Have just bought the book on Kindle, started it, seems very interesting! I will read it thoroughly but, before that, I wanted to check some details that I was curious about, so I have 2 questions:
1) The book says Joe Ryan who was the main Irish mob boss on the waterfront, served 6 months in jail. But I remember some articles I read time ago said that, even though he paid the fine, he managed to avoid jail by pretending to be ill (or maybe he really was, I don’t know) and the 6 month sentence was suspended before he entered jail, so he never served time. So I am confused: is there other information, that he did actually serve the time? I understand it’s not that relevant, 6 months for somebody like Ryan is like nothing, it’s just out of curiosity for details.
2) There is information in the book about this gangster called Joe Powell who was indicted but acquitted of the Charles Brady murder. I was curious: is it the same Powell who has a chapter about him in the old book “The DA’s man” by Harold Danforth and James Horan? Chapter 12: “The reluctant witnesses: the Powell case”, in that book. There, he is just called “Powell” without mentioning the first name, but during an undercover investigation on the waterfront in 1944, Danforth hears about his reputation of getting away with murder, and investigates him for an assault on 3 people with a hatchet, at the end Powell gets 5 years for this. Is it the same Powell or another one (maybe a relative)?
Thanks again for the book, I am continuing to read it, it seems really interesting!
Hey Dwalin2011,
I know I got back to you about the above, but just in case anyone else is interested:
In regards to Ryan's sentence, when he was scheduled to report to jail he checked into the hospital as a mental patient. He was doing the Chin Gigante before it became a thing. I couldn't find if any portion of his sentence was actually served in an institution, but it was eventually suspended to be served at home. Considering this happened in November 1955 and he didn't die until 1963, I think we can assume that his illness wasn't too life threatening.
Shortly after the Charles T. Brady murder (which is mentioned in the book), Powell was arrested in 1941 for assaulting a couple of black longshoremen with a hatchet. I don't know if it is true, but an FBI file I have states that it was a race thing, as other longshoremen did not want to work alongside them and a fight broke out.
After Powell's release from prison, he went right back to working on the docks. I believe he was a Hiring Boss on Pier 14 for a time. He was ruled off the waterfront, due to his criminal record, when the mandatory registration started. He then turned up as an International Representative for the Office and Professional Employees International Union. He remained with that union until he died in the 1960s. You can probably guess which industry he was responsible for negotiating with...the white-collar jobs associated with the waterfront!
Joe Coffey claims that McGrath guy saved his father's life...He said his father was in a teamsters local and there was a contract out on him and they made an attempt on the family at their apartment, and his mother called McGrath and he got the contract removed, so it was taken as a warning.
Hi DiLorezno! I read that too and I think Coffey's account is probably accurate. In the early 1940s, Dunn was moving in on Teamster locals that were associated with the waterfront. This was especially true of Teamster Local 807, where he had two of his own people lead a wildcat strike in an attempt to oust the current leaders. The former Business Agent of 807, who worked closely with the Dunn-McGrath group, eventually became Vice-President of Dunn's own union (AFL Local 21510, which later became ILA Local 1730).
