Dixie Mafia used to be big around northern Alabama, Mississippi, and SW Tennessee for the most part. Remember Buford Pusser? Walking Tall? He spent almost his whole career fighting these guys. They weren't very well organized, if at all, and seemed to operate in small, semi-independent bands in small towns where the local police force could be easily corrupted.
I think this is spot on and I question if the term "Dixie Mafia" is even appropriate to describe it. If there was truly a "boss" (allegedly Kirksey Nix in that one case) who had crews operating in different southern cities that all paid tribute to him it would be one thing. I don't believe that has ever been the case. You had individual groups of criminals/bootleggers/thugs that ran the vice in different towns like Phenix City (AL), Biloxi (MS), McNairy County (TN), etc...I don't think those groups were ever together and answered to a central boss of the "Dixie Mafia". Just my opinion from what I've read.
