Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia

by Edward Humes

Librarian's Note: The ISBN13 9780671535056 for this book is also used by "Paradise Postponed" by Jane Converse.

On a quiet September afternoon, Lynne Sposito learned that her parents, Vincent and Margaret Sherry, had been shot to death in their Biloxi, Mississippi, home. One of the city's most prominent couples -- he served as Circuit Court judge and she was runnng for mayor -- the Sherry's were mourned by a community. But for a stunned and grieving daughter, the nightmare was hust beginning. Racing to Biloxi for answers, Lynne found the police investigation in chaos. The only sure lead was that the Sherry's murder somehow was connected to the Dixie Mafia, a predatory band of criminals who ran Biloxi's beachfront hub of sex, drugs, and sleaze known as The Strip. Lynne, armed with a savvy private eye -- and a .357 Magnum -- set out to accomplish what the authorities could not or would not do: hunt down her parents' assassins and bring them to justice.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Humes delivers a shocking and bizarre tale set against a teeming underworld of merciless killers, ruthless con men, and venal politicians. "Mississippi Mud" portrays how one woman's steely obsession for the truth shook a city to its foundation -- and nearly destroyed everything she loved.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, History, Book Club, Southern, Biography

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Edward Humes is a Southern California author, journalist and writing teacher whose most recent nonfiction book is “The Forever Witness.” His next book, “Total Garbage: How to Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World,” will be published in time for Earth Day 2024. He shares his home office with a pair of rescued racing greyhounds, Valiant and Dottie.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Organized crime in Mississippi

I spent most of my law enforcement career as an intelligence analyst and as an investigator. At the time Judge Sherry and wife were murdered, I was the senior intelligence analyst at the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. I have always had a special interest in organized crime and corruption. This book pretty much has the story right but while Sherry may not have stolen Kirksey McCord Nix's money, he wasn't just an innocent bystander either. DREAM ROOM, Tales of the Dixie Mafia by Chet Nicholson looks specifically at Mike Gillich and the Sherry case.

Don't expect all of the rocks to be turned over. That would take a multitude of sources, cost an enormous amount of money and require volumes to recount it all. I don't know if there are any current gangsters along the lines of, let's just call him James, whom many considered to be the most dangerous gangster in Mississippi. If there are, then some real danger would also be involved. I knew a sensible, level headed investigator looking into James' activities who took to going armed at all times including church and the shower. He bought a stainless steel, snubnose .357 for the shower and the sweat of our hot Mississippi summers. Me? I began carrying a backup to my backup for a total of three pistols. That changed later but that's another story.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up in Biloxi, I couldn't possibly not read this book about murder and intrigue practically in my backyard. Literally. The Sherry's house in which they were murdered is just a few blocks away from the house I grew up in. I also went to high school with the son of Mike Gillich. Now I understand where the money came from that allowed his son to drive a Jaguar to school every day. The FBI agent was the husband of one of my English teachers. The mayor who was unjustly accused gave me a dictionary for high school graduation and helped me get a summer job. I'm good friends with a relative of one of the people who was murdered.

Although most enjoyable if you know some of the people and the setting, I think Mississippi Mud would still be an enjoyable non-fiction thriller for many other readers. It's been a bit too long since I've read it to provide much more in the way of details.

[Dennis Littrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unflinching portrait of a corrupt town

This comes across like something from the thirties without the Klan masks. Humes loves to go after town hall, and we can thank him for that. Biloxi, Mississippi, corrupt, decadent, stupid, "a sewerage" as one of its citizens called it, is put on trial here and found quite guilty. One of the most remarkable things about this book is the account of the scam against gay men conducted from Angola prison by Kirksey Nix and other criminals. They made hundreds of thousands of dollars with just telephone calls. Unlike most of the true crime books I have been reading, the characters here are hardened professional criminals, true hit men, etc. The stupid, greedy, sick characters of the other stories are here represented by a couple of corrupt lawyers, Halat and Sherry, the former, also a one-time mayor of Biloxi and the latter, one of the murder victims. Humes is a superior writer in the true crime genre.

--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”

[Nan Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction book written by a newspaper reporter concerning crime in Biloxi, Mississippi, and centering on the murders of Vince and Margaret Sherry in 1987.

It’s over 300 pages long which is about 200 pages too many. Each chapter reads as though it was a front page article (or update) about the murders followed by requisite background information and inside stories of related material. Obviously this is the way a reporter writes for a newspaper, but in book form it gets very repetitive and boring in a hurry.

The expose of the criminal element there was gripping and shocking even though I’ve known about the overwhelming corruption in Biloxi since I first vacationed there in the early 1950s. I simply had no idea that it had been perpetrated to such an extent.

It’s an interesting commentary on the Dixie Mafia and would be a good read for anyone wanting to know about it.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up near Biloxi, Mississippi, and never knew anything about this (of course I was about 5 when Vince and Margaret Sherry were murdered and not too into the news.)

This is book is on the longer side and there are a lot of players, but it never got dull and I felt the Sherrys were never treated as entertainment. They were always portrayed as humans with flaws who very much did not deserve to be assassinated.

This book really gets at the layers of corruption and the many missteps that prevented their murders from being solved for so long and how dogged their elder daughter was in her pursuit of justice for her parents. It’s all almost unbelievable and that’s what makes it such a compelling story.

Highly recommend.

[Jensen Jacquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO so good. As a Biloxian, I hadn’t realized the corruption that was our city—and maybe still is?? Lots of the last names are familiar and still in political roles down here. I read Boys From Biloxi by John Grisham earlier this year, and though it was fiction, I started talking to my parents about it all and if Biloxi was actually that level of corrupt, and they suggested Mississippi Mud. I knew where the Sherry house was even as a kid—my stepdad would always note the revolving vehicles as people moved in and out. He convinced me it was for sure haunted due to the murders. So sad and just insane for a pretty small city.

Humes did a great job with this. It read like fiction—very quick and easy to decipher, esp. for those not well-versed in court language, politics, etc. (ie—me). I didn’t think I’d read a 400 page nonfiction book in less than a week, but I couldn’t put it down. Now I’m trying to make everyone I know read it.

[Kyndall Ralston · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ for the sheer amount of work that went into writing this book 🤯 So much information and so many people involved. What a crazy story!

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This covers an interesting case about a "Dixie Mafia" contract murder conspiracy in Biloxi, Mississippi. Although the book drags in spots and annoyingly tries to frame real life events in a way that would appear in a novel. I can't stand when there are prolonged word for word recollections of converstations 30 years ago as if its even possible to remember with that level of accuracy. Overall this wasn't bad though. 3 out of 5 stars.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, is this one ever frustrating! This is what Truman Capote would call the REALLY perfect crime -- you know who did it, and he knows you know, and you just...can't...prove it.

[Zoie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5. Bet y’all didn’t see this coming!!!!!! I finished this book!!!!! Honestly, rating this is so hard for me, because did I enjoy it? No! I don’t think I was really supposed to, though. Humes’ told this bleak, grim story in a matter-of-fact way that didn’t mince words or feelings. As a non true-crime girl, this caused me to struggle at times. I can respect this, though, as I see the journalistic style he wrote with. The case itself did not mince words or feelings either. I was intrigued at times, but I also found myself bogged down in the details. I feel that I learned a lot about Mississippi’s history, especially pre-Katrina coastal Mississippi. I didn’t consider my lack of knowledge there until this book. I rate it lowly because of my struggle to remain engaged, my wrestling with the subject matter, my unlikeliness to recommend it to others, and the tone. I will say, I don’t even know if these are fair reasons to remove stars given the type of book this is. I think this book did its job well, and if true crime, Mississippi history, court cases, political scandals, or investigative journalism are your jam, you will love. Otherwise, it may be a bit much for you. I’m happy I read this and thankful to be done with it.

[Trish Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting true story about how corrupt Biloxi and the Dixie Mafia were. I found this fascinating after watch the Murdaugh trials.

[Hannah Jurkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great non-fiction true crime. Kept me on my toes and I had to keep myself from googling the outcome of who killed the Sherrys.
Really interesting to learn more about Biloxi and the crime history of the city and the Dixie Mafia.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree completely with "a reader from NJ"--the Sherrys apparently were not nice people, and they crossed the wrong people time after time after time with no thought of consequences. Mr. Humes is an excellent writer, and he certainly researched this book well.
The Kirksey Nix blackmail caper was borrowed by John Grisham in "The Brethren"!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am rating and reviewing this book for my book club several years after I actually read it. I should have re-read it. I remember being intrigued by the book because a very good friend of mine lived in Biloxi, MS while some of this was taking place. She in turn was good friends with one of the lawyers who went to federal prison for racketeering.

[Sarah J. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can you say about a true crime book about the Dixie Mafia? Don't know about the Dixie Mafia? Well it's based in Biloxi, MS- you know, the most southern of Mississippi cities with casinos (my fave: Beau Rivage), Polish mafia, and a couple good used bookstores.

[Rebecca Esmail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.... had a hard time putting down

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book discusses the murders of Vincent and Margaret Sherry. Vincent Sherry was employed as a circuit court judge and as a criminal defense attorney. He was also a conservative Democrat. His wife was a Republican, which is a very strange combination of people to be married and live together when their political views are so opposite, but that is not my business. Vincent had defended members associated with the Dixie Mafia several times in his capacity as a criminal defense attorney, including the "Godfather" of the Dixie Mafia. Interestingly, police believed that this was a professional hit, and thought someone from the Dixie Mafia was involved.

Dixie Mafia is one of the dumbest names for a group of people that I have ever read in my life. Of all the words in the English Language, that is the combination we are going with. (Stuff like this really does not help the perception of Southern people in general. I used to get really offended when people talked about the ignorance of Southern people, but they were very clearly onto something. As an adult who was educated in the South, it is very lacking. I am glad that I attended college elsewhere that had a higher standard of education.) I have digressed. The Dixie Mafia (insert eye roll) is a organized crime group located primarily in Biloxi, Mississippi. This group was apparently formed in the 1960's, and is still active today in some capacities. The group is made up of, you guessed it, White Southern men. They are into a lot of illegal activities, such as murder, arson, gambling, prostitution, and extortion.

It took quite a while to unravel all of the connections between Vincent and Margaret Sherry and the Dixie Mafia and get to the reason behind the murders. I happened to find this book at the library the other day and picked it up, even though it is not on my selected books for the month of June. I have been busy trying to get all of these books completed, so I suppose it is lucky that I suffer from insomnia. At any rate, this book was written like a mystery thriller, but with actual facts about an actual case. I thought it was pretty captivating, and I am glad that I picked it up. This is an older case, but I had never heard of it prior to finding this book.

[Amanda Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book spent a lot of time making the Sherry's out to be some sort of honest, trusting, justice warriors that were betrayed by their best friend. Obviously, shady stuff was going with many people involved, but I have a hard time recommending this or believing this as fact since they had been intertwined with Halat for years. I can buy that business partners might not know everything the other is doing, but this squeaky clean whitewash doesn't ring true. However, I've only lived in Biloxi for about 12 years and have never met any of these people, so IDK.

I may not know them, but I recognize most of the last names. I must admit that having a mayor named FoFo (nickname, real name Andrew) Gilich is concerning. I realize you can't judge a person necessarily by family.....but Mike is his Uncle, Andrew is his dad and Mike's son, who had been trying to open the booby bars back up, is his cousin.

Even if it is sugar coated, it was a crazy read. I have seen many stories about the Dixie Mafia, so apparently that is still a thing.

[Susie James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Winona, Miss., librarian recently listed Edward Humes's "Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice and the Dixie Mafia" in her "to read offerings column" in the local weeklies. So last week I of course checked it out, read it, was engrossed in the detail and characters of a time long ago. The Sherry murders in Biloxi and the pursuit of "what happened" to her parents by one of the power couple's older daughters in particular. And in the end ... 1990s in a courtroom, a scene if accurately reported, is a heck of a description of repentance and human forgiveness. I remembered reading newspaper accounts of this balled-up, horrific series of crimes and criminals decades ago. Never spent much time on the Coast, always had to wonder where we went to the Press Association awards banquets: which was Biloxi, and which was Gulfport? (My apologies, Gulfportians.) The Buena Vista was a choice site; apparently that was in the Sin City.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I put this on my list of books to get from the library, but between doing so and actually reading the book, I managed to forget that it was a work of nonfiction. I was several chapters in before I realized I was reading it all wrong. It is perhaps a little detail heavy (which is why I thought it wasn't shaping up to be a very good work of fiction at the beginning), but I think rightfully so. I had no knowledge of anything to do with the dixie mafia, and my mind is blown! It's a tragedy, and even by the end it is hard to feel that justice was ever served. Weirdly enough, the Biloxi history webpage has zero mention of the former mayor and his dealings with all this though it does mention the murders and the trial of another former mayor.

[Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 was the third time that I read Edward Humes’ Mississippi Mud. Obviously, I like the book.

Anyone who wrote a novel featuring the Dixie Mafia, a corrupt Biloxi mayor, a one-legged hitman, a murdered judge, and his murdered politician wife would have a hard time getting published. No one would believe it could happen. Except it did - in 1987. This is a you-have-to-read-it-to-believe-it tale and it will keep you hooked throughout.

The negative of the original version of this book was that the tale ended before the legal proceedings were over. Make sure that you get the updated version.

The other negative is that the book does lose some momentum when it gets to the trials.

But it’s still an amazing read. Find a copy and read it.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars.

First of all, newspaper reporters generally make for bad authors. The writing in this book was jumbled and had that feel that the author was trying to fit everything into one sentence and it was complicated and confusing.

The story itself was of interest to me considering I now have my own cases against Peter Barrett and Keith Pisarich. I also liked that it captured the reality of what often happens in true crime.

If you’re living in the Gulf Coast area, or are familiar with it, then this is a must read. If you’re not, then this one might not hold your interest as a true crime read.

[Robert Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never particularly been a fan of true crime books, as I find they tend to be cumbersome and a bit confusing. And this one possessed those attributes, but to a lesser degree than others I've read. It is of a subject matter (Dixie Mafia) that I wanted to learn more about. To that end, I thought it was quite fascinating. I'd like to think that this type of lawlessness would not permeate any form of government these days, but no doubt, it does. Interesting read, and I'd like to learn more about the Dixie Mafia in general, and what became of some of the characters in the book specifically.

[Tim Oliphant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in Biloxy about 10 years ago golfing and im not much of a gambler i am more of a guy to go out and have a few drinks and do some dancing but noticed that there wasnt much night life like that so i was sitting at the bar at the casino we were staying at and started talking to a gentleman that was a local and i asked him if there was a place that you could go and mingle and do some dancing and he proceeded to explain why there wasnt places like that and he told me to get the book Mississippi Mud and read it and it would explain why. I am not much for reading books but this book was so interesting i didnt want to put it down till i finished it. I would love to read it again.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humes did a superb job of tying together the murders, the politics, the graft and the general sleaze of the Dixie Mafia days of Biloxi and weaving it into a very readable narrative.
People around the gulf coast say it's all in the past. But as that famous Mississipian author put it ... well, you know what he said about the past.
If you don't believe it, check out the recent news about the funneling of welfare money into college volleyball and into the pockets of some very prestigious officeholders and their ex-NFL superstar pal. Politics in Mississipi is about as crooked as the river that shares its name.

[Madi St. Onge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars! What a read. You’re captivated from the beginning, shocked that any of this could happen in Biloxi, MS. You’re committed to finding out who did it, why, and are appalled at the back and forth nature of investigation, corruption, lies, and longing for the truth. I’ll admit, I was impatient for those in between moments of evidence and justice to be served! It got there though, and boy was I surprised at the ending. I’m not normally a murder mystery fan due to the heaviness of the topic, but this one was really good and well written. I’d recommend the read, especially for those on the MS gulf coast!

[Lamoreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contrasts with Nicholson's Dream Room. An interesting account but so invested in the victims' family that the narrative starts to sound a little like some kind of television miniseries, which could have been part of the author's long-term intention. Too bad no one ever wrote a more detached, more thoroughgoing account of the dynamics in this case. Probably too late now, as the main players die off and recede in time.

[Natalie Favre · Rating 3 out of 5]

this started off sososososososo incredible; mainly because it happened in biloxi, my parents/grandparents remember it, and the woman who taught my brother how to swim is featured in chapter 14. but sadly, i skimmed through the end chapters to see the results of the trial. there were too many fluff chapters; i don’t think i needed to know background for every single character. still a really cool read. can’t believe it’s real.

[Anne Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating account of a double murder in Biloxi Mississippi in the 1980s. Corruption was everywhere in this town including the police force and local politics and Humes does a great job of uncovering what happened and reporting on it. Since the book was written in 1994 I was able to get the rest of the story from the Internet. The writing in this book is great - almost reads like literary non-fiction and his research was extensive.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating nonfiction about a double murder case that took place just across the bay from where I grew up. I was obviously an oblivious kid because I remember zero percent of this occurring. My mother shared a few more tidbits about other local characters that are intertwined with this sordid affair which brought the story to a new level for me.