Origin of the Term Shyster: Supplementary Information

The present monograph complements Cohen’s 1982 study of shyster. The main contributions of his new work are a who’s who for the shyster story and a revisionist look at the coiner of the term (Mike Walsh). Scholars are currently agreed that Walsh was a raving, ranting demagogue and a wild-eyed genius whose only contribution was the introduction of gangs into New York City’s political process. Cohen argues, however, that Walsh possessed far more humanity (and possibly influence) than his critics have given him credit for. It is noteworthy too that the studies of Walsh and shyster shed light on each other; neither is complete alone.