The Bowe Brothers were a criminal family in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
during the early-to-mid-19th century. The gang was headed by Martin Bowe, owner of the
Catherine Slip sailors' home ''Glass House'', and included Jack, Jim and Bill Bowe. All were well-known shooters, cutters and thieves in New York's
Fourth Ward[ Moss, Frank. ''The American Metropolis from Knickerbocker Days to the Present Time''. London: The Authors' Syndicate, 1897. (pg. 102)] and often led waterfront thugs in raids on dockyards and ships anchored in the
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
. The brothers were also
fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
s and disposed of money obtained by other waterfront gangs.
[ Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 49-50) ]
One of their men, Jack Madill, served as a bartender at the ''Glass House'' for over a year before his arrest for the murder of his wife. He had killed her in an argument when she refused to help him rob a drunken sailor and was sentenced to life imprisonment
References
{{Organized crime groups in New York City
Former gangs in New York City
Irish-American gangs
Irish-American culture in New York City
19th century in New York City