Timesuck with Dan Cummins cover image

343 - The Irish Mob

Timesuck with Dan Cummins

00:00

The Rise and Fall of the Chicago Irish

Michael Cassius McDonald, aka King Mike McDonald, was a gambling overlord and political mover and shaker who basically ran Chicago around the turn of the century. He commissioned calling on all Irishmen to join in Illinois, Irish Brigade and fight on behalf of the Union in the Civil War. His main racket would be baling anyone out of jail who needed it. By the mid-80s or 1880s, Mike McDonald was a millionaire many times over but the true measure of his power and influence was only partially based on money. It's like Mike McDonald put every criminal in town into his debt as he also amassed a small fortune. The bootleene involved fleecing municipal governments

Transcript
Play full episode

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app