They caused problems for The Spirit in the 50`s. He had goons.
Mr. Carrion has appeared in the DC universe in the 21st Century. First, in Batman/The Spirit, like he was in the original comics. It`s possible that the story is out of continuity, since there`s many continuity holes in it. For example, in the one-shot, Mr. Carrion and The Spirit have met before its events. But, in The Spirit #5 – Media Man, another version of Carrion meets the Spirit for the first time.
This version is a con man as well, but a more modern one at that. He has a love affair with Julia.