The Irish Gangster's complicated and sometimes adversarial relationship with The Italian Mafia!
Ever since Italians immigrated en mass in the late 1890s, Irish gangsters in America have long been in the shadow of the powerhouse known as the Italian American Cosa Nostra. The Irish gangsters have always maintained an uneasy working relationship with the Italian gangsters. Being half Irish myself this relationship has always fascinated me. Don't misunderstand my viewpoint, I am not confused or in awe of these criminals. It is more like the way Quint is fascinated by the Shark in Jaws.
There are two ethnic groups that the Italian Cosa Nostra work with consistently. They are the Jewish and Irish gangsters. Both groups were a powerhouse in their own right at one time but as those immigrants assimilated into society, the Jewish and Irish gangsters learned to work within the Cosa Nostra structure. The Irish have long been used as muscle and have done important Contract "Hits" for the Italian Mafia.
There have been times throughout history when the Irish Gangster has worked well with Cosa Nostra. For example, Jimmy "Gentlemen" Burke in Queens, New York, Jimmy Coonan and the Westies in Hell's Kitchen, New York, Franky "the Irishmen " Sheeran in Pennsylvania and of course James "Whitey" Bulger in Boston. However there has been other Irish gangsters who have started violent wars with Cosa Nostra like Danny Greene in Cleveland, Ohio, George "Bugs" Moran in Chicago, Illinois, and Mickey Spillane in New York.
I always said when an Irish Gangster and an Italian gangster form a partnership it is like an 800 pound out of control gorilla. Danny Greene and John Nardi brought the Cleveland Cosa Nostra family to its knees in the 1970s. Cleveland had to go to New York and families across the United States to survive the war. Other examples are Whitey Bulger and Stephen "the Riflemen" Flemmi in Boston. These 2 took over organized crime in New England. Roy Demeo and Jimmy Coonan 's body count is the equivalent of causalities of a small war.
Other infamous Irish gangsters that worked with Cosa Nostra are Joe "Mad Dog " Sullivan, Murray "the Camel " Humphries, Owney Madden, and Legs Diamond. The violent history of the Irish American gangster is not as well-known as its Italian partners but it some ways they were more violent and more flamboyant.
