Jack Pioggi
Encyclopedia
"Big" Jack Poggi or Pioggi (fl.
1906 – 1914) was an American saloon keeper and underworld figure in New York City at the turn of the century
. A rival of "Big" Jack Zelig
, he had been the chief bouncer
at Callahan's Dance Hall before opening a Lower East Side
resort on Doyers Street near Chinatown
's notorious "Bloody Angle". The building, known as Poggi's, could be reached through five Chatham Square alleyways, one of these being though a local dairy store and another through the back door of a barbershop, and was known to be a place "where anything goes". He later became partners with Chick Tricker
, a member of the Eastman Gang
, who bought an interest in his establishment to retain a connection in the district while he expanded his holdings elsewhere in Manhattan. His brother Louis "Louie the Lump" Poggi, a well-known gunman and member of the Five Points Gang
, was responsible for the murders of Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach
and his bodyguard Vach "Cyclone Louie" Lewis
in 1908.
On the morning of June 3, 1912, Poggi became involved in a gang fight when several gangsters attempted to force their way into the rear entrance of Poggi's cafe. An argument over a woman, Wanda Murphy, started at Coney Island
earlier that morning and resulted in a gunfight in Chinatown then ending outside the Criminal Courts Building where one of the men, Charlie Torti, shot Jack Zelig. Zelig had just been released from the court's custody after payment of $1,000 bail. Seriously wounded, he was taken to Hudson Street Hospital but not expected to live. The gunfight at Poggi's place, however, is where the violence reached its height as over forty shots were fired and one man, Harris Baker, was wounded in the foot. The police eventually arrived and arrested several of the participants on charges of disorderly conduct
. Among those arrested at the scene were Jack Zelig, Jacob Siegel and Harris Baker. Wanda Murphy, the cause of the dispute, was found nearby "suffering from bruises of the chest" and taken to Volunteer Hospital where she was treated by a doctor and held in custody as a witness. Poggi and Zelig had been involved in an underworld feud and police speculated that the men involved were likely members of their respective gangs. When the case was finally held at the Tombs Police Court
, police had brought in Chick Tricker and James Martelli. All were released on $1,000 bail bonds and where Zelig was shot as he left the court.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1906 – 1914) was an American saloon keeper and underworld figure in New York City at the turn of the century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
. A rival of "Big" Jack Zelig
Jack 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:...
, he had been the chief bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
at Callahan's Dance Hall before opening a Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
resort on Doyers Street near Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
's notorious "Bloody Angle". The building, known as Poggi's, could be reached through five Chatham Square alleyways, one of these being though a local dairy store and another through the back door of a barbershop, and was known to be a place "where anything goes". He later became partners with Chick Tricker
Chick Tricker
Chick Tricker was an early New York gangster who, as a member of the Eastman Gang, served as one of its last leaders alongside Jack Sirocco. A longtime member of the Eastmans, Tricker had made a name for himself as a well known Bowery and Park Row saloonkeeper who first came to prominence in a...
, a member of the Eastman Gang
Eastman Gang
The 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...
, who bought an interest in his establishment to retain a connection in the district while he expanded his holdings elsewhere in Manhattan. His brother Louis "Louie the Lump" Poggi, a well-known gunman and member of the Five Points Gang
Five Points Gang
Five Points Gang was a 19th-century and early 20th-century criminal organization, primarily of Italian-American origins, based in the Sixth Ward of Manhattan, New York City. Since the early 19th century, the area was first known for gangs of Irish immigrants...
, was responsible for the murders of Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach
Max Zwerbach
Max "Kid Twist" Zweifach occasionally referred to as Zwerbach was an American gangster who, during the turn of the century, belonged to the Eastman Gang and later succeeded the New York gang leader following his arrest in 1904.-Biography:Born Maxwell Zweifach in Austria on March 14, 1884, to...
and his bodyguard Vach "Cyclone Louie" Lewis
Vach Lewis
Vach "Cyclone Louie" Lewis was an early New York gangster and member of the Eastman Gang under Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach.-Biography:...
in 1908.
On the morning of June 3, 1912, Poggi became involved in a gang fight when several gangsters attempted to force their way into the rear entrance of Poggi's cafe. An argument over a woman, Wanda Murphy, started at Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
earlier that morning and resulted in a gunfight in Chinatown then ending outside the Criminal Courts Building where one of the men, Charlie Torti, shot Jack Zelig. Zelig had just been released from the court's custody after payment of $1,000 bail. Seriously wounded, he was taken to Hudson Street Hospital but not expected to live. The gunfight at Poggi's place, however, is where the violence reached its height as over forty shots were fired and one man, Harris Baker, was wounded in the foot. The police eventually arrived and arrested several of the participants on charges of disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
. Among those arrested at the scene were Jack Zelig, Jacob Siegel and Harris Baker. Wanda Murphy, the cause of the dispute, was found nearby "suffering from bruises of the chest" and taken to Volunteer Hospital where she was treated by a doctor and held in custody as a witness. Poggi and Zelig had been involved in an underworld feud and police speculated that the men involved were likely members of their respective gangs. When the case was finally held at the Tombs Police Court
The Tombs
"The Tombs" is the colloquial name for the Manhattan Detention Complex, a jail in Lower Manhattan at 125 White Street, as well as the popular name of a series of preceding downtown jails, the first of which was built in 1838 in the Egyptian Revival style of architecture.The nickname has been used...
, police had brought in Chick Tricker and James Martelli. All were released on $1,000 bail bonds and where Zelig was shot as he left the court.