Patsy Conroy
Encyclopedia
Patrick Conway commonly known by his alias Patsy or Patsy Conroy, was an American burglar and river pirate. He was the founder and leader of the Patsy Conroy Gang
, a gang of river pirates active on the New York waterfront
in the old Fourth Ward and Corlears' Hook districts during the post-American Civil War era.
Fellow members of his gang, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin, later assumed control but he participated in their raiding towns in Westchester County. He and Larry Griffin were eventually convicted of robbing the home of Robert Emmet
in White Plains in 1874, as well as Denny Brady in Catskill
the same year, resulting in the gang's breakup.
marks on his hand, and weights 150 lbs. He became known as an experienced river pirate in the New York underworld and "operated with great success" along the old Fourth Ward waterfront. In or around 1858, Conroy boarded a brigantine
anchored at the foot of Jefferson Street with Bill Cummings and two other men. Capturing the watchman, whom they bound and gagged, Conroy led his companions to the main cabin where they subdued the 16-man crew and successfully looted the ship. Ten years later, he was implicated with Larry Griffin and Tommy Shea of the murder of a first mate during the robbery a ship anchored of Ryker's Island
.
On one occasion, Conroy entered a Bowery saloon one night with Cummings, Boiled Oysters Malloy
and Charley Mosher. Each of the four had been wounded, Conroy having been shot in the arm and Cummings in the chest. Jim McGuire, a Bowery thief, arrived shortly after with a bundle of stolen goods. Upon seeing the gangsters, McGuire ordered them a round of drinks. When Cummings complained about the whiskey they had been served, saying "they ought to be served champaigne", McGuire "good-naturedly" changed their order. Conroy then turned to McGuire a demanded a share of the young thief's merchandise. McGuire offered the men $10 each but Cummings scoffed at what he called "chicken-feed" and "unworthy of being offered to companions in distress". McGuire then walked away but was stopped by the men, received a punch in the stomach, and his goods stolen. Before leaving, Conroy told police "Officer, there's a man who has fallen off a car; better take him up".
Conroy ran a basement
dive bar
in the Bowery which was advertised as a restaurant but, in actuality, was a front for his gang's headquarters. The building, reputed to be "an arsenal and always garrisoned", was avoided by police. Only one officer, detective Holly Lyons, had "dared to make an arrest there" and police usually waited outside to arrest a suspect instead of entering the basement bar.
In the early 1870s, Conroy moved his gang to the Corlears' Hook district. Shortly after his arrival, Conroy started recruiting many of the area'a infamous waterfront thieves and criminals including Socco the Bracer, Scotchy Lavelle, Johnny Dobbs, Kid Shanahan
, Pugsey Hurley
, Wreck Donovan
, Tom The Mick, Beeny Kane, Piggy Noles, Billy Woods, Bum Mahoney, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin. Brady and Griffin would later become joint leaders of the gang.
Under his leadership, the Patsy Conroys dominated the New York waterfront district during the post-American Civil War era and remained one of the last active gang of river pirates prior to the formation of the Steamboat Squad. Over time, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin gradually took over running the gang and may not have been actively involved some of the Patsy Conroys' more infamous crimes such as the Elizabeth or Mattan robberies during 1873. The failed robbery of the brig Elizabeth ended in the death of his chief lieutenant Socco the Bracer. Conroy was named as a suspect in the latter robbery, one which resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of fellow river pirates Tommy Dagan and Billy Carroll, and he and the others began relying more heavily on raiding isolated towns in Westchester County along Long Island Sound
and occasionally the island itself
. During the last two years of his criminal career, the Patsy Conroys "kept these hamlets in a chronic condition of terror" until 1874 when he and Griffin were arrested by famed detectives Richard King and Holly Lyons for robbing the home of Robert Emmett in White Plans (or New Rochelle). Brady was also convicted of a similar charge against Abraham Post in Catskill
that same year. Held at the White Plains jail, both men were eventually convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in New York State Prison; a news article published by the New York Times five years later claimed he and his gang were in Sing Sing
, however.
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...
, a gang of river pirates active on the New York waterfront
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
in the old Fourth Ward and Corlears' Hook districts during the post-American Civil War era.
Fellow members of his gang, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin, later assumed control but he participated in their raiding towns in Westchester County. He and Larry Griffin were eventually convicted of robbing the home of Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
in White Plains in 1874, as well as Denny Brady in Catskill
Catskill (town), New York
Catskill is a town in the southeast part of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,775 at the 2010 census. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park....
the same year, resulting in the gang's breakup.
Biography
Conroy was described in Philip Farley's "Criminals of America, Or, Tales of the Lives of Thieves: Enabling Every One to be His Own Detective" (1876) as being "..of Irish origin and a burglar. He is 30 years of age, five feet seven inches high, has black hair, gray eyes, several India-inkIndia ink
India ink is a simple black ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing, especially when inking comic books and comic strips.-Composition:...
marks on his hand, and weights 150 lbs. He became known as an experienced river pirate in the New York underworld and "operated with great success" along the old Fourth Ward waterfront. In or around 1858, Conroy boarded a brigantine
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
anchored at the foot of Jefferson Street with Bill Cummings and two other men. Capturing the watchman, whom they bound and gagged, Conroy led his companions to the main cabin where they subdued the 16-man crew and successfully looted the ship. Ten years later, he was implicated with Larry Griffin and Tommy Shea of the murder of a first mate during the robbery a ship anchored of Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island
Ryker's Island is a fictional prison facility for both conventional criminals, and superhuman criminals in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 called simply "Island Prison"....
.
On one occasion, Conroy entered a Bowery saloon one night with Cummings, Boiled Oysters Malloy
Boiled Oysters Malloy
Boiled Oysters Malloy was the pseudonym of an American saloon keeper, thief and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century...
and Charley Mosher. Each of the four had been wounded, Conroy having been shot in the arm and Cummings in the chest. Jim McGuire, a Bowery thief, arrived shortly after with a bundle of stolen goods. Upon seeing the gangsters, McGuire ordered them a round of drinks. When Cummings complained about the whiskey they had been served, saying "they ought to be served champaigne", McGuire "good-naturedly" changed their order. Conroy then turned to McGuire a demanded a share of the young thief's merchandise. McGuire offered the men $10 each but Cummings scoffed at what he called "chicken-feed" and "unworthy of being offered to companions in distress". McGuire then walked away but was stopped by the men, received a punch in the stomach, and his goods stolen. Before leaving, Conroy told police "Officer, there's a man who has fallen off a car; better take him up".
Conroy ran a basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
dive bar
Dive bar
A dive bar is a type of bar or pub. Dive bars generally have a relaxed and informal atmosphere—they are often referred to by local residents as "neighborhood bars," where people in the neighborhood gather to drink and socialize...
in the Bowery which was advertised as a restaurant but, in actuality, was a front for his gang's headquarters. The building, reputed to be "an arsenal and always garrisoned", was avoided by police. Only one officer, detective Holly Lyons, had "dared to make an arrest there" and police usually waited outside to arrest a suspect instead of entering the basement bar.
In the early 1870s, Conroy moved his gang to the Corlears' Hook district. Shortly after his arrival, Conroy started recruiting many of the area'a infamous waterfront thieves and criminals including Socco the Bracer, Scotchy Lavelle, Johnny Dobbs, Kid Shanahan
Kid Shanahan
Joseph A. Shanahan , also known as Kid Shanahan or Thomas Lynch, was a New York City criminal, river pirate and member of the Patsy Conroy Gang. In May 1883, he was convicted with Thomas J. Reily, James McMann and James Moran of the attempted robbery of the sloop Victor while anchored at Flushing Bay...
, Pugsey Hurley
Pugsey Hurley
Michael "Pugsey" Hurley , also known by the aliases Pugsey Reilly or Hanley, was an English-born American burglar, river pirate and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. An old time thief from the old Seventh Ward, he was also a well-known waterfront thug whose...
, Wreck Donovan
Wreck Donovan
Michael Mahoney, better known as Wreck Donovan or simply The Wreck, was a nineteenth century American sneak thief, river pirate and underworld figure in New York City...
, Tom The Mick, Beeny Kane, Piggy Noles, Billy Woods, Bum Mahoney, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin. Brady and Griffin would later become joint leaders of the gang.
Under his leadership, the Patsy Conroys dominated the New York waterfront district during the post-American Civil War era and remained one of the last active gang of river pirates prior to the formation of the Steamboat Squad. Over time, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin gradually took over running the gang and may not have been actively involved some of the Patsy Conroys' more infamous crimes such as the Elizabeth or Mattan robberies during 1873. The failed robbery of the brig Elizabeth ended in the death of his chief lieutenant Socco the Bracer. Conroy was named as a suspect in the latter robbery, one which resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of fellow river pirates Tommy Dagan and Billy Carroll, and he and the others began relying more heavily on raiding isolated towns in Westchester County along Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
and occasionally the island itself
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. During the last two years of his criminal career, the Patsy Conroys "kept these hamlets in a chronic condition of terror" until 1874 when he and Griffin were arrested by famed detectives Richard King and Holly Lyons for robbing the home of Robert Emmett in White Plans (or New Rochelle). Brady was also convicted of a similar charge against Abraham Post in Catskill
Catskill (town), New York
Catskill is a town in the southeast part of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,775 at the 2010 census. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park....
that same year. Held at the White Plains jail, both men were eventually convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in New York State Prison; a news article published by the New York Times five years later claimed he and his gang were in Sing Sing
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services in the town of Ossining, New York...
, however.
Further reading
- Byrnes, ThomasThomas ByrnesThomas Byrnes may refer to:*Thomas Byrnes , Premier of Queensland*Thomas F. Byrnes, 19th century New York City Police inspector*Tommy Byrnes, American basketball playerSee also:* Thomas Byrne * Thomas Burns...
. 1886 Professional Criminals of America. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1969. - Costello, Augustine E. Our Police Protectors: History of the New York Police from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. New York: A.E. Costello, 1885.