At the beginning of the century the Irish mob in the USA, even though disorganized, had more or less the same degree of power as the Italians I think, but the Italians managed to organize themselves, formed the commission and gradually squeezed them out. Why do you think the Irish never managed to strike back and maintain their positions, forming their own commission maybe? There was resistance here and there, like Whitey Bulger in Boston or Mickey Spillane in New York, but it didn't really hurt the Italian mob, even Bulger formally recognized Patriarca's supremacy and just secretly tipped off the corrupt FBI.
Are the Italian communities more united and organized than the Irish ones or what could the reason be? What do you think?

Any Irish American street guy with brains and balls would go become a cop or get involved in city politics or unions. Good ways to make money legitimately and illegitimately and better chances to stay out of jail and stay alive.

It tended to be the leftovers that became gangsters. Not always but usually.

good reply my dad always said the same thing

the difference is that irish didn't have the mafia but mostly gangs thats coz they didnt create a commission
italians in the states copied the rules of the mafia already present in sicily

Still interesting read even the stuff as far back as the gangs of NY days of Irish gangs

As of today are there still any existing Irish Mobs in America? Is the Winter Hill Gang still in existence or did it disband?

Not the U.S but from what I have read and heard there might still be some Irish gangsters that either operate independently or as a group in Montreal especially in the ports and west end.

but if there is still irish gangsters in the U.S. they are pretty much secretive than the Italians in this day in age.

"they are pretty much secretive than the Italians in this day in age."

Yes, they tend to work with the Detroit and Buffalo families.

Kansas and Los Angeles ones as well?

Sure there is a big Irish gang in New York City who do a lot of crime,and are very rarely arrested for their crimes.

The name of this gang are called the police.

Is the New York police mostly ethnic Irish?

There are getting less now. They are actively promoting to get non white and other nationalities to go out for it now.

Yes it was mostly Irish in the past. The higher ups are still Irish.

Everyone wants to be a cop now they start you off with a whole under 40 Gs now.

But in places like cities on the west coast. They're actively try to get NYC cops right out if the acedmy by offering them 60 thousand a year if they would relocate.

I think my old paper boy made more money then that.

Oh don't you know? The mafia formed and mobilised because of persecution from the cops who were all Irish and had it out for them - and none of the other ethnic groups - for some reason.

This is why they went into loansharking, racketeering and murder.

Because Irish cops used to profile law abiding Italians and stop them for having broken taillights. But it ain't broken? *smash*

That's why Johnny went into the mafia.

If you believe pathological sociopath imbeciles like Phil Leonetti, that is.

There are - and always have been - people of all creeds in the police. Polish, Germans and Italians too.

Joey Testa's brother was in the police. Henry Borelli had ambitions to be a police officer. The two cops Casso had on his payroll were *drumroll* Italian American!

But if you are lazy enough and so inclined - as some of these mobsters are - you can find a way to justify anything and make some excuse for the mafia code based on some kind of ill-perceived and half-brained battle on ethnic lines.

Relax, Moe. There is certainly truth to the claim that the New York City police force was predominantly Irish back then.

The Irish got here first, with the benefit of speaking a similar language, and they made the political contacts that enabled them to make the police force an Irish boys club.

It's no big deal. Any other ethnic group would have done the same thing if they found themselves in a similar position.

At least the Irish knew how to make money off their badge. The ethnic's now are to stupid for anyone to bother paying them off.

Fucking knuckle heads. My former son in law was one of them he is Ukrainian.

When I first met the bozo he thought me and him would bond by going to the shooting range together. I told him can we do it by shooting behind the target about 2 feet away. he didn't get the joke.

Hey, I am not justifying anything, I have always been saying that the "honor code" of the mafia is nonsense. That was just a question why did Footreads classify the NY police as an "Irish" group.

Like I said: It's because the NYPD was predominantly Irish back then. No big deal. It's a fact.

As far as Footreads calling them an Irish gang? That's on him.

I thought the "Irish gang" was the Corleone Family





"I'm Dutch German"

"To them, that's Irish"

(how did Tom know what his ethnic background was if he was an orphan?)

Parts of Irish culture are permanently integrated in nypd culture. When an officer dies on the job, the official police funeral service has distinctly irish elements.

Scottish elements actually cause of the bagpipes

Don't worry the Irish are also firemen but I respect them.

After 9/11 if I saw them at our local key food. I would tell the manager I knew him. That I would pay their bill. He felt the same way so we went half on their bill. They did not want us to pay.

You know why I respect them? Your in a burning roof no matter who you call to help. If the roof goes you die.

You not what is cool about firemen. Sometimes the teacher will take their very young kids to the firehouse and see the trucks and stuff.

I have no doubt that has led little kids to become firemen when they grew up.

I knew one fireman who got promoted, but turned it down because it would mean he did not have to go to fires anymore. What a fucking nut job no wonder I liked him.

he prob didn't want to sit around and get fat... unless he was a pyromaniac...

Irish and Jewish gangsters were criminals of opportunity. They didn't have the built-in machinery for succession of power that an Italian crime family had. Nor the criminal tradition that kept it going after their leader went away or was killed. It's why you saw the Irish and Jewish groups die out far sooner and them assimilate easier into mainstream society.