1912 in organized crime
Encyclopedia
See also:
1911 in organized crime
,
other events of 1912,
1913 in organized crime
and the
list of 'years in organized crime'
.
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1911 in organized crime
1911 in organized crime
See also:1910 in organized crime,other events of 1911,1912 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*Five Points Gang member James T. "Biff" Ellison is sentenced to Sing Sing Prison for the attempted murder of gang leader Paul Kelly. He dies several years later in an...
,
other events of 1912,
1913 in organized crime
1913 in organized crime
See also:1912 in organized crime,other events of 1913,1914 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*The White Hand Society disbands after police inaction and vigilantism in other Italian neighborhoods ends public support for the organization.*Timothy Sullivan...
and the
list of 'years in organized crime'
Timeline of organized crime
This is a timeline of the history of organized crime.Note: Sources included are Carl Sifakis's The Mafia Encyclopedia, Herbert Asbury's The Gangs of New York and others. Online references also include Thomas P...
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Events
- Timothy "Big Tim" SullivanTimothy SullivanTimothy Daniel Sullivan was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent figure within Tammany Hall. He was euphemistically known as "Dry Dollar", as the "Big Feller", and, later, as "Big Tim"...
, long time political boss of Tammany HallTammany HallTammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
, is committed to a sanitariumSanatoriumA sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
. - The Kim Lan Wui Saw Tong is established in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's ChinatownChinatownA Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
, eventually declaring war against the On Leong and Hip Sings later that year. - Joseph DiGiovanni, a Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
leader, begins operating in Kansas CityKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. With his brother Peter DiGiovanni they would later control bootleggingRum-runningRum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
in Kansas City during ProhibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. - Mock DuckMock duckMock duck is a gluten-based vegetarian food. It is generally made from wheat gluten and is thus high in protein. Its distinctive flavor and artificial "plucked duck" texture distinguish it from other forms of commercially available gluten products. Mock duck can be found in some Chinese grocery...
is convicted of running a policy game and sentenced to imprisonment at Sing Sing Prison. - July 15 - Members of the Lenox Avenue GangLenox Avenue GangThe Lenox Avenue Gang was an early 20th century New York City street gang led by Harry Horowitz, and was one of the most violent gangs of the pre-Prohibition era.-History:...
including leader Harry HorowitzHarry HorowitzHarry Horowitz , also known as Gyp the Blood, was a Jewish-American underworld figure and a leader of the Lenox Avenue Gang in New York City.-Biography:...
, known as Gyp the Blood, and top lieutenants Jacob Seidenscher, Louis RosenbergLouis Rosenberg-Biography:Rosenberg was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He received an LL.B. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1923. He was a special counsel, Allegheny County Emergency Relief in 1935. He was a Special deputy attorney general of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1936 to 1939. He was a...
, and Francesco Cirofici kill prominent New York gambler and police informant Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal. They are later convicted of Rosenthal's murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and executed the same year. - September - Republican State's Attorney John E.W. Wayman, shortly before his term of office is to expire, officially closes down ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's South Side "Levee District". The long-time vice districtVice DistrictVice District is one of six districts of the province Sechura in Peru.-References:...
had been a hotbed of criminal activity for Chicago's underworldOrganized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, as well as a major source of political power for Chicago's First Ward AldermanAldermanAn alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
such as Michael "Hinky Dink" KennaMichael KennaMichael "Hinky Dink" Kenna was one of the two aldermen elected in Chicago's First Ward, from 1897 to 1923.At the age of ten, Kenna left school and began selling newspapers. By the age of twelve, he had borrowed fifty dollars from a bar keeper and purchased a news stand at the corner of Monroe and...
and "Bathhouse" John Coughlin, since the 1890s1890sThe 1890s were sometimes referred to as the "Mauve Decade" - because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion - and also as the "Gay Nineties", under the then-current usage of the word "gay" which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...
. - October 16 - Frank CostelloFrank CostelloFrank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
is again arrested for assaultAssaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and robberyRobberyRobbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and is later released. - October 5 - Eastman GangEastman GangThe Eastman Gang was the last of New York's street gangs which dominated the city's underworld during the late 1890s until early 1910s. Along with the Five Points Gang under Paul Kelly, the Eastmans succeeded the long dominant Whyos as the first non-Irish street gang to gain prominence in the...
leader Jack ZeligJack Zelig"Big" Jack Zelig was a Jewish American New York City gangster and one of the last leaders of the Monk Eastman Gang.-Early years & the Eastmans:...
is killed by "Red" Phil Davidson on a Second AvenueSecond Avenue (Manhattan)Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan extending from Houston Street at its south end to the Harlem River Drive at 128th Street at its north end. A one-way street, vehicular traffic runs only downtown. A bicycle lane in the left hand portion from 55th...
street car trolley. - November 6 - Owney MaddenOwney MaddenOwney "The Killer" Madden was a leading underworld figure in Manhattan, most notable for his involvement in organized crime during Prohibition. He also ran the famous Cotton Club and was a leading boxing promoter in the 1930s.-Early life:Owen Vincent Madden was born at 25 Somerset Street, in...
is shot by several thugs while at a 52nd Street dance in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Arts and literature
- D.W. Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig AlleyThe Musketeers of Pig AlleyThe Musketeers of Pig Alley is a 1912 American short drama film credited as the first gangster film in history. It is directed by D. W. Griffith and written by Griffith and Anita Loos. It is also credited for its early use of follow focus, a fundamental tool in cinematography.The film was released...
is released starring Elmer BoothElmer BoothWilliam Elmer Booth was an US-American actor. He was born in Los Angeles, California and was the elder brother of film editor Margaret Booth....
, Lillian GishLillian GishLillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
, Clara T. BracyClara T. BracyClara T. Bracy was an English stage and silent film actress.-Life and career:Bracy was born Clara Thompson in London, England. Her father was Philip Thompson , and her mother was Eliza . Her father owned the Sheridan Knowles, a public house in London...
and Walter MillerWalter Miller (actor)Walter Miller was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 248 films between 1911 and 1940.He was born in Dayton, Ohio, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart attack, aged 48...
. - Sidney M. GoldinSidney M. GoldinSidney M. Goldin was an American Jewish silent film director as well as a prominent writer, actor and producer for Yiddish theater during the early 20th century...
's The Adventures of Lieutenant Petrosino is released.
Births
- William Daddano Sr. "Willie Potatoes", Chicago crime syndicate enforcer
- January 8 - Joseph N. GalloJoseph N. GalloGiuseppe “Uno-Punzone” Nicholas Gallo, Jr. also known as Joseph Nicholas Gallo was a New York mobster, who allegedly became consigliere of the Gambino crime family.-Biography:He was born on January 8, 1912...
, alleged consigliereConsigliereConsigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
of Gambino crime familyGambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
bosses Carlo GambinoCarlo Gambino"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
, Paul CastellanoPaul CastellanoConstantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
and John GottiJohn GottiJohn Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age... - March 19 - Nicholas CivellaNicholas CivellaNicholas Civella was a Kansas City, Missouri mobster who became a prominent leader of the Kansas City crime family.-Early life:...
, Kansas CityKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
crime syndicate leader - August 1 - John Ormento "Big John", Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime familyThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
Caporegime, labor racketeer and drug trafficker - September 18 - John Scalish, Cleveland crime syndicate leader and National Crime SyndicateNational Crime SyndicateThe National Crime Syndicate was the name given by the press to a loosely-organized multi-ethnic organized crime syndicate. Its origins are uncertain....
labor racketeer - November 7 - David Miller (David Yaras), Chicago gambling racketeer
Deaths
- July 15 - Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal, New York gambler and police informant
- October 5 - Jack ZeligJack Zelig"Big" Jack Zelig was a Jewish American New York City gangster and one of the last leaders of the Monk Eastman Gang.-Early years & the Eastmans:...
, Eastman Gang leader