The Dixie Mafia refers to organized crime organizations in the American South that have been active since the 1950s. The Mafia originated in the Appalachian parts of several southern states, consisting of several loosely-knit gangs of petty criminals; they agreed never to snitch for the police, and they were led by whoever had the most money. The Dixie Mafia has been known to work with the American Mafia on some occasions, with the Dixie Mafia in New Orleans running Algiers for the Marcano crime family. Ritchie Doucet ran a prostitution and drugs ring from the Algiers for Giorgi Marcano, though theLincoln Clay wiped out the leadership of the Dixie Mafia by killing Doucet and several of his men. The Dixie Mafia also had connections to the racist Southern Union organization and the Ku Klux Klan terrorist group; however, in comparison to the Klan, the Dixie Mafia was commonly seen as a group of "redneck" criminals.