Dixie Mafia
Nix was a suspect in the attempted assassination of
McNairy County, Tennessee Sheriff
Buford Pusser, and in the
murder of Pusser's wife. Nix was also convicted of murdering wealthy
New Orleans grocery owner Frank Corso. At the time of the murder, Nix was believed to be employed by Darrel Ward in
Clarksville, Texas. Ward was a noted associate of
Chicago Mob boss
Sam Giancana, and is thought to have controlled organized crime and bootlegging throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The Dixie Mafia was strongly connected to the
State Line Mob and its leader, Carl Douglas White.
[5][6][7][8]
The Dixie Mafia developed a huge presence within the local law enforcement system. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation reported on this infiltration: “It was out of control,” said retired Special Agent Keith Bell, referring to the level of corruption in Biloxi and Harrison County—so much so that in 1983 federal authorities would designate the entire Harrison County Sheriff’s Office as a criminal enterprise.”
[13] The Dixie Mafia sheriffs and officers loyal to them “were doing anything and everything illegal down [there]... For money, [they] would release prisoners from the county jail, safeguard drug shipments, and hide fugitives. Anything you can think of, they were involved in.” In some locations the infiltration was so bad that “corrupt local sheriffs and deputies regularly extorted local businesses, aided prostitution, and in some cases murdered their political opponents in cold blood.”
[14] The Dixie Mafia did an exceptional job of infiltrating law enforcement, taking over positions that would have naturally opposed their operations, making an exorbitant amount of money.
