The True Story of a Welsh Godfather

episode 3 of 11

Most readers like to read short pieces with some photos. So, this piece on a Welsh mafia godfather is published on Medium.com as well as on my website, www.MattOwendsRees.com

For some professional photos on Thai traditions and people culture, I strongly recommend looking at https://www.LodeEngelen.be
The images often support the articles on my own website.

“I’ve got a banger. I’ve got a banger.”
At a bonfire night party, Uncle John running through the crowd with a lighted firework in his hand, throwing it only seconds before it went off. Johnny and I were scared stiff. The J.O. family often invited friends and locals to festivities such as this. The family did not make close friends outside their circle. But, they were happy to put on events to which villagers were warmly welcomed and made to feel at ease.

Firework “bangers”. The trick is to throw them before they explode in your hand, Uncle John was an expert at this.

“I don’t want the fish. We only need chips” Johnny’s parents took Johnny and I for a weekend break in their campervan. “Lofty” Illsley, Johnny’s Dad, went to the local fish and chip shop to get some chips to accompany the fish that Doreen Illsley had prepared. They wouldn’t serve him chips on their own. So, he paid for the fish and chips and threw the fish away.

Doreen Illsley with her lifelong friend, Bunty James on the right of the photo. Taken in 1935 but looking very much like I remember.

Does this tell us anything about mafia families? I think it does.

The rugby game incident, described in a previous episode, showed J.O.’s supreme confidence and realisation of his powerful godfather position. He commanded and received respect.

Uncle John and the rest of the family showed how a mafia family creates a presence within a community without getting overly involved but coming across in a friendly and positive way. Gaining respect for the family which people knew would help them if they asked.

“Lofty” Illsley, by just throwing the fish away showed, in a curious way, a steadfastness and unwavering of purpose. Totally confident in himself. All are mafia traits.

This is how mafias are run in the everyday world. They are businesses like any other. As we see in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather”, the methods used were sometimes justified in order to keep the family’s reputation and respect intact against what they saw as an unfair society run by a rich establishment that only looked after their own interests.

Conclusion.

In the context of the Godfather’s family and my personal observations and experiences, I see a mafia as a benevolent dictatorship run essentially as a “family” concern. The violence has been overplayed.

The only deaths in this true story were that of three family members of J.O.’s family in the 1940 fire, and they were probably committed by the loggers who had grievances over working conditions. They took the law into their own hands. That in itself is a typical mafia strategy.

The Godfather wanted to create a wealthy and powerful family. There is no evidence that he ever used violence. He was, as far as I am aware, not involved in drug smuggling, protection rackets, human trafficking, illegal gambling, bootlegging or the other oft-quoted activities of mafias.

It’s not illegal to outwit international governments and make a great deal of money doing so.

J O Williams and his son, Eric. Photo taken before the fire and Eric’s death in 1940. He looked exactly the same when I first met him in the 1960s. His face had not changed at all.

Provided that you showed him respect, the Godfather would be benevolent towards you and you would be regarded as a member of his extended family. Although he was open to discussion and would listen, his decisions were final. The Godfather saw the crookedness and unfairness of much in society. He knew and experienced at first hand the corruption, bias, and self-serving of the political and judicial establishment.

He had a sharp business-like and analytical mind and a gift for clear thinking. He did things his way. J.O. Williams did not suffer fools gladly. He outclassed most people with whom he came into contact.

We think of mafia as a corrupt organised crime family not following the law as we know it. In that sense, mafias are examples of a dysfunctional and broken system. The mafia businesses themselves, of course, have a different view. To them, it is the establishment, the government, which is corrupt and dysfunctional.

As portrayed in film, we are told that they are violent crocked criminals with no redeeming features. We need to view them in a different perspective when reading the narrative of the Godfather’s family.

Some perspectives of what a mafia is like in other countries, including Thailand.

Thais are fully aware that there are mafias in their country but do not openly call them by that name. They talk of them as organisations that are corrupt and cheat other people.

There is no stigma in being called a mafia man. In fact, the Thai for a mafia godfather is poo mee ithipon, a man of respect. Having respect for those better than oneself in the hierarchy are cultural traits of the Thai.