Power, Politics, and ‘Da Juice’: The Murphy Name in Erie’s Shadow Government

Thomas Flatley, who became Mayor, Navy Officer, Mom, Dad, Grand Ma and Grandpa. Dad was NOT a Jr., as Grandpa was Perry M. Murphy, but Grandma Murphy had enough power to change what was in the Erie Times-News to protect Grandpa from being in the U.S. with no documentation, while getting Her Son’s Hero Welcome at Home from the USS Enterprise. It was over 10 years after Prohibition ended, and in another decade, the mayor would be removed from office after admitting to receiving kickbacks from gamblers… but would never name Grandma. As my older brother Jack said… “Grandma had ‘da Juice!”