Bronx gangs (1950s-1960s)
Encyclopedia
In the 1950s and 60s the youth gangs in the Bronx
, New York, emerged with a particular notoriety.
There were two other Bronx gangs in the early fifties (holdover gangs that were active in 1949) The first of these two were the Fordham Aggies which were basically an Irish gang that emanated out of Decatur Avenue from Fordham Road to 194 St and hung out in Scotti's poolroom as well as in the H&H ice cream parlor. In fact there were two major gang fights between them and the Fordham Baldies. The Aggies won the first, the second was a stand off.
The other gang was the "Shamrocks" which were a formidable man for man gang, but which never had any major confrontations because just their existence alone scared everybody off. They were a gang around the Inwood section of upper Manhattan.
Rumors often swept Bronx high schools in the 1950s and 1960s that "the Baldies were coming" to confront the student body, at the generally docile Bronx High School of Science
and the more macho, all-male DeWitt Clinton High School
. Such rumors would often bring along a large police presence, and long disruptions.
The Fordham Baldies were reputed to shave the heads, and other body parts, of those they caught. This was found to be a nice touch in the Wanderers movie, but in reality, the Fordham Baldies were named for the Bald Eagle and had the Duck's Ass
or "D.A." hairstyle made famous by Tony Curtis
and Fonzie
from Happy Days
There was also a large member Irish gang called the Shamrocks.
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York, emerged with a particular notoriety.
History
Gangs of the Bronx included- the Fordham Baldies
- the Ducky Boys Gang aka the Ducky Gang
- the Fordham Flames
- the Golden Guineas (a predominantly Italian-American gang)
- the Villa Avenue Gang
- the Bailey Gang
- the Archer Boys
- the Guinea Dukes
- the Shamrock Gang
- the Hot Boyz
- the socs(socials)
- the Henchman (University Heights)
There were two other Bronx gangs in the early fifties (holdover gangs that were active in 1949) The first of these two were the Fordham Aggies which were basically an Irish gang that emanated out of Decatur Avenue from Fordham Road to 194 St and hung out in Scotti's poolroom as well as in the H&H ice cream parlor. In fact there were two major gang fights between them and the Fordham Baldies. The Aggies won the first, the second was a stand off.
The other gang was the "Shamrocks" which were a formidable man for man gang, but which never had any major confrontations because just their existence alone scared everybody off. They were a gang around the Inwood section of upper Manhattan.
Rumors often swept Bronx high schools in the 1950s and 1960s that "the Baldies were coming" to confront the student body, at the generally docile Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
and the more macho, all-male DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
. Such rumors would often bring along a large police presence, and long disruptions.
The Fordham Baldies were reputed to shave the heads, and other body parts, of those they caught. This was found to be a nice touch in the Wanderers movie, but in reality, the Fordham Baldies were named for the Bald Eagle and had the Duck's Ass
Duck's Ass
The Duck's Ass is a haircut style that was popular during the 1950s. It is also called the Duck's Tail, the Ducktail, or simply D.A.-History:...
or "D.A." hairstyle made famous by Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
and Fonzie
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days . He was originally a secondary character, but eventually became the lead...
from Happy Days
Popular culture
- Richard PriceRichard Price (writer)Richard Price is an American novelist and screenwriter, known for the books The Wanderers and Clockers.-Early life:...
's novel The Wanderers and movie of the same name starring young Ken WahlKen WahlKen Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
and Karen AllenKaren AllenKaren Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...
document early Bronx gangs. Much of the film was shot in the neighborhoods depicted, including the residential neighborhoods, the armed forces recruiting center on the Fordham Road overpass above the Grand Concourse, and Krum's ice cream parlor 100 yards/meters south on the Grand Concourse. Although the movie's heroes, The Wanderers were fictitious, the movie's villains were explicitly named The Fordham Baldies. - A Bronx TaleA Bronx TaleA Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
depicts gang activities in the Belmont "Little Italy" section of the Bronx - Bronx filmmaker James HannonJames HannonJames Hannon was born in 1967 in Norwood, Bronx, New York. He is an Irish-American author and filmmaker who is best known for his documentary on the 1960s garage band Richard and the Young Lions called "Out of Our Dens: The Richard and the Young Lions Story"...
is currently working on a documentary series on Bronx Gangs of 1950s & 1960s. The first in the series will be about the Ducky Boys Gang—A real 1960s gang that was portrayed in the fictional movie The WanderersThe Wanderers (1979 film)The Wanderers is a 1979 greaser film based on the novel by Richard Price .-Overview:...
. This documentary is slated to be released in early 2008. The 2nd in the series after that will be the Fordham Baldies – another real 1950s gang in the Bronx featured in The WanderersThe Wanderers (1979 film)The Wanderers is a 1979 greaser film based on the novel by Richard Price .-Overview:...
There was also a large member Irish gang called the Shamrocks.