphic novel '' Road to Perdition''. The character was renamed John Rooney and portrayed by Paul Newman in Sam Mendes' 2002

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

Southern Illinois

The

Shelton Brothers Gang The Shelton Brothers Gang was an early Prohibition-era bootlegging gang based in southern Illinois. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger Charles Birger and his gang. In 1950, the '' Saturday Evening Post'' described the Sheltons ...

was an early Prohibition-era gang that controlled bootlegging in Southern Illinois. The Shelton Brothers Gang and rival Charles Birger gang engaged in a war with the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

that concluded with a shoot out at Herrin. The attack broke the back of the KKK's leadership and widespread bootlegging continued. The Shelton Brothers Gang engaged in a war with Charles Birger's gang that concluded, in 1925, when the Shelton Brothers were convicted of the murder of a mail carrier. In 1928, Charles Birger was convicted of ordering the killing Joe Adams, the mayor of

West City, Illinois West City is a village in Franklin County, Illinois, adjacent to the county seat of Benton. The population was 661 at the 2010 census. History In the late 19th century, West City was a small settlement adjoining Benton on the west. In the earl ...

, a Shelton backer, and hanged.

St. Louis

Thomas Egan and

Thomas Kinney Thomas Kinney (March 3, 1868 – May 15, 1912), nicknamed "Snake", was a Missouri state senator and organized crime figure in St. Louis in the early 20th century. He was one of the founding members of the infamous Egan's Rats gang. The Irish- ...

formed

Egan's Rats Egan's Rats was an American organized crime gang that exercised considerable power in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1890 to 1924. Its 35 years of criminal activity included bootlegging, labor slugging, voter intimidation, armed robbery, and murder ...

a large organized gang. A rival

Hogan Gang The Hogan Gang was a St. Louis-based criminal organization that sold illegal liquor during Prohibition in addition to committing labor slugging, voter intimidation, armed robbery, and murder. Although predominantly Irish-American, the Hogan Gang ...

led by Edward "Jelly Roll" Hogan also operated in the city. The gangs engaged, in the Egan-Hogan War of 1921–23, which resulted in the breakup of

Toledo

Jack Kennedy controlled bootlegging and operated nightclubs in Toledo. Kennedy became involved in a turf war with

Thomas Licavoli Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli (February 9, 1904 – September 17, 1973) was an American gangster and rum-running, bootlegger during Prohibition. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Licavoli, along with brother Peter Licavoli, Peter Joseph Licavoli and cousin J ...

's gang. An enforcer of the Licavoli gang and childhood friend of Kennedy, Joseph "Wop" English, killed Kennedy. Licavoli was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder in the slayings of Kennedy and three other club owners. Convicted, in 1934, Licavoli was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Ohio Penitentiary, despite attempts by Cleveland mobster

to secure parole. Gerald James Hayes, known as "Gentleman Jimmy", Hayes moved from Cleveland to Toledo as a child and eventually worked as a taxi cab driver. He sold his interest in the limo business and operated the Villa, Ramona Casino, Hollywood Club, Point's Casino, and Club Manito. He also opened a few clubs in the Cleveland area. In 1934, Hayes was found murdered, in Detroit, where he had been watching a World Series game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers. His wife, Eleanor, continued to operate his casinos for several years following his death. There is speculation that Hayes was murdered by

's gang because he may have been called as a witness in Licavoli's Kennedy murder trial or the Licavoli gang was trying to take over his gaming operations.

Canada

Montreal

West End Gang

The West End Gang is one of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's most influential organized crime groups. Active since the early 1900s and still active today, their rise to notoriety did not begin until the 1960s when they were known simply as the "Irish gang". Their criminal activities were focused on, but not restricted to, the west side of

. Most of the gang's earnings in the early days were derived from truck hijackings,

home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching ...

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

, protection racket,

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

and armed robbery. The gang, which is dominated by – but not exclusively limited to – members of Irish descent, began to move into the drug trade in the 1970s. They began to import

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitorin ...

and

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

and developed important contacts in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

with some members working out of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. Since that time, the gang has formulated ties to the

Montreal Mafia The Rizzuto crime family () is an organized crime family based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, whose criminal activity covers most of southern Quebec and Ontario. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers the family a facti ...

, the '' Cosa Nostra,'' the Hells Angels, and Colombian cartels.

Ireland

Dublin

1860s – 1950s

See

Monto Monto was the nickname for the one-time red light district in the northeast of Dublin, Ireland. The Monto was roughly the area bounded by Talbot Street, Amiens Street, Gardiner Street and Seán McDermott Street (formerly Gloucester Street) in ...

1960s

During the 1960s, the majority of crime in Dublin was petty crime, while murder and gun-related crime were extremely rare. There was a strong sense of community between families, and the church had an influence on creating the law-abiding state of mind in Dublin. A breeding ground for criminals was at the state-funded reform schools run by Catholic religious orders, which had harsh policies in teaching and looking after juvenile delinquents, aiming, often in vain, to turn them away from a life of crime.

Martin Cahill Martin "The General" Cahill (23 May 1949 – 18 August 1994) was an Irish crime boss from Dublin. He masterminded a series of burglaries and armed robberies, and was shot and killed while out on bail for kidnapping charges. The Provisional Iris ...

and Christy Dunne were noted to be at these schools.

1970s

During the 1970s, Dublin saw an increase in gun crime. One cause of the increase was the upheaval, and violence in Northern Ireland. The main culprit for bringing in gun crime into Dublin was a paramilitary group called

Saor Éire Saor Éire (; meaning 'Free Ireland') was a far-left political organisation established in September 1931 by communist-leaning members of the Irish Republican Army, with the backing of the IRA leadership. Notable among its founders was Peadar ...

, which conducted multiple bank robberies to fund their organisation. During one such robbery at Allied Irish Bank, Garda officer Richard Fallon was killed. One notable person who joined Saor Éire was Christy Dunne, who would go on to establish one of the first Irish crime families, aided by his connection to organized crime in Great Britain. Soon ordinary criminals (with little political influence), would join/cooperate with the Dunne crime family. Mainly partaking in co-operative robberies, this included Christy's eight brothers, and many recruits who would then pursue their own crime families such as

, John Cunningham, George Mitchell, and John Gilligan. The majority of these criminals coming from the poor and uneducated industrial slums of inner-city Dublin. In the beginning, Dunne specialized in kidnapping. In 1978, the Dunnes broke into an Antigen pharmaceutical factory, stealing pharmaceutical drugs which would go for a high price on the black market. Due to the profit, the Dunnes would put their priorities in the drug trade as their main source of income. What also occurred during this period is the emergence of the

Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...

and the

Official IRA The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; ) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a "workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland. It emerged ...

, who did the bulk of bank robberies and murder. This allowed crime families to conduct their activities under the radar.

1980s

While the Dunnes would be the first crime family to get involved with the drug trade, Money was earned in the millions in the 1980s through the heroin epidemic. It was considered easier money and more lucrative than bank robberies. The heroin crisis destroyed communities of working-class inner-city neighborhoods, which were once considered to be safe. Despite this many citizens protested and took their own actions against the epidemic, most notable was Concerned Parents Against Drugs. Some of these vigilantes took extreme actions such as murdering or blowing up the apartment of a believed drug-dealer. Often Larry Dunne could not meet the demand for heroin, so many others got involved, but Larry was still considered the main source. One was Tony "King Scum" Felloni, once in the prostitution business, he would move into the drug trade. Overall there was mutual respect, and practically no conflict between crime families and drug king-pins, around the 1980s. In 1983 Larry Dunne was finally be arrested and was not able secure bail when drugs were found in his mansion. This led him to leave the country, but he was caught in 1985 in Portugal. The passing of the

Criminal Justice Act Criminal Justice Act (with its many variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Malaysia, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom relating to the criminal law (including both substantive and procedural aspects of that ...

made life harder for drug-traffickers. As a result, by the mid-1980s, the majority of the Dunnes were in prison or had fled. With the end of the Dunne family, many saw it as an opportunity to join the drug trade and be number one (it was estimated to be roughly 40 groups). The person who became the next drug-kingpin was John Gilligan. Once a small-time crook, during the time of his sentencing in

Portlaoise Prison Portlaoise Prison ( ga, Príosún Phort Laoise) is a maximum security prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. Until 1929 it was called the Maryborough Gaol. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium secur ...

he formed a mob of 6, including Bryan Meehan, Peter Mitchel and Paul Ward. Gilligan started off selling marijuana, since this was less of a priority for the gardai and the buyers had more money. Later Gilligan's membership would grow to a much larger number, but with that came a lack of loyalty. The Gardaí's focus was still on paramilitary groups (with the odd taskforce combatting drugs).

1990s

Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin (5 July 1958 – 26 June 1996) was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered by drug lords. Born in Dublin, she was an athlete in school and later played on the Irish national teams for both football and basketball. After stud ...

was a reporter who wrote a series of articles in the early 1990s, reporting on John Traynor,

Gerry Hutch Gerard "Gerry" Hutch is an Irish criminal. He was the prime suspect for two of the biggest armed robberies in Irish history. Known for leading a "disciplined, ascetic lifestyle" since leaving prison in 1985, he was nicknamed "The Monk" by Veron ...

and John Gilligan. This led to Guerin being the target of multiple murder attempts. Though she survived for a time, she was eventually killed in the outskirts of Dublin on the N7 by Bryan Meehan, Peter Mitchell, Seamus Ward, and

Charles Bowden Charles Clyde Bowden (July 20, 1945 – August 30, 2014) was an American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Background He attended the University of Arizona and then the University of Wisconsin, where h ...

, all members of Gilligan's crime syndicate. As a reaction to this murder, the Criminal Assets Bureau was formed in Ireland. A wave of 400 subsequent arrests saw the end of Gilligan's mob. But once again this led to the rise of factions hoping to replace the leader. These included George Mitchell,

Christy Kinahan Christopher Vincent Kinahan, Sr. (born 23 March 1957) better known as Christy 'the Dapper Don' Kinahan; is an Irish drug dealerBreen, Stephen, "GANGSTERS' PARADISE" ''News of the World'' 21 February 2010 with convictions for ecstasy and heroin ...

and John Cunningham, often dealing with their finance overseas, in order to avoid the Criminal Assets Bureau. These events would later be depicted in the 2003 Irish film ''

''.

2000s

By the early 2000s, many of Dublin's crime bosses had fled to Spain, due to the harsher laws combatting crime families. One of the more notable is

and his mob. In Crumlin and

Drimnagh Drimnagh () is a suburb in Dublin, Ireland to the south of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordered by the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12. History Early to mediaeval Drimna ...

in South Dublin, a gang dispute led to two factions (one led by Freddie Thompson and the other by Brian Rattigan) engaging in a gang war with 16 people dead as a result. Rattigan was sent to prison after shooting at a police van, but continued leadership of his gang while in prison. 2005 saw the peak of the murder per day ratio, with three people killed in two days, plus a murder earlier in the year. Three people were murdered on 8 October 2007 and three more in the next two years.

Limerick

Pre-Irish crime families

Much like

had little crime in the 1960s, despite having overcrowded neighborhoods suffering from poverty and unemployment. Many were forced to move to Southill, which saw an increase in antisocial behavior. No organised crime was present,Williams, Paul
“Bad Fellas Episode Three”
,

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

, Dublin, 25 October 2010. retrieved 29 May 2015 but there were very disorganized gangs of youths which often committed vandalism.Lee, Joe
“The Hard Man”
Pyramid Production, Dublin, 1995. retrieved 29 May 2015

The first crime family (Irish mafia)

Brothers Mike and Anthony Kelly committed robberies in their youth. Mike would frequently get into fights at pubs (which would later get out of hand, after someone was killed). During the pub fighting days (which he was known for) he would also take-up armed robbery and other serious crimes. Later Kelly and associates would set up protection rackets, which would also combat antisocial behavior, by using harsh and violent action towards vandals. Every day, Mike Kelly collected a pound from each house, supplying a form of protection. The main purpose of earning money was to fund his drinking problem. He is now a reformed criminal and lives in Southill.

Limerick feud

During the 1990s Keane's were considered the most powerful crime family in Limerick. The Keane's turf was mainly Saint Mary's Park. They had neighborhood allies being the Collopys (including Brian Collopy and Phillip Collopy). They'd also hire a violent hitman named Eddie Ryan, to be an enforcer.Gallagher, Phillip
“Irelands Crime Capitals Season 1 Episode 1-Gangland Limerick”

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso *Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala *Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...

, ?. retrieved 29 May 2015 In the late nineties the drug-trade would have two major mobs. These being The Keane-Collopy (led by Christy Keane and younger violent brother Kieran Keane) and The Ryans (led by Eddie Ryan). There was a dispute between these two factions, and at one stage Eddie Ryan tried to kill Christy Keane, but his gun jammed. With motivations of revenge, the Keanes executed Ryan. This would be considered a catalyst in the

Limerick Feud The Limerick feud is a feud between rival criminal gangs in Limerick, Limerick City, Ireland. The feud started between two criminals in the year 2000 and then spread to involve several criminal families, mainly the Keane-Collopy gang from St. Mary ...

. This led to war between the Ryans and Keanes, and eventually

McCarthy-Dundon The McCarthy-Dundon's is a criminal gang based in Limerick City, Ireland. Their main base is Ballinacurra Weston on Limerick's southside but they also have a strong presence in Southill and in the northside suburb of Moyross. The gang, involved in ...

. Another crime family would appear on the sideline, after Wayne Dundon came back from Hackney, England (as he was deported back to his home country). Wayne would form the

gang which involved his brothers; John Dundon, Ger Dundon, and Dessie Dundon. Along with their cousins the McCarthy family. At first they would pose as allies to both The Ryans and

Keane-Collopy The Keane-Collopy gang is a criminal organisation based in Limerick City, Ireland. Its members are major suppliers of drugs in the Mid-West region and have been heavily involved in the Limerick feud since 2000, when an attempt was made on the lif ...

. But in the background, schemed their own plans to defeat the two gangs. Eventually they would make their move and kill Kearan Keane (one of the bosses of the Keane-Collopy) in 2003. This would result in the demise of the Keane-Collopy's reign. And to be replaced by McCarthy-Dundon. However many murders between the factions would occur, roughly 20 killed and 100 arrested (in relation to the feud).

Recent years

Today organized crime is the main focus of police in Limerick. The number of arrests has significantly increased, and the number of crimes has significantly decreased. Gang warfare still occurs, but not as often. Turf wars over council housing/working-class estates, are particularly common in Southill (

turf) and Saint Mary's Park (

turf). Also executions or intimidation of civilians that get in the way of the crime organisations have decreased. However, the example of Ryan Collins is still not forgotten. Many Limerick crime families' higher-ups are said to operate on a global scale. On the other hand, of the few gang gang-killings related to the

are done by those who are in their teenage years. These teenagers also partake in drug-related crimes (such as drug-dealing for McCarthy-Dundon and Keane-Collopy crime families). Another faction in

Rathkeale Rathkeale () is a town in west County Limerick, in Ireland. It is 30 km (18 mi) southwest of Limerick city on the N21 road to Tralee, County Kerry, and lies on the River Deel. Rathkeale has a significant Irish Traveller population, and ...

, is

Rathkeale Rovers The Rathkeale Rovers are a group of English Travellers based in Ireland but operating internationally. They are all members of Ireland's Travelling Community, and use traditional Traveller work such as laying tarmac or home renovation as cover ...

, who is part of the local Rathkeale

traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel *Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources *Nomad, a member of a community withou ...

community.

Spain

Kinahan cartel

The

Kinahan cartel The Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG), also known as the Kinahan Cartel, is a major Irish transnational organised crime syndicate alleged to be the most powerful in Ireland and one of the largest organised crime groups in the world. It is als ...

, led by

and

Daniel Kinahan Daniel Joseph Kinahan (born 25 June 1977) is an Irish boxing promoter and suspected crime boss. He has been named by the High Court of Ireland as a senior figure in organised crime on a global scale. The Criminal Assets Bureau has stated he "c ...

, established themselves as a leading criminal force on the

Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol (literally "Coast of the Sun" or "Sun Coast") is a region in the south of Spain in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of Málaga and the easte ...

in 2003. In May 2010, "Operation Shovel" – a joint Irish-Spanish police operation – led to the arrests of Kinahan and 21 other Cartel members in Spain and the seizure of twenty vehicles, firearms and over

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...

1 million in cash. The investigation focused on drug trafficking, money laundering and property investments in which Kinahan was allegedly involved. Kinahan and his associates were released without charge due to lack of evidence. On 24 September 2015, Gary Hutch was shot dead by a balaclava-clad gunman in a private apartment complex near Marbella, beginning the

Hutch–Kinahan feud The Hutch–Kinahan feud is a major ongoing feud between two criminal organisations in the Republic of Ireland that has resulted in the deaths of eighteen people, the majority of which have been perpetrated by the Kinahan family. The Hutch gan ...

. Kinahan gang member James Quinn was convicted of being involved in the murder by being a lookout and helping the killer to reach and flee the scene. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison. On 17 August 2016, Trevor O'Neill, a Dublin City Council worker from

, was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity outside the Bouganvillia Hotel in Costa de la Calma, near the seaside resort of Santa Ponça, Mallorca. Gardaí believe that he was mistaken for a member of the Hutch family by the Kinahan gang. The Kinahans are reportedly associated with the

Moroccan mafia The Moroccan mafia (, , ) is a term that describes various Organized crime, criminal organisations that are mainly made up of people from Moroccans, Moroccan descent. These organisations are specialised in trafficking large quantities of cocaine ...

on the Costa del Sol.Revealed: How a 'new generation' of ruthless Dutch gangs are 'helping Irish drug mafia operate along Spain's Costa del Sol from Dubai' after third suspected assassination in three months
Laurence Dollimore, ''The Olive Press'' (17 November 2019)

Fiction

The Irish Mob has been alluded to in numerous novels and short stories. The

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

mysteries mention James Moriarty as a criminal mastermind in London and his gang associates Sebastian Moran and Paddy Flynn (all Irish names) which though never expressly stated hint a connection to the Irish Mob.

Films

Irish mobsters appeared as characters in the early "gangster" films of the 1930s and

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

of the 1940s. These roles are often identified with actors such as

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, Pat O'Brien, Frank McHugh, Ralph Bellamy,

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

, Lynne Overman, and

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...

(although Bellamy, Morgan and Overman were not of Irish descent), as well as stars including

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

and

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

. * ''

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

'' (1927), gangster Bull Weed (

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...

) befriends a down and out former district attorney "Rolls Royce" Wensel ( Clive Brook); soon, the two begin fighting over the gun moll Feathers McCoy ( Evelyn Brent). * '' The Racket'' (1928), Chicago police Captain James McQuigg (

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he comm ...

) matches wits with bootlegger Nick Scarsi ( Louis Wolheim), their rivalry threatens to uncover the secret mastermind behind "The Organization," the criminal syndicate running Chicago. * ''

The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward ...

'' (1931), played by James Cagney, Tom Powers is a bootlegger whose older brother Michael ( Donald Cook) attempts to reform him while he fights his way to the top of the underworld. * '' Scarface'' (1932), Tony Camonte fights several Irish gangs in Chicago. * '' Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), after former mob boss Rocky Sullivan (Cagney) returns to Hell's Kitchen, former childhood friend, Father Jerry Connolly (O'Brien) tries to save him from himself. * ''

On the Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, and Eva Marie Saint in her film debut. ...

'' (1954), after witnessing the murder of a fellow longshoreman, Terry Malloy (

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

) must choose sides between his brother Charlie (

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

) and mobbed-up Irish-American union boss Johnny Friendly (

Lee J. Cobb Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...

) against crusading priest Father Barry ( Karl Malden) and Edie Doyle ( Eva Marie Saint). * '' The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'' (1967), Roger Corman's retelling of the

St. Valentine's Day Massacre The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang that occurred on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. The men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago garage on the morning of February 14, ...

stars Jason Robards as Al Capone,

Ralph Meeker Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 August 5, 1988) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of '' Mister Roberts'' (1948–1951) and ''Picnic'' ...

as Bugs Moran, and appearances by

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

and Jack Nicholson. * ''

Prime Cut ''Prime Cut'' is a 1972 American action crime film produced by Joe Wizan, directed by Michael Ritchie from a screenplay written by Robert Dillon, and starring Lee Marvin, who portrays a mob enforcer from the Chicago Irish Mob sent to Kansas ...

'' (1972), Nick Devlin ( Lee Marvin), an enforcer for the Chicago Irish mob, is sent to Kansas to collect a debt from Mary Ann (

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...

) the owner of a slaughterhouse. * '' The Sting'' (1973), grifters Henry Gondorff (

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

) and Johnny Hooker (

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...

) attempt to swindle Irish mob boss Doyle Lonnegan ( Robert Shaw). * ''

The Friends of Eddie Coyle ''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' is a 1973 American neo-noir crime film starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle and directed by Peter Yates. The screenplay by Paul Monash was adapted from the 1970 novel '' The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' by George ...

'' (1973), Eddie Coyle ( Robert Mitchum), a gunrunner for the Boston Irish Mob, becomes an informant; when the mob finds out, they send his friend Dillon (

Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American actor. Known as a character actor, he played Frank Barone on the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' and the comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof ''Young Fra ...

) to kill him. * '' Sorcerer'' (1977), one of the main characters is a member of an Irish gang and on the run following a botched attempt to rob an Italian Mafia crew. * '' Miller's Crossing'' (1990), Irish gangster Tom Reagan ( Gabriel Byrne) tries to prevent a gang war between Irish boss Leo O'Bannion (

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...

) and Italian boss Johnny Casper (

Jon Polito Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American character actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. Notable television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the fi ...

). * '' State of Grace'' (1990), undercover officer Terry Noonan (

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

) returns to Hell's Kitchen to infiltrate

, which include childhood friend Jackie Flannery (

Gary Oldman Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy Fi ...

) and neighborhood boss Frankie Flannery ( Ed Harris). * '' Last Man Standing'' (1996), gunman John Smith ( Bruce Willis) becomes involved in a gang war between an Irish gang led by Doyle (

David Patrick Kelly David Patrick Kelly (born January 23, 1951) is an American actor, musician and lyricist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as the main antagonist, Luther, in the cult film '' The Warriors'' (19 ...

) and an Italian gang led by Fredo Strozzi (

Ned Eisenberg Ned Eisenberg (January 13, 1957 – February 27, 2022) was an American actor known for his recurring role on ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' as Roger Kressler. Early life and education Eisenberg grew up in the Riverdale, Bronx, Riverdale ...

) in the small town of Jericho, Texas. * ''

Sleepers ''Sleepers'' is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 book of the same name. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Ho ...

'' (1996) * '' The General'' (1998), true story of

( Brendan Gleeson) who rose from petty criminal to lead of one of Dublin's most powerful crime gangs before being murdered in 1994. * ''

Monument Ave. ''Monument Ave.'', originally titled ''Snitch'' in the United States and titled ''Noose'' in Australia, is a 1998 American neo-noir crime film directed by Ted Demme and starring Denis Leary. The film also stars Famke Janssen, Martin Sheen, Ian ...

'' (1998), in

Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Massachusett tribe, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins t ...

, a charismatic enforcer in the Irish Mob ( Denis Leary) must decide whether to abide by the neighborhood code of silence when his boss (

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ga, Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He has guest-starred on many T ...

) begins murdering members of his family. * '' Southie'' (1998), Danny Quinn ( Donnie Wahlberg) returns to South Boston and gets stuck between his friends, who are supported by one Irish gang, and his family, who are members of another. * '' Gangs of New York'' (2002), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, about the criminal underworld of the Five Points neighborhood in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in the 1860s. * ''

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...

'' (2002), Edward Burns wrote, directed, and starred in this movie about Irish gangsters in Hell's Kitchen. * '' Road to Perdition'' (2002), based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, Irish-American gangster Michael Sullivan (

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

) finds himself on the run from his former employer, Irish Mob boss John Rooney (Newman), after his son witnesses a gangland slaying. * '' Dirty Deeds'' (2002), in 1969, Irish-Australian gangsters find themselves pitted against rival Sydney gangsters for control of gambling. * '' Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'' (2003), Seamus O'Grady ( Justin Theroux) is a member of the Irish Mob. * ''

'' (2003), based on the true story of a reporter who challenges the mob in Dublin. * '' A History of Violence'' (2005), film featuring Irish-American gangsters from

. * ''

'' (2006), A Boston-set remake of the Hong Kong crime film '' Infernal Affairs'' (2002) about two moles, one a cop in the city's Irish Mob, the other a mobster in the Massachusetts State Police. * ''

What Doesn't Kill You What does not kill me makes me stronger (german: link=no, Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker) is part of aphorism number 8 from the "Maxims and Arrows" section of Friedrich Nietzsche's ''Twilight of the Idols'' (1888). It is quoted or al ...

'' (2008), based on the life of director

Brian Goodman Brian Goodman (born June 1, 1963, Boston, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American film director, television director, writer, and actor. Career Brian Goodman auditioned for, and received, a role in the low-budget film titled ''Southie (film), So ...

, featuring two childhood friends who join a South Boston Irish-American gang. * ''

White Irish Drinkers ''White Irish Drinkers'' is a 2010 American drama film written and directed by John Gray and starring Nick Thurston and Geoffrey Wigdor. Premise Brooklyn, 1975: brothers Brian and Danny Leary are looking for a way out of their working-class nei ...

'' (2010) * '' The Town'' (2010), a crime drama involving a gang of Irish-American bank robbers in Charlestown, Boston. * ''

'' (2011), in

in the 1970s,

, an Irish-American mob boss and FBI informant, goes to war against

Cleveland crime family The Cleveland crime family or Cleveland Mafia is the collective name given to a succession of Italian-American organized crime gangs based in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. A part of the Italian-American Mafia (or ''Cosa Nostra'') phenom ...

boss

James T. Licavoli James T. Licavoli (born Vincentio Licavoli; August 18, 1904 − November 23, 1985), also known as "Jack White" or "Blackie", was an American mobster based in Cleveland, Ohio, and one of the earliest organized crime figures to be convicted under t ...

. * '' Killing Them Softly'' (2012), based on the

George V. Higgins George V. Higgins (November 13, 1939 – November 6, 1999) was an American author, lawyer, newspaper columnist, raconteur and college professor. He authored more than thirty books, including ''Bomber's Law,'' ''Trust,'' and ''Kennedy for the De ...

book ''

Cogan's Trade ''Cogan's Trade'' is a 1974 crime novel by George V. Higgins. The novel was Higgins's third novel centered on crime in Boston neighborhoods, following ''The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' and ''The Digger's Game''. In ''Cogan's Trade'', Cogan is a hitm ...

'', about Irish-American gangsters plotting to rob a high-stakes card game run by the Boston Italian-American Mafia. * '' Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger'' (2014), a documentary about James "Whitey" Bulger. * ''

Rage Rage may refer to: * Rage (emotion), an intense form of anger Games * Rage (collectible card game), a collectible card game * Rage (trick-taking card game), a commercial variant of the card game Oh Hell * ''Rage'' (video game), a 2011 first-per ...

'' (2014), Irish crime families go to war with the Russian

Bratva Russian organized crime or Russian mafia (, ), otherwise known as Bratva (), is a collective of various organized crime elements originating in the former Soviet Union. The initialism OPG is Organized Criminal (''prestupnaya'' in Russian) Gro ...

. * '' Black Mass'' (2015), a film based on the true story of

, who lead the Winter Hill Gang, which was based in South Boston. * '' Run All Night'' (2015), an Irish American mobster (

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

) fights to protect his son from his former boss ( Ed Harris). * ''

Cardboard Gangsters ''Cardboard Gangsters'' is a 2017 Irish crime film set in Darndale, Coolock, Dublin. It was funded by Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Plot The film follows Jay and his friends as they attempt to take control of the Darndale drug trade fro ...

'' (2017) * ''

The Irishman ''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book '' I Heard You Paint Hou ...

'' (2019), a film about Irish-American mobster

Frank Sheeran Francis Joseph Sheeran (October 25, 1920 – December 14, 2003), also known as "The Irishman", was an American labor union official and enforcer for Jimmy Hoffa and Russell Bufalino. He was accused of having links to the Pittston crime family ...

having conflicting loyalties to

Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. F ...

and

Italian-American Mafia The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its mem ...

boss

Russell Bufalino Russell Alfred Bufalino (; born Rosario Alfredo Bufalino, ; September 29, 1903 – February 25, 1994) was an Italian-American mobster who became the crime boss of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Italian-American Mafia crime family known as the Bu ...

Television

* '' Oz'' (1997), the Irish-American Bridge Street Gang led by

Ryan O'Reily Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series '' Oz''. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003. Character overview O'Reily is an Irish-American sociopathic hoodlum originally sentenced to 12 years to life for killing two pe ...

is one of the criminal organizations wielding influence in the Oswald State Correctional Facility * ''

Brotherhood Brotherhood or The Brotherhood may refer to: Family, relationships, and organizations * Fraternity (philosophy) or brotherhood, an ethical relationship between people, which is based on love and solidarity * Fraternity or brotherhood, a mal ...

'' (2006), set in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

and revolving around the alliance between two Irish-American brothers * ''Paddy Whacked: The Irish Mob'' (2006), a documentary tracing the rise and fall of the Irish mob * '' The Black Donnellys'' (2007), a drama that follows four young Irish brothers in Hell's Kitchen and their involvement in the remnants of the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob and its conflicts with the

* ''

Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...

'' (2008), Australian drama series based on the Melbourne gangland killings * ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and ...

'' (2010), an

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series set in Prohibition-era

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

and featuring gangsters of various ethnicities, including Irish-American gangsters. The Irish-American mobster protagonist is loosely based on real-life Irish-American mobster

Nucky Thompson Enoch Malachi "Nucky" Thompson is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO TV series ''Boardwalk Empire'', portrayed by Steve Buscemi. Nucky is loosely based on former Atlantic City, New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Jo ...

* ''Madso's War'' (2010), a television film about Mike "Madso" Madden who is drawn into the underworld when a power vacuum opens following the departure of a mob boss * '' Love/Hate'' (2010), depicts Dublin's underworld * '' The Chicago Code'' (2011), set in Chicago, undercover police investigate corruption involving the Irish Mob * ''

Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

'' (2012), Irish-American street gangs are depicted * ''

Sons of Anarchy (Season 7) The seventh and final season of the American television drama series ''Sons of Anarchy'' premiered on September 9, 2014, and concluded on December 9, 2014, after 13 episodes aired on cable network FX. Created by Kurt Sutter, it is about the lives ...

'' (2013),

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

arms dealer Connor Malone goes rogue and eventually cuts ties with the organization permanently and establishes an independent gunrunning syndicate with other former IRA operatives. * ''

Ray Donovan ''Ray Donovan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The twelve-episode first season premiered on June 30, 2013. The pilot episode broke viewership records, becoming the biggest premiere of all t ...

'' (2013), series about an Irish American ''

'', Boston-born professional " fixer" and his family. * ''

Public Morals Public morality refers to moral and ethical standards enforced in a society, by law or police work or social pressure, and applied to public life, to the content of the media, and to conduct in public places. A famous remark of Mrs Patrick Ca ...

'' (2015), series set in 1960's New York as Irish mobsters try and take control of the city * ''

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...

'' **(season 1, 2015), Matt Murdock's father, a professional boxer, is killed by the Hell's Kitchen Irish Mob on the orders of Irish-American mobster Roscoe Sweeney after failing to take a dive in a fixed boxing match. **(Only season 2, 2016), depicts a gang of Irish-American mobsters, known as the Kitchen Irish, trying to replace the Kingpin as the dominant crime family in New York, which brings them into conflict with the Punisher when he wipes out most of the gang's leadership in an ambush. Their base of operations is next to the Hell's Kitchen bikers club Dogs of Hell. The Kitchen Irish are loosely based on the Westies. * '' Ozark'' (Season 2-present), depicts a fictional Kansas City crime family headed by Irish-American mobster Frank Cosgrove. * ''Fargo'' (season 4) features an Irish-American gang in Kansas City and its downfall at the hands of an Italian-American Mafia family. * '' Kin'' (2021), tells the story of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in gangland war and speaks to the enduring unbreakable bonds of blood and family. * Power Book IV: Force (2022), depicts the Flynn crime family, an Irish-American criminal organization based out of Chicago whom the protagonist; Tommy Egan, encounters. * Peaky Blinders (Series 6) (2022), features the character Jack Nelson; a Boston-based Irish-American gangster who has powerful connections in the U.S. government. He is the uncle-in-law of Michael Gray and a potential adversary to the cousin of the former; Tommy Shelby, the show's protagonist. The character is loosely inspired by Joseph P. Kennedy

Video games

*'' Grand Theft Auto IV'' (2008) features the McReary Crime Family, an Irish criminal syndicate reduced to working as hired guns for the Mafia following their takeover of organized crime in Liberty City (the game's setting, a fictional parody of New York City). The McReary's are among the more powerful gangs of Liberty City, controlling most of Dukes (the in-game counterpart of

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

), and become one of the player's main allies and employers during the storyline. The gang is led by Gerald McReary, and later by his younger brother Patrick following Gerald's arrest and incarceration. After Patrick moves away from Liberty City, the McReary's are left leaderless and presumably disband. In the handheld game '' Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars'' (2009), they have been replaced by a street gang called the "Irish-American Killers", who play no role in the storyline. * In '' Watch Dogs'' (2014), the Chicago South Club, an Irish-American organized crime syndicate that dominates crime in Chicago, is descended from Irish mobsters who survived the 1929

Valentine's Day Massacre The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang that occurred on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. The men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago garage on the morning of February 14, ...

. Led by elderly mobster Dermot "Lucky" Quinn, the club has recently expanded into human trafficking and the theft and sale of confidential information, using the city's vast surveillance network to expand their reach and influence. Quinn, regarded as one of Chicago's most prominent citizens, keeps a vast payroll of city employees from prison guards to the mayor himself, and his lieutenants, including Joseph DeMarco and Tommy Flanagan, oversee illegal businesses including money laundering, drug trafficking, and contract killing. Following Quinn's death at the end of the game's storyline, the club is taken over by his son Niall. * '' Mafia II'' (2010) features the O'Neill Gang, an Irish criminal syndicate founded by Irish immigrant Jimmy O'Neill during the 1800s in the fictional Empire Bay (based on New York City). Led by Brian O'Neill, they are one of the most powerful gangs in the city, controlling the neighborhoods of Dipton and Kingston, and have a rivalry with the Mafia. The gang is first encountered in the storyline when they attempts to rob a jewelry store at the same time as the player character; while the player escapes from the police, most of the Irish gangsters, including O'Neill, are arrested. Later, while the player is in prison, they encounter O'Neill again and murder him in a fight. Five years later, after the player is released of prison, the gang takes revenge on them by burning down their house, prompting the player to retaliate by attacking a bar owned by them and killing their new leader, Mickey Desmond. **A different version of the Irish Mob, called the Brodie Gang, is featured in two of the game's expansion packs, "The Betrayal of Jimmy" and "Jimmy's Vendetta". This incarnation is led by a man named Tam Brodie and is at war with the local Triads. During the first DLC, Brodie hires the player character to help him take over the Triads' territory and wipe them out, before conspiring with the Gravina Crime Family and a corrupt judge to have the player framed for narcotics possession and arrested. In the second DLC, after the player escapes from prison, they exact revenge on Brodie, sabotaging his operations to weaken his position before finding and killing him. * In ''

Mafia III ''Mafia III'' is a 2016 action-adventure video game developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. It was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, in May 2017 for macOS, and in October 2021 for Google Stadia. It is ...

'' (2016), the Irish Mob in the fictional New Bordeaux (based on

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

) is one of several criminal factions the player recruits in their quest to control the city's criminal underworld. Operating out of a scrapyard/chop shop owned by Irish mob boss Thomas Burke and his daughter and underboss Nicki, the gang's interests include bootlegging, drug smuggling, and gunrunning, and they can assist the player by providing cars, explosives, and interfering with police pursuits. In turn, the player can undertake special missions to boost their loyalty and unlock further perks. * Th
Irish Mob
has been portrayed by a popular roleplaying community known a
GTA:World
on RAGE:MP (GTA:V).

References

Bibliography

* . * Clark, Neil G. ''Dock Boss: Eddie McGrath and the West Side Waterfront''. Barricade Books, 2017. . * Covey, Herbert C. Street Gangs Throughout the World. Charles C. Thomas. * Downey, Patrick. ''Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld, 1900–1935''. Barricade Books, 2004. * Durney, James. ''The Mob: The History of Irish Gangsters in America''. * English, T. J. ''The Westies''. * _____. ''Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster''. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. * Flemmi, Joe. ''The General''. * Hornblum, Allen. ''Confessions of a Second Story Man: Junior Kripplebauer and the K&A Gang''. * 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. * Lehr, Dick and O'Neill, Gerard. ''Black Mass''. * McCain, Joe. ''Legends of Winter Hill'' (2005). * MacDonald, Michael Patrick. ''All Souls''. * McKenzie, Edward "Eddie Mac". ''Street Soldier''. * Porrello, Rick. ''To Kill the Irishman: The War that Crippled the Mafia''. Novelty, Ohio: Next Hat Press, 2004. * Shea, John "Red". ''Rat Bastards''. * State Department, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. * Teresa, Vincent with Thomas C. Renner. ''My Life in the Mafia''. Doubleday and Company Inc., 1973. * Weeks, Kevin. ''Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob''. * Williams, Paul. The General: Irish Mob Boss. First Forge, 2003. {{Organized crime groups in Europe Irish secret societies Secret societies related to organized crime Organized crime by ethnic or national origin Transnational organized crime Organized crime groups in Canada Organized crime in Ireland Organized crime groups in the United States Gangs in Chicago Gangs in Massachusetts Gangs in New York City Gangs in Ohio Gangs in Philadelphia

United States

New York

Pre-prohibition

Prohibition

The Westies

Boston

Prohibition

The Winter Hill Gang

Irish Mob War

FBI corruption

California

Family Affiliated Irish Mafia

Philadelphia

Pre-prohibition

Prohibition

Post-World War II and the K&A Gang

Chicago

Prohibition

Cleveland

Pre-Prohibition

Prohibition and the Cleveland Syndicate

Post World War II

Danny Greene

Detroit

Hot Springs

Milwaukee

Minneapolis

New Orleans

Oklahoma City

Omaha

Rock Island

Southern Illinois

St. Louis

Toledo

Canada

Montreal

West End Gang

Ireland

Dublin

1860s – 1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Limerick

Pre-Irish crime families

The first crime family (Irish mafia)

Limerick feud

Recent years

Spain

Kinahan cartel

Fiction

Films

Television

Video games

See also

References

Bibliography