The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds - 238 - The Gopher Gang
Episode Date: January 29, 2017Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds examine New York City's Gopher Gang. SOURCES TOUR DATES REDBUBBLE MERCH ...
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You're listening to the dollop. This is a bi-weekly United States of America
History podcast. Each week I, Senor Dave, read a story to my friend.
Gareth Reynolds who has no idea what the topic is going to be about.
Oh la! It took a while. Is now the time to adopt your Mexican heritage? Is now the
right time to strike on that? Feels like maybe the iron's off. Hello!
Better. How are you? Mr. Dave Anthony. How's your wall? Regular
citizen. Regular American citizen. David Anthony.
God, do you want to look who to do? I'll do one buck. People say this is funny. Not Gary Gareth. Dave okay. Someone or something is tickling people. Is it for fun? And this is not going to come to tickling podcasts. Okay. You are queen fakie of made-up town. All hail Queen Shit of Liesville. A bunch of religious
virgins go to mingle. And do what? Pray. Hi, Gary. No. I miss you dad, my friend. No. No.
1890. Okay. Put an S on the end. You sure did. So it's like a decade. Yep. New York City. Okay. Have you heard of New York City? I've read about it.
Brutal gangs roam the streets of Manhattan. We've heard this. Wow. Yeah. Well we know that. Gangs such as the Atlantic guards, battle row gang, Baxter street dudes. Wait. They must have been kind of fancy. Yeah. The day break boys.
Sure. Up at dawn. Vampires. Yeah. The dead rabbits. Heard of it. The dock rats. I like that one. Yeah. I assume they hung out by the dock. Give us all your cheese. The five points. Wait. Are they mice? Yeah. The five points gang. Sure. 40 thieves.
Now that one. Sorry. We're not taking no members right now. Why? We got 40. It's like a packed club. What about out one in one? Hold on. Yeah. Oh no. Now you got 39. 20.
You got a spot? Welcome aboard. Thank you. Take this jacket. It's covered in blood. The Fourth Avenue tunnel gang will be in the tunnel. We're digging.
The Hudson dusters. Yep. The James Street gang. That's right. We know what street this is. Little doggies. I hope that was actual little dogs. Yeah.
Neighbor's sons. We live near here. My dad's put my dad's got a place over there. We're all boys. We live close to this place. The pansies. Move on. The pug uglies. Whoa. The swamp angels. Help us. We can't get out of here but we're majestic.
And the yos. All right. Why is one of that one too. Why is with the most violent. Okay. Why ohs. Why ohs. Why and then OS. Okay. Why ohs.
Or wheeze. Why. Wait. Why. Why and OS. No. Why OS. Why OS.
A lot of these gangs were Irish. You believe that they fled during the potato famine. Some of them went all the way back to the mid 1800s.
Oh wait. It took me a minute to process that. I thought we were about to go on like a time travel. I know it's having fun.
But the 1890s were really the heyday of these gangs. Most of the gangs were street fighters while others had specialties like there were robbers thieves or murderers.
One of the larger gangs of the time were the Gophers. Sure. Sure. The Gophers. Yeah. It's a fucking badass name. Yeah. We're under the ground. We're in dirt.
We're ruining your golf course. Yeah. The Gophers ruled Hell's Kitchen which was then a rough Irish area in Manhattan.
Okay. So the Gophers are in Hell's Kitchen. Nothing to see here. Nope. The turf went from 7th Avenue to 11th Avenue and from 14th Street to 42nd Street.
That's a pretty big fucking area. People can walk there. You just can't be a gang walking there. Yeah. Other gangs couldn't come in. Right. Yeah. Anybody could walk through.
Anybody could walk through. I mean you might get robbed but that's part of it. Well that's kind of my question. Life in the city. Sure. So avoid the area. Not necessarily we're also going to go.
Well maybe around it. The other places are all controlled by gangs too. I'm going to go find the. You want to be safe. I'm going to go find the puppy boys.
If you go you go up up east side up west side. Okay. Puppy boys. They're called little doggies. Little doggies. You just got yourself stabbed but that's pure disrespect.
No. We're a sister gang. We're in Ireland. We're the puppy babies. So they got their name because they were known to hide out in basements and cellars. Wait. What's their name again. The Gophers.
The Gophers. Okay. Right. Their peak the membership was around 500. For money they targeted the Hudson River Railroad yards which were their territory and they targeted shops in the area. They also rated the docks frequently.
Okay. So just a bunch of guys run down the docks. Sure. Taking potatoes and other items. Yeah. Well everything comes off the dock. Right. And you just go down there and like mid unloading you just run.
Let me give you a hand with that Charlie. Huh. Idiot. Oh. Gophers. They were far from organized crime or like disorganized. Okay. They were very undisciplined. Sometimes they would rent themselves out as enforcers for politicians but mostly they just fought each other.
The Gophers fought each other. Yeah. I mean they would. It's a big territory. I was always buying for the top. Sure. Gang had a lot of turnover at the top. Okay. And that comes. That comes from. How does that work. Is that like nature where there's a.
Well the they were turbulent. The gang was considered turbulent and very fickle as far as who they were. So they would just like fire somebody. Yeah. They wouldn't. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know.
They could kill them. I don't know. I don't know if guys get fired from a gang. Well I mean you know. Hey Patty. Yeah. You're fired. For what. You're a bad leader. But I'm the leader. You can't fire me.
You don't know where you're from. Hello G CollaboratO. I hate this guy. He is the worst. So they would they would die also or be put in jail. You know. Sure.
So the gang didn't really create any big leaders like the dead rabbits did. Like he was the famous one from the. Right. We all remember the famous rabbit guy. Yeah.
He was in the Scorsese a piece of garbage. Oh and gangs in New York. Yeah, when you remember me cranked out that turd
Yeah, real bad
So
They had a string of leaders somewhere Newberg Gallagher
Stumpy malarkey, I'm smashing the fruit now. We're under stumpy. Hey wait up everyone
I've got a little foot. Hurry wait up. I'm walking in circles on accident again
How come I can't get this bloody right? My name is just like a small no, but then shape a
One-lung Coran hell
What hell?
nice to and
You goo goo knocks. Hey
No, I'm too little to be
You guys do it. Have you seen me pacifier? What do you mean the doorbells broken? I got a solution. I'm a baby
Let's just knock
Go go go go go go knock
go go knock
We got a good good knock go. I'm not answering the door go go
Go go knock babies have robbed me go go go go knock
So a go go would go on to found the Hudson dusters. Hey
One-lung Coran
We couldn't join the dusters because of his condition, right? Well. Yeah, you can't be a part of that
Be careful with just the one he was a bit famous because of a fashion trend. He started walking around with a collapsed chest
Just because you have one lung
I
There's a downside I put in here why he was named one lung. I know it wasn't because of what you think
Okay, so I had two extra lungs. He was a bit famous
One day his girlfriend said she was cold and she wanted a new jacket
Okay, so he went out and right away. He saw a cop. So he blackjacked him
He blackjacked him blackjack is that the leather thing that has the metal in it and you've whacked someone with it
You've seen blackjack, right? I don't know you haven't you're gonna
What it was, huh? Wait, so well, there's a couple questions. We'll put a pin in that last one
But so they're just like it's a handle and then and then and then a loser a looser leather part, right?
And it's got a metal something inside sure maybe packed with ground metal or just a bar and they just fucking whack you
Okay, so he goes over any black jacks the black jacks a cop, right? Nox. I'm not takes his jacket
Wow, he blackjacketed he blackjacketed blackjack jacket
So so one long he steals it and then he brings it to his girlfriend. What do you think baby? I saw tonight. I thought of you
Oh, I like it. Yeah, hello officer Maloney's your name from police Academy. You're my favorite potato. Excuse me
Hey
the girl as girlfriend tarot tailored it
into a quote smart jacket of military cut sure and then she wore it out and all the other girls in the neighborhood
Loved it. Okay, but I'm gonna go ahead and throw a flag on the plane
Huh, which is that if they're looking for somebody who beat up this cop?
They've seen this jacket
Soon all the gang members wanted one for their girlfriends and cops were being hunted all over hell's kitchen and beaten for their uniforms
Well, I will say did you not see it going that way? What is refreshing is for humans to be hunted for their pelts
That is true, that's like nice to be like like finally yeah come after our own and be like look at this fancy sport coat
Look at you. Well, you're a fancy one here. Copper. Copper. Copper. Shelly didn't write down why he was called one lung
That's a shame it became it even became a way for a young wannabe kids to become a full-fledged member of the gang
So you get a cop coat and you're in yeah
So Owen Madden who came to be called Oni
Was an 11 year old immigrant in Hell's Kitchen and he wanted to become a gopher because quote they didn't work
He's 11. Yeah, he's 11 and he doesn't want to work. He told his mom. He's like a
mother I don't want to be a
A man out there working. I want to be a man. You're 11. You're 11. Yeah, but I like to hit fellas in the head
Yeah, but you're 11. Yes, you're 11. I know you stay home from mother. I'm gonna kill you and don't know you're 11
I'm taking your clothes. You're 11 like you're a fucking like you're a fucking seal. You are 11
I am way bigger than you you are 11 and here we go. What and stabby stab. She busted
So a one-long told Oni that if he beat up a cop and stripped him of his entire uniform
He could become a member wait wait. He's 11. Yeah
But it didn't take long what for the 11 year oni to beat up a cop and return with the uniform Oni was then a gopher
That's a bad day for that cop. Yeah, I mean it's one thing to lose your badge or your gun
But I haven't all right Connor. What did he look like? I?
very short
He's a little little fella little huh? Yeah, he's like a
Yeah, Mijit is she has heard a little person like a little little small little man though
He's a little man. Yes, like a little man a little strong man
We're looking for keep an eye on a bullish man
No, he's not probably with a beard not necessarily a man right far. It's like he's like a small person sized. He's a
He's a tiny man, but he's a strong. No, he's tiny for sure right, but he's a bit boyish looking
Okay, he's a youth youthful looking face, but he's by 30 40. Yeah, well a little bit less
20 okay, a little bit less 19. I go down 17
Ah, he's gay. I can't be younger than 15. I said a little bit less 14. This is a little quite 13
This is sad. I mean I'm just a 12. I believe you're on the hook for it. Yeah, I just go down. He's 11
I yeah, I think he's about 11 Jesus God terrifying good Lord got fists like a like a small monkey
Yeah, that's not big just come on out your fists a fury monkey fists. How many kids were there?
Yeah, it's uh, I if I put them all together. Yeah, count up all the kids
So you got the one so yeah
That was
That was the whole of it terrifying though little Irish eyes
All right, so we're looking for a kid
Yeah, but a scary
Can I get a blank you're fired?
Very cold. Yes, the uniform get out. Okay. Thank you for having me on your force
Protect me from the children
After several officers were beaten and robbed of their jackets the cops began patrolling gopher turf in groups of four
Policy though, because they're like look at all those coats. We've got to go out together boys. Yeah, holy shit. Look at all the cops around
Oh
Minute look at these jackets
So that the jacket fad quickly ended, okay?
Oh one one lung also had a tough time as leader because he was constantly be hospitalized for TB, right?
That might have been why he was called one lung. Okay. Yeah, right make sense
Another prominent gopher leader was happy Jack Mulraney. Sure happy Jack
He was known as happy Jack because because it looked like he was always smiling
Uh-huh the reason for that was because he had a partial paralysis of his facial muscles. Okay, so
Not necessarily happy
No, I would say maybe the opposite of happy annoyed annoyed annoyed Jack
Irritated by being called a hey look who's smiling. It's happy Jack. Don't don't say hey
Smile it again everybody kind of cut you open now
Haha adorable. Oh my mouth. Um, so he was a psychopath
Okay, his lieutenants would send him into a rage by telling him that certain enemies had made shitty comments about his constant grin
And then he'd go hunt them down. Oh that is great
So that's like football stuff. We just like you said this about your wife
When I was almost got some my buddy one time this just escalated so fast
But my friend was driving and he said to another buddy about this kid. We saw walking down the street
Who went to our high school? He goes dude?
That's that kid that talked shit about you goes pull the car over and they pull the car over my buddy gets out
Headbutts the guy the guy was like ah, and he goes you talk shit about me about me behind my back
And then he got in the car. We were like, oh my god
Did he actually talk shit about him? No
He just made it out. No, my buddy just said it is a joke. Oh my he goes dude
That's that guy that talked shit about you goes pull the car over. Wow. What happened to that guy?
I know him still he works. He lives out here. Okay. Well the one guy lives out here the other guy
Um dead well close
Keep going
But it didn't always have to be enemies once uh
Once happy jack's close friend patty the priest
Asked happy jack why he didn't laugh out the other side of his face
And happy jack pulled out a gun and shot patty dead on the spot. It was in a bar. It was in a bar
So so what people saw it. Oh, yeah, that was the end for happy jack. Oh, he was done
Yeah, now you're learning how the leaders go away in this gang. Yeah, it doesn't seem like they get fired
They fire. Yeah, he was sentenced to death and electrocuted at sing sing. Oh, wow
Uh, the golfers also had a woman's lady golfer gang called the sort of like a spin-off series. Yeah
Okay, yeah exactly like a spin-off like it's like Laverne and Shirley. Yeah
That was old
Uh, it was called officially technical name was the battle row ladies social and athletic club. Oh my god
What but short they called the lady golfers, right? Okay. They're also baby golfers who were the little kids who were trying to get in
They literally have done what the gap did
They got regular gap
They got like female gap and now they got gap babies baby gap
This is what the gap is based on. Kid gang just like a bullpen of like
Babies that you're just breeding to be gophers. Well, I think that you're a little kid and you look up in the neighborhood to the
Tough guy kind of like daycare too. Yeah, it's a lot like daycare
Uh, so the ladies were led by a succession of very brutal women like gallus mag
Sadie the goat hell cat Maggie. Mm-hmm and battle Annie
Those are good. Yeah, battle Annie's those sound like action figure names. Yeah
um
Battle Annie's real name was Annie Walsh
Battle Annie was called the queen of house kitchen and was said to be the most quote feared brick hurler of her time
Wow, so she was just a brick tosser fucking monster
Now see brick taught that's not something I would anticipate a brick being thrown at you
Yeah, like having to dodge bricks, especially when she was clearly good at it. Yeah, that's problematic
You gotta have an arm to fucking throw a brick. Oh, yeah, accurately. Yeah, uh, I've thrown a lot of bricks your way
Yeah
She was called the quote sweet heart of almost the entire golfer gang or at least all the captains
Okay, so I'm assuming you got around. Uh-huh. That's what that means. Okay
Uh, she could pull together a force of between 50 to several hundred women armed with clubs
Who would help in fights against other gangs or cops? That's great. Just a fucking
Just an army of ladies. Yeah, it's just a great like that. That's a great. Oh, shit. Yeah
Here come the ladies boys. Oh, no lady go first
Uh, baton Annie made her made a very good living during labor union wars by supplying lady fighters to battle on both sides of the labor issue
So there'd be a strike. Uh-huh and and the and then they'd pay the union would pay her to send in people to
Fight on the line
She's like extras and the company would
Pay for her to send in scabs to fight and so she had she's just stacking the deck for both sides
She's just making that's not doing anything other than just making money making money. Yeah making money
Um, yeah
So the gophers loved a good fight one of their more, uh,
Renowned battles. Uh, they weren't even involved in
members of the five pointers and the eastmans were in the middle of a shootout on rivington street
under the allen street arch
Of second avenue and over a hundred gang members were shooting at each other from behind
Uh bridge pillars good lord around six gopher members just stumbled across the fight and decided to join in
They didn't even know who was fighting or why they just started shooting should whoever's shooting at your shirt
Boys, let's get in this. There's a bunch of a bunch of lads firing at each other
One gopher said quotes a lot of the guys was popping at each other. So why shouldn't we do a little pop on ourselves?
I know why
The street shootout lasted almost an hour before the cops were finally able to stop it
But
Only three gang members in kit were killed in seven loaded. So not that good with the aiming
Yeah, I assume guns weren't that good at aiming right probably a distance to for an hour. I mean, yeah an hour's a long time
Uh in 1910 a monk easterman gang member named chick tricker
Wow worst gang name ever
Chick tricker here. Hi. I'm chick tricker
staff
He bought a cafe on west 28th near braway. No, that's a bar. Okay
Uh, it was called. Yeah, I was picture. Yeah, the gang member is just like help you guys like cappuccinos and uh finger sandwiches
We've got a little provolone today a nice bit of provolone in a turkey sandwich. Do yourselves a favor get the charcuterie plate
Oh, it's today for absolutely today for oh, hold on. I'm gonna stab this gentle there. We are and a choy tea
Uh, he seemed to not really be concerned when one of his gang members strolled in with ida the goose
Uh-huh
Uh-huh
Now she uh
Was from hell's kitchen. Okay, uh, and uh, the gang member had met her in hell's kitchen
And she was very good-looking woman that many of the golfers loved and then he uh, and then he brought her back
You know, they fell for each other and he brought her back to the bar. Okay
And ida ida was called the bell of the maryland at that point
But the golfers were nodded all down with the gorgeous ida being at the maryland cafe
So the gopher captains fired up all the troops and they demanded she be returned or it would be war
ida herself declined to leave her new found love and the owner tricker refee if you used to intervene
Okay, so
And the gopher's don't like it just because well, it's their hot lady from the neighborhood. So they don't like that
She's tied. Well, also some of them had dated her. Right. Uh, there's one particular the guy
So it's not it's not necessarily the location. They just are like get out of here
I don't think you're allowed to come and and and take a lady from your uh, your avenue or whatever
Okay, it's a different time man. They better have a handbook because right and you mean writing all this shit down
Yeah, you know like paula. Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that because I would have dated a girl and brought her
Okay. All right. That's good to know. Oh, yeah, I think it's don't bring around here. I think it's a stay
Still the same way. Okay. Uh, so october 1910 for gopher gunman calmly walked into the maryland cafe sat down and ordered beers
You see
It's that you call them gunmen. Oh shit. I'm worried about that
Uh, in the bar there were six tricker gang members two bartenders and ida the goose
I wonder why they called with the goose. I couldn't find that out
Hmm. Not enough. Uh, the tricker gangsters
territorial
Uh, we're quote amazed at the audacity of the four gophers and watched them nervously
Without saying a word
But ida being ida said something quote say use guys have got a nerve
Okay, fucking ida. Yeah, I feel like this is a good time to not talk to them
Yep, the gophers ignored her and just sat there quietly drinking their beers
Until they were all done with their beers and then one of them said quote
Well, let's have at it and then they all spun around with their guns in their hands and just started shooting
Five of the trickers men, uh, were seriously wounded the bartenders
Crouched and hid behind the bar as did ida and her new boyfriend
So he's he's a pussy. Well, I mean he's alive, but he's alive. What do you do?
Um, I go out fighting. I'm behind the bar. Well, I'm absolute. I'm behind ida behind the bar
Hey, baby. I well, you don't know which way they're gonna come from. Yeah, come on goose stand still here. Let's spoon. I'm maverick your goose
um
fine
So, uh, the gophers just sat there and waited and then ida seemed to realize this was not gonna work
just hiding behind the bar and
She looked at her cowering new boyfriend and said quote come out and take it then she pushed him out into the open
And he fell onto his knees and started trembling and then each gopher shot him. Oh my god. That is the worst
That's the worst. That's the worst way to go. I told you the worst. No, no, no, no, no
No, it's the it's the it's the being on your knees trembling praying and then they're like, no, we're gonna shoot you still
And you just go out like worst case you gotta go out fighting like if you know, they're gonna shoot you
They always were gonna shoot him. Well, look, I see they just shot the other four guys and you're the main target
Why are you hiding behind the goose?
I want to live
I want to live. It's not an option. It should be
um
So then gentlemen, I'm so sorry, please
Why don't we all shoot him once the the last gopher?
Who put the final bullet in him was ida's uh last ex-boyfriend
Uh, and then they casually walked out which two days later earlier. He was like, did he still touch your ex at all?
Do you guys give a touch? What's your deal?
Oh, here's a little bit uh
Volatile my ex was so volatile too. She she would get so upset with with me over the toilet seat
And I would say baby look, I need it. I need it up. Sometimes you need it down
I don't know. I always have to leave it down for you. So that's something we have in common
Like that, but yeah, he shoots you in the face. I know that's what it felt like with her some time
Lorraine would just always be like that. Okay, you know, it wasn't if it was when um, so we have that in common
Yeah, we should stop thirsty for a drink goose
Let me go goosey
So then the guys just casually walked out and started walking back to hell's kitchen and ida the goose
Yeah, followed them at a respectable distance
That's kind of how geese do it. Yep. It was said to be glowing with pride over the shootout that had happened for her
What?
ida never straight again from hell's kitchen
She was very prideful
Yeah, right. Okay. Well goose goose goose is our geese goose is okay
um
so when the gophers uh
Later leader newberg gallagher was convicted of stuff and sent to sing sing smashing watermelons too close to crowds
Yeah, I mean he had the big hammer
The gang went into disarray and split into three factions with oan madden now known as oni the killer
Okay, great. I'm glad to see he's all grown up. He's 18. Oh, he's 18 had a good seven years of childhood
Uh, he led the largest group oni was known to have quote cruelty of a devil
It's not surprise 11. Yeah. Well, yeah, it was never gonna go right. I mean when you beat up a cop
But if you're that cop, you're like see see that's the fucker. He's a total badass. What did I tell you? He's a total badass
Uh a description of oni from the uh
I think new york times
But he uh, he was but 18 when he assumed command of one of the gopher factions and had scarcely passed his
23rd birthday with five murders chalked up
Uh by police. He was a crack shot with a revolver and an accomplished artist with a slingshot
A blackjack and a pair of brass knuckles
Not to mention a piece of lead pipe wrapped in a newspaper, which was always a favorite weapon
Oh, you got to say extra extra before you hit someone with it
It's a must
That's a must
Today's news is an iron bar. Yeah, it's just in bam
Oni, uh, was not a big, uh
He did not go in for much activity with his fists. He preferred an equalizer a pistol
A weapon that would make all his men his own size in common with his mates
He wore the turtleneck sweater and cap, which was the standard
Wear for a tough guy. He talked out of the corner of his mouth changed. Yeah. Oh, that's a very happy jack of him
Hey D's doors
Uh and a dim
D's doors
Popeye jar. It was a habit he never got over
I think it was something he you know, you just it was like the cool way to talk back then
Well, it's also probably if you if since 11 you've been up to shady shit
You're probably just used to talking on one side of your mouth. You're most most of the time you talk
It's about shenanigans. What do I do another voice?
Uh, don't kill anyone, but I got a new plan
So I can't take my jar of this position. No, it's not shocked up now
The thing that uh made only a leader, uh, uh was his utter contempt for life
Um, only was accused of murdering an Italian man to celebrate becoming the leader of the golfer faction
Well fireworks weren't inventive boys. Thank you very much. Let's go kill one of them Italians
Hey, I'm the leader of this new gang. Oh, congratulations. Get him. What wait?
No, he's Irish. She's Irish. She's Irish leaving me. Sorry. There's a gentleman behind him. Sir. I'm the leader of the new gang
Hello, how are you?
I
Yeah, I'm good. I'm the leader of the new guy. Hi. How are you?
Hey, what are you? I can't stop my spicy beats mom get him get him
Uh, only uh, uh was released
When several of the witnesses, uh to the killing disappeared
Uh, vacation. Yeah, there's a lot of vacation time back then. So a lot of people
If you murdered someone around
June july usually august, uh, everyone would be gone vacations. Yeah
Uh, it so in under a year. He murdered. He murdered. Wow. You are in character
He mojaded a store clerk on a trolley car who had asked out one of Oni's girls
He always had a ton of ladies. He murdered him on a cart a street car a trolley car
That's a hard murder
Well, the guy was hitting on his lady. But that like is
Okay, well, there were a lot of people is what you're thinking. I had the many complications like what?
Like yeah, I mean the people for one thing. What do you do with the body once it's done?
Do you just sort of no, I think he just shot him and then shot him and roll and then it was like
Oh, can I get off here? Yeah, he just pulled the little thing ding ding ding ding
Uh
While uh, the guy was dying uh the store clerk
Uh, he did he did say it was Oni and the police arrested Oni after a chase across tenement roofs of hell's kitchen
Wow, so he he was the first guy to do that. Yeah, and then now it's been in all the movies. Right. Yeah
And when he was doing he was like, that's gonna be great in the in the talkies think of how nice this will be if I'm
Silhouetted and the background is nice and sunny
Uh, once again, he was let go after all of the witnesses disappeared
Uh, but the gang uh the gopher gang would hit its peak under the leadership of Oni at 500 members strong
He was making 200 bucks a day, which would be about 2,500 a day now. Wow. Okay
They just shake down shops and raid the fucking
Railroad yards and stuff. Well, I'd give Oni money. I would too. Yeah as much as he wanted. Whatever he wants
Um, whatever Oni and tanner smith who is a former leader of the marginal gang, which is not a good name for a gang
The marginal gang? We're all we're almost there. Yeah, we're on the cusp
Yeah, we almost official so close
Uh, the two of them rented uh a couple of rooms in a house
And then called it the winona club
So some guy just has a house and he puts up a couple of rooms for rent upstairs air bb
Take it over and they and then they call it a club. That is just that's so great to be the guy
Hi. Hey, um guys
I just wanted to come up here and just talk to you guys for a minute. Yeah, we sat there
Goal. Oh, look at your little mouth going
Yeah, no, I don't like the way you are
Addressing me, but uh my question is
Someone has come to the guys who've been coming over. They've been saying that this is the winona club
Yeah, it's a club now. Well, but just to be clear you guys rented two rooms
Right, so that doesn't give you a right place. I'm gonna crack your fucking skull open
Okay, oh you're at it again. It's very you know what you are now. You're the fucking chef
Okay, no no
Uh, I am I'm going to go downstairs
But not because you told me to because this is my home and you can't just invent a little club
Uh-huh. So down the stairs I go of my own club. Okay. Thank you
So it's it's not even in uh like a bad neighborhood like they went to a nice
Rich neighborhood to do this. It's so great
Again, it's the first it's like when people do something the first time you're like
You know like you're you're not you're like wait, what the hell nobody's ever going on right now
Yeah, you can't adjust to it. You just the first suicide bomb
People were like the hell is going on. You know like the first time someone does that you're like what is happening
So the idea that that dude has to piece it together
Like what they just have like toothpicks in their mouths like their shirts off and like just it smells like beer and weed
And he's just knocking on the door like an r.a
Hey, what do you want me? Yeah, I know
Yeah, I know what the problem is the reason why your ceiling's dripping downstairs is because we spilled a bunch of ale
And we've also been pissing on the floor because we're the one known a club now. You see
So uh, so of course it's a quiet neighborhood
So people start complaining about all the drunks partying and screaming late into the night
So the new this really is the problem with airpnb
That's like what happens people like no, so uh, the owner who is a blacksmith who has no idea who he subredded the rooms to
He goes upstairs to tell him to keep it down because neighbors are complaining
And ony who is now surrounded by six or seven gang members
Uh, and while they were listening to someone play a piano that they'd stolen
Probably couldn't play
Oh, oh, and he said uh, so the owner goes up there and says you'll have to keep quiet up here
I'll put you out of my house and ony says you'll put me out of your house
Mr. Did you ever hear of ony madden?
And he goes yes, and he goes well mister
I'm ony madden
And then the home art turn around and went back downstairs. Oh, man. Minded his own business
In his own house. It's like connor mcgregor before organized boxing
No, I don't think that's gonna work for me. Oh, I live here now
Uh, okay, right. Yep. Uh, yep. Get out of here. Enjoy your stay. Yeah. Will there's like some towels shut up
And yeah, two extras, please
But neighbors finally complained of police who sent a cop over and as the cop walked up
They saw I'm coming ony yelled out the window will shoot the gizzard out of any cop that tries to get in here
So the cop turned around
And you love you love to see that as one straight walk. That's one shot. Yeah, right?
Get out of here. I'll kill you
Back to the car
So, uh, the cop goes back to the station get reinforcements and then a squad led by a police sergeant, uh came
Only knew they were coming obviously and the gang
Had barricaded themselves inside the house now
The sergeant demanded that he be allowed to enter and was met with quote threats and curses
Then the sergeant approached the front door and banged on it with his night stick and a gopher leaned out the window and shot at him
Geez and a bullet just grazed his head. Oh my gosh. There was then a brief standoff
And the cops were treated
But what they were actually doing was sending two men around the back
And then all the other cops made a big show of force out front and while they did that the two
Cops entered through the back and surprised the gang because of course they were all right window
And then right down the rest of the squad busted in in the front and stormed the house
And they quickly took over the situation handcuffed the gang members and then beat the living shit out of them. Okay
Okay
Now only was still a minor at this point. I believe he's still 17. I thought he was 18. I think he's still 17 17
so
The next day in court
He was lectured
By the judge and then released on a $500 bond
Tanner smith on the other hand went over to the mayor's office
To show the mayor his bruised and beaten body while screaming about police brutality
Uh-huh mayor William j. Gaynor then took action against the police. Oh boy
Gaynor he reprimanded the police department and implemented order number seven which forbade new york city police officers
From using their nightsticks unless they could prove it was in in defense of their lives
What a different time
So that order lasted two years before a new mayor came in and tossed it out. Okay. Now we're back to normal
Right. It seems a yeah
Now from the incident uh tannish smith became a gang hero and opened a bar at least for a while
Uh, just four years later. He was arrested. Uh while caught having a running gun fight with a fellow gopher
Wow
As the cops took tanner away several gophers showed up and threatened them
But the cops managed to get away with tanner while being booked
Tanner then got into a fist fight with the booking officer
Wow, I mean you think it's over you're in holding you've lost
Uh at that time police believe tanner was now at war with ony for gopher control of the area
Uh, but tanner went to jail. Uh, and and the gophers were indeed at war with tanner and others because the hudson river railroad
Which is now the new york central railroad had had enough of the gopher's raids on their yards
The company organized a special force to stop the constant raids of the gophers
Most of the special force were ex-policemen who had quote suffered grievously at the hands of gopher gang members
The gophers were also more vulnerable vulnerable now because they did not have the protection of local politicians
They used to have and the special railroad force attacked hell's kitchen with a fury gophers were beaten literally all over hell's kitchen
The gang was decimated by clubs blackjacks pistols pretty much any weapon one of these guys could get their hands on
And so now they're in a little bit in disarray and this led to the gopher gang fighting with other gangs over
Just little bits of territory
But that is quite a fall. Yeah
One just one like weak. Yeah, they just these guys. They're done shit and yeah knock the shit out of them all
Uh, onies go for gang. So now there's different factions, right? Sure. They've been like split up, right?
So onies go for gang had a chief henchman eddie egan
Uh, these are the chief henchmen he had ellie egan bill tamany and
Chick highland chicks apparently great name back then for your fellas. I like to bring it back
Uh, but they weren't up to snuff tamany was soon sent away for 15 years highland for four years and egan just disappeared
So now only was the without the support of uh leaders that a gang leader needed
And they had a huge ego
quote
Only thrive principally upon
Sneak thievery stick ups loft burglaries intimidation of merchants and ceiling keepers and collections from shady politicians
He made enemies by the score
For he was ambitious domineering and frequently let it be known that he aspired to be
Acknowledged the king of all gangs
But he he was 11 when this started
Like of course, he's warped
Even the way he's talking about it. He's like, I'm gonna be the king. Yeah. Yeah, he might still like arguably adorable
When you when you get success
At a young age it really goes to your head. Yeah, this is a classic example
He's like Macaulay Culkin. He's a lot like Macaulay Culkin
Name one difference. I can't see any
On november 6th 1914 at the arbor dance hall on 52nd street near 7th avenue
Only walked in alone. So he's out of his territory. Okay, only the lonely second. Yeah
Um, he walked in alone and strutted to the middle of the dance floor
He then stood there with folded arms and a scowl on his face. The music stopped
Women and men backed off the dance floor and headed for the exits
Oh, and then yelled go on and have your fun. I won't bump anybody off tonight
I don't want to spoil use guys party
And then he went to the balcony where he could see everything and drank whiskey for hours
It's a little uh, it's a little scar-facing. It's a little cape-fierish
Uh, so then uh, at some point a woman I don't have any beef with any of you guys
I'll be up on the balcony drinking cocaine
Okay, so at some point a lady
She likes to look up and she comes over and they start chatting and then he's focused on her
And suddenly he realized he was surrounded by 11 huts and dusters with guns. Oh boy
Only being only he wasn't impressed. He stood up and said come on use guys. Just you wouldn't shoot nobody
Who's you ever bump off?
Uh, why and they shot? Yeah
Now I got I saw it
three different
One place said he was shot six times one place said he was shot eight times another one's 11. So we'll go with eight. Okay
Uh, but he lived
What and when police questioned him in the hospital only said quote nothing doing the boys will get him
It's nobody's business, but mine. Who put these slugs into me? Wow
I mean that is badass
A week after the shooting at least three of the huts and dusters were dead
Uh
As only recovered go for William Moore known as little patsy Doyle
What is happening? He went that name. What is he?
Well, maybe a lot maybe all the more names were taken in the in the bill names once little patsy gets back from picket flowers will go
I've had a lovely day in the field. I have we've picked so many nice daisies
You know what we're gonna give you a last name Doyle, but to me names not Doyle shot up your little patsy
Call me up here little pats
So little patsy Doyle made a power play. He announced that ony would not be returning
And he tried to take over leadership of the gang
So while he's in hospital, he's like, yeah, he's retired. Yeah. Oh, he's done. He won't be back. Right. That's it for him
this was partially because uh, uh
Little patsy Doyle's ex-girlfriend Frida Horner said she was gonna marry ony. So he's got a little a beef
So patsy started to assemble a small crew of his own thugs
But then ony got out of the hospital and was walking around which really hurt the story
That patsy had been telling people about ony being paralyzed. Yeah
Because he's walking. Yeah, right
Uh, there was uh, then an inter gang war beatings and stabbings on both sides and then on november 28th 1914
Go for pin-up girl a margaret everdeen go first pin-up. That's what they described her as in oh
So she's just like an attractive. I think she's just go for I think the guy was trying to
Come up with a word for pretty. Yeah. Well go for pin-up girls really
Nice. Have you ever seen a go for pin-up? Nope hot
So she calls patsy and she tells him that frida wants to get back together
Okay patsy patsy who's axis frida who said she's gonna marry ony. Yeah, right. Okay, so he says
You know really so she's parent trapping him. Yeah
Yeah, it's yeah. Yeah, she wants to meet you at dinner tonight
So patsy falls for it and then he goes to a bar to meet her. Oh boy. I got the butterflies again
Oh boy. Oh boy. Hope my breasts are right
Oh, he goes inside and sits down and he's told that frida is in the in the ladies room and she'll be just water
I'm waiting for someone. Yeah in a minute sitting there with this little flower. Oh boy. Oh boy
How are you doing? Hey good to see you frida and nice to see you frida. You look good frida
While he waited two gophers came out and shot him
He staggered out of the bar and fell dead on a tenement doorstep. Hmm police arrested the girls
all the girls who had
Set it up. The girl right the one who said frida's into it. Okay
And anybody else who had been involved in the setup
They they they ended up testifying against ony who was charged as an accomplice. Okay of 57 crimes
Ony had been charged with this was the first time he had ever been convicted
Wow
Later the girls recanted their testimony, but the judge wasn't buying it. Oh, no, you said it
Ony was sentenced from 10 to 20 years in sing-sing. He was released in 1923
Serving at the age of 18
It's just under 10 years
But everything had changed the brittle street gangs were gone and they had been replaced by smarter gangs who were taking advantage of
Prohibition the gulfers were no more
But ony adjusted and got into bootlegging and eventually he would be driven out by the italian mob
And we retire to hot springs arkansas where many criminals retired and he lived there until 1935. Wow
That's your boy. Fucking ony
Wow
Quite a little run there for little ony. Yeah
Hmm
Well proud of him. You wouldn't survive a minute back then. Uh, yeah, I think you're probably right
Wouldn't be long. I have ruby all over that shit. You'd be okay
You'd probably get murdered, but you'd be playing the game, right? No, I'd be there till lisa was 23. Okay. Congrats
Well done
I'll be I'll be out around then
My old thing it just like they'd just be like going through like a plan. I'd be like, what about this
What if we just talked to him? You'd be like a rat catcher. Has anyone took what how dare you because you love animals
Oh, you mean I'd be saving rats. No, you'd be catching or bringing them into the rat fights, but no, but you'd what?
I probably would be a little rat man
I'd just be down in my tunnel with my rats being like you're my only friends
Like an animal hoarder with like rats coming out of all my pockets
And I'd just be like singing little songs to myself and the rats
You know, hopefully we don't see no cats. Who are the rats? Who are the rats 1892
Gareth the rat man reddits. Who are the rats? Who are the rats?
We are gotta say congrats. Who are the rats? Who are the rats?
All right time to lay on my bed of fur and feces
Tomorrow we conquer the world again guys
Now two of you get down in my pants. No as usual. Let's do a bad turn now. Everyone get in my pockets
We sign rat. Why don't you get inside my mouth? You know how I like it. We sign rat. Deep in my mouth. Oh