List of historical criminals of New York City

This is a list of historical criminals of New York City including underworld figures, gang members and others of the "Old New York"-era from 1825 to 1925, many of whom were later the subject of Herbert Asbury's "The Gangs of New York" as well as some who were later portrayed in Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York.

Gang Members

Batavia Street Gang

*Duck Reardon (1900s)
*Mike Walsh (1900s)

Baxter Street Dudes

*Baby-Faced Willie (1870s)

Bowe Brothers

*Bill Bowe (1850s)
*Jack Bowe (1850s)
*James Bowe (1850s)
*Martin Bowe (1850s)
*Jack Madill

Bowery Boys

*Chuck Connors (1852-1913)
*Mose the Fireboy (1840s-1850s)
*Charlie Lozier, associte of the Bowery Boys and brother-in-law of Bill Poole.
*William Poole, "Bill The Butcher" (d. 1855)
*Reddy The Blacksmith (1870s)
*Syksey (1840s-1850s)

Car Barn Gang

*Bill Lingley, "Big Bill" (d. 1911)
*Freddie Muchfeldt, "The Kid" (d. 1911)

Charlton Street Gang

*Sadie The Goat (1860s-1870s)

Corcoran’s Roosters

*Tommy Corcoran (1910s)

Crazy Butch Gang

*Crazy Butch (1890s)
*Darby Kid (1890s), shoplifter and girlfriend of Crazy Butch
*Jack Zelig, "Big Jack" (1882-1912)

Daybreak Boys

*William Howlett (1834-1853)
*Nicholas Saul (1833-1853)
*Bill Johnson (1850s)
*Sow Madden (1850s)
*Sam McCarthy, "Cow Legged Sam" (1850s)
*Slobbery Jim (1850s)
*Patsy The Barber (d. 1855)
*Molly Maher (1850s), associate of the Daybreak Boys and girlfriend of Bill Lowrie

Dead Rabbits

*Kit Burns
*Tommy Hadden
*John Morrissey (d. 1878)
*Hell-Cat Maggie (1840s)

Dutch Mob

*Mike Kurtz, "Sheeny Mike" (1870s)
*Little Freddie (1870s)
*Johnny Irving (d. 1883)
*Billy Porter (d. 1883)
*Gilbert Yost (1870s)

Eastman Gang

*Monk Eastman (1880-1920)
*Jack Zelig, "Big Jack" (1882-1912)
*Red Phil Davidson (1910s)
*Tommy Dykes (1900s)
*Richie Fitzpatrick (1880-1905)
*Vach Lewis, "Cyclone Louis" (1882-1908)
*Charles Livin, "Ike the Blood" (1900s)
*Chick Tricker (1910s)
*Max Zwerbach, "Kid Twist" (d. 1908)
*Kid Dahl (1900s)
*Jack Sirocco (1900s-1910s)
*Chris Wallace (1900s)
*Charley Torti (1910s)
*Julie Morrell (d. 1911)
*Diamond Charley, Bowery drug peddler who organized and later monopolized the selling of chloral and morphine.
*Carroll Terry, Coney Island dancing girl and girlfriend of Kid Twist

Five Points Gang

*Paul Kelly (1876-1926/1936)
*Nathan Kaplan, "Kid Dropper" (d. 1923)
*James T. Ellison, "Biff" (1900s)
*Pat Hogan, “Rough House Hogan” (1900s)
*Jack McManus, "Eat 'Em Up" (1900s)
*Louis Pioggi, "Louie the Lump" (1900s)
*John McCarthy (1900s)
*Bill Harrington (d. 1908)
*Joe Hickman, "Itsky Joe"
*Cora the Blonde (1910s), popular New Brighton showgirl and girlfriend of Paul Kelly.

James Street Gang
*John Torrio, "Terrible John" (1882-1957)
*Al Capone (1899-1947)
*Charles Luciano, "Lucky Luciano" (1896-1962)
*Frankie Yale (1893-1928)

Forty Thieves

*Edward Coleman (d. 1839)

Forty Little Thieves
*Magie Carson, "Wild Magie" (1850s)

Gas House Gang

*Tommy Lynch (d. 1913)
*William Jones, "Willie" (1900s)

Gopher Gang

*Marty Brennan (1900s)
*One Lung Curran (d. 1917)
*Edward Egan, "Eddie" (1910s)
*Razor Riley (1900s)
*Newburg Gallagher (1900s)
*Chick Hyland (1900s)
*Owney Madden, "Owney the Killer" (1892-1964)
*Stumpy Malarkey (1900s)
*Johnny McArdle (1910s)
*Jack Mulraney, "Happy Jack" (1900s)
*Battle Annie, "Queen of Hell's Kitchen" (1900s)
*Art Biedler (1910s)
*William Mott, "Willie the Sailor" (1910s)
*Buck O'Brian (1910s)
*Tony Romanello (1900s)
*Bill Tammany (1900s)
*Margaret Everdeane, associate of the Gophers and girlfriend of William Mott.
*Freda Horner, associte of the Gophers and girlfriend of Owney Madden.
*Ida The Goose (1900s), Manhattan showgirl subject to a brief gangwar between the Gophers and the Eastman Gang known as the "Ida the Goose War".
*Paddy the Priest (d. 1911), well-known Hell's Kitchen saloonkeeper and criminal associate of the Gophers.

Grady Gang

*John D. Grady, "Travelling Mike" (1860s-1870s)
*Pet Anderson, "Boston"
*William Burke, "Billy the Kid"
*Eddie Pettingill
*Jake Rand, "Greedy Jake"
*Hod Ennis

Jimmy Curley Gang

*James Cariggio, "Gold Mine Jimmy" (1892-1914)

Hell's Kitchen Gang

*Dutch Heinrichs (1860s-1870s)

Hook Gang

*James Coffee
*Terry Le Strange
*Suds Merrick
*Tommy Shay
*Slipsley Ward
*Tommy Bonner
*Johnny Gallagher
*Sam McCracken
*Piggy Noles

Hudson Dusters

*Circular Jack
*Mike Costello
*Red Farrell
*Ding Dong
*Rickey Harrison
*Jack Diamond, "Legs" (1897-1931)
*Goo Goo Knox
*Rubber Shaw
*Honey Stewart
*Kid Yorke
*Patsy Doyle, "Little" (d. 1914)

Humpty Jackson Gang

*Humpty Jackson (d. 1914)
*Lobster Kid
*Spanish Louie
*Nigger Ruhl
*The Grabber

Italian Dave Gang

*Jack Mahaney

Lenox Avenue Gang

*Harry Horowitz, "Gyp the Blood" (1889-1914)
*Frank Cirofici, "Dago Frank" (d. 1914)
*Louis Rosenberg, "Lefty Louis" (d. 1914)
*Jacob Siedenschier, "Whitey Lewis" (d. 1914)

Leslie Gang

*George Leonidas Leslie (d. 1884)
*Abe Coakley, bank robber
*Jimmy Hope (1840-18??)
*Bill Kelly
*Red Leary
*Johnny Dobbs (d. 1892)
*Pete Emerson, "Banjo Pete"
*Sam Perris, "Worcester Sam"
*Patrick Shevlin, "Patty" (c. 1808-18??)
*Gilbert Yost (1870s)
*Babe Irving (1880s), sister of Johnny Irving and girlfriend of George Leslie.

Little Auggies

*Jacob Orgen, "Little Augie"
*Louis Kirshner
*Sammy Weiss

Mandelbaum Gang

*Fredericka Mandelbaum, "Marm"
*Big Mary (1860s)
*Ellen Clegg (1870s-1880s)
*Kid Glove Rosey
*Lena Kleinschmidt, "Black Lena"
*Sophie Lyons
*Queen Liz, thief

Other associates
*Shang Draper
*Mike Kurtz, "Sheeny Mike"
*George Leonidas Leslie
*Johnny Dobbs
*Joe Douglas
*Ed Goodie
*Bill Mosher
*Ned Lyons

Marginals

*Tanner Smith (d. 1919)

Molasses Gang

*Jimmy Dunnigan
*Blind Mahoney
*Billy Morgan

Nineteenth Street Gang

*Little Mike

Pansies

*Rags Riley

Patsy Conroy Gang

*Patsy Conroy
*Wreck Donovan
*Bum Mahoney
*Joseph Gayles, "Socco the Bracer"
*Billy Woods
*Denny Brady
*Pugsy Hurley
*Beeny Kane
*Johnny Dobbs (d. 1892)
*Scotchy Lavelle, River pirate.

Potashes

*Red Shay Meehan

laughter House Gang

*George Leese, "Snatchem"

quab Wheelman Gang

*Crazy Butch
*Little Kishky
*Harry The Soldier

Tenth Avenue Gang

*Ike Marsh

Tub of Blood Bunch

*Brian Boru
*Sweeney The Boy
*Hop Along Peter
*Skinner Meehan
*Dutch Hen
*Jack Cody

Walsh Gang

*Johnny Walsh, "Johnny the Mick" (d. 1883)

White Hand Gang

*Richard Lonergan, "Peg Leg" (d. 1925)
*Bill Lovett, "Wild Bill" (d. 1923)
*Dinny Meehan (d. 1920)

Whyos

*Johnny Dolan, "Dandy" (c. 1850-1876)
*Danny Driscoll (c. 1860-1888)
*Piker Ryan
*Red Rocks Farrell
*Josh Hines, "Big Josh"
*Bull Hurley
*Danny Lyons (d. 1888)
*Fig McGerald
*Mike McGloin (d. 1883)
*Baboon Connolly
*Googles Corcoran
*Hoggy Walsh

Yakey Yakes

*Yakey Yake Brady

Yiddish Black Hand

*Johnny Levinsky
*Joseph Toplinsky
*Charles Vitoffsky, "Charley the Cripple"

Independent leaders

*Joe Baker, East Side Gang leader.
*Big Nose Bunker, Independent gang leader.
*Ralph Daniello, "Ralph the Barber" and labor racketeer.
*Benjamin Fein "Dopey Benny", labor racketeer.
*Abie Fisher, independent gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Porkie Flaherty, Lower East Side Gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Jimmy Haggerty "Wild Jimmy" (d. 1871)
*Pickles Laydon, Independent gang leader.
*Billy Lustig, independent gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Punk Madden, independent gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Al Rooney, Fourteenth Street Gang leader.
*Joseph Rosenzweig, labor racketeer.
*Philip Paul "Pinchy" (d. 1914), independent gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Joseph Quinn (1861-1887), alleged gangster and rival of Whyos leader Danny Lyons.
*Abe Roach "Little Rhody", independent gang leader and labor racketeer.
*Frank Salvatore, "Mike the Dago"
*Kid Shanahan, gangster and river pirate.
*Tom The Mick, gangster.

City Officials

Police

*Captain Anthony J. Allaire
*Sergeant Francis J. Banfield (d. 1883), member of the "Steamboat Squad".
*Detective Charles Becker (1869-1915)
*Street Commissioner Jacob Brown
*Sergeant Burdick
*Inspector Thomas F. Byrnes (1842-1910)
*Captain John Cameron (1807-1873)
*Captain Jim Churchill
*Street Commissioner Daniel D. Conover
*Sergeant Theron S. Copeland
*Sergeant John D. Coughlin
*Captain T.J. Creedon
*Captain William S. Devery
*Detective John M. Dorcy
*Deputy Commissioner George S. Dougherty
*Commissioner Richard E. Enright
*Inspector Joseph A. Faurot
*Inspector John S. Folk (d. 1885)
*Captain George W. Gastlin
*Captain William H. "Big Bill" Hodgins
*Chief George W. Matsell
*Inspector George McCluskey
*Captain John H. McCullagh
*Captain Charles McDonnell
*Commissioner Douglas I. McCay
*Sergeant O'Connell
*Inspector Joseph Petrosino
*Captain Max F. Schmittberger
*Captain Slot
*Captain Thomas S. Steers
*Patrolman Dennis Sullivan
*Captain Thomas Woolsey Thorne (1823-1885)
*Inspector Alexander S. Williams
*Captain Cornelius Willemse
*Commissioner Arthur Woods

Draft Riots

Military
*Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton
*General Harvey Brown
*General C.W. Sandford
*General Patrick H. Jones
*Captain Henry F. Putnam
*Captain John H. Howell
*Colonel Thaddeus P. Mott
*Colonel H. J. O'Brien
*Colonel Cleveland Winslow
*Colonel Robert Nugent
*Colonel E.E. Jardine
*Lieutenant Eagleson
*Hawkins' Zouaves

Police
*Commissioner Thomas C. Acton
*Commissioner John C. Bergen
*Commissioner Simeon Draper
*Superintendant John A. Kennedy
*Inspector Daniel C. Carpenter
*Captain James Z. Bogart
*Captain Brower
*Captain John F. Dickson
*Captain George W. Dilks
*Captain A.C. Devoursney, one of the officers who defended the New York Tribune during the New York draft riots.
*Captain Joel B. Erhardt
*Captain John Jourdan
*Captain G.T. Porter
*Captain Francis C. Speight
*Captain George W. Walling
*Captain Jacob B. Warlow
*Sergeant Frederick Ellison
*Sergeant John Mangin
*Sergeant Robert A. McCredie
*Sergeant S.B. Smith
*Sergeant Van Orden
*Sergeant Wade
*Sergeant Wolfe

Others
*John Decker, Chief Engineer of the New York Fire Department.
*Henry J. Raymond, journalist and writer for the New York Times who extensively covered the New York Draft Riots.

Politicians

*Peter Cooper
*Richard Croker
*Tom Foley
*Warren W. Foster
*William J. Gaynor
*Henry George
*Hugh J. Grant
*Jonathan H. Grant
*Abram S. Hewitt
*Henry Hilton
*Max Hochstein
*Bill Howe, "Big Bill" (d. 1906)
*Abe Hummell, "Little Abe" (d. 1926)
*John Kelly, "Honest John"
*Dan Kerrigan
*George Law
*John Purroy Mitchel
*George Opdyke
*Charles A. Perkins
*Horatio Seymour
*Alfred E. Smith
*Charles S. Solomon, "Silver Dollar Smith"
*Tim Sullivan, "Big Tim"
*Tim Sullivan, "Little Tim"
*Edward Swann
*Robert Van Wyck
*Charles S. Whitman
*Fernando Wood

Tammany Hall sluggers

*Lew Baker
*Paudeen McLaughlin
*Jim Turner
*Captain Isaiah Rynders
*Country McCleester
*Edward Z.C. Judson
*Dirty Face Jack

Criminals

*Mike Abrams, "Big Mike" (d. 1898)
*Ah Hoon (d. 1909)
*Ah Ken (1850s-1870s)
*John Allen (c. 1830-19??)
*Theodore Allen, "The Dive Keeper" (1880s)
*George Appo (1858-1930)
*Leon L. J. Bernard, embezzler
*Big Sue (1860s)
*Boiled Oysters Malloy, thief
*Mike Byrnes, burglar
*Dan The Dude, saloon keeper and underworld figure involved in illegal gambling and political "fixer". (1900s-1910s)
*Joe Erich, fence
*Kate Flannery
*Jack Frenchy, "Jack the Ripper"
*Barney Friery, thief
*Larry Griffen, burglar
*Hester Jane Haskins, "Jane the Grabber"
*Albert E. Hicks (d. 1860)
*Izzy Lazarus, "London Izzy"
*Joseph Lewis, "Hungry Joe"
*Little Annie (1870s)
*Ludwig The Bloodsucker
*Gallus Mag (1850s-1870s)
*Charles P. Miller, banco man
*Dan Noble, burglar
*John Nugent (1870s)
*Tom O'Brien, banco man
*Old Flaherty, river pirate
*Old Mother Hubbard
*Old Unger, fence
*Rosanna Peers, fence
*Red Light Lizzie, procuress
*Mme. Restell, "Madam Killer"
*Henry G. Romaine, grave robber
*Peter Sawyer, thief
*Mark Shinburn (c. 1838-1915), burglar
*Ephriam Snow, fence
*Mary Varly, shoplifter
*Reed Waddell (1859-1895), confidence man
*Bridgie Webber (1910s)
*Pete Williams, a dive keeper based in Slaughter House Point. (1850s)

Other personalities

Gamblers

*The Bottler
*William Busteed
*Richard Canfield
*John Daly
*Dinky Davis
*Sam Emery
*Pat Herne
*Kid Jigger
*Davy Johnson
*Reuben Parsons
*Sam Paul
*Jack Rose, "Bald Jack"
*Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal
*Sam Schepps
*Harry Vallon
*Wah Kee

Industrialists

*Barnett Baff (d. 1914), businessman and "poultry king" killed by Gaetano Reina and other Sicilian mafiosi.
*Jim Churchill (1910s), businessmen and restaurant owner.
*Harris Cohen, businessmen who owned a chain of successful stores in Baxter Street.
*Joe Howard, Jr.
*David Lamar, "Wolf of Wall Street"
*Rufus L. Lord
*Anthony Rutger, industrialist
*Alexander T. Stewart

Prostitutes

*Crazy Lou
*Kate Bunty
*Beezy Garrity
*Gentle Maggie
*Hoochie-Coochie Mary
*Lizzie The Dove
*Kitty McGowan, "Pretty Kitty"
*Old Shakespeare (d. 1891), Bowery prostitute and alledged murder victim of Jack the Ripper.

Reformers

*Rev. A. C. Arnold
*Daniel Drew
*Oliver Dyer
*Richard K. Fox, New York publisher and editor of the "Police Gazette".
*James W. Gerard
*George W. Goff, judge
*Jonathan H. Green
*Archbishop John Hughes
*Kim Huie
*William Travers Jerome
*Jerry McAuley
*Rev. Charles Henry Parkhurst
*Rev. Lewis Morris Pease
*Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage (1870s)
*Lewis Tappan, abolitionist

aloon keepers

*Burley Bohan
*Tom Bray
*Johnny Camphine
*Ed Coffee
*Harry Hill
*Barney Flynn
*Owney Geogheghan
*Jimmy Kelly
*John Kelly
*Jimmy Lee
*Billy McGlory
*Mallet Murphy
*Mersher The Strong Arm
*Peter Mitchell
*Charlie Monell, "One Armed Charlie"
*Billy Patterson, bartender
*Jack Pioggi
*Shin Reynolds
*Mush Riley
*Mike Salter
*Frank Stephenson

portsmen

*James Ambrose, "Yankee Sullivan"
*Jim Corbett
*Bob Fitzsimmons
*Tom Heenan, "Benicia Boy"
*Joe Humphries
*Tom Hyer
*Jim Jefferies
*John L. Sullivan
*Steve Taylor

Other residents

*Grand Duke Alexis (1850-1908), Russian noble who reportedly discovered a destitute Russian countess working as a waitress at Bismark Hall whom he brought back to Russia.
*Bow Kun (d. 1909), Chinese slave girl, also known as "Sweet Flower", whose murder caused a major gang war among the Tongs of New York's Chinatown.
*Chin Yin, artist and calligrapher who helped design the Chinese theater in Chinatown.
*Jack Dempsey, Bowery panhandler and resident of the infamous "Dump".
*Jim Farrell, a prominent Bowery panhandler who, becoming blind from excessive drinking, was said to been carried out of John Kelly's dive and died in an alcoholics ward in Bellevue Hospital soon after.
*Edward Forrest, actor whose performance at the Bowery Theater was interupted by a riot between Whig and Tammany Hall supporters in July 1834.
*Tom Frizzell, known as “King of the Panhandlers”, Frizzell was a well-known character in the Bowery.
*Ha Oi, adopted daughter of Mock Duck.
*William Henshaw, clerk killed by Owney Madden over a girl.
*Henry Hilton, prominent lawyer who negotiated on behalf of the widow of Alexander T. Stewart for the return of his body stolen by George Leonidas Leslie and his gang.
*Raymond Hitchcock, turn of the century actor who owned the Chinese Theater in Chinatown during the Tong wars.
*Hom Ling, Chinese tragician who performed with comic Ah Hoon at the Chinese Theater.
*Jack The Rat, Bowery character and son-in-law of Dead Rabbits leader Kit Burns who took bets at Sportsman Hall to bite the head off of a mouse for ten cents and decapitate a rat for a quarter.
*Dr. James Littlefield, early Broadway resident and first chiropodist to practice in New York.
*William Charles Macready, British-born actor who instigated the Astor Place Riot in 1849 when he was chased off the stage of the Astor Place Opera House by an Irish-American mob.
*Mark Maguire, sports writer and first "King of the Newsboys".
*Richard Mansfield, actor and honorary member of the Chuck Conners Club.
*Roy L. McCardell, journalist and associate of Chuck Conners.
*Walt B. McDougal, cartoonist and honorary member of the Chuck Conners Club.
*Frank Moss, lawyer and council for Rev. Charles Henry Parkhurst.
*Gustavus Myers, author
*Nellie Noonan, actress known as "Queen of the Seventh Ward" and associate of Chuck Conners.
*Frank Ward O'Malley, journalist and associate of Chuck Conners.
*John L. Stevens, author of "Stevens' Travels" whose description of Egyptian masusoliums would later be used in the construction of The Tombs.
*Whitey Sullivan, Bowery panhandler later sent to the electric chair.
*Tai Yu, wife of Mock Duck.

References

*Asbury, Herbert. "The Gangs of New York". New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927. ISBN 1-56025-275-8
*Asbury, Herbert. "All Around the Town: Murder, Scandel and Riot in Old New York". New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1929. ISBN 1-56025-521-8
*Byrnes, Thomas. "1886 Professional Criminals of America". New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1969.
*Hyde, Stephen and Geno Zanetti (ed.) "Players: Con Men, Hustlers, Gamblers and Scam Artists". New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-380-0
*Luis, Alfred Henry. "The Apaches of New York". New York: G.W. Dillingham Company, 1912.
*Phillips, Charles and Alan Axelrod. "Cops, Crooks, and Criminologists: An International Biographical Dictionary of Law Enforcement Updated Edition". New York: Checkmark Books, 2000. ISBN 0-8160-3016-2
*Sifakis, Carl. "The Encyclopedia of American Crime". New York: Facts on File Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0
*Walling, George W. "Recollections of a New York Chief of Police: An Official Record of Thiry-eight Years as Patrolman, Detective, Captain, Inspector and Chief of the New York Police". New York: Caxton Book Concern, 1887.

External links

* [http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Society/Gangs.NYC.html 1829 Gangs of New York]