From the Desk of Larry D. Thompson
Molasses Gang
New York(1870 to 1877)
The gang was started in 1870 by Jimmy Dunnigan, Blind Mahoney and Bill Morgan. The Gang operated throughout N. York City. They were basically store thieves and pickpockets. Their gang name came about through their simple, comic method of robbery. They would rob a store by asking the owner to fill up a hat to see how much it would hold. When it was full, one of the members would grab it and force it over the store owners head. The molasses would blind him and the other members would rob the cash register and depart. The gang members were around up to about 1877 and then ceased to exist.
Patsy Conroy Gang
New York(1870-?)
Joseph "Socco the Bracer" Gayles (b.1844, d.5/29/1973) was the Chief Lieutenant of the gang. The gang was mostly river pirates who operated from the Corlears Hooks district preying on cargo ships docked in the East River. "Socco the Bracer" was reported to have killed at least 20 men and always went heavily armed into the streets. "Socco the Bracers" end came on the night of May 29,1873, when he and two of his men, Billy Woods and Bum Mahoney robbed the brig Margaret. They made so much noise it woke the crew. The crew shot at them as they rowed away. Two policemen on patrol in a riverboat gave chase. They shot "Socco" below the heart. He promptly died, so his companions threw him overboard. He surfaced four days later.
Members
William "Billy" Woods
"Bum" Mahoney
"Scotchy"Lavelle
"Kid" Shanahan
"Bugsy" Hurley
"Benny" Kane
"Piggy" Noles
Michael "Mike" or Johnny Dobb Kerrigan(See also Michael Kerrigan)
Plug Uglies Gang
New York(1825-1900)
The Plug Uglies was formed in 1825 New York City in the Five Points section. The gang took their names from the giant plug hats the filled with rags and straw to protect them in gang battles. It was an all Irish gang at the beginning and its members were required to be at least 6' tall. Their leaders being some of the most notorious gangsters in New York. This gang participated in the death dealing New York City Draft Riots in 1863 which claimed the lives of hundreds.
The Plug Uglies disappeared about 1900, its members amalgamated into The Five Points Gang, the last important street gang in New York before the Prohibition gangsters took over.
ShirtTail Gang
New York
In 1825 The Shirt-Tail Gang started. They got their name from several sloppy members who habitually wore their shirts outside their pants. Basically sneak thieves and muggers. They centered their activities around the "Five Points" section. In their battles with other gangs, The Shirt Tails generally sided with the more heavily staffed Plug Uglies, Chickesters, and Dead Rabbits Gangs. The Shirt Tails disappeared in the 1890's, making way for the last New York gangs, The Five Pointers.
SlaughterHouse Gang
New York
George"Snatchen" Leese was the leader of The Slaughterhouse Gang. Their hang out was The Sportsmens Hall in the Fourth Ward of New York City in the 1800's.
Traveling Mike Grady Gang
1861-1886(N.York)
They were a Group of mobile sneak thieves who plied there neforious trade thoughtout New York City about the time of the Civil War. The Gang members were: Michael"Traveling Mike" Grady, "Greedy Jake"Rand, "Boston Pete" Anderson,"Hod Ennis", Edward "Eddie" Pettengill
On March 7, 1866 the gang robbed Rufus L. Lord, a financier(he owned more than four million in stocks and bonds) in his office at the rear of 38 Exchange Place. In the safe that was open, they pulled out a tin box and opened it, inside the found $1,900,000 in cash and securities. All the bonds were negotiable. On the spot every member retired, except traveling Mike, he kept fencing stolen goods.
The White Hand Gang
1900-1928(Brooklyn, NY)
The gang were a bunch of river terrorists who extorted money from dockworkers and boat captains alike on the East River, centering activities along the Brooklyn shore. William L. "Wild Bill" Lovett and Dinny Meehan. In 1920 White Hand lieutenant Meehan was stabbed to death by an underling who aspired to his rank. In 1923 "Wild Bill" Lovett was shot to death on his way home.
Richard "Peg Leg" Lonergan, a scabrous murderer with twenty killings to his credit then took over the White Hand Gang.
On the night of Dec. 26, 1925, "Peg Leg" along with Cornelious "Needles" Ferry, Jimmy Hart, Patrick "Happy" Maloney, and Aaron Harms entered the Adonis Social Club, a South Brooklyn saloon patronized by Al Capone and his gang. The lights in the saloon went out about two a.m. A blazing gunfight started. When the lights came on "Peg Leg" Lonergan, "Needles" Ferry, and Aaron Harms were dead, shot in the head. The rest of them were gone, Hart and "Happy" Maloney. The White Hand faded after that and disappeared altogether in 1928.
Members
William "Wild Bill" Lovett Died, 1923 "Dinny" Meehan, 1920
Richard "Peg Leg" Lonergan Died,12/26/25 Arron Harms Died 12/26/25
Cornelius"Needles" Ferry Died,12/26/25 Jimmy Hart
Patrick "Happy" Maloney
The Whyos Gang
New York
The Whyos Gang came into existance in N. York after the Civil War.
They were the most vicious and terrifying street gang seen in the city. "The
Whyos" dominated the fourth Ward of the lower East Side and headquartered
at Mulberry Bend. The Whyos considered the whole of Manhattan their providence
and some of their 500 members were at onetime or another constantly raiding
territories of the Greenwich Village or West Side Gangs.
Their central drinking spa was aptly named The Morgue and was the scene of
at least 100 violent murders.
The Whyos members usually drew guns on each other and killed each other until
the wee hours in the morning at The Morgue.
Mike McGloin(d.3/8/1883), Captain of the gang, was hanged in the Tombs
Prison for Killing Louis Hanrei, a West 25th St. salon-keeper.
Piker Ryan lead the gang in 1884. Danny Lyons and Danny Driscoll headed
the gang by 1887.
Driscoll(d.1/23/1888) was hanged in prison for the shotting death of a prostitute
named Breezy Garriety. Lyons(d.8/21/1988) shot to death Joesph Quinn, a fellow
gangster, in a noonday gun battle at in Paradise Square at The Five Points
on July 5, 1887 over a prositute named "Pretty Kitty" McGown. Two of Lyons
prostitutes, "Lizzie the Dove" and "Gentle Maggie" got into a fight over
Lyons loss. Maggie drew a knife and plunged it into Lizzies throat killing
her.
"Dandy John" Dolan(d.4/21/1876) killed a manufactuer, James Noe, in
the summer of 1875. Dolan was hanged for the murder.
For 40 yrs. The Whyos ruled the underworld in N. York, but faded at
the turn of the century with the coming of The Eastmans and The Five Point
Gang.