Jimmy Kelly (saloon keeper)
Encyclopedia
Giovanni de Silvio or Jimmy Kelly (fl.
1900-1914) was an American saloon keeper, political organizer and underworld figure in New York City during the turn of the century
. He was the owner the Fourteenth Street saloon The Folly as well as the popular Mandarin Cafe in Chinatown, located in the notorious "Bloody Angle" along Doyers Street, and was a hangout for politicians, gang leaders and other noted criminals of the era. His cafe was also the scene of several violent incidents, especially during the Tong War, which included, in 1910, the fourth attempted suicide of Chinatown character John "Dippy" Rice and the 1912 murder of Hen Ken Yum, the latter a high-level member of the On Leong Tong
and a lieutenant of Mock Duck
.
He himself controlled a small gang of thugs-for-hire and was an ally of the Eastman Gang
, particularly Jack Zelig
, but later became involved in an underworld rivalry with Chick Tricker
and Jack Sirocco
. For several years, he feuded with Tricker and Sirocco over control of Chinatown's graft
and was the main competitor of their establishment The Flea Bag. He became a major political organizer for Tammany Hall
, successful in taking power in Chinatown following the arrest of Monk Eastman
in 1904, and was eventually awarded control of the district by Tammany politicians. Both Tricker and Sirocco resisted Kelly's attempts to take over but were forced out after a police raid led to the close of The Flea Bag.
In May 1905, he was assaulted in the Bowery near Great Jones Street
by members of the Five Points Gang
under Paul Kelly
. Although he received only minor injuries, bouncers from The Folly and New Brighton began fighting each other resulting in three men being stabbed and the murder of "Eat 'Em Up" Jack McManus
. Both Kelly and Tricker were both assaulted in separate incidents shortly before McManus's murder, Kelly being stabbed in the back with a stiletto
on First Avenue near Fourth Street.
In November 1908, while walking to his home, he was attacked by members of the Humpty Jackson Gang
shortly after hosting a ball at Tammany Hall. He was shot in the stomach but eventually recovering from his wounds and refusing to identify his attackers. He received special protection from the New York Police Department and had a particularly close relationship with Detective Charles Becker
. While in attendance at Sirocco's annual ball at Tammany Hall in February 1912, Becker overheard plans to murder Kelly and spent the rest of the night with several other officers guarding Kelly's place. Although no attack took place that night, Becker searched Sirocco's Little Rock headquarters at Broome Street and confiscated a rife and two revolvers. The cafe was under guard for three more days when, while walking through the Bowery with Louie the Lump
, an unidentified gunman fired at them from a hallway. Neither men were hit but later that day another attempt was made while the two were at Baxter Street after walking through Mulberry Bend Park. Once again, the unknown gunman missed but Louie fired three shots in return injuring day laborer Patrick McKenna as a result. Louie the Lump was taken into custody along with another man, suspected by police to be the shooter, while Kelly ran to Elizabeth Street Station where he asked for protection. Sirocco was later arrested on an unrelated charge but released on bail. Louie the Lump was a known associate of Kelly, at times acting as his bodyguard, and participated in attacking "hangers on" from Sirocco's gang and planting weapons on them for police to find when they were arrested. The alleged assassin was identified as Charles I. "Game" Sola, both he and Louie the Lump standing trial for the gunfight, and the case against Kelly's bodyguard was dismissed.
By mid-July, a number of establishments were closed and put under police guard following a series of violent gang fights which had broken out within a 10-hour period on the night of June 5. These included Sirocco's place at Chatham Square, Chick Tricker's Bowery emporium, the Chatham Club and three other Fourteenth Street saloons where the majority of the fighting occurred. Only Kelly's Mandarin Cafe was allowed to stay open, despite of it having a police guard as well. He was later one of several men arrested during official inquiry during the Becker-Rosenthal trial but was not implicated in the actual murder according to Deputy Commissioner Dougherty.
This feud eventually came to a head in 1913 in a dispute over their respective bouncer
s being hired as private security, known then as "strong arm squads", for sporting events and other occasions. Matters worsened when Detective Val O'Farrell, in charge of hiring security for Madison Square Garden, refused to hire several of his men for the annual six-day bicycle race being held at the venue. On the morning of December 12, a gunfight broke out between members of his club and those from Sirocco's near Madison Square Garden
. Around 2:00 am, a group of Sirocco's men left Madison Square Garden and were ambushed near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Twenty-sixth Street by Kelly's men firing from behind a Madison Avenue trolley car. Although the gunfight was brief, an estimated fifty rounds had been used and ended only until gunmen on both sides ran out of ammunition. No one was reported injured, the passengers on the trolley avoiding being hit by dropping to the floor, despite the large number of spectators entering and leaving Madison Square Garden to watch the annual six-day bicycle race being held.
Most of the participants were able to escape as police from local precincts investigating the gunfire began entering the area. Kelly's gunmen, according arriving to police officers, were picked up by a large black touring car
which they began firing at hoping to shoot out the tires. The car was last seen heading towards Second Avenue but police were unable to pursue them. Two of Sirocco's men, Tony Rossa and Frank Jula, were arrested by police and taken to Jefferson Market Court where they were arraigned and held on a $2,000 bail. The two had no previous criminal record but had ties with Jack Sirocco and were believed to have thrown away their weapons. Six empty revolvers were found by police at the scene.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1900-1914) was an American saloon keeper, political organizer and underworld figure in New York City during 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....
. He was the owner the Fourteenth Street saloon The Folly as well as the popular Mandarin Cafe in Chinatown, located in the notorious "Bloody Angle" along Doyers Street, and was a hangout for politicians, gang leaders and other noted criminals of the era. His cafe was also the scene of several violent incidents, especially during the Tong War, which included, in 1910, the fourth attempted suicide of Chinatown character John "Dippy" Rice and the 1912 murder of Hen Ken Yum, the latter a high-level member of the On Leong Tong
On Leong Tong
The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association or simply Chinese Merchants Association, formerly known as the On Leong Tong , was a tong society operating out of its territory in Mott Street in New York's Chinatown. Established in November, 1893, the tong fought a violent war for control of...
and a lieutenant of Mock Duck
Mock duck
Mock 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...
.
He himself controlled a small gang of thugs-for-hire and was an ally 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...
, particularly 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:...
, but later became involved in an underworld rivalry 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...
and Jack Sirocco
Jack Sirocco
Jack Sirocco was a New York gangster involved in labor racketeering and strikebreaking. Originally a lieutenant in Paul Kelly's Five Points Gang, where he was the immediate boss of Johnny Torrio , Sirocco defected to the rival Eastman Gang, which he led in its last days.-Biography:Sirocco, known...
. For several years, he feuded with Tricker and Sirocco over control of Chinatown's graft
Graft (politics)
In general graft is an unscrupulous use of one’s authority for personal gain. However, the gain may also end up in party coffers...
and was the main competitor of their establishment The Flea Bag. He became a major political organizer for 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...
, successful in taking power in Chinatown following the arrest of Monk Eastman
Monk Eastman
Edward "Monk" Eastman was a New York City Gangster who founded and led one of the most powerful street gangs in New York City at the turn of the Twentieth Century, the Eastman Gang. His other aliases included Joseph "Joe" Morris, Joe Marvin, William "Bill" Delaney, and Edward "Eddie" Delaney...
in 1904, and was eventually awarded control of the district by Tammany politicians. Both Tricker and Sirocco resisted Kelly's attempts to take over but were forced out after a police raid led to the close of The Flea Bag.
In May 1905, he was assaulted in the Bowery near Great Jones Street
Great Jones Street
__notoc__Great Jones Street is a street in New York City's NoHo district in Manhattan, essentially another name for 3rd Street between Broadway and the Bowery....
by members 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...
under Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (criminal)
Paul Kelly was an Italian immigrant who founded the Five Points Gang in New York City after starting some brothels with prize monies earned in boxing...
. Although he received only minor injuries, bouncers from The Folly and New Brighton began fighting each other resulting in three men being stabbed and the murder of "Eat 'Em Up" Jack McManus
Jack McManus
Jack McManus , also known as "Eat 'Em Up", was a noted New York City gangster around the turn of the 20th century.Noted as one of the premier boxers of the underworld, rivaled only by Monk Eastman, McManus started off as a prize fighter only to begin work in as a bouncer in the dives of lower...
. Both Kelly and Tricker were both assaulted in separate incidents shortly before McManus's murder, Kelly being stabbed in the back with a stiletto
Stiletto
A stiletto is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, intended primarily as a stabbing weapon. The stiletto blade's narrow cross-section and acuminated tip reduces friction upon entry, allowing the blade to penetrate deeply...
on First Avenue near Fourth Street.
In November 1908, while walking to his home, he was attacked by members of the Humpty Jackson Gang
Humpty Jackson
Thomas "Humpty" Jackson was a New York criminal and last of the independent gang leaders in New York's underworld during the early 20th century. Reportedly well read, Jackson was said to be an admirer of such writers such as Voltaire, Charles Darwin, Leonard Huxley and Herbert Spencer as well as...
shortly after hosting a ball at Tammany Hall. He was shot in the stomach but eventually recovering from his wounds and refusing to identify his attackers. He received special protection from the New York Police Department and had a particularly close relationship with Detective Charles Becker
Charles Becker
Charles Becker was a New York City police officer in the 1890s-1910s and who was tried, convicted and executed for ordering the murder of a Manhattan gambler, Herman Rosenthal in the Becker-Rosenthal trial. Becker was the first American police officer to receive the death penalty for murder...
. While in attendance at Sirocco's annual ball at Tammany Hall in February 1912, Becker overheard plans to murder Kelly and spent the rest of the night with several other officers guarding Kelly's place. Although no attack took place that night, Becker searched Sirocco's Little Rock headquarters at Broome Street and confiscated a rife and two revolvers. The cafe was under guard for three more days when, while walking through the Bowery with Louie the Lump
Louis Pioggi
Louis "Louie the Lump" Pioggi was a New York criminal and member of the Five Points Gang, known most prominently for the murder of Eastman Gang leader Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach and Vach "Cyclone Louie" Lewis...
, an unidentified gunman fired at them from a hallway. Neither men were hit but later that day another attempt was made while the two were at Baxter Street after walking through Mulberry Bend Park. Once again, the unknown gunman missed but Louie fired three shots in return injuring day laborer Patrick McKenna as a result. Louie the Lump was taken into custody along with another man, suspected by police to be the shooter, while Kelly ran to Elizabeth Street Station where he asked for protection. Sirocco was later arrested on an unrelated charge but released on bail. Louie the Lump was a known associate of Kelly, at times acting as his bodyguard, and participated in attacking "hangers on" from Sirocco's gang and planting weapons on them for police to find when they were arrested. The alleged assassin was identified as Charles I. "Game" Sola, both he and Louie the Lump standing trial for the gunfight, and the case against Kelly's bodyguard was dismissed.
By mid-July, a number of establishments were closed and put under police guard following a series of violent gang fights which had broken out within a 10-hour period on the night of June 5. These included Sirocco's place at Chatham Square, Chick Tricker's Bowery emporium, the Chatham Club and three other Fourteenth Street saloons where the majority of the fighting occurred. Only Kelly's Mandarin Cafe was allowed to stay open, despite of it having a police guard as well. He was later one of several men arrested during official inquiry during the Becker-Rosenthal trial but was not implicated in the actual murder according to Deputy Commissioner Dougherty.
This feud eventually came to a head in 1913 in a dispute over their respective 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...
s being hired as private security, known then as "strong arm squads", for sporting events and other occasions. Matters worsened when Detective Val O'Farrell, in charge of hiring security for Madison Square Garden, refused to hire several of his men for the annual six-day bicycle race being held at the venue. On the morning of December 12, a gunfight broke out between members of his club and those from Sirocco's near Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Around 2:00 am, a group of Sirocco's men left Madison Square Garden and were ambushed near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Twenty-sixth Street by Kelly's men firing from behind a Madison Avenue trolley car. Although the gunfight was brief, an estimated fifty rounds had been used and ended only until gunmen on both sides ran out of ammunition. No one was reported injured, the passengers on the trolley avoiding being hit by dropping to the floor, despite the large number of spectators entering and leaving Madison Square Garden to watch the annual six-day bicycle race being held.
Most of the participants were able to escape as police from local precincts investigating the gunfire began entering the area. Kelly's gunmen, according arriving to police officers, were picked up by a large black touring car
Touring car
A touring car, or tourer, is an open car seating five or more. Touring cars may have two or four doors. Often, the belt line is lowered in the front doors to give the car a more sportive character. They were often fitted with a folding roof and side curtains. Engines on early models were either in...
which they began firing at hoping to shoot out the tires. The car was last seen heading towards Second Avenue but police were unable to pursue them. Two of Sirocco's men, Tony Rossa and Frank Jula, were arrested by police and taken to Jefferson Market Court where they were arraigned and held on a $2,000 bail. The two had no previous criminal record but had ties with Jack Sirocco and were believed to have thrown away their weapons. Six empty revolvers were found by police at the scene.
Further reading
- Fowler, Gene. Beau James: The Life & Times of Jimmy Walker. New York: Viking Press, 1949.
- Levinson, Edward. I Break Strikes!. New York: Arno, 1969.