One of the most powerful and important Irish hoodlums in New York City, who was very well known to the police department, prosecutors office, and the FBI, yet a virtual unknown to the general public, was Irish Mob "underboss" Hugh (Hughie) Mulligan.

He and his boss, the legendary waterfront racketeer Edward (Eddie) McGrath headed up the "Irish Mob," then better known as "The Arsenal Gang" that was the original name of what later became a diluted version of the gang, known as "The Westies" on Manhattan's Westside.

The trusted "second in command" to McGrath himself, for upwards of thirty years Hughie Mulligan held the coveted position as a top gambling figure, and master "puppeteer" and corruptor who controlled a city-wide "bribery pad" that successfully corrupted a good chunk of New York's Police Force for decades.

THIS PARTICULAR EXPOSE IS A MUST READ FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED WITH THE INNER-WORKINGS OF NEW YORK'S UNDERWORLD, POLICE BRIBERY, OFFICIAL CORRUPTION, AND WHY THE IRISH MOB PLAYED SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE CITY'S RACKETS.

https://thenewyorkmafia.com/irish-mob-underboss-hugh-mulligan/


This is a never before seen profile and in-depth biography about one of New York's top mobsters. And if you don't mind me saying so, a story that was long overdue to be told. A unique expose that offers rare in-depth information and investigative focus. A rare gem...and a well worth read!

If i recall Mcgrath's number two and the boss in his absence was henry"buster"Bell. I believe it mentions it in dock boss. But i have also read articles claiming Connie Noonan was Mcgrath's number 2. When Mcgrath went into semi retirement, moved to florida, he maintained the boss position. His gang was severly dismantled due to the court ordered execution of two of his gangs most feared killers. Some guys went to jail and others died of old age. The days of controlling the docks in manhatten were long gone but the mobs historical bread and butter (the hells kitchens rackets) was still valuable. So mcgrath let queens native mulligan run the rackets in his absence. Not known for violence and not from the neighborhood, mulligan was the total opposite of Mcgrath. Mcgrath controlled the irish mob after it lost the top spot in the underworld and the italians were top dog. There relationship was shakey and the italians could decide at any time to destroy what was left of the irish. Mcgrath became the first irish mob boss to build friendships and share rackets with the italians. His word was gold to mafia bosses, he adapted and learned to navigate through a dangerous world. Mulligan openly hated italians and publically taunted them. Mulligan chose fellow queens native jimmy burke as his replacement when he stepped down as acting boss, to which burke declined. Another man had his eye on being the king of his own neighborhood, hells kitchen had real boss again, a street fighting legend who would become the irish godfather to the irish of hells kitchen.

Early on Eddie McGrath was partnered with Cockeyed Dunn, hence the Gang's early name "The Dunn-McGrath Gang." After Dunn got fried in the chair Connie Noonan stepped up as McGrath's #2 I believe. But by at least the early 1950s Mulligan had been elevated. At least for control of all gambling and other rackets in Queens County.

You have to remember also that the Irish Mob never had a "formal" hierarchical structure the same way the Italians did with their "Roman Legion" type "Family" structure; Capo, Underboss, Consigliere, Capo di regime, soldiers, associates, etc.

The Irish were a loose conglomeration of hoodlums with recognized a "boss," and his second-in-command which you could liken to an "underboss."After that all the other guys just kinda fell in line as members of the gang, with some of them "specializing" in robberies, strong-arm work, or labor union activities, gambling, etc.

And of course based on fear or money-making capabilities some were more "recognized" and had more influence than others.

Was Jimmy Coonan just starting to come around at this time?

When these fellas were active Jimmy Coonan wasn't even a bleep on the Irish Mob's radar screen. He seems to have popped out of nowhere long after the "heart and soul" of The Arsenal Mob was long gone.

As a product of their Hell's Kitchen area, Coonan, Featherstone, and their friends were just tough (and nutty) neighborhood kids and troublemakers who eventually tried to emulate the likes of McGrath, Mulligan, Noonan, Dunn, and the rest of that crew. The only problem was that their time in the sun was long gone, and they really had no racket strength or intelligent leadership by which to steer the ship.

Once the killed Mickey Spillane who was one of the last old-timers and took over...they said to each other, "now what?" They didn't have a clue.

PS: Another notion that I wanna dispel, which in my opinion is largely a myth, is that James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke was even a member of "The Arsenal Mob" Irish crew. Just because he was Irish, a hoodlum, and probably knew some of them, does not mean that he was a card-carrying member of the Irish crew.

To the best of my knowledge he was always around and under the protection of the Italians, in particular the Lucchese crew under Paul Vario.

Since you know a lot about the Irish Mob, and have an obvious interest in them, I suggest reading my full expose' on Hugh Mulligan. You won't be disappointed I assure you. Especially if you wanna learn more about him and their crew.

For your information, I also plan to expand the "Irish Arsenal Mob" section on our website with additional in-depth bios similar to Mulligan and McGrath's. The difference being that I'm gonna try and focus on some of their lesser known, but key members later this year.

Burke was never part of the irish mob.. Burke was a legend by the time he was 20. After his first jail stint he got a union job where he mulligan, both Queens natives. Biekw was offered boss after mulligan because he was loved and respected by the hells kitchen guys, they idolized him. Burke thought bigger and by the time mulligan retired burke already had one of the cities most notorious crews and he was the boss. His crew was afffiliated with the luchese fam. His representatives to the commission were vario and dio, who he met in jail and forged a life long friendship/partnership with. Burkes earned incredible money from many different rackets and always gave a cut out of respect to the family bosses. He to this day is the only non-italian to run a crew in the mafia. Meaning an italian with aspirations to become a made man can do hhis apprentice even though he is in a non italians crew..

Thats not exactly true JD. There have been many "non-Italians" who ran their own little crews, but were affiliated over the years with a particular mafia Family who they kicked-up to. The best example of which would be of course, Meyer Lansky, who actually ran a huge crew of both Jews, Irish, and Italians associates (some of whom were later inducted as soldiers) under the auspices of the Luciano/Genovese Family out of NYC.

Lansky's just one glaring example of many lesser non-Italians who operated in the same manner.

Power wise absolutely. Lansky was second to none but Lansky's crew was all jews. He had his guys from cleveland and detroit running his las vegas interests. Plus his south florida operation in the 70's created a jewish mafia, controlling all of Hollandale down to miami. Burke literally was doing hits at 16 for the mafia and in his early 20s was already a street legend. The mob bosses were all his age and grew up idolizing burke, they didn't get made till they were 30. By 30 years old burke spent half his lifae robbing and kiilling. Burke was one of the best earners and most feared criminals aever. He controlled so much by himself in an underworld dominated by familieaa. The mafia controlled the politicians and judges in N.Y but not the police. A
If the mob had any law enforcement issues they had to call burke. All the cities irish cops loved jimmy, he was a celebrity they wanted to be able to say they knew him. When burke would stop by hells kitchen for drinks with the irish boys they would be in awe of him. In a city run by 5 seperate mafia families with thousands of killers, burke the big irishman did what ever he wanted when he wanted. In a interview henry hill was asked as far as vario and burke, who was above who. He said, Neither, they were both bosses, equal. Only difference is, burke controlled ever irish mobster in the city and had a godfather position given to him. Burke obviously never used or abused that privilege and kept to his own crew. Now ill back that up, burke was one of my uncles best friends. Its known my uncle saved vario's ass many times, burke didn't need help lol. You would need help if you got a beef with burke. I never heard my uncle speak about anyone ever with such respect. My uncle said Burke could be broke and fresh out of jail and would not borrow money. Up or down he was always the same person. He dont need anyones money, he will get it on his own. Just like he didn't need an irish mob behind him, he would kill you himself.

With all due respect to your uncle, and to you as well, I completely (unequivocally) disagree. Jimmy Burke was a tough guy, no doubt about it. But Jimmy Burke would have been found in a ditch if he ever disrespected a top wiseguy, a boss, Paulie Vario, etc. And THATS a cold hard fact! Plenty of guys (tougher than Burke) found that out the hard way.

Jimmy Burke never controlled cops or NYC Police Department. Don't believe all that nonsense (because nonsense is all it is). He was a big earner, rank a small crew (under the auspices of capo Paul Vario and the Lucchese Family), but thats it.

He was also wild and could be a half-a-maniac, but he wasn't stupid either. He knew his limitations. Thats another fact!

And trust me when I tell ya, no "mob bosses" were idolizing Burke. I don't know where you get all this from.

I understand. You feel differently. I know so and i really went easy on burke stories because he was brutal. He never disrespected vario. Vario would get himself into enough problems and burke and others saved him, his in canarsie where my family is from. Also anytime burke was away and came home, the first thing he did was mutilate somebody body and leave lt in a spot where it will be found (different boroughs) and make the news/papers. He did the same mutilation to each victim. A retired cop said he got a call about a foul smell was coming from an abandoned car in the bronx. He said once him and his partner saw the victim and it had the tell tale burke brutality, they said i see jimmy's home. It was so obviously burke that there was no investigation and the case was closed. Obviously burke left this calling card to let everyone know he's out, stay in line and stay out of his way. Opinions are one thing but facts are another. These are facts, burke was feared by everyone and he would kill you in a blink of an eye if you crossed him. Anyone, any rank, any mob, any ethnicity. The F.B.I report naming burke the most powerful and wealthiest irish gangster in America was not for an April fools joke. Its because he had country wide connections, nypd/law enforcement in his pocket and killers all over america. Twice in the witness protection hill and his family had to pack up there life and emergency relocate due to wire taps picked up burke finding them. The marshalls could never figure out how he would find them, one theory was hill had to fly into N.Y to testify and he got to someone then.

I understand. You feel differently. I know so and i really went easy on burke stories because he was brutal. He never disrespected vario. Vario would get himself into enough problems and burke and others saved him, his in canarsie where my family is from. Also anytime burke was away and came home, the first thing he did was mutilate somebody body and leave lt in a spot where it will be found (different boroughs) and make the news/papers. He did the same mutilation to each victim. A retired cop said he got a call about a foul smell was coming from an abandoned car in the bronx. He said once him and his partner saw the victim and it had the tell tale burke brutality, they said i see jimmy's home. It was so obviously burke that there was no investigation and the case was closed. Obviously burke left this calling card to let everyone know he's out, stay in line and stay out of his way. Opinions are one thing but facts are another. These are facts, burke was feared by everyone and he would kill you in a blink of an eye if you crossed him. Anyone, any rank, any mob, any ethnicity. The F.B.I report naming burke the most powerful and wealthiest irish gangster in America was not for an April fools joke. Its because he had country wide connections, nypd/law enforcement in his pocket and killers all over america. Twice in the witness protection hill and his family had to pack up there life and emergency relocate due to wire taps picked up burke finding them. The marshalls could never figure out how he would find them, one theory was hill had to fly into N.Y to testify and he got to someone then.

I think that after the Luftunsa heist and Burke's name bing involved in the talk of it, he became big in the public perception, then became a legend after the book and movie Goodfellas (based on that book with a different title) were put out.

Correct. It ended making him larger than life in many peoples minds (the public I mean). But the truth was much different

How well known was he before that? I picture him just being known by a few other crews near his area, and not at all by the public.

I don't wanna argue with you so let's leave it like this. I know what I know about Burke and thats not changing anytime soon. You know what you were told about him, so believe what you need to (or want to). America is a free country and everybody is entitled to his/her own opinions. I respect that privilege.