Honeymoon Gang
Encyclopedia
The Honeymoon Gang was a New York
street gang
of the mid 19th century. The gang was said to be so violent that they were denied protection often received by other street gangs from Tammany Hall
politicians.
Operating out of New York's East Side
18th Ward, the gang was notorious for their brutal attacks, especially on unsuspecting passersby at the corners between Madison Avenue and 29th Street
. Known as "basher patrols," these attacks were usually celebrated later at a local tavern. The attacks were so frequent that the neighborhood was considered unsafe for several years.
The gang continued to control the 18th Ward with little, if any, interference from authorities until 1853, when New York Police Chief George W. Walling became Captain of the district. He formed a group of handpicked men, later known as the Strong Arm Squad. They were dressed in plainclothes and sent into the 18th Ward. Armed with "locust clubs," these officers would attack gang members awaiting their victims, and after several days the gangs were forced to abandon their attacks. However, Walling obtained identifications of the gang members and distributed them to each of the district policemen, who attacked and beat gang members on sight. In less than two weeks the Honeymoon Gang had been disbanded and its remaining members fled to neighborhoods with less police presence.
New York
New 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...
street gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
of the mid 19th century. The gang was said to be so violent that they were denied protection often received by other street gangs from Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany 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...
politicians.
Operating out of New York's East Side
East Side
-Municipalities:* East Side Township, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States* East Side, Pennsylvania, United States- Canada :* Eastside, Ontario, a neighborhood in Sault Ste...
18th Ward, the gang was notorious for their brutal attacks, especially on unsuspecting passersby at the corners between Madison Avenue and 29th Street
29th street
29th Street may refer to:*Twenty Ninth Street *Twenty Ninth Street *29th Street - a 1991 film by George Gallo...
. Known as "basher patrols," these attacks were usually celebrated later at a local tavern. The attacks were so frequent that the neighborhood was considered unsafe for several years.
The gang continued to control the 18th Ward with little, if any, interference from authorities until 1853, when New York Police Chief George W. Walling became Captain of the district. He formed a group of handpicked men, later known as the Strong Arm Squad. They were dressed in plainclothes and sent into the 18th Ward. Armed with "locust clubs," these officers would attack gang members awaiting their victims, and after several days the gangs were forced to abandon their attacks. However, Walling obtained identifications of the gang members and distributed them to each of the district policemen, who attacked and beat gang members on sight. In less than two weeks the Honeymoon Gang had been disbanded and its remaining members fled to neighborhoods with less police presence.
Further reading
- Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Crime: Second Edition Vol. I (A-J). New York: Facts On File Inc., 2001.