Maurice Enright
Encyclopedia
Maurice "Mossy" or "Mossie" Enright (died February 2, 1920) was an Irish-American gangster
and one of the earliest Chicago
labor racketeers in the early 20th century.
Little is known of Maurice Enright's background before his gang
's violent and brutal methods managed to dominate Chicago's labor unions by the end of the 19th century. A veteran of the "Circulation Wars," he became a major figure in the city's steam fitters unions during the early 1910s and was instrumental in the rise of Johnny Torrio
who provided him with invaluable political protection from First Ward vice district Aldermen "Bathhouse" John Couglin and Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna
.
Enright remained in control of the city's labor unions into the early months of Prohibition
until his death on February 2, 1920, when he was gun
ned down near his South Side home (most likely by rival Timothy "Big Tim" Murphy
or Johnny Torrio and Al Capone
whose death occurred shortly before James "Big Jim" Colosimo
).
Although Vincent Cosmano was later arrest
ed and eventually acquitted for the murder
, only labor union racketeer James Vinci would be convicted of Enright's murder.
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
and one of the earliest Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
labor racketeers in the early 20th century.
Little is known of Maurice Enright's background before his gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
's violent and brutal methods managed to dominate Chicago's labor unions by the end of the 19th century. A veteran of the "Circulation Wars," he became a major figure in the city's steam fitters unions during the early 1910s and was instrumental in the rise of Johnny Torrio
Johnny Torrio
John "Papa Johnny" Torrio , also known as "The Fox", was an Italian-American mobster who helped build the criminal empire known as the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s that was later inherited by his protege, Al Capone...
who provided him with invaluable political protection from First Ward vice district Aldermen "Bathhouse" John Couglin and Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna
Michael Kenna
Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna was one of the two aldermen elected in Chicago's First Ward, from 1897 to 1923.At the age of ten, Kenna left school and began selling newspapers. By the age of twelve, he had borrowed fifty dollars from a bar keeper and purchased a news stand at the corner of Monroe and...
.
Enright remained in control of the city's labor unions into the early months of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
until his death on February 2, 1920, when he was gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
ned down near his South Side home (most likely by rival Timothy "Big Tim" Murphy
Timothy D. Murphy
Timothy D. "Big Tim" Murphy was a Chicago mobster and labor racketeer who controlled several major railroad, laundry and dye workers' unions during the 1910s and early 1920s....
or Johnny Torrio and Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
whose death occurred shortly before James "Big Jim" Colosimo
James Colosimo
Giacomo Colosimo , better known as Big Jim Colosimo, was an Italian-American Mafia crime boss who built a criminal empire in Chicago based on prostitution, gambling, and racketeering. Immigrating from Italy in 1895, he gained power through petty crime and the heading of a chain of brothels...
).
Although Vincent Cosmano was later arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed and eventually acquitted for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, only labor union racketeer James Vinci would be convicted of Enright's murder.
Further reading
- Johnson, Curt and R. Craig Sautter. The Wicked City: Chicago from Kenna to Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 1998. ISBN 0-306-80821-8