Pierre Lafitte: The Pirate's Brother

The Pirate's Brother

Pierre Lafitte was born around 1770, likely in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), and along with his younger brother Jean, became one of the most notorious smugglers and privateers operating out of New Orleans in the early nineteenth century. While Jean Lafitte gets the legends, the songs, and the theme park rides, Pierre was the business side of the operation — the brother who ran the day-to-day affairs of their smuggling enterprise from the streets of New Orleans while Jean commanded ships in the Gulf.

The Lafitte brothers operated out of Barataria Bay, south of New Orleans, where they led a community of pirates, privateers, and smugglers who raided Spanish ships and sold their goods — including enslaved people — through the back channels of the New Orleans economy. Pierre managed the brothers' blacksmith shop on Bourbon Street, which served as a front for their smuggling operation. The building still stands today and operates as a bar — Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, one of the oldest structures in the French Quarter.

The Battle of New Orleans

Like his brother Jean, Pierre played a role in the defense of New Orleans during the War of 1812. The Lafitte brothers provided Andrew Jackson with knowledge of the local waterways, flints for rifles, and experienced fighters for the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. In exchange, President James Madison granted them pardons for their piracy. It was the ultimate New Orleans deal: you help us win the battle, we forget about the smuggling.

The Shadow Brother

Pierre Lafitte lived in Jean's shadow, and history has largely kept him there. He suffered a stroke around 1810 that limited his physical abilities, and he died around 1821, likely in the Yucatan. But without Pierre managing the business in New Orleans, the Lafitte enterprise wouldn't have functioned. He was the organizer behind the legend — less romantic than his brother, but arguably more essential to the operation that made the Lafitte name immortal.