A Welsh Godfather

Matt has written this true account of the activities of a Welsh Godfather in collaboration with his childhood friend, Johnny Illsley. Neither knew anything of those activities until after Johnny's parents had died and personal letters of the Godfather, J.O.Williams, were available.

Because the UK and Newfoundland governments were involved in J.O.'s activities in Port Hope Simpson, a new settlement in Newfoundland, and because there were other vested interests, not all the archive material has been released following freedom of information requests. However, many facts and data have been pieced together from sources who knew J.O.'s family to make this book an interesting read. Expect many twists and turns in the narrative and watch out for some cliff-hangers.

A Welsh Godfather shows how J.O. manipulated politicians in the UK and Newfoundland. He sought friends and influential contacts and avoided making enemies whenever he could. J.O. wanted people on his side. We see how politicians had difficulty in dealing with or controlling him. They claimed the cover-ups were in the public interest. But, was it not also in their interests to construct a cover-up?

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

From his personal observations and experiences, Matt Owens Rees sees a mafia as a benevolent dictatorship run essentially as a "family" concern. The violence portrayed in movies 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.

J.O. wanted to create a wealthy and powerful family. There is no evidence that he ever used violence. He was, as far as Matt was aware, not involved in drug smuggling, protection rackets, human trafficking, illegal gambling, boot-legging 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.

Provided that you showed him respect, J.O. 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. J.O. Williams 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.

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 J.O.Williams family.