''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld'' is an American

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

book by

Herbert Asbury Herbert Asbury (September 1, 1891 – February 24, 1963) was an American journalist and writer best known for his books detailing crime during the 19th and early-20th centuries, such as ''Gem of the Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago U ...

, first published in 1927 by Garden City Publishing Company. It was the basis for

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 List of awards and nominatio ...

's 2002 film '' Gangs of New York''. The novel's U.S. copyright expired on January 1, 2023, when all works published in 1927 entered the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

Description

The book details the rise and fall of 19th century gangs in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, prior to the domination of the

Italian-American Mafia The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its mem ...

during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

in the 1920s. Focusing on the saloon halls, gambling dens, and winding alleys of the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. "B ...

and the Five Points district of

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...

, the book evokes the destitution and violence of a turbulent era, when colorfully named criminals like "Dandy"

Johnny Dolan "Dandy" Johnny Dolan ( – April 21, 1876) was a New York City murderer and reputed leader of the Whyos street gang. Life A biography of Dolan published by ''The New York Times'' in 1876 contains many details about Dolan's criminal histo ...

William Poole William Poole (July 24, 1821 – March 8, 1855), also known as Bill the Butcher, was the leader of the Washington Street Gang, which later became known as the Bowery Boys gang. He was a local leader of the Know Nothing political movement ...

(also known as Bill the Butcher), and

Hell-Cat Maggie Hell-Cat Maggie ( fl. 1820–1845) was the pseudonym of an American outlaw and early member of the Dead Rabbits. She was a well-known personality in Manhattan's Five Points district and a noted fighter, her teeth reportedly filed into points and ...

lurked in the shadows, and infamous gangs including the

Plug Uglies The Plug Uglies were an American Nativist criminal street gang, sometimes referred to loosely as a political club, that operated in the west side of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1854 to 1865. The Plug Uglies gang name came from the enormous oversi ...

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 ...

, and Bowery Boys ruled the streets. It includes a rogues' gallery of

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

, pimps, poisoners,

pickpockets Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection. A th ...

, murderers, and thieves. The book contains detailed accounts of the New York City draft riots in 1863. It also elaborates on numerous other criminal influences of the time, including river pirates and the corrupt political establishment such as

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 City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

Adaptation

The book was loosely adapted into the

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film '' Gangs of New York'' (2002) by director

. A television adaptation is currently in the works with Scorsese set to return as executive producer and director of the first two episodes.

Brett C. Leonard Brett C. Leonard is an American dramatist, screenwriter and producer. A member of the LAByrinth Theater Company of New York City, he is best known for his tragic drama ''The Long Red Road'' which was performed at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago un ...

is writing the series, which will be a new take with characters not included in the film.

References

External links

*
Comparison of the book and movie
at herbertasbury.com 1928 non-fiction books 19th century in New York (state) Books about New York City Non-fiction books adapted into films English-language books Five Points, Manhattan Former gangs in New York City History books about the 19th century Non-fiction books about organized crime Works about Irish-American organized crime {{NYC-stub

Description

Adaptation

See also

References

External links