"Got a real life gangster connection?" Topic

I am related to "Killer"James Cunniffe,a member of the notorious "Bum" Rodgers gang who carried out the biggest payroll heist in American history(at that time) 1926, in Elizabeth NJ. Already wanted for a double murder and jailbreak,3 weeks after the robbery he and his girlfriend and accomplice William "Ice Truck" Crowley were in a hotel in Highland Park, Michigan sharing out the loot when a quarrel broke out. In the ensuing gun battle Cunniffe and his moll were killed. State troopers attended and banged on the door to be confronted by Crowley who shot one Trooper dead and wounded the other who in turn shot Crowley dead. Not what I expected when doing family research!

Got a relative from family "waaaay back" that wasn't a "gangster" but was a 2 bit bootlegger turned cop killer in the late 1920's.
Story goes that he got caught on a back road by a police officer bootlegging and in a fight, got the cops pistol away from him and beat him to death with it, put his body in the car and ran the car off the side of a ravine to make it look like an accident.
He was never caught, (no witnesses, etc), and it was kind of a "hush-hush open secret, but don't talk about" kind of thing. However, according to my sister, the family still has in our possession the officers service revolver, which they told me about a couple of times. However when I requested that they send me pics of the serial numbers and info on the revolver they got very shall we say "Reluctant", and now "They're not sure "WHO" has it"….

Family…can't pick 'em….

Pretty Boy Floyd was gunned down on my father's uncle's land just outside of East Liverpool Ohio.

I used to have an Italian uncle…

A couple of year before my dad died he told me that his job at home (Grandpa owned a saloon) was to mix up a batch of 'bathtub gin'. Dad went to a Catholic high school. Mildly ironic. Then, just as the shock of that revelation was wearing off he told me the police raided Grandpa's bar and hauled him off to jail. Grandpa!!!! He was turned in, according to my Dad, by a rival saloon keeper who had a lot of influence in the neighborhood. When I was a kid my Dad rented his business space from an old friend from the neighborhood who decided to live in Las Vegas (1950s) because business was good. H

A couple of years before my dad died he told me that his job at home (Grandpa owned a saloon) was to mix up a batch of 'bathtub gin'. Dad went to a Catholic high school. Mildly ironic. Then, just as the shock of that revelation was wearing off he told me the police raided Grandpa's bar and hauled him off to jail. Grandpa!!!! He was turned in, according to my Dad, by a rival saloon keeper who had a lot of influence in the neighborhood. When I was a kid my Dad rented his business space from an old friend from the neighborhood who decided to live in Las Vegas (1950s) because business was good there. H

During Prohibition, Grandpa brewed beer in the basement. It was legal, you were allowed to brew up to 1000 gallons a year for your own use, as long as you didn't sell it. Grandpa didn't sell any beer. But if you were his friend, you could come over on a Saturday and hang around and drink his beer. Grandpa was a popular guy in the old neighborhood…

Come around and we'll talk about it.

Midnight works, come alone……

DM

My grandfather was a numbers runner. My grandma told me that she hid betting slips in the kids' (my mom, aunt and uncle) toys when she needed to to keep them out of sight.

@Privatematter: That is funny because my grandpap was not too far from East Liverpool; he was in Knoxville, which is outside of the Steubenville/Toronto area.

The US Marshals wouldn't let me say.

I know Steubenville from visits to the area when I was young.

My dad remembers, as a teen, seeing the line at a Dallas funeral parlor to view Bonnie Parker's corpse. He never said if he actually saw her.

My uncle was once married to a lady from a Sicilian-American family. One of her close relatives went to prison for income tax evasion, in connection with certain, uh, activities.

I had an aunt who married into fringe legitimate side of a Family.

My Aunt always told my siblings and I that our family name was changed from what it originally was in Sicily to what it is now, so the family could sever connections.

Not "gangster" or "organized crime" that I know of (though I've got Scots, Frank, and Norse ancestry, so banging of heads and violent acquisition of goods and cattle is highly probable). However, I am related to Doc Holliday; my great uncle (father's mother's little brother) is his closest living relative, on Doc's mother's side. So best not cheat at my table, Huckleberry.

Zippy, my grandpa was in East Hamilton. Lots of crime in the old days between Newport and Hamilton. H

Non in my direct family, but my brother's current wife is Italian-American and *claims* shady relations…

An ancestor somewhere in the South was a moonshiner. He was quietly moved across the county line *by the County Sheriff* into a non-Dry County because his products were quite popular and the Sheriff didn't want to have to shut him down.

According to the 'family', related by marriage to the man who invented Income Tax (William Pitt, British PM) – biggest standover racket ever :-)

Other than that, another non-blood relative was a (legal, licenced) bookmaker who was killed in a botched robbery.

Not my family, but I have a friend who told me his wife has at least one relative in the Mafia in the Cleveland area.

Tom

I grew up in my Grandfather's home in Oklahoma City, three blocks from the Urshel home where he was kidnapped by "Machine Gun" Kelly. (Both houses still stand in what is now called the "Heritage Hills" near Northwest section of the city.)

The "Two-Up-Two-Down" apartment building at the east end of our block was supposedly where Kelly's gang stayed briefly as they planned the kidnapping. From that time on, my Mother and Aunt were driven to and from school and elsewhere, the chauffeur carrying a revolver in case any of them were also marked for the attentions of such as the Barker Gang and other kidnappers of the early 30's.

And while growing up, the family directly across the street was always oddly treated by my mine and the other Old Families in the neighborhood, and while it was never explained to me in those days (mid-Fifties), I subsequently learned why while studying some crime history of OKC. The kids I played with from that family were the grandchildren of Orben Patterson, OKC's Crime Boss in the 1920's and 30's.

He was an attorney whose connections and predilections--and love of money and power--helped make him a "Kind Maker" in local politics, helping to buy cops and lawmakers to keep the city wide open for every criminal activity. When crooks were caught, he successfully defended them with the law--and well applied cash or threats when necessary--and even ran a "cooling off" ranch in nearby New Mexico for felons of all stripes on the run--and all for a very pretty penny to himself.

Once accosted by a preacher on a public street for his evil ways, and the implied threat of what would become of him in the Hereafter, he legendarily replied (shaking a wad of folded bills in his hand) "When I have THIS, it's Heaven; When I don't, it's Hell!"

He was convicted--Capone style--on charges of tax evasion in 1940, and he subsequently died of cancer in prison a few years later.

And, I must say, the teenaged Grandson (name I'll spare here) who was much older than his two siblings who were closer to my own age, was the classic Fifties "Scuz" with the big hair, black leather jacket with 50 zippers, and sleazy manner to match. Studying for the gallows, I imagine….

Of course, there's my Uncle in the liquor business. In the 1960's his store was bombed three times, and famously had a "pill box" mounted on top with armed observers in it for months while battling the other dealers trying to fix prices and subvert the state liquor laws. At least one attempted "hit" on a back road became a two-way shoot out that boomeranged on the imported hitmen who hurriedly left, mission unaccomplished.

Then, there's my Great-Grandfather, formerly one of "Hanging Judge" Smith's Deputy Territorial Marshall's who was killed trying to arrest the then young Henry Starr. But that wasn't "organized crime," so not germane.

Maybe my interest in Crime History (and gaming it) came to me legitimately, almost in the drinking water.

TVAG

Let's see, as a youngster I did 3 menial jobs for what I later figured out was the Mafia. (I cleaned up tables in a rock club, sold popcorn from a street wagon and helped paint a townhouse that turned out to be a brothel.)

Not sure this counts, but on my mother's side of the family I am not-so-distantly related to Ramon Serrano Suner, head of the Falange youth movement, brother in law of Franco, foreign minister and fan of Mussolini. I waited too late to ask my grandfather the precise relation. Ramon escaped from Madrid's Model Prison during the war, apparently by the simple expedient of bribing the Republican guards.

Well, my great grandfather owned and ran the local small town beer distributorship during prohibition. His son married the daughter (my grandparents of course) of the local sheriff. That must of have been interesting.

I live on the fence between the Dark Side and The Force.

On one side, both of my parents come from deeply religious (Roman Catholic) backgrounds. There are several priests, nun and Brothers in my family tree. This includes Padre Pio who was canonized during my lifetime. The extended family was invited by the Vatican to attend the ceremony.

On the other side, I remember being at a family dinner as a youngster. Someone turned on the evening news and there was a story about the Vietnam War (as there was nightly.) I remember being around 10 years old and asking if I would have to go to Vietnam when I grew up. Just a few years ago I found out that my question sent a shiver through the room. I found out that unbeknownst to me or my parents that plans were made shortly afterwards to have me and my brothers "moved beyond reach" should the need arise. The draft and direct US involvement ended before I came of age so I never heard of this until well into my adult life.

Diogenes would leave here in disgust.

I wont get into details because it is just too sad and personal,but my Mother's second husband was quite connected to the Cleveland mob. I remember a celebration when Danny Green was blown to pieces.

My family is from Atlantic City and have many family ties to the gangsters of old. As a child, I remember seeing an old .32 Iver Johnson top break revolver in his collection; the story behind it is that my great grand uncle drove a Model T truck with produce to the food market in AC. When he was driving into the market one morning, someone tossed the gun out of an apartment window and it landed in his truck. It led me to collect Iver Johnson revolvers (and other top break wheel guns from the era) and my father ended up giving me the family heirloom.

I occasionally wonder the story behind the gun. Did someone actually throw it out the window? If they didn't how did my relative get it? If they did throw it out the window, why?

One of my grandfather's brothers, Frank, was a 6'6" farm boy turned enforcer in the bootlegger trade in northern Wisconsin. Apparently he never lost a fight and when he showed up people listened. I bet he was disappointed when prohibition ended.

In the mid-80s playing hockey in Scarborough (part of Toronto now), my left winger was Italian-Canadian and claimed to be part of the "Dufferin Street Chain Gang".

He went to a different high school, so I have no idea (then or now) if there really was such a gang, or if it extended beyond the borders of the school property (or his mind), but he appreciated me passing the puck to him every so often so he made me an honourary member.

Every so often I trot that out, just to keep people in line…

WHOA ! WHOA ! Where is Commissar Bill and his bevy of bouncing Eds. !?!?!?

Talk about a PC violation !!!! I and others have been incarcerated for less blatant racist bigotry !!!!!!!

OH THE HUMANITY !!!!!

Just look at some of these cruel comments about Italians and Catholics !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Grandparents came over from Italy just over 100 years ago … legally … thru Ellis Island …

My people are honest businessmen …

Not Gangsters you bunch of bigots !!!!

Now if I said "All moslems are terrorists." I'd be DH'd for sure … Now I know some of you are thinking since all Italians are gangsters I should be use to be behind bars !!! OMG !!!

So why are you all saying "If you are Italian, you are a gangster"!?

That is NO more correct then saying all of islam are terrorists !!!

But you say, no islam is a religion … Italian is a nationality …
Don't say that to those Guidos from Jersey or NYC … You'll know what is meant by "Sleeps with the Fishes" !!

I'm appalled Overlord Bill will let this intolerance go on !!!!

Now some of you may see on my profile I'm from Youngstown, OH. A notorious former Mob town !!! Even being mentioned on crime shows like the Sopranos, Law & Order, etc. …

My reply : " I do not recall that."

And I have done cases in East Liverpool, Steubenville, Toronto, etc., in those bergs along the Ohio River. We called them "River Rat Towns" … for a reason ! But Steubenville does have a very nice new prison right along the river. At least from the outside …

Some of you'ze guys are lucky this is not the "Old Days" in Youngstown.
Vinny, Big Tony and Guido might be paying you'ze a visit.

If they were not all dead (or in WITSEC ? I do not recall…)

I'm conflicted. On one hand, I have an Irish American gangster connection,but a State Trooper, Ernest Jones, was killed for no reason. "Killer" Cunniffe seems to me to be a career criminal, linked to several murders and robberies.The murders, for which I have the original "wanted" poster are from a father and son who simply refused to give him a ride after a failed robbery. He died aged 30 and seems to me to have got all he deserved.

And note, during the Roaring 20s, not only Italians were known for being mobsters. But Irish, Jewish and Black Americans, … the Italians were just more well known because we … I mean they were better at it than the rest !

Of course, many of the bigger cities like NY and Chicago had a lot of Irish in law enforcement … many of which were "on the Take" from said mobsters/gangsters …

Legion 4, I see no racist comments here, lighten up!I'm Scots, of part Irish descent with possibly Italian connection s. Get a sense of humour and soon! Don't hijack the thread.

Guidos seems like a racist term to me!

[DISCLAIMER] IT WAS MEANT TO BE A HUMOROUS TAKE ON ITALIANS BEING ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOB. As I am Italian and … by the way had an "Uncle" Guido. And another who went by Paul "The Waiter" … never knew why ? You asked about real life gangster connection … Which I will deny … "I don't recall." Was a famous mob reply when asked questions about the "mob" …

As well as highlighting the duplicity of some of the TMP rules …

Get a sense of humour and soon!

It's not funny if I have to explain the jokes … note the …

And if you think Guido is racist you should be glad I didn't say do !

real-life gangster?

Well, I had a great-aunt that voted Democrat, once.

LOL !!!! Be careful … don't let Commissar Bill and minions of Eds. hear this !!!!

But he ignored people alluding "to all Italians are Gangsters" … So you may be safe …

Fogetaboutit.

Rats gets whacked.