Kassie.+Period+2.

**Researched by: Kassie Notbohm**
 * THE IRISH MOB: AIM**

Beginning in the 1920s and continuing throughout the late nineteenth century, the Irish Mob had a dominant presence in South Boston, which resulted in negative consequences for those who were associated with the mob as well as those who were not. The aim of the Irish Mob was first to counteract the Prohibition by illegally dispensing alcohol and later on, their main focus expanded to drugs. As Stephen Northcutt of the SANS Institute explains, “One of the main reasons the Irish mob existed was prohibition. Speakeasy’s were a near instant response to the 12th Amendment… and the day of the speakeasy began particularly in the heavily Irish-American neighborhoods… where strong drink was considered a God given right” (Northcutt). South Boston was one of “the heavily Irish-American neighborhoods”, thus the Irish Mob came about to establish the illegal sale of alcohol as well as to begin their quest for ultimate dominance and power in Southie. The Irish Mob found their purpose in the Prohibition because they were able to control and have power over the distribution of alcohol. The Twelfth Amendment resulted in adults having to rely on the illegal sales of alcohol since it denied them the “strong drink” they desired. Therefore, the Irish Mob took advantage of the Prohibition and demonstrated their dominance, which continued even after the Prohibition. Due to their success during the Prohibition, the Irish Mob then turned to the drug trade. Furthermore, Anthony Bruno of Crime Library describes, “At a time when cocaine, or “Santa Claus” as it was called in Southie, was the drug of choice in America, Whitey Bulger made it known that every dealer in the neighborhoods he controlled had to pay him rent to operate. If they refused or got caught trying to sell behind his back, the penalty was harsh” (Bruno). The dealing of cocaine became the basis of Irish Mob activity due to the fact that more power came along with selling “the drug of choice in America”. Whitey Bulger, one of the most powerful leaders of the Irish Mob, advanced the Irish Mob’s aim of gaining more strength by forcing every “dealer” to “pay him rent” before selling drugs on their own. The “penalty” was the public display of the Irish Mob’s power because they wanted to prove that they could not be messed with. The Irish Mob continuously desired to stay at the top, and drug dealing allowed their wish to be granted. Recently, Whitey Bulger has been put on trial. Michael Patrick MacDonald, who grew up in South Boston and is the author of //All Souls: A Family Story from Southie//, responded to this matter by discussing the indirect victims of the Irish mob. He states, “When Bulger is arraigned today for allegedly killing 19 people, the names of Southie’s young victims of the drug won’t be mentioned. We will not hear the names of those who died from overdoses, or the names of drug dealers who were found dead for not paying a cut to Whitey’s organization. We will not hear of the young people who got caught up in organized criminal operations, bank robberies, and truck hijackings” (MacDonald). MacDonald’s perspective demonstrates the extent of the indirect effects that the Irish Mob’s drug trade and criminal involvement through explaining the reality of the consequences that are not as well known. The aim of the Irish Mob was mainly centered within the organization, but MacDonald shows the impact of the mob went further than that. Young children, teens, and families suffered from the criminal actions of the Irish Mob through the exposure to drugs and crimes. As a result, “overdoses” were common in South Boston because of the focus on drugs, and it was easy for the “young people” and teens to become wrapped up with the Irish Mob. The popular escape for these people was drugs, once again resulting from the corrupt Irish mob. Death was frequent, thus the Irish Mob leaves permanent scars on South Boston even though the mob may fade with time.

Works Cited

Bruno, Anthony. “James ‘Whitey’ Bulger.” //Crime Library//. 2011. Web. 7 January 2012.

MacDonald, Michael Patrick. “Whitey Bulger’s Indirect Hits.” //The Boston Globe//. 6 July 2011. Web. 7 January 2012.

Northcutt, Stephen. “SANS Insider Guide to Boston.” //SANS Technology Institute//.23 March 2011. Web. 7 January 2012.