urbanSTL

Both Egan's Rats and Gangs of St. Louis are written by the same author, Daniel Waugh. I'm not sure if he's local or not because it seems he has also written about the organized crime histories of Detroit and Chicago as well. 

I'd like to read Egan's Rats at some point as well. They're loosely covered in the book I'm reading now, but they sound like a very interesting group and I wouldn't mind reading more. 

It seems Irish gangs actually had more influence in St. Louis than the Italian mafia, at least in the city's early days of organized crime. 

KansasCitian wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

Both Egan's Rats and Gangs of St. Louis are written by the same author, Daniel Waugh. I'm not sure if he's local or not because it seems he has also written about the organized crime histories of Detroit and Chicago as well. 

I'd like to read Egan's Rats at some point as well. They're loosely covered in the book I'm reading now, but they sound like a very interesting group and I wouldn't mind reading more. 

It seems Irish gangs actually had more influence in St. Louis than the Italian mafia, at least in the city's early days of organized crime. 

I don't know that St. Louis was ever a real center for the Italian mafia.  Chicago definitely was and Kansas City emerged as one as well--in particular because it was the last outpost before the west (Las Vegas). 

It seems like the Irish Mob was prevalent early on and by the 1970's organized crime was largely run here by Lebanese American families. 

My neighborhood Walgreens has a bunch of small books, I think from the same author or at least the same publisher, about most of the surrounding neighborhoods: Holly Hills, Dutchtown, Carondelet, etc. 

If you're interested in the 20th century history of St. Louis politics I highly recommend 'The Triumph of Tradition" by Lana Stein, a poli-sci professor at UMSL.  I first read it as a student in her public admin. class in grad school and recently revisited it a couple years ago. Both times through it helped me gain understanding of this unique and special city and its particular disfunctions, many of which continue to frustrate would-be reformers of all political stripes to this day.

St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition
Useful but should have been better.
A thorough, but frustrating, analysis
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/188398243X/ref=acr_search_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=three_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

chris fuller wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition
Useful but should have been better.
A thorough, but frustrating, analysis
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/188398243X/ref=acr_search_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=three_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

Yeah, its not perfect. If you've already read a couple books on the subject then you can probably skip it, but if you want a single book on the topic then I stand by my recommendation.

Baltimore Jack wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

KansasCitian wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

Both Egan's Rats and Gangs of St. Louis are written by the same author, Daniel Waugh. I'm not sure if he's local or not because it seems he has also written about the organized crime histories of Detroit and Chicago as well. 

I'd like to read Egan's Rats at some point as well. They're loosely covered in the book I'm reading now, but they sound like a very interesting group and I wouldn't mind reading more. 

It seems Irish gangs actually had more influence in St. Louis than the Italian mafia, at least in the city's early days of organized crime. 

I don't know that St. Louis was ever a real center for the Italian mafia.  Chicago definitely was and Kansas City emerged as one as well--in particular because it was the last outpost before the west (Las Vegas). 

It seems like the Irish Mob was prevalent early on and by the 1970's organized crime was largely run here by Lebanese American families. 

St. Louis had mafia families and for all I know may still have a small operation here in town, but it does seem like other organized crime groups have always been larger. 

That said, I recently found out about a mafia car bombing in downtown Clayton in 1970 that took out the CEO for a large company when it was supposed to get a lawyer. So the mafia has had a presence here before. 

sc4mayor wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

Nobody really said they didn’t have a presence…there was a car bombing on 55 once too.  But to say STL was a center for the Italian mob would just be wrong.  It wasn’t.  Not compared to Chicago and Kansas City.

Also, I think that Clayton garage bombing happened in 2008 and wasn’t mob related but a guy trying to kill his wife’s divorce attorney.  He hit the wrong lawyer, but nobody died.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/cri ... c9775.html

There were other bombings in the 80s carried out by the Southside Dentist too.

I didn't say that St. Louis was a center for the Italian mob. In fact, I said the opposite. 

The 1970 Clayton bombing: http://www.crimemagazine.com/murder-mistake

SB in BH wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

chris fuller wrote: ↑

Feb 14, 2022

St. Louis Politics: The Triumph of Tradition
Useful but should have been better.
A thorough, but frustrating, analysis
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/188398243X/ref=acr_search_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=three_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

Yeah, its not perfect. If you've already read a couple books on the subject then you can probably skip it, but if you want a single book on the topic then I stand by my recommendation.

Triumph of Tradition is on my bookshelf. I would go so far as to say it is a must read if you have no been living in St. Louis for the last half century. I am not even sure where else the political history of the city has been recorded. The political science elements of the book are pretty perfunctory from a quantitative standpoint but that isn't what is super important.

Parkview: A St. Louis Urban Oasis
https://www.amazon.com/Parkview-St-Louis-Urban-Oasis/dp/1891442406

The Italian Mafia may not have had strong local ties, but members of the Chicago mafia were purported to have spent time in Castlewood during prohibition.  From the World Bird Sanctuary's (they own the land that used to house The Lone Wolf, a known speakeasy in Castlewood during the depression) blog:

During prohibition Al Capone and his enforcer Frank Nitte were known to supply and be honored guests at the local speakeasies.  Pretty boy Floyd, a depression era bank robber and member of a super gang, which listed among its members Baby Face Nelson and John Dillinger, was known to have stayed in local flophouses.  One home nearby still exists and has a register which he signed. 

-RBB

chris fuller wrote: ↑

Feb 16, 2022

Parkview: A St. Louis Urban Oasis
https://www.amazon.com/Parkview-St-Louis-Urban-Oasis/dp/1891442406

The author of this (and a couple other books about St. Louis) was my Great Aunt!

Stl PR - ‘Mapping St. Louis’ tells the region’s story in 40 rare maps


https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on- ... -rare-maps

^I recently picked up the Mapping St. Louis book, and it's quickly become one of my favorites. 

Written by Andrew Hahn (director of the Campbell House Museum and a 7th-generation St. Louisan),  the book features all kinds of maps, from the city's founding to the ward redistricting in 2021. It's even got a "fantasy map" showing what Metrolink could look like in the 2050s. In addition to the maps, there are dozens of photos and illustrations which expand on the topics of each individual map. 

For map nerds like me, it's a must-have. 

framer wrote: ↑

1:58 AM - Feb 10

^I recently picked up the Mapping St. Louis book, and it's quickly become one of my favorites. 

Written by Andrew Hahn (director of the Campbell House Museum and a 7th-generation St. Louisan),  the book features all kinds of maps, from the city's founding to the ward redistricting in 2021. It's even got a "fantasy map" showing what Metrolink could look like in the 2050s. In addition to the maps, there are dozens of photos and illustrations which expand on the topics of each individual map. 

For map nerds like me, it's a must-have. 

I got that book for Christmas.  Its awesome.

https://reedypress.com/shop/mapping-st-louis/