PADDY WHACKED:
The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster
PAPERBACK: 468 pages
PUBLISHER: Harper Paperback
ORIGINAL PUBLISHER: Regan Books (2005)
LANGUAGE: English
ISBN-10: 0060590033
ISBN-13: 978-0060590031
ONLINE PURCHASE: Harper | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | Indiebound
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Synopsis
Here is the shocking true saga of the Irish American mob, from the mid-19th Century all the way to the present day. History shows that the heritage of the Irish American gangster was established in America long before that of the more widely portrayed Italian American mafioso, and has held strong through the modern age. In fact, the highest-ranking organized crime figure on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List — alongside Osama Bin Laden — is not a wiseguy, a Latin King, or a gangbanging Blood or Crip, but an old-style Irish American mob boss from South Boston.
In Paddy Whacked, bestselling author and organized crime expert T.J. English brings to life nearly two centuries of Irish American gangsterism, which spawned such unforgettable characters as Mike "King Mike" McDonald, Chicago's subterranean godfather; Big Bill Dwyer, New York's most notorious rumrunner during Prohibition; Mickey Featherstone, troubled Vietnam vet turned Westies enforcer from Hell's Kitchen; and James "Whitey" Bulger, the ruthless and untouchable Southie legend. This is an epic story of corrupt politics, wanton murders, gambling empires, notorious brothels, tough women, and hard-drinking pugilists from the underbelly of America's most dangerous cities — including New York, Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and Cleveland.
Combining storytelling verve with thorough research and a slew of never-before published material — including new interviews with former gang members — English presents a riveting, seamless cultural history of the Irish American underworld. He offers a brilliant portrait of a people who fought tooth and nail for a better life from the moment they arrived in America, whether it meant taking charge within the realms of law enforcement and politics — from Tammany Hall to the White House — or capitalizing on what opportunities they could in the darker world beyond the law. Paddy Whacked is an irresistible tour of the undercarriage of our history — a ride that stretches from the arliest New York and New Orleans street wars through decades of bootlegging scams, union strikes, gang wars, and FBI investigations... and along the way deepens our understanding of the American experience.
In its initial hardcover release, Paddy Whacked was on the New York Times extended bestseller list, and the book was adapted into a two-hour documentary first shown on the History Channel in 2006 but repeated in subsequent years every St. Patrick's Day.