Felix Mitchell

Felix Wayne Mitchell Jr. (August 23, 1954 - August 21, 1986) was a convicted drug lord from Oakland, California and leader of the notorious "69 Mob" criminal organization, which operated throughout California and into the midwest. Known as "Felix the Cat" after the cartoon character, he is credited with creating the country's first large-scale, gang-controlled drug operation.^{[citation needed]}

History

Mitchell was born in East Oakland, and lived in the 69th Ave San Antonio Village housing projects. After dropping out of high school, Mitchell created a criminal organization called "My Other Brother, or 6-9 Mob" a.k.a. "MOB". Connected with L.A. kingpin Tootie Reese, he made business contacts in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Detroit.

For more than a decade, Mitchell battled competition from Mickey Moore’s crime family and the Funktown USA gang to gain total control of the heroin market. Before 1984-1985 and the widespread practice of free-basing cocaine (the smoking of crack cocaine), heroin use was more common. It is estimated that Mitchell brought in around $400,000 dollars in weekly business.^{[citation needed]}

Mitchell was targeted by local and national law enforcement. He was convicted in 1985 and sentenced to life in prison at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary where he was fatally stabbed on August 21, 1986, a little more than a year into his sentence.

Funeral and Notoriety

Mitchell's funeral gained national attention as an example of the impact drugs and drug-culture was having on the country's youth.^[1] Thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects as the funeral procession went through Mitchell’s old Oakland neighborhood. His body was carried through crowded streets by a horse-drawn carriage trailed by 14 Rolls Royce limousines and was attended by Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton.^[2] According to an interview with Bay Area radio personality Jimmy Guy "I remember his funeral, it was like Martin Luther King had died and that coverage went out all over the country. I didn't want my city to just be known for honoring a drug dealer." Rapper Too Short said Felix Mitchell was like Oakland's leader.

The service received news coverage internationally. Onlookers lined the streets to watch the procession. The procession began at Mitchell's former residence, the San Antonio Villas and ended at the Star Bethel Baptist Church at San Pablo and Powell Streets in Emeryville. Many civic leaders and citizens were appalled that the services were allowed to take place at all. Proper permits for the event had been filed.

Mitchell's criminal convictions were overturned by a federal judge on technicalities, a few years after his death.

External links

• Mitchell at BETShows - American Gangster

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ America's Crusade, Time Magazine September 15, 1986

Persondata
Name	Mitchell,Felix
Alternative names	Felix the Cat
Short description
Date of birth	August 23, 1954
Place of birth
Date of death	August 21, 1986
Place of death