They originate in Ireland and Scotland.
If anyone remembers, it also had featured a Miami cop who had gone over to the good side. He was a gypsie who was trying to stop their cons. He had a tremendous advantage as he knew all their scams.
BTW I am reasonably sure one of the Irish Travelers came by my Fathers house one day. I was outside and he asked if I wanted my driveway paved. He was driving a new high end 4wd pickup and was a very sharp looking guy. I was familiar with the group and of course told him no.
A few days later I noticed where they had conned some other people in the neighborhood.
Oh, yes--I've read about them. There's a whole town--an acquaintance of mine accidently tried to go to Mass as a travelling-through visitor in a strange town in South Carolina. The congregation stopped everything when they came in and stared at them--including the "priest"--until they left!! They may be Irish, and they may have bright blue eyes--but they're also Gypsy. Many Gypsies came to the US by way of Ireland.