![]() ![]() His nickname “Mickey” is believed to have been taken from the scampy Irish fictional character created by late 19th Century writer Ernest Jarrold. Rowdy and troublesome Finn was likely called “Mickey” ironically. Wikimedia Commons American writer Ernest Jarrold was best known for his charming Irish character, Mickey. He survived by making a not-so-honest living as a pickpocket and thief, typically going after drunken bar patrons who were easy to rob. Not much is known about Michael “Mickey” Finn except that he was born in Indiana in 1871 to Irish immigrant parents and grew up on the streets. Not to mention, this scheme is said to be the origin of the nefarious phrase to “slip a Mickey.” The Seedy Origins Of Mickey Finn His association with the drug later inspired the manufacturing of another illegal substance, appropriately called “Mickey Finn,” that was used by vengeful waiters so often that it begat a food poisoning epidemic across Chicago. ![]() Mickey Finn's scam inspired Chicago restaurant workers to rebel against stingy tippers by poisoning their food and would later be immortalized with the nefarious phrase "slip a Mickey."Įarly 1900s Chicago was likely not a city in which you’d want to go out drinking That’s because pickpocket-turned-bar owner Mickey Finn was scamming gullible customers by spiking their drinks with an illegal drug he got from a witch doctor. ![]()
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