By Grace Barry The Daybreak Boys
American Poverty Irish flooded into America in nineteenth century Settled in run-down neighborhoods Standards were low: provided breeding ground for crime Prostitution and gangs were a symptom 4&bih=716&q=irish+new+york+19+centurty&oq=irish+new+york+19+centurty &gs_l=img.3...
Young boys urged into gangs Bowery Boys Dead Rabbits Five Points Gang Many girls became “brothels” “Gangs were sometimes necessary as a support system for the new immigrants, who were otherwise powerless.” – “Background History”
Daybreak B’hoys Exact origin unknown Named for penchant of early hours and youthfulness Youngest member age 10 River pirates
Daybreak B’hoys (Continued) Irish accent made ‘boys’ into ‘b’hoys’ Badge of honor Operated in the Forth Ward in New York Terrorized East River
Crimes Murder Usually of watchmen Mostly were known for robbery of merchant ships Used small dinghies to row up to docked ship Stole what they could Sold it on the 19 th century Black Market 20 murders
Members ‘Patsy the barber’ Nicholas Saul William Howlett Bill Poole Bill Lowrie Slobbery Jim Many lived life of crime before entering gang ontherealny.com
Location, Location, Location Slaughterhouse Point Gin mill owned by Pete Williams Intersection of James and Water Streets In vicinity of Five Points Little to no police interference ontherealny.com
Death Of Leaders January 28, 1853 Execution of Howlett and Saul $100,000 Hundreds showed up Slobbery Jim took over gang Gin mill shut down
Continuance Of The Legacy Moved up Water Street to a saloon Owned by Lowrie In 1858, described as better than ever by Herbert Asbury (Gangs of New York) Stronger, more efficient at robbery
Decline When police started killing many members of the gang, Slobbery Jim Disappeared Next in line opted for life of crime elsewhere Creation of Harbor Police Force By Police Chief Matsell
The End Of The Daybreak Boys Gradually dispersed Some were killed by police Some joined other gangs Others became ‘entrepreneurs’
Modern Day Media Reference Movie made with Leonardo DiCaprio Depicts a young man trying to kill Bill The Butcher Famous gang member reputed to have killed many men
Bibliography "1853: Nicholas Saul and William Howlett, teenage New York gangsters." ExecutedToday.com. (accessed November 23, 2013). Andrews, Evan. "7 Infamous Gangs of New York." History.com. infamous-gangs-of-new-york (accessed November 24, 2013). Asbury, Herbert. "River Pirates." In The gangs of New York: an informal history of the underworld. New York: A.A. Knopf, "Background History." Background History. (accessed November 24, 2013). Burrows, Edwin G., and Mike Wallace. "City of Immigrants." In Gotham: a history of New York City to New York: Oxford University Press, McNamara, Robert. "The Five Points, New York's Most Notorious Neighborhood." About.com 19th Century History. (accessed November 24, 2013). Stern, William. "What Gangs of New York Misses." City Journal 23, no. 4 (2003). journal.org/html/eon_1_14_03ws.html (accessed November 21, 2013). Sutton, Charles. "XXXV." In The New York Tombs: its secrets and its mysteries. Montclair, N.J.: Patterson Smith,