The Irish Mob | Dublin | New York | Chicago

The Irish Mob is a website dedicated to tracking the history of organized crime, gangsters, mobsters, bootleggers, gun moll’s, showgirls and more. The majority of the stories published on this website are about the people, places and things connected to The Irish Mob from the Gangs of New York Era through the Prohibition Era right up to recent times.

So what is Charles “Lucky” Luciano doing with three Irish Hoods? In 1926 they were all brought in for questioning for Felonious Assault. What it was in connection with was an attempted robbery of Charles Haffman & Albert Levy. The Line up was Eddie Diamond, Jack “Legs” Diamond, Thomas “Fatty” Walsh & Charles “Lucky” Luciano.

What Is The Irish Mob?

The Irish Mob is the oldest organized crime group in the United States, in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish American street gangs—depicted in Herbert Asbury’s 1928 book The Gangs of New York—the Irish Mob has appeared in most major U.S. cities, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Wikipedia

The Latest Stories

Bugging 98 Prince Street

by Owen Forsyth

In the pursuit of bringing down the Mafia in Boston's North End, John Connolly had help from Whitey Bulger & Steve Flemmi who had supplied Connolly with a diagram of where to place the bugs in the office in Angulo's headquarters at 98...

A night with the Whyo’s

by Owen Forsyth

The Whyo's gang were described by journalists as one of the worst to have ever infested the city of New York. Founded in the late 1800's, they ruled the old Five Points neighborhood, the 4th & 6th wards with a reign of terror from 1860 to 1890, their call Why-ooo,...

The Hudson Dusters

by Owen Forsyth

The Hudson Dusters were a street gang that were founded in the late 1890s by “Circular Jack”, “Kid Yorke”, and Francis “Goo Goo" Knox, the gang began operating from an apartment house on Hudson Street. Goo Goo Knox, a former and noted member of the Gopher Gang who...

A murder on the Brooklyn Docks

After the deaths of "Wild" Bill Lovett & Richard "Peg Leg" Lonergan, the White Hand Gang were in turmoil. After a spree of killings and revenge killings Eddie McGuire had taken control of the gang, very briefly, on the night of 27th December 1929 Eddie McGuire...

“Old Smoke” John Morrissey

"Old Smoke" John Morrissey was born in Templemore, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1831. Around 1833 his parents emigrated to the U.S and settled somewhere near Troy, New York. In 1848 Morrissey moved to New York City and married the daughter of a ship's captain, Sarah...

The First Gang – The Forty Thieves

The Forty Thieves were formed in 1825 and said to be the first known and oldest New York City criminal street gang. At least officially they were the first ones to have an established leadership and to be caught and recorded. The Five Points was a neighborhood in the...

Thomas “Shang” Draper

Thomas "Shang" Draper, was a criminal, gang leader and saloon owner. His bar was located on West 28th Street in New York. He was also a front or fence for other criminals that worked the waterfront. The "shang" part of his name came about because he would use his bar...

“Wild” Jimmy Haggerty & The Schuylkill Rangers

“Wild Jimmy” Haggerty was a criminal in Philadelphia and later in New York City during the mid 19th century. Jimmy Haggerty was the leader of the Schuylkill Rangers, a street gang which terrorized the South Philadelphia waterfront for over 25 years. The notorious...

Early Characters

The earliest recorded organised criminal gang in the United States was in 1825. They were based in one of the most notorious slums in the world at the time, The Five Points in New York’s Lower East Side.

Read about some of the craziest characters from the days of the Gangs of New York. People like Bill “The Butcher” Poole & John Morrissey, gangs like The Dead Rabbits, Whyos & Plug Uglies, places like Shang Drapers Dive Bar or Billy McGlory’s Armory Hall.

Prohibition Era

You will read about some of the most Notorious Names in Mob History on this website, Bosses, Hitmen and more. From New York to Chicago to Boston some of the biggest names all in one place.

Bloody Williamson

Williamson County in Southern Illinois during the 1920's was a lawless place, there was the Herrin Mine Massacre where 23 people were killed during a strike, bootlegging and Prohibition were in full effect and this would set the stage for an all out war between hated...

Red Kane kills the Yellow Kid in court – Egans Rats St. Louis

Red Kane or Thomas Kane as he was known as, was a leading figure in one of the most vindictive gang wars to have ever happened in St. Louis. Red Kane was sentenced to serve a 12 year term in prison for the murder of Fred “Yellow Kid” Mohrle, who Kane had shot and...

Thomas Snake Kinney

Thomas Snake Kinney was a Missouri state senator, he was one of the founding members of the infamous Egan's Rats, a St. Louis organized crime gang in the early part of the 20th Century. Thomas Snake Kinney was born and raised in St. Louis's "Kerry Patch" neighborhood...

The Gustin Gang

At the turn of the 20th-century criminal gangs sprouted up in the Boston Irish wards, the Gustin gang was first to dominate and control the scene. The name of the gang came not from any of the members, but from the name of a street off Old Colony Avenue in South...

The very last picture of Legs Diamond

The very last picture taken of Jack “Legs” Diamond, just 9 hours before he was killed. Jack’s Attorney Daniel H. Prior, Alice Diamond and Jack shortly after he was acquitted. It is said that Jack went out celebrating his acquittal, followed by a visit to his mistress...

Thomas “Fatty” Walsh & Haunting the Biltmore Hotel

Thomas "Fatty" Walsh was a gambler, mobster and an associate of Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano. He now reportedly haunts the 13th floor of the Biltmore Hotel, Miami, Florida. "Fatty" Walsh was a former bodyguard of Arnold Rothstein, Rothstein or "The Brain" would...

“Vannie” Higgins in a Shootout in Bay Ridge Brooklyn

Charles "Vannie" Higgins lived in an apartment on Ridge Boulevard, in Brookly much to the annoyance of his neighbors. He was known as the last Irish Boss of Brooklyn or the “czar of Brooklyn liquor interests" or the Brooklyn beer baron, though he would strongly deny...

When They Tried To Whack Eddie Diamond

Legs Diamond had one soft spot in life, his brother Eddie. He would have sacrificed everything he owned to bring him back to health. Tuberculosis had ravaged Eddie as well as other members of his family. Eddie had been sent to various sanatorium to try get cured but...

Spike O’Donnell – The Southside O’Donnells

James Edward O’Donnell or better known as “Spike” O’Donnell he was born on November 29,1889, O’Donnell was one of the few gangsters from the Capone era to retire from the rackets, pioneer the Chicago paving of streets, maintain his political clout and die of natural...

The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties. The Prohibition Laws, the Eighteenth Amendment & Volstead Act, had just been passed banning the sale of alcohol across the United States but it was largely ignored in the cities, New York, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis etc.Before Prohibition...

Prohibition Era

You will read about some of the most Notorious Names in Mob History on this website, Bosses, Hitmen and more. From New York to Chicago to Boston some of the biggest names all in one place.

The Scissors Sisters – A Page From The Westies Book

In one of the more shocking crimes that has taken place in Ireland, the Scissor Sisters is definitely one that is high on the list, in fact Jimmy Coonan, Edward "The Butcher" Cummiskey, even the DeMeo crew would be proud of these sisters, it could also be included as...

The Fox Lake Massacre

The Fox Lake Massacre was an event when Prohibition Era violence spilled over into Lake County, northeastern Illinois on June 1, 1930. Gangsters from Terry "Machine Gun" Druggan & Frankie Lake's gang were gunned down at Manning's Hotel in Fox Lake. That area of...

Charles Vannie Higgins – His Life and Crimes

Charles Vannie Higgins was born in 1897 and is generally regarded as the last Irish Boss of Brooklyn, he was born in the Bay Ridge area in Brooklyn. He built up a successful bootlegging operation but he was never really considered a big time mobster, he has almost...

Frankie Lake, Terry Druggan and the Valley Gang

Frankie Lake and Terry Druggan were leaders of The Valley Gang from Chicago, the were one of the most successful bootleggers of their time, amassing a fortune from bootlegging and rum-running. Its said they were making so much money that even the lowest gang member...

The Gopher Gang of Hell’s Kitchen

The Gopher Gang were one of Hell’s Kitchen’s most brutal gangs. They were given the name "Gophers" because they used to hide in the cellars of buildings in the neighbourhood. The Gophers formed in the 1890s and went on to rule the West Side between Ninth and Eleventh...

Notorious Names

From tough guys like Pat Nee from Boston to Jimmy Coonan, Mickey Featherstone & The Westies gang all the way to the biggest name of them all James “Whitey” Bulger, who was Boss for more than 20 years and went on the run for a further 16.

About This Site

This website is for educational purposes only, all information is as reliable as the sources it came from and not presented as undeniable facts, just a resource for helping readers look into the history of the Irish Mob. All images belong to their respective owners. From time to time there will be graphic content, such as crime scene’s etc.

I am an amateur writer and I research these stories from various sources and try to put together some interesting articles as a hobby. I always did like the stories about the Mafia and eventually found my way into reading and learning about the Irish Mob, Whitey Bulger in particular and from there I started to learn about other characters and writing about them.