The gangs of New York : an informal history of the underworld

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Title:

The gangs of New York : an informal history of the underworld

Author:

Asbury, Herbert, 1891-1963.

ISBN:

9780307388988

Edition:

1st Vintage books ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Vintage Books, 2008.

Physical Description:

366 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

General Note:

Previously published: New York : Paragon House, 1990.

Contents:

Cradle of the gangs -- Early gangs of the bowery and five points -- Sin along the water front -- River pirates -- Killing of Bill the Butcher -- Police and dead rabbit riots -- Draft riots -- Draft riots (continued) -- When New York was really wicked -- King of the bank robbers -- Whyos and their times -- Kingdoms of the gangs -- Prince of gangsters -- Wars of the tongs -- Last of the gang wars -- Passing of the gangster -- Slang of the early gangsters -- Bibliography -- Index.

Subject Term:

Gangs -- New York (State) -- New York.

Geographic Term:

New York (N.Y.) -- Social conditions.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	364.106 ASB	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)	364.106 ASB	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The basis of Martin Scorcese's acclaimed 2003 film, The Gangs of New York is a dramatic and entertaining glimpse at a city's dark past.

Focusing on the saloon halls, gambling dens, and winding alleys of the Bowery and the notorious Five Points district, The Gangs of New York dramatically evokes the destitution and shocking violence of a turbulent era, when colorfully named criminals like Dandy John Dolan, Bill the Butcher, and Hell-Cat Maggie lurked in the shadows, and infamous gangs like the Plug Uglies, the Dead Rabbits, and the Bowery Boys ruled the streets. A rogues' gallery of prostitutes, pimps, poisoners, pickpockets, murderers, and thieves, Herbert Asbury's whirlwind tour through the low life of nineteenth-century New York has become an indispensible classic of urban history.

Author Notes

Herbert Asbury , an early 20th-century journalist, made a name for himself by documenting the gangs, pimps, prostitutes, and thieves that thrived in the underbellies of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans. His works, still in print after seventy-five years, are often hailed as the best snapshots of their time period . The Gangs of New York was the basis of Martin Scorcese's 2003 film.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Journalist Asbury pulled this book together from several official sources, including police records as well as unofficial ones such as the rough memories of criminals. True to the title, the book is a history of crime both organized and not that permeated the dirty underbelly of New York City and its boroughs in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of these gangs were so vicious they would post signs warning police to stay out of their neighborhoods or else! The 1927 volume is the basis of Martin Scorsese's forthcoming film of the same name starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Titanic heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, so make sure to have at least one copy on hand. This edition contains numerous illustrations and a foreword by Jorge Luis Borges. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Russell Shorto

Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
I The Cradle of the Gangs	p. 1
II Early Gangs of the Bowery and Five Points	p. 19
III Sin Along the Water Front	p. 42
IV River Pirates	p. 57
V The Killing of Bill the Butcher	p. 79
VI The Police and Dead Rabbit Riots	p. 92
VII The Draft Riots	p. 108
VIII The Draft Riots (Continued)	p. 135
IX When New York Was Really Wicked	p. 158
X The King of the Bank Robbers	p. 185
XI The Whyos and Their Times	p. 206
XII Kingdoms of the Gangs	p. 228
XIII The Prince of Gangsters	p. 253
XIV The Wars of the Tongs	p. 277
XV The Last of the Gang Wars	p. 302
XVI The Passing of the Gangster	p. 321
Slang of the Early Gangsters	p. 349
Bibliography	p. 355
Index	p. 357

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