Joseph Gayles
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gayles also known as Socco the Bracer, was one of the leaders of the Patsy Conroy Gang
which plagued the dockyards of the New York City
waterfront during the 1860s and 1870s. Described by New York police as one of the most vicious criminals on the docks, Gayles was suspected to be responsible for the murders of at least 20 men. According to one account, after finding little worth stealing in a raid on a brig
, Gayles tied a sailor to a sea chest filled with sugar and heaved the chest overboard along with the sailor as he and three other members of the gang watched the man drown.
On the night of May 29, 1873, Gayles sailed out into New York Harbor with Bum Mahoney and Billy Woods with the intention of raiding the brig Margaret while waiting to be loaded with cargo. While successfully sneaking onboard, the captain and two crew members were awakened while the three river pirates were attempting to open a sea chest. After fighting with the crew, the three men were forced to flee and managed to sail away disappearing in the fog.
As they attempted to sail to shore however, Gayles and his accomplices were spotted by a police patrol in a rowboat and, exchanging fire with the officers, Gayles was shot in the chest. As the two other gang members continued to row, Woods told Mahoney to dump Gayles overboard to lighten their weight in an attempt to outrun their pursuers.
However, Gayles managed to swim back to the boat and, despite Woods calls to beat the gang leader's knuckles with the oar; Mahoney pulled Gayles back on however, he soon died and the two men once again threw him over the side as they made their escape. His body was found floating in the harbor four days later.
Patsy Conroy Gang
The Patsy or Patsey Conroy Gang were a group of river pirates active along the New York waterfront of the old Fourth Ward during the post-American Civil War era. For nearly twenty years, the Patsy Conroys dominated the area of Corlears' Hook and were one of the last major waterfront gangs to remain...
which plagued the dockyards of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
waterfront during the 1860s and 1870s. Described by New York police as one of the most vicious criminals on the docks, Gayles was suspected to be responsible for the murders of at least 20 men. According to one account, after finding little worth stealing in a raid on a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, Gayles tied a sailor to a sea chest filled with sugar and heaved the chest overboard along with the sailor as he and three other members of the gang watched the man drown.
On the night of May 29, 1873, Gayles sailed out into New York Harbor with Bum Mahoney and Billy Woods with the intention of raiding the brig Margaret while waiting to be loaded with cargo. While successfully sneaking onboard, the captain and two crew members were awakened while the three river pirates were attempting to open a sea chest. After fighting with the crew, the three men were forced to flee and managed to sail away disappearing in the fog.
As they attempted to sail to shore however, Gayles and his accomplices were spotted by a police patrol in a rowboat and, exchanging fire with the officers, Gayles was shot in the chest. As the two other gang members continued to row, Woods told Mahoney to dump Gayles overboard to lighten their weight in an attempt to outrun their pursuers.
However, Gayles managed to swim back to the boat and, despite Woods calls to beat the gang leader's knuckles with the oar; Mahoney pulled Gayles back on however, he soon died and the two men once again threw him over the side as they made their escape. His body was found floating in the harbor four days later.