Patrick Downey

Arguably the most complete book ever compiled on New York City's underworld from 1900-1935. It chronicles virtually every known mafioso, bootlegger, racketeer, and thug who terrorized the city in the early 20th century.

The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935

Gangster City

Steve Turner

Thomas Hunt

Justin Cascio

Michael O'Haire

Matt Ghiglieri

Journalists Craig Thompson and Allen Raymond in 1940 wrote that “...the lower East Side of Manhattan in the first twenty years of the twentieth century was the greatest breeding ground for gunmen and racketeers, since risen to eminence, that this country has ever seen...” Conditions in the pre-Prohibition twentieth century Lower East Side certainly fueled an explosion in gangs and racketeering. Such underworld giants as Meyer Lansky, Louis “Lepke” Buchalter and Salvatore “Charlie Luciano” Lucania were products of that overcrowded and hard environment. But that was just a small part of the area’s underworld history. In this issue, Informer presents a collection of articles representing the seedy and bloody gangland history of the Lower East Side. Material spans many decades of Manhattan’s history. Related article subjects: ∙ End of the Whyos gang. ∙ Historic Photo: Bandits' Roost. ∙ John H. McGurk and Bowery's "Suicide Hall." ∙ The death and life of hoodlum/hero Monk Eastman. ∙ NYC's first Mafia boss? ∙ Italian gang chief with an Irish name: Paul Kelly. ∙ Sai Wing Mock and the New York "Tong Wars." ∙ Frank Lanza's New York firms may have been Mafia fronts. ∙ In search of "Johnny Spanish." ∙ Racketeering future was molded in young Meyer Lansky's neighborhood. ∙ "Death Avenue": Second Avenue, 1910-1924. ∙ 1964 narcotics report included mobster bios. In addition, the issue includes these articles: ∙ New facts about 1928 Mafia conventioneers. ∙ "Bill the Butcher" wasn't from the Five Points. ∙ New and recent true crime book releases. ∙ Looking back from 2023: 150, 100, 75, 50, 5 years ago. Contributors to this issue: Thomas Hunt, Justin Cascio, Patrick Downey, Michael O'Haire, Steve Turner, Matt Ghiglieri.

Informer: The History of American Crime and Law Enforcement, October 2023

Gangsters of NYC's Lower East Side

What is the human heart like? Theologians and philosophers have attempted to address this question, not just in the abstract, but concretely in personal, as well as social and political, dimensions. Patrick Downey explores the biblical writings of Genesis and the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah, the Greek tragedies, Plato, Aristotle, and political philosophers--such as Rousseau, Hobbes, Nietzsche and Ren� Girard--to seek answers to this profound question.Recognizing our resistance to know the truth about our own hearts, Downey calls his readers to join with these thinkers in the search for truth and serious self-reflection. Not for the faint of heart, this book courageously addresses the most foundational question of our existence as individuals in community. What is the nature of the human heart and can we, will we, know it?

Philosophy, Christianity and the Human Heart

Desperately Wicked

Patrick Downey

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