Month: February 2016

Paul Kelly is considered to be a high profile gangster of the New York City during the early 1900s. It was in Sicily that he was born in 1879 as Paulo Vaccarelli. During the early 1890s, he migrated to the States and on reaching, became a well known bantamweight boxer. He had his last name to be changed to Kelly that is Irish sounding from his Italian Vacacarelli, so as to gain more fights, as Italians were regarded to be of low class. He was quite an intelligent and erudite person, having knowledge of three languages. He was liked by everyone and well dressed, the reason why, he could recruit several quality gangsters.

Life as a mafia

After his official retirement from boxing, he established Lower Manhattan’s notorious Five Points Gang. This gang had about 1500 members and had been termed to be the breeding ground to few of the most well known gangsters, to immigrate to the United States. Some of the members included al Capone, Johnny Torrio, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Frankie Yale and Lucky Luciano.

Although his gang comprised mostly of Italians, Monk Eastman was regarded to be his nemesis having a 2000 strong Jewish gang. Both the parties often fought violently with each other. Bowery was their dividing line, with Kelly establishing control of the west and the east by Eastman. The remaining was neutral territory and it is here that the trouble began. Disputes arose as to who controlled where and what.

Both had been employed by Tammany Hall as Election Day head-busters. However, the gangs had become out of control and dangerous for the entire community. The bosses of Tammany Hall had wanted Kelly and Eastman to fight the dispute one on one, with the winner establishing right over the disputed territory. With the fight being a draw, both returned to their own territories.

In November 1908, his fortune luck gave up, when Razor Riley and Biff Ellison, two of his ex-henchmen had him shot, killing his two bodyguards on the spot. Although the shooters were fired back and Kelly recovered from the injuries, his clout was never to be the same again. With him losing the favor of Tammany Hall, he was forced to relocate to the Italian Harlem, where he carried out criminal endeavors to a certain toned point. He got involved with legal and illegal union activities and was elected as VP of International Longshoremen Association. He died due to natural causes in 1936.

John Morrissey is known to have started his career as a bare knuckles feared boxer. However, with time he went on to become a mobster and worked for Tammany Hall politicians as leg breaker.

His early life

It was in 1831 in County Tipperary’s Templemore region, Ireland that he was born. His parents who rightly guessed the potato famine in 1833 immigrated to Troy, New York. Although uneducated, he was considered to be excellent with his fists. The local Irish mafia bosses employed him as collection agent. For a Troy brothel, he worked as bouncer, where he taught himself to write and read. He realized the fact that he had limited opportunities in Troy and hence, went to New York, where he was into rough hooligan fighting for sport, in different piers and bars and made a name for himself.

His nickname

With Tom McCann, he was into an impromptu fight, where a powerful punch from McCann drove him from the overturned hot stove, over the coals. His flesh and clothes got burnt badly and smoke was coming from the backside, which made him to leap forwards, making him senseless. It is at this time, he had earned the nickname as ‘Old Smoke’.

Boxing titles

He then went on to challenge Yankee Sullivan, the world champion for world title, which took place at Boston Corners on 12^th October 1853. Although battered in the fight, he had won during the 37^th round by disqualification, as he got hit by Sullivan, when he was down.

His life as a mafia

His newfound fame and becoming Dead Rabbits’ member, he was employed for protecting polling places from Bowery Boys’ Gang by Tammany Hall. In 1854 on Election Day, he had come across the gang of Butcher Bill Pooole. Poole on noticing his gang being outnumbered by Morrissey left the place without creating any problem, which made Morrissey to become a hero in the eyes of Tammany Hall. They offered him with free gambling house for his heroics.

In 1855, he was almost killed to death by Poole in a fist fight, which made his friend to retaliate and had Poole shot to death. It was Tammany Hall’s influence that helped both Morrissey and his friend to escape being arrested.

He left boxing in 1857 and established 16 gambling houses and from 1867-71, he got elected as New York’s Congressman. He testified against Boss Tweed, the chief of Tammany Hall, for which Tweed was convicted and imprisonment. At 47, he died because of pneumonia.

Jimmy Walker was considered to be liked by everyone and was the mayor of New York City.  Had he been not in this position, he was sure to be branded a scoundrel. It was on 19^th June 1881 that he3 was born in Greenwich Village, New York City. He was an Irish immigrant’s son, who went on to become political mover and shaker in Tammany Hall. He attended Manhattan’s Military school named Xavier High School and Law School of New York.

Music was his first love was music. He was charmed by the bohemian crowd of the Village and wrote songs, rather than practicing law. One of his songs had become an overnight sensation due to its melodious refrains.

His entering the political arena

With prodding from his father and being influenced from mentor, Al Smith, the Tammany Hall titan in 1910 he got elected to Assembly of New York State and served till 1914. He became ambitious and got elected in 1914 to become Senate of New York State until 1925. He was quite popular within the Senate and got elected President-pro-tempore for 1923 and 1924 of Senate of New York State.

Becoming the Mayor

Al in 1925 had become the New York’s Governor found the perfect mayor in Walker for the city, which was reeling under the mafia and criminal activities. John Harlan, the present mayor was unseated and in his place came Walker. However, his biggest roadblock proved to be his being a party animal rather than being a wily politician. The press called him as ‘Beau James’. He got elected as the Mayor of the city and in the initial four years in power, was loved by the citizens. In 1928, he got close to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the new Governor and the latter’s coming to power helped Walker immensely.

His criminal activities

He became a part time mayor and gave huge favors to friends. But in 1929, his luck ran out, with the crash of stock market. He got caught by the police at a gambling house with his gal-pal, which had a scar on his reputation. With people out of job and starving, denied shelter and food, Walker was still enjoying himself. Cardinal Hayes, New York’s Archbishop was dead against Walker and few of his unwanted acts reached the ears of Roosevelt, who at that time was preparing for President Election. On 25^th May 1932, his numerous illegal activities came to light when he had to approach the bench and he got relieved from his post.

Jacob Shapiro was a huge man, strong and had a killer’s temperament. At the same time, he is credited with having an intellect like that of a rock, the reason why, he required brains from Louis Buchalter, the best criminal minds in Mafia history to assist him to achieve success.

His early life

It was on 5^th May 1899 that Shapiro was born to Russian Jew parents in Odessa. They had shifted base to America, to settle in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Hence, Shapiro was known to speak thick Russian-New York accent. One of his favorite statements was ‘get outa here’, which sounded ‘Gurrah dahere’. Therefore, he had this nickname ‘Gurrah’.

He had met Lepke when stealing from a pushcart. At that time, he was 18 years old and Lepke 16. He actually had found the perfect partner, who had answers to all issues faced.

Life as a mafia

Shapiro was enlisted by Lepke to get involved in labor union rackets, where he had to terrorize union locals to pay up. He enjoyed the work and most of all, beating people. Both teamed up with the other gangsters to form the ‘Gorilla Boys’. Using Shapiro’s assistance, Lepke had moved ahead into national crime syndicate. The Gorilla Boys had partners like Meyer Lansky, Albert Anastasia, Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano and made huge money and came to be called ‘Gold Dust Twins’. Lepke was in charge of ‘Murder Inc’ while Shapiro and Anastasia were his main weapons. Shapiro introduced more killers to the mob.

The end

Thomas E. Dewey, the special prosecutor during the mid 1930s had promised to end national crime syndicate. The crime commission syndicate held a meeting called by Dutch Schultz, where the latter declared to kill the prosecutor, which did not go well with the commission. However, Schultz’s opinion was voted by Anastasia and Shapiro, while Lepke was undecided about it. This caused the murder of Schultz by the Commission to ensure that the law did not cause any further trouble. But Shapiro did not like the decision of the Commission sparing the life of Dewey, something he rued throughout his life.

Shapiro and Dewey got indicted in 1936 for Sherman Anti-Trust Act violation and had been charged of using violence for reducing competition and fixing price. But, matters got worse with Lepke hiding in Brooklyn, leaving Shapiro to be on his own in New Jersey, which made him a broken man. Getting sick of not being able to get back to his old ways, on 14^th April 1938, he surrendered to the authorities and was given life imprisonment.

Right from the 19^th century onwards, New York City had been better represented by the Irish mafia gangs. Some of the Irish mob bosses included John Morrissey, Mickey Spillane, Jimmy Coonan, etc. But, it was Captain Isaiah Rynders, who is considered to be the very first mob boss of Irish origin in the mafia history of New York City.

His early life

It was on 3^rd January that he was born to Irish protestant mother and German/American father. Initially, he was well known as knife/pistol fighter and professional gambler on River Mississippi region. It was during the mid-1830s that he latched on to Tammany Hall and climbed his way up the ladder. His specialty is regarded to be having Five Points Street Mobsters to be organized on Election Day and to assure the Poor Irish of offering voting rights.

Rise to fame

He earned immense wealth and owned grocery stores in huge numbers and numerous dive saloons. He also established the Empire Club in 1843. Also, he organized street gangs like Plug Uglies, Roach Guards and Dead Rabbit. His best men comprised of Country McCleester, Paudeen McLaughlin, Dirty Face Jack, Lew Baker, Jim Turner and John Morrissey. Such was the influence of Rynders that the intense prodding of voters by his men led to Franklin Pierce’s presidential election in 1852 and of James Buchanan, 1856. With Buchanan being elected as President, he had Rynders appointed as U. S. Marshall for New York’s Southern District.

Criminal activities and his downfall

He was responsible single handedly for Astor Theatre Riots in 1849. His downfall is said to have started as he abandoned Tammany Hall inexplicably along with his Irish cohorts, to join ‘Know Nothing Party’ or opposition Native American party. His political organization got renamed to the Americus Club. Taking opportunity, John ‘Smoke’ Morrissey had seized Rynders’ place as Five Points Irish mobster commander and at the Tammany Hall.

On 4^th July 1857, clearly saw the power loss of Rynders when gang riots which took place in this area as well as that of Five Points. According to New York Times, clubs, stones and brick bats were noticed flying around in each and every direction and firearms were branded wildly by men.  The same evening, Rynders was called in by the officials to stop this riot, which he did by begging the rioters to stop immediately the senseless hostilities. But his words were ignored by every party involved including the gang that he once ruled.

Charlie was considered to be a strong person but of silent type, who had killed over 20 people, when working for Murder Incorporated, headed by Lepke Buchalter. He was popularly called ‘The Bug’ among mafia members. However, it was his killing Dutch Schultz that he rose to fame quickly.

His early life

It was in 1908 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side that Charles was born and was among the six siblings of Anna and Samuel Workman. When in 9^th grade, he quit school to roam the streets, seeking trouble. At the age of 18, he got arrested for stealing cotton threat from a Broadway parked truck. The next year, he shot a man behind his year and got arrested. His reputation was such that the victim did not testify against him before law, the reason, he got sent to Reformatory of New York. He had been to prison several times for several years for parole violations.

Life as a Mafia

He worked for Lepke as freelancer schlammer or leg breaker in 1926 and did an excellent job and got promoted to becoming killer with ‘Murder Inc.’ He had a cool demeanor and had several exceptional hits, which made him to get the nickname ‘The Bug’ given by Lepke. ‘Handsome Charlie’ was his other nickname, given opposite sex.

He got arrested few times for carrying weapons in 1932 and for docking off-duty police in 1933. His specialty always remained killing. After a hit, he enjoyed taking all the valuables found with the victim and kept it to himself, thereby earning bonus in thousands of dollars.

Murdering Schultz

He was decided to be the perfect candidate for killing Dutch Schultz in 1935, when the latter did not heed to the Commission with regards to killing of Thomas Dewey, the Special Prosecutor. It was Workman who had pierced Schultz on 23^rd October 1935. But he found that police officials had turned up at the sight immediately after the killing instead of a getaway car, especially after such an important hit. He discovered from the papers that Weiss was the shooter.

He was sent to meet Lucky Luciano at Miami. But he got arrested on charges of vagrancy in 1940. In the meantime, Abe Relese had spilled out to Dewey that Workman was behind Schultz’s murder, for which the latter was tried in 1941, and plead ‘no defense’ and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Allie Tannenbaum was a strikingly handsome person of 14 pounds and was rail thin in structure. It was at Catskill hotel of his father that he started to work and went on to become the most accomplished killer of Murder Incorporated. It was with his help that Louis Buchalter, his boss was executed by the law.

His early life

It was in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, on 17^th January 1906, he was born. His family moved to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Orchard Street, when he was 2 years old. He loved talking a lot, the reason why he earned the nickname of ‘Tick Tock’.

Sam had accumulated sufficient money for purchasing Loch-Sheldrake Country Club, Catskills, New York. During this time, he was in high school’s third year, quite an accomplishment for a boy who comes from a place that has record of others dropping after 8^th grades and engaged in legal and illegal work. He was engaged by this father to do work at the hotel to do the menial work to groom him to become a successful businessman.

His beginning as a mafia

It is here that he came across Jewish gangsters who often frequented the club. Louis Lepke, Jacob Shapiro and Harry Greenberg were among them. Allie also had befriended Lepke’s bagman Shimmy Salles, Curly Holtz as well as Lepke himself. He got invited to their parties. However, for the work performed for his father at the hotel, he was not given a single dime. He had noticed the Jewish gangsters to have sufficient money with them, which lured him to the mafia world.

He started to work for Lepke upon the behest of Big Harry Schacter for $35/week, performing activities like throwing stink bombs, strikebreaking and slugging. Later, he graduated to duties such as schlammings. His pay increased with work production and got involved in about 6 murders. He became Lepke’s valuable asset. Killing Harry Greenberg in 1939 was his biggest achievement, as it was Southern California’s first ‘mob killing’.

In 1940, he got arrested along with Workman at the latter’s place. Although he refused to speak the first three days, upon being threatened of being executed, he lived up to his nick name spilled out everything, the murders and the Lepke mafia connection. He testified against Lepke on a murder charge, which led to the latter’s being sentenced to death by the electric chair.

The remaining part of his life went into hiding, since he emerged only to testify against his other mafia members and disappear back. At the age of 70, he died due to natural causes.

Abe was regarded to be a bootlegger and thug operating on the Lower East side of Manhattan and was of Jewish origin. He compared himself to that of Dropper even had roughened up Joe Masseria’s son to show him what he is capable of. Fortunately for Wagner, before taking revenue for insult caused to his son, Masseria got gunned down.

Mafia activities

With Allie, his brother Wagner had been making a decent living in bootlegging business on Lower East Side. On 20^th February 1932, when he was riding his new car, he got attacked by some shooters and managed to escape in the crowd. Although he claimed to be a tough soul, his activities proved him not to be one. After the attack, he tried to be in peace with the enemies. To achieve this, he had sent his brother and an associate to meet the Mazza and hand over to them a huge amount for leaving him off. But in the process, Albie was shot dead and a message was left to Wagner that the Mazza meant business and his death.

He was prodded by his mother to seek refuge elsewhere from the Mazza gang, since she did not want similar fate for the other son. He took his wife and left town. However, in New Jersey’s Hopewell region, the Lindberg baby got abducted, which made Wagner to come under suspicion by the law enforcement officials.

More trouble for Wagner

At the same time, the Mazza Gang having aligned with the likes of Lucky Luciano searched for Wagner throughout the country. To check out on his mom, he sneaked back into New York.  On understanding that his presence came to light by the gang, he again ran with his wife and had his identity changed to Abe Loeb taking the profession of a fruit seller. But in weeks, Wagner was noticed by Luciano’s men. Two mobsters from Luciano’s Murder Incorporated were sent to kill Wagner, who was quite knowledgeable about the place where the latter hid, as it once had been their hideout too.

With Al Gordon, the new partner, Wagner on 25^th July 1932 was followed by the two mobsters and killed both. Wagner succumbed to injuries, was taken to the nearby Ancker Hospital, where he died hours later, whose real identity was confirmed by his mother.