Involvement in the Philadelphia Mafia Conflicts
When Angelo Bruno was made boss of what later became the Bruno faction or Philadelphia Italian Mafia in 1959, Edward "Billy Shamrock Harding" was by his side. In National Geographic's "Philly Mob" documentary he can be seen walking with Bruno at 1:44m in the first part. He is to the right of Bruno. It is one of his rare videos.

On March 21, 1980, Angelo Bruno was shot in front of his home. Oddly, driver John Stanfa was uninjured. This is said to be the factor that ultimately turned Harding against Stanfa. As a close friend of Bruno, Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano, Harding believed that a man had a right to "bet or borrow" but that narcotics and extortion were inexcusable practices by "dego goons." Instead he supported a movement towards legitimization in business. In practice this oftentimes meant only shylocking to businesses that the debtor felt would be ultimately successful. Shy rates set by "shamrocks" in Northeast Philly, Irish Jersey towns and Kensington generally were set with equity sharemanship in mind. K&A's ultimate genius minds like Harding and "The German" realized the value of equity and by 2010 had a piece of essentially every Irish bar in NE Philly if not the whole city.

The "Narco" wing of K&A backed Stanfa during the violent mob wars between Stanfa and Merlino factions. Many had already fallen to federal indictments and the remnents were ultimately jailed or fell victim to mob assacination as was the case when, for example, in 2002, Ray "Long John" Martorano was gunned while he made his way to a doctor's office. Ray and former K&A figurehead John Berkery had been associates in the methamphetamine trade in the early-80s, ending with both of them being indicted. Martorano being convicted and Berkery fleeing to Ireland

Harding aligned his faction with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, The Westies and The Winter Hill Gang. He and Kevin Weeks of the Winter Hill Gang were instrumental suppliers of weapons for the Irish Republican Army's fight for independence from England. This Irish Republican view is supported by the large majority of Irish-Americans in the Northeast Corridor. In 2000 for example, New York City provided over one hundred times as much material and monetary support to the effort than did the Irish themselves. Harding had well established relationships with local media group owners, politicians and writers. Ed "Billy Shamrock" Harding and later undisputed Irish mafia boss and Merlino faction capo, "The German" were key members of campaigns for local, state and national office.

A review of old Facebook and candidate support sites and articles demonstrate, for example, that The German was featured on CNN and FoxNews as an Obama campaign spokesperson. An old Rendell for Governor site shows that he was the "Constituent Captain" for Port Richmond and Fishtown even though he did not reside there. As well, ultimately entrenched Mayor John Street called "The German" "The King of Kensington" in an address at McFadden's Pub. (Daily News, 1/03) As Irish gangs in the five points of NYC were catered to for votes, leaders of the K&A/IRB organization were also courted by union-strong democratic politicians.

During the Stanfa/Merlino wars, Harding re-aligned with Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, NYC Genovese boss and abandoned ties with the Gambino family. While he and other senior lieutenants did not get involved in the war, young members who initially despised the Young Turks and actually were reported to have embarrassed them in a late night Delaware Avenue brawl, ultimately supported Melino's rise to power.

The Inquirer and Miami Herald both report Merlino's close alliance with "Lefty and Thunder" ("Lefty" is another nickname for Shundler who allegedly guns and romances with his left hand very well but performs almost all other manual tasks as a right-hander) who he calls "mentors" in a interview after his release. Merlino is currently in a halfway house and was referred by Shundler to the care of a pastor who was an Irish Republican Brotherhood lieutenant in Chicago. Allegedly he avoided prosecution by entering a monastery just before indictments were filed (loophole at the time).

Merlino ultimately won and became a "GQ" gangster (National Geographic's "Philly Mob"). This afforded K&A an opportunity to expand their influence and provide hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of weapons to the Irish Republican cause as a result of profits from profit sharing equity shares in Irish pubs and other businesses, lottery and other gambling rackets profits and shylocking efforts.

When Louis Theoreux came to town to film "Law and Disorder in Philadelphia" the city that had been nicknamed "Killadelphia" as a result of wars between the K&A and different Kensington gangs had their dirty laundry aired to the world. In one scene, an under detective officer known as Hunter who worked in Fishtown is seen joking with "The German" just before saying that he runs over 80 blocks.

When Mayor Nutter took office he redistricted the police and put more officers on the beat. Suddenly K&A members were at the top of FBI-Philadelphia Branch and Philadelphia's Police's Organized Crime/Gang task force (Lexis-Nexis). During one interview, Nutter stated that he felt "The German" was the most powerful mafia boss in Philadelphia after Merlino was imprisoned and Harding fell ill.

A review of Philadelphia Court dockets demonstrates that "The German" beat very serious charges after refusing to cooperate in any way with federal, state or local authorities with the help of a mysterious murder of a refile-magistrate for the commonwealth while he leaned out his car door for the morning paper at his suburban Doylestown home (Daily News/Star-Ledger). Initially facing numerous RICO, murder, arson and assault charges he got off with a disorderly persons charge. Irish Thunder and others however served time for charges levied against them. None of dozen or so federally indicted members and/or affiliates cooperated.

Recent Activity & Rise of K&A's "Irish Republican Brotherhood" Wing
Sometime in the 1990s, William "Billy Shamrock" Harding (Edward Harding's descendant", came to be known as the boss of remnants of the Irish mob in Philadelphia. In short time he became an entrepreneur, financing and becoming partner in several bars and restaurants in Northeast Philadelphia.

After Harding's death in 2006, "The German", who was the underworld's fastest rising star and who had acted as "Street Boss" from 2005-2006 became the undisputed boss...arguably of the entire city. Ultimately he governed by proxy from Florida where he and Luigi "Baby Shanks" Minnochio (New England mafia boss) ran a number of lucrative satellite rackets (Daily News).

In the late 2000s The German left an enormous vacuum in the Philadelphia underworld, opting to concentrate on Sinn F�in diplomatic efforts (according to his Facebook), he moved to New York. Lexis-Nexis and local papers have photos from a dinner held for "The German" at Torisi's in NYC's Little Italy where he allegedly announced officially his passing of Irish operations to recently released co-hort Edward "Irish Thunder" Burke to claim the position he once held. Feds however believe this was a fake retirement and that Shundler instead operates as a executive member of the Genovesse family.

Edward Burke III (Descendant of orriginally K&A gangster Eddie Burke), is now known as the current boss in Irish Philadelphia.

During "The German" reign there was an extending of K&A influence and violent suppression of intergroup opposition.

In 2008, at a bar called McWhitney's the body of an alleged associate of Harding's, James "Seamus" O'Neill, was found beaten and wrapped in the basement.<ref>Chad Pradelli, David Henry and Erin O'Hearn. "Police search for bartender's killer." ABC Action News, 06 January 2008..Local underground rumours speculate that O'Neill was engaged in attempts to wrestle control of the neighborhood rackets from Shundler.

Shundler and Burke have allegedly systematically gained control of Irish neighborhood rackets from Baltimore to Montreal.