A Welsh Godfather: The Death of a Thai Godfather, #2

By Matt Owens Rees

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.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Owens Rees
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215548981

Matt Owens Rees

My focus group took time to develop but is now paying dividends. I can bounce ideas off Thais from varying social classes. From poor farmers and construction workers to those working in offices and shops. From bankers to well-off business owners. The group includes members of the so-called hi-so elite as well as military and police officers. Interaction sometimes needs to be one-to-one as Thais are cautious expressing their views in front of their other countrymen. To understand Thailand and to integrate better with the Thai people and their culture, it’s important to observe and listen rather than doing all the talking oneself. After all, God gave us two eyes and two ears but only ONE mouth. Through field research and discussions with Thais, either in normal conversation or in the lecture theatre, Matt presents a rich picture of the real Thailand, warts and all. He has written extensively on Thais and Thailand with 20 published books already available in ebook and print format. Despite not being similar in style, his books reflect on some of the observations in “Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind.” ln his opinion, the best introductory book on Thais and Thailand. Written by Carol Hollinger in 1965, its insights are still very revealing and up to date. Sadly, Hollinger passed away at 45 years old before she could see her best- selling book in print. Matt also then lost an opportunity to collaborate with her on a new book on the concept of Face in Thailand. Readers can take a look at all the books written by Matt Owens Rees at www.books2read.com where they can find full details and excerpts for each title, and the opportunity to buy with just one click at the reader's favourite online store.  

Book preview

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