Hell-Cat Maggie ( fl. 1820–1845) was the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

of an American outlaw and early member of the

Dead Rabbits The Dead Rabbits was the name of an Irish American criminal street gang active in Lower Manhattan in the 1830s to 1850s. The Dead Rabbits were so named after a dead rabbit was thrown into the center of the room during a gang meeting, prompting s ...

. She was a well-known personality in Manhattan's Five Points district and a noted fighter, her teeth reportedly filed into points and her fingers adorned with long, claw-like brass fingernails. She fought alongside the Dead Rabbits and other Five Pointers against rival nativist gangs from the Bowery, most especially the Bowery Boys, during the early 1840s. Although there is little information about her life, she is one of the earliest female outlaws of the "

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book '' The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Le ...

" era and has been compared to other female outlaws such as Gallus Mag and

Battle Annie Annie Walsh (fl. 1870–1880), known under the pseudonym Battle Annie, was an American outlaw and member of the Gopher Gang. A well-known outlaw figure described in the press as "The Queen of Hell's Kitchen" and "the most feared brick hurler of ...

, the latter leading the female auxiliary of the

Gopher Gang The Gopher Gang was an early 20th-century New York street gang who counted among its members Goo Goo Knox, James "Biff" Ellison, and Owney Madden, born in England of Irish ancestry. Based in the Irish neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, the Gopher Gan ...

during the 1870s. A

composite character In a work of media adapted from a real or fictional narrative, a composite character is a character based on more than one individual from the story. Use in film *Several characters in the movie '' 21''. *The character Henry Hurt in the docudra ...

based on Hell-Cat Maggie,

Sadie the Goat Sadie FarrellO'Kane, James M. ''The Crooked Ladder: Gangsters, Ethnicity and the American Dream''. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1994. (pg. 49, 52); (fl. 1869) was an alleged semi- folklorish American criminal, gang leade ...

(whose historic existence has been in doubt) and Gallus Mag was played by

Cara Seymour Cara Seymour (born 6 January 1964) is a British actress from Essex, England. She has appeared in films such as ''You've Got Mail'', '' American Psycho'', '' Adaptation'', '' Dancer in the Dark'', ''Gangs of New York'', '' Hotel Rwanda'', '' Th ...

in the 2002 film adaptation of Herbert Asbury's ''

The Gangs of New York ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld'' is an American non-fiction book by Herbert Asbury, first published in 1927 by Garden City Publishing Company. It was the basis for Martin Scorsese's 2002 film ''Gangs of New York' ...

'' directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...

. She was also featured in the 2003 historical novel ''A Passionate Girl'' by Thomas J. Fleming. Phillips Distilling Company has released a blended Irish whiskey named after Hell-Cat Maggie that's described as being "...for those who defy convention and do things their own, rebellious way."

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