Kirksey Nix

Last updated
Louisiana State Penitentiary, from where Nix perpetrated a "Lonely Hearts" scam AngolaLAPrison.jpg
Louisiana State Penitentiary, from where Nix perpetrated a "Lonely Hearts" scam

Kirksey McCord Nix Jr. (born 1943) is the former boss of the Dixie Mafia. [1] [2]

He was a suspect in the assassination attempt on Sheriff Buford Pusser and in the death of Buford's wife on August 12, 1967. Nix has repeatedly refused to comment about Pusser's claims that he was one of his wife's killers. [1]

In 1972, Nix was convicted of murdering Frank Corso, a New Orleans grocery executive, in a break-in at Corso's home, and began serving a life sentence without parole. [1] [2]

Nix was later convicted for involvement in the 1987 murder-for-hire killing of Judge Vincent Sherry and city councilwoman Margaret Sherry, spouses, in Biloxi, Mississippi. [3] As described by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:

While serving a life sentence for murder at Angola State Penitentiary, Nix built a criminal empire from which he hoped to earn enough money to buy his way out of prison. Although he dabbled in insurance fraud and drug dealing, Nix's primary money-making scheme was a "lonely hearts" scam designed to defraud homosexual men. Nix and his prison syndicate would place personal advertisements in national homosexual magazines. When men would respond to these ads, Nix or one of his associates would indicate that he was having financial difficulties and needed the respondent to wire money to a Nix associate outside prison. Nix acquired hundreds of thousands of dollars from this scam.

Mike Gillich ("Gillich"), the alleged "underworld boss" of Biloxi, Mississippi, aided Nix in his various schemes. Peter Halat, a Biloxi attorney, maintained a trust account for Nix. . . .

In December 1986, Halat told Nix and Gillich that approximately $100,000 of Nix's money was missing from the office trust account. Halat indicated that he suspected Vincent Sherry, Halat's former law partner and a Mississippi Circuit Judge, of stealing the money. Coincidentally, Judge Sherry's wife Margaret was a Biloxi mayoral candidate critical of Gillich's operations. The prosecution produced evidence that the three men arranged to have the Sherrys killed.

— United States v. Sharpe, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [4]

In 1991, a jury convicted Nix, Halat, Gillich, Sheri LaRa Sharpe, and John Ransom of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and it found Nix and Gillich guilty of travel in aid of murder-for-hire. [4] In 1994, Gillich became a state informant, and, in 1997, a second trial yielded convictions against Nix, Gillich, Halat, and Thomas Leslie Holcomb. [5] Nix was found guilty of racketeering, conspiracy to violate the racketeering statute, fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. [4] Holcomb was serving a life sentence for carrying out the killings for pay and died in prison in 2005 at age 52. [6] [7] Ransom was released from federal prison in late 2003 at age 76 and returned to the Atlanta area. [8]

Nix is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act</span> US federal law

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.

The Gambino crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. The group, which went through five bosses between 1910 and 1957, is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963, when the structure of organized crime first gained public attention. The group's operations extend from New York and the eastern seaboard to California. Its illicit activities include labor and construction racketeering, gambling, loansharking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution, fraud, hijacking, and fencing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buford Pusser</span> American policeman, sheriff, and wrestler (1937-1974)

Buford Hayse Pusser was the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, from 1964 to 1970, and constable of Adamsville from 1970 to 1972. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices along the Mississippi–Tennessee state line. His efforts have inspired several books, songs, movies and a TV series. He was also a wrestler known as "Buford the Bull" in the Mid-South.

The Genovese crime family, also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American Mafia. The Genovese family has generally maintained a varying degree of influence over many of the smaller mob families outside New York, including ties with the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Patriarca, and Buffalo crime families.

The Colombo crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was during Lucky Luciano's organization of the American Mafia after the Castellammarese War, following the assassinations of "Joe the Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, that the gang run by Joseph Profaci became recognized as the Profaci crime family.

The Dixie Mafia, or the Dixie Mob, is an American criminal organization composed mainly of White Southerners and based in Biloxi, Mississippi, operating primarily throughout the Southern United States since at least the late 1960s. The groups' activities include movement of stolen merchandise, illegal alcohol, and illegal drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeCavalcante crime family</span> Italian-American organized crime family

The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey crime family or the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York and the surrounding areas. The family is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia.

The New Orleans crime family, also known as the Marcello crime family or the New Orleans Mafia, was an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The family had a history of criminal activity dating back to the late nineteenth century. These activities included racketeering, extortion, gambling, prostitution, narcotics distribution, money laundering, loan sharking, fencing of stolen goods, and murder. Operating along the Gulf Coast, with its main criminal activity centered in the New Orleans area, the organization reached its height of influence under bosses Silvestro Carollo and Carlos Marcello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Crea</span> American mobster

Steven L. "Stevie" Crea is an American mobster and former underboss of the Lucchese crime family. In August 2020, Crea was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and racketeering.

Rosario "Ross" Gangi is a New York City mobster and former captain in the Genovese crime family who became involved in labor Racketeering and white collar crime.

Lawrence Dentico, also known as "Larry Fab", "Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey-based member of the Genovese crime family, who formerly served as a captain and the family's consigliere.

Victor J. Orena, also known as "Little Vic", is a New York City mobster who became the acting boss of the Colombo crime family. A challenge by Orena to boss Carmine Persico triggered one of the bloodiest Mafia wars of the late 20th century, and the last major mob war in New York City to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Trucchio</span> American mobster

Ronald Joseph Trucchio, also known as "Ronnie One Arm" is an American mobster who rose to the position of caporegime in the Gambino crime family of New York City.

The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Bruno–Scarfo crime family, the Philadelphia–Atlantic City crime family, the Philadelphia Mafia, the Philly Mafia, or the Philadelphia–South Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed and based in South Philadelphia, the criminal organization primarily operates in Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, including South Jersey. The family is notorious for its violence, its succession of violent bosses, and multiple mob wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Beaumont</span> High security prison in Texas, United States

The United States Penitentiary, Beaumont is a high security United States federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Jefferson County, Texas. It is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Beaumont and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California. The principal source of law for California criminal procedure is the California Penal Code.

The Bonanno crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City as part of the criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia.

Peter J. Halat Jr. is an American politician and lawyer who served as the twelfth mayor of Biloxi, Mississippi, and was later convicted and served time for his involvement in a criminal conspiracy which led to the 1987 murders of Halat's former law partner, Mississippi judge Vincent Sherry, and Sherry's wife Margaret, a Biloxi city councilwoman. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 years in prison, of which he served 15.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Sun Herald, The Dixie Mafia:Sheriff Leroy Hobbs, Drugs and Murder, Gene Swearingen and Anita Lee, September 15, 1990
  2. 1 2 Dixie Mafia: Prison Gang Profile Archived 2006-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Jenni Camhi (January 17, 2023). "Who were key players in the Dixie Mafia era? A criminal mastermind and a Biloxi mayor". Sun Herald .
  4. 1 2 3 United States v. Sharpe , 193F.3d852, 860—61(5th Cir.Oct. 20, 1999).
  5. ↑ "Holcomb admitted killings, say ex-cellmates". Clarion-Ledger. 1997-06-19. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  6. ↑ "Defendants In 1987 Sherry Murder Case Allowed New Trials". wlox.com. 2001-02-14. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  7. ↑ Lee, Anita (September 14, 2017). "An 'ice cold' murder conspiracy ended Margaret and Vincent Sherry's lives 30 years ago".
  8. ↑ Elkins, Ashley (2006-03-12). "Figure in Coast judge's slaying dies". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.