Year: 2016

William J. Sharkey is regarded to be a pickpocket, a crook, a murderer and Tammany Hall Politician. He is well known for making a daring escaping when sentenced to death row at the Tomb’s Prison, New York City.

His early life

It was in 1845 that Sharkey was born in the city of New York to a well to do family, residing in Manhattan’s 9^th Ward. He is said to have been lured by Manhattan’s darker side and was seen with crooks, gamblers and pickpockets. He had himself become a skillful pickpocket and gambler. However, he got arrested for pickpocketing and a photograph taken by municipal photographer had ensured having a record as well as picture with the Policy Department of the city.

He started to deal in stolen bonds and rose high among criminals and went on to form ‘Sharkey’s Guards’, his own gang having Wooster Corner and Houston Streets as the gang’s headquarters. It is here that he got motivated to join the political scene and very soon became darling of crooks, running Tammany Hall.

He preferred to wear the best clothes, sparking diamonds on neck and finger. He soon ran for the post of Asst. Alderman. Although he had the backing of Tammany Hall, he lost the election. Once again he went back to gambling and stealing. He amassed huge money and moved to Buffalo in New York for starting a faro game. Again his venture proved to be unlucky, compelling him to get back to the city of New York.  He befriended with Robert Dunn, his old friend, who was employed with the Comptroller’s Office at New York City. Dunn also ran a faro business, at a gambling house in Fulton Street. But as faro partners, they again lost at Buffalo. On 1^st September 1872, Sharkey killed Dunn and was convicted and later sentenced to death by hanging.

His great escape

In jail, he lived the life of a luxury using his money while awaiting his death sentence and was assisted by Maggie Jourdan. On 19^th November 1873, with her help as well as that of Mrs. Allen, Sharkey managed to escape wearing the dress of a woman. But the two women got arrested and later Jourdan was acquitted.

In the meanwhile, Sharkey had made the escape by availing Frank Atwood’s schooner and reached Haiti. Later, he travelled to Cuba to settle there. Sharkey never got back to New York and enjoyed the remaining part of his life in Cuba.

The ILA or International Longshoremen Association began as a labour union that was legitimate within the region of the Great Lakes. Its purpose was to assist dockworkers to get their fare share from their employers. It later expanded to east cost and a council was created by 1914 for New York District. Very soon, the ILA went o to become a mob stronghold, got manipulated by few of the most dangerous Irish mobsters of those days among whom Joseph Ryan was regarded to be the most prominent.

His entering the ILA

It was in 1917 that Ryan entered the scene, as he organized an ILA branch called ‘Council of New York District’. He became Atlantic Coast District of ILA’s President in 1918. With the New York Port gaining more importance due to its proximity to Europe and IWW (Workers of World), west coast based workers placing strict competition, the ILA in 1919 managed to bring them into their fold.

His early life and rise to fame

In 1921, Ryan was appointed as the ILA’s first Vice President and its President in 1927, during the time of which, the power base completely shifted to New York Port. He had become somebody from nobody, but had to go through tough time.

It was Babylon, Long Island considered to be his birthplace on 11^th May 1884. His parents were of Irish origin and immigrants. At 9, both of them died, leaving him as an orphan.  A woman had adopted him and he lived with her in Manhattan’s Chelsea section, just a few blocks south from Hell’s Kitchen region that was completely lawless at that time.

In his early age, he had to undertake menial jobs and then got a work with loading and unloading at Chelsea Piers. But having hurt his foot when unloading, he was never able to work at the docks again. However, he was appointed as ILA Local 791 secretary and from then began his meteoric rise. He was called popularly as ‘Boss Joe’ and was regarded to be a ruthless fighter, hired some of the worst imaginable men to increase his grip. He also organized fund raisers for politicians. ‘The Norris La Guardia  Act’ passed on by Roosevelt only enhanced his power further. But it was the west coast that proved to be his downfall and in 1851 lost control over ILA. In 1955,  after being convicted and fined, he never was seen near the waterfronts.

James Hines was an ordinary blacksmith at Harlem. He got introduced to Tammany Hall and went on to become in New York City’s history for big time political fixing.

His early life

It was at Manhattan’s Upper West Side that he was born on 18^th December 1876. His father also was a blacksmith who had his own shop on 8 Avenue and 121^st street. Hines had to take over the shop at a young age of 17, as his father had become sick. He befriended Tim Sullivan take benefit of his father’s connections with politics, who was more of a crook and took his share from the street gangs that operated several rackets in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

His rise to fame

Sullivan was considered to be a master politician and knew how to get votes from certain people several times, having their appearances changed constantly. Hines was an ardent student, who learned the trades well from his master and in 1907 became an alderman, because of Sullivan’s manipulation. In 1910 he was elected District Leader and formed Monongahela Democratic Club. This club later on became his operational base and from here, he did good deeds like helping poor people and providing jobs to the unemployed, so that their votes could come in his favor.

He along with Phillip, his brother began a trucking company for supplementing income and then construction firm. Very soon they made it big in both the industry and got wonderful contracts and had it subcontracted to those people, who knew to perform the jobs. However, he had his share of backdraw, like he preferred backroom dealing and not a skilled public speaker. Although he helped his friends generously, those who came in his path were killed without any remorse.

His relationship with the mobsters

At the height of Prohibition, Big Bill Dwyer and Owney Madden were operating the country’s biggest bootlegging operation. They needed the support of the law officials, who were controlled by Hines. Hence, they paid him well to ensure that their men are safe. With his help, Jimmy Walker the ex-Tin Pan Alley Song writer was elected New York City Mayor and was equally corrupt. But in 1932, Walker was taken out of office by Seabury Committee headed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Although Hines enjoyed favors from Roosevelt and the mobsters, it was Dutch Schultz, with whom he had relationship with later proved to be his downfall. He got sentenced to 4 to 8 years for corruption and died on 26^th March, 1957.