Con was a breaker boy and balladeer whose songs became popular in the Anthracite Region of Pennsylvania. A son of Irish immigrants, Con's name became a household word in places like Pottsville, Hazleton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Shamokin, Mahanoy City and Girardville. A great singer and storyteller, Con became known as "the minstrel of the mine patch" and was praised by United Mine Workers president John Mitchell for inspiring him during the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902.
