Pinkerton is a group that sells itself as private security and a detective agency. What they're known for are being union busters. Businesses hire them to infiltrate unions, keep an eye on anyone who might be pushing unionization, and intimidate strikers and unions.
During the Homestead Strike back in 1892 their involved lead to the deaths of 9 Steelworkers when they fired into a crowd. They were also involved with the 1877 Railroad Strike and the Battle of Blair Mountain.
Their involvement led to the downfall of the Molly Maguires, a group of activist with the Irish American and Irish immigrant coal miners. The Pinkertons gave information on people suspected of being in the organization to people with grudges against them so the miners would be ambushed and murdered.
The Compton Cafeteria riot is one of the first LGBT riots, predating Stonewall by 3 years. It hired Pinkertons in 1966 toharass gay and trans customers.
They've long been suspected of having been deeply involved with the Haymarket massacre which resulted in seven anarchist arrested despite no evidence ever presented linking them to the crime. It resulted in a trial where the judge was openly against the defendants, any potential jury member that was a union member or had socialist sympathy were dismissed, and most of the jury were open about not being truly willing to give them a fair trial. The prosecution's argument is that because they had not actively discouraging the person who had thrown the bomb, they were equally as guilty. Despite the bomber not being known. in fact, there is a widespread belief is was the Pinkertons who committed it. Four were hung after that trial. Witness reports say the ropes were all tied incorrectly and they were slowly strangled to death.
They're such shitbags that the U.S. actually has a law because of them. The Anti-Pinkerton Act of 1893 which limits the federal government's ability o hire private investigators and mercenaries.
And despite this all going back in the 1800s, they still exist and are still very action in union breaking. They were hired in 2020 to spy on Amazon Warehouse workers. Starbucks have also worked with ex-Pinkerton members to interfere with unionization.
In 2020 Michael Dollof, who was an unlicensed security guard, that was hired by the Pinkertons to be a security guard, shot and killed a protester.
The point of hiring them is to intimate and threaten people. They've been responsible for a lot of people dying.
This is what WOTC hired to get back a fucking box of magic cards. For them to show up at his door, they, obviously, knew where he lived. They could have contacted him themselves, but instead they sent the Pinkertons. There are countless agencies they could have contacted to require the cards back. They chose the Pinkertons.
I hope everyone involved in that decision gets hit by a bus.