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Tag Archives: Organized crime

Early American Criminals: Thomas Mount’s Flash Songs

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Early American Criminals: Thomas Mount's Flash Songs [ 7:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5869)
Note: This post continues “Thomas Mount’s Crime Tips.” Long before Nicholas Pileggi wrote Wiseguy and revealed the inner-workings of present-day organized crime, Thomas Mount in 1791 disclosed the secrets of the Flash Company, a gang of burglars, thieves, and highwaymen. As a part of his revelations, Mount asked that the language and songs of [...]

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Early American Criminals: Thomas Mount and the Flash Company

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Early American Criminals: Thomas Mount and the Flash Company [ 6:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (7541)
In April 1791, Thomas Mount and James Williams were thrown in the Newport, RI jail to be held until their execution for burglary. Williams was reticent to discuss his life or the crime that the two committed, but Mount not only willingly talked at length about these topics, he divulged the inner-workings of the [...]

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The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: arch-cove and arch gonnof

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

arch-cove – the head of a gang or mob; governor; president. arch gonnof – the head of a gang of thieves. The use of “arch” to signify the leader or head of a gang is still in use today. Action-adventure movies or television shows often use the terms “arch enemy” or “arch villain.” Image via [...]

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The Need for a New Punishment: Jonathan Wild and the Criminal Underworld

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Note: This post is part of a series on Convict Transportation to the American colonies. Thief-Taker General Any discussion of the state of England’s criminal underworld in the early 18th century must include Jonathan Wild, the self-described “Thief-Taker General of Great Britain and Ireland.” Wild had his hand in almost every facet of England’s criminal [...]

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