Stories
Other
River Pirates on the Hudson & East Rivers
From 1866 to 1877 river pirates terrorized the water of New York's rivers and harbor robbing cargo and what ever other goods they could from boats that were docked or coming in to port. Piracy in the waters of New York became so bad that the police eventually set up a...
“Old” Jimmy Hope – Master Bank Robber
James Hope was born in Philadelphia to Irish parents in 1836, the family were poor and Jimmy took a job as a machinist when he was a teenager. He married young and had a family but Jimmy Hope would soon find himself attracted to a life of crime. He would go on to...
Big Jim O’Leary Chicago’s Big Time Gambler
"Big" Jim O'Leary was a gambler & racketeer in early Chicago, he is credited in forming one of the cities first gambling syndicates and for having a rags to riches story. James O'Leary was born to parents Patrick and Katherine O'Leary. Katherine O'Leary is rumored...
Thomas “Fatty” Walsh & Haunting the Biltmore Hotel
Thomas "Fatty" Walsh was a gambler, mobster and an associate of Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano. He now reportedly haunts the 13th floor of the Biltmore Hotel, Miami, Florida. "Fatty" Walsh was a former bodyguard of Arnold Rothstein, Rothstein or "The Brain" would...
Frank Hague The Boss of Jersey City
Frank Hague was born on January 17,1876, to Irish immigrants Margaret Fagen/Fagin and John Hague from County Cavan, the second of eight children. His father worked as a blacksmith and a bank guard. Frank Hague had grown up in the “Horse Shoe” section in Jersey City’s...
Prohibition ends in America on this day
On the 5th of December 1933, the National & Constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the U.S comes to an end. Originally brought into law in 1920 and after 13 years the law was finally repealed. The...
The Irish Channel An Old Irish New Orleans Neighborhood
The Irish Channel neighborhood is part of the historic city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally the Irish Channel was home to mainly, yes, Irish people who were emigrating from Ireland in the early 1800's with a wave of immigrants coming during the Great Famine of...
Ned Kelly – Bucket Head Ned – The Outback Outlaw
In a bit of a break we can have a look at Australia and one of the most famous gangsters / outlaw of them all Ned Kelly or Buckethead Ned. He was the son of Irish parents, his father Red Kelly had been a convict who had been sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in...
The Coffey Gang – New York’s Finest
New York Detective Joseph Coffey certainly doesn't need any introductions, he was legendary in both law enforcement and criminal circles alike. He had a career like no other and an impressive arrest record to match.We have covered Joe Coffey previously in...