Molasses Gang: Difference between revisions
Phil Boswell (talk | contribs) {{cite book}} |
Citation bot (talk | contribs) Removed parameters. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | #UCB_CommandLine |
||
| (42 intermediate revisions by 33 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Street gang from the 1870s}} |
|||
{{multiple issues| |
|||
{{more footnotes|date=August 2018}} |
|||
{{one source|date=August 2018}} |
|||
}} |
|||
The '''Molasses Gang''' was a New York [[street gang]] during the 1870s, best known for unusual store robberies and pickpocket crime.<ref name="asbury">{{Cite book |last=Asbury |first=Herbert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ceY_ISKGRIsC |title=The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld |date=1927 |publisher=Random House |isbn=9780307388988 |location=New York |pages=215–216 |author-link=Herbert Asbury }}</ref> |
|||
Formed in 1871 by [[Jimmy Dunnigan]], the Molasses Gang were primarily made up of sneak thieves and minor criminals who were highly publicized in the New York press for the comedic methods of their robberies. One such tactic was to enter a local store and |
Formed in 1871 by [[Jimmy Dunnigan]],<ref name=asbury /> the Molasses Gang were primarily made up of [[sneak thief|sneak thieves]] and minor criminals who were highly publicized in the New York press for the comedic methods of their robberies. One such tactic was to enter a local store and ask the owner to fill a member's hat with [[molasses]], explaining that it was a bet among the other members to see how much molasses the hat would hold. When the hat was filled, the gang member would pull the hat over the shop-owner's head, blinding him while the gang members looted the store. The gang was not taken very seriously among the other gangs of the period, however, and often walked out in the middle of robberies when such activities bored them. As the gang continued to commit similar crimes, police decided to take action and by 1877 most of the gang had been arrested. |
||
Molasses Gang members included: |
|||
==Resources== |
|||
* [[Blind Mahoney]] (Leader) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* [[Billy Morgan (gangster)|Billy Morgan]] (Captain) |
|||
* [[Jimmy Dunnigan]] (Captain) |
|||
==References== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Organized crime groups in New York City}} |
|||
{{NYC-stub}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Irish-American gangs]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 09:56, 27 September 2023
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The Molasses Gang was a New York street gang during the 1870s, best known for unusual store robberies and pickpocket crime.[1]
Formed in 1871 by Jimmy Dunnigan,[1] the Molasses Gang were primarily made up of sneak thieves and minor criminals who were highly publicized in the New York press for the comedic methods of their robberies. One such tactic was to enter a local store and ask the owner to fill a member's hat with molasses, explaining that it was a bet among the other members to see how much molasses the hat would hold. When the hat was filled, the gang member would pull the hat over the shop-owner's head, blinding him while the gang members looted the store. The gang was not taken very seriously among the other gangs of the period, however, and often walked out in the middle of robberies when such activities bored them. As the gang continued to commit similar crimes, police decided to take action and by 1877 most of the gang had been arrested.
Molasses Gang members included:
- Blind Mahoney (Leader)
- Billy Morgan (Captain)
- Jimmy Dunnigan (Captain)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Asbury, Herbert (1927). The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld. New York: Random House. pp. 215–216. ISBN 9780307388988.
- Sifakis, Carl (December 2000) [1982]. Encyclopedia of American Crime (2nd ed.). New York: Facts on File Inc. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0.
 | This New York City–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |