The Irish Mob | Dublin | New York | Chicago | Boston - The Irish Mob

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.

The Latest Stories

The Death of Edward Fats McCarthy Popke

The Death of Edward Fats McCarthy Popke

by Owen Forsyth

Fats McCarthy was one Vincent "Mad Dog" Colls trusted associate's and most trusted trigger man, and had once been one of Dutch Schultz's men but left Schultz operation when Coll parted ways with Schultz. McCarthy, who's real name was Edward Popke, was with Vincent...

Chicago’s Taxicab Wars Part 2

Chicago’s Taxicab Wars Part 2

by Owen Forsyth

After the brutal and bloody battles that took places between rival taxicab companies, Yellow Cabs and Checker Cabs on the streets on Chicago, battles that were reminiscent of tank warfare, shootings, bombings and hand to hand fighting in 1920 & 1921, there was a...

Chicago’s 1920’s Taxicab Wars Part 1

Chicago’s 1920’s Taxicab Wars Part 1

by Owen Forsyth

Chicago's Taxicab Wars took place throughout the 1920's when rival taxi company's went to war with each other to gain business and to put the other out of business. The Taxicab Wars seen kidnappings, shootings, bombings and murders in open warfare on Chicago's streets...

Featured Stories

Wild Bill Lovett – Brooklyn’s White Hand Gang Boss

William "Wild Bill" Lovett was a gangster and leader of the White Hand Gang from the Red Hook area or what was known at the time "Irish Town" due to the amount of Irish people that lived in that part of Brooklyn in New York in the 1910's and 20's. Born in Lixnaw,...

Tattoo’s of old New York

Tattoo's have been around for a long time and throughout history have come to symbolize one thing or another, something personal, being part of a tribe or part of a gang. In old New York tattoo's also were part of culture among the Irish communities and other...

Johnny “The Mick” Walsh

John Walsh or "Johnny The Mick" was a criminal and gangster in early New York, 1852 - 1883. He was leader of the gang The Walshers which he founded in the 1870's and with their shakedowns and violence they were dominant around the Bowery in Lower Manhattan. This was a...

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...

Sophie Lyons – Queen of Thieves

Sophie Lyons was called the queen of thieves but while she was under the guidance of Frederika "Marm" Mandelbaum she was known as the princess of thieves. Sophie Lyons was one of Marm's best and brightest, almost like a daughter to her. Lyons would become one of the...

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.

Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll & His Gang

After a disagreement with Dutch Schultz over the robbery of a dairy in the Bronx among other things, "Mad Dog" Coll broke away and started his own gang, taking some of Schultz's guys with him, they attempted to muscle in on Schultz’s rackets. This started a gang war...

Prohibition in New Jersey

The controversy over the nation’s Prohibition Amendment spilled over into New Jersey politics. Republicans, whose base was in the more rural parts of the State, supported Prohibition; Democrats whose strength was in the big cities were opposed to Prohibition. The...

“Jelly Roll” Hogan & The Hogan Gang – St. Louis

Edward "Jelly Roll" Hogan was the leader of the Hogan Gang and arch enemy of the Egan's Rats Gang in St. Louis, Hogan and his gang strong armed their way into the illegal alcohol business and had many running battles with members of Egans Rats along the way. And like...

“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...

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...

Diamonds hit on Schultz

October 15, 1928, Arthur Flegenheimer aka Dutch Schultz and his partner Joey Noe (pronounced Noy) we’re drinking in the Swanee Club, a notorious speakeasy on West 125th Street in Harlem. Just as the sun began to rise, Dutch and Joey left the Swanee and headed downtown...

Frank Wallace

Before there was Whitey Bulger, Pat Nee, The Mullen's, The Winter Hill Gang and indeed the Mafia in South Boston the Irish Mob was in control. Frank Wallace was the leader of the Gustin Gang during the Prohibition era in South Boston. Wallace ran the rackets in Boston...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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 Bloody Maxwell District Chicago

For about a hundred years, the Maxwell Street District or better known as Bloody Maxwell on the Near West Side of Chicago, was the toughest neighborhood in town from the 1850s through the 1950s. Named after Dr. Philip Maxwell, who had served in the military, was the...

Dean O’Banion The North Side Gangster

Dean O'Banion was born to Irish parents who lived in Maroa, Illinois where he spent his early childhood before moving to Chicago in 1901 with his father and brother after his mother's death. They settled in Kilgubbin on the North Side of Chicago it was notorious...

Wild Bill Lovett – Brooklyn’s White Hand Gang Boss

William "Wild Bill" Lovett was a gangster and leader of the White Hand Gang from the Red Hook area or what was known at the time "Irish Town" due to the amount of Irish people that lived in that part of Brooklyn in New York in the 1910's and 20's. Born in Lixnaw,...

The Limerick Gang Feud

The Limerick Gang Feud took place in Irelands third city, Limerick, its said that up to 20 murders were related to the feud and that somewhere between 30 to 60 members of both sides are now or have been in prison because of their involvement. Limerick has long been a...

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.

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If you like what we do and would like to support our work, please consider donating, we understand that times are hard at the minute and there are far more pressing matters for you to worry about.

We will always appreciate any support, donation would help keep the lights on and the website running. There are many ways to support our work, you could like the Facebook page or simply just share the stories or our website.

About The 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 of the stories on this website are sourced from multiple sources, they will be listed in the stories. All images belong to their respective owners. From time to time there will be graphic content, such as crime scenes etc.

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