Joseph 'Mose' Flannery was born in Pennsylvania in 1902; the son of James A. and Mary Flannery, both of whom were born in Ireland; brother of Francis, John, James, Elizabeth and Mary (his twin). He married Anna M. Boggs in 1924 and the couple had a son, but they separated in 1928.
In 1920 the Flannery family lived at 1712 Broadway in the Eighth Ward of Camden, New Jersey. He attended Camden High School as a member of the Class of 1923, but dropped out after a year or two.
After World War I he became involved in organized crime in Camden and in politics in the Eighth Ward. His involvement in politics began before he was old enough to vote. He was active as a Republican until the municipal election of 1927, when he backed the Non-Partisan slate, and aided several Democrats. During this election he came in conflict with Mike Brown, who was the leader of the Republican party in the Eighth Ward. The two apparently mended fences after the election.
His criminal activities seem to have centered around slot machines. He was arrested several times on a variety of charges, but never convicted of any offense. In January of 1928 he was held for a time as a material witness to the murder of Joseph Cimini at the Sixth Ward Republican Club at 908 Broadway.
He was shot and mortally wounded outside the bar of James L. Hawkins at 101 Kaighn Avenue, in the early hours of 18th September 1928 and died that evening in West Jersey Hospital.
[his funeral cortege is illustrated above; courtesy of "Camden Evening Courier" newspaper (22nd Sep. 1928)]