BF,

I think part of the reason why there is a lack of information about Black criminal organizations and especially pre modern era is that many of us feel that there is and has been enough attention paid to the criminal element in our communities. Between actual crime statistics and the visual imagery of Blaxploitation films and later post-nwa "gangster rap"...there is no lack of attention paid to Black criminals.
Black writers,scholars, and academics are not going to use their resources to investigate the Black underworld of yesteryear. Scholars might challenge the omission of Blacks from books/films about wars,political movements,or the sciences but NEVER about criminal enterprises.
I think they believe that their time and talents could be put to better use .

Of the three books I've mentioned in this thread, only the Chicago book is written by a Black author...and he is not from the circle of the usual Black authors(academia). It's a pretty well researched informative book but no "name author" and no big publishing house " means no light or attention to the book.

Tony P,

thanks....that's the podcast that I heard where I first found out about Robert Church.