Godfathers of Chicago's Chinatown: Triads, Tongs & Street Gangs

by Harrison Fillmore

Discover the untold story of the Windy City's Ghost Shadows. Even in a town notorious for gangsters like Al Capone, much of Chicago's lawless lore has remained uncharted. Chicago's Chinatown, in particular, was home to a vast criminal enterprise, strictly bound by old country rituals, rules and traditions. Few know of Moy Dong Chew, aka "Opium Dong," one of Chinatown's original godfathers, much less Frank Moy, his fedora-wearing predecessor. While incidents like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre dominated newspaper headlines, the Tong Wars were being waged in the shadows. Author Harrison Fillmore relates the long and sordid history of Chinatown's underbelly from the early 1880s to the late 1980s when a Federal Indictment essentially ended organized crime's grip on their good citizens

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2023

Reviews

[Olivia Meriwether · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visiting Chicago’s Chinatown, I wanted to learn more about the people and history that made it what it is now. It was interesting to read about the depth of Chicago’s Chinatown across decades and across the nation. Plus, the author is fascinating- Harrison Fillmore is a pseudonym for a City of Chicago law enforcement employee who has ties to many of the stories of Chinatown and also enjoys sketching so he included a bunch of his art in the book. This is a good read for anyone living in or visiting Chicago wanting to know more about Chinatown, history appreciators, or anyone who loves diving into niche subjects.

[Sharon Woodhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important, thorough, and well-researched contribution to Chicago history, Chicago crime history, and ethnic histories of Chicago in even better-than-usual History Press packaging, with several remarkable illustrations by the author, particularly of people, scattered through the book.

[Ryan Xie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great local history