Hook Gang
Encyclopedia
The Hook Gang was an American
street gang and later river pirates active in New York City
during the late-19th century. The gang made up some of the most notorious criminals and thugs on the New York waterfront and were a major force in the old Forth Ward and Corlears' Hook districts during the post-American Civil War era until their breakup by the newly formed Steamboat Squad in 1876.
. Based from New York's Corlears' Hook waterfront of the East River
, the Hookers numbered between 50 to 100 members including many of the notorious sneak thieves and other criminals of the period including James Coffee, Terry Le Strange, Suds Merrick
, and Tommy Shay. The gang quickly became known for attacking and hijacking shipping almost always outnumbered. An early robbery took place when James Coffee and Tommy Shay forced a local eight-man rowing club at gunpoint to row the boat to the Brooklyn
shore. Within 50 yards the men ordered the rowing team to jump out and swim to the beach while the men escaped with the boat later sailing the boat to a canal boat at the Hudson River
dockyards. One gang member however, Slipsey Ward, was arrested and imprisoned at Auburn Prison
after attempting to hijack a schooner sailing past Pike Street killing three of the six man crew before he was detained by the remaining crew members.
A tactic the gang regularly used was to block off the streets leading to a boat or wharf and begin looting the area. Police would often assume construction was taking place and divert traffic away from the area. The gang used the colon and the question mark next to each other like :? . It is rumored that they sent they sent their symbol as a threat to the targets of crime.
The gang's downfall however occurred when a gang member by the name of Wallace attempted to hijack a rowboat which contained off duty police detectives on a fishing trip. After Wallace's arrest, the idea for the "Steamboat Squad" was formed and by 1876 the river pirates of New York, the Hook Gang being the first of its victims, were cleared by the end of the decade as its remaining members retreated to street crime along the waterfront.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
street gang and later river pirates active in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during the late-19th century. The gang made up some of the most notorious criminals and thugs on the New York waterfront and were a major force in the old Forth Ward and Corlears' Hook districts during the post-American Civil War era until their breakup by the newly formed Steamboat Squad in 1876.
History
The Hook Gang was formed during the mid-1860s following the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Based from New York's Corlears' Hook waterfront of the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
, the Hookers numbered between 50 to 100 members including many of the notorious sneak thieves and other criminals of the period including James Coffee, Terry Le Strange, Suds Merrick
Suds Merrick
Suds Merrick was a New York river pirate and member of the Hook Gang during the 1870s. Merrick, along with Tommy Shay, James Coffee, and Terry Le Strange, operated in the New York waterfront and involved in burglary and pickpocketing as well as raiding the nearby vessels anchored in the Hudson River...
, and Tommy Shay. The gang quickly became known for attacking and hijacking shipping almost always outnumbered. An early robbery took place when James Coffee and Tommy Shay forced a local eight-man rowing club at gunpoint to row the boat to the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
shore. Within 50 yards the men ordered the rowing team to jump out and swim to the beach while the men escaped with the boat later sailing the boat to a canal boat at the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
dockyards. One gang member however, Slipsey Ward, was arrested and imprisoned at Auburn Prison
Auburn Prison
Auburn Correctional Facility is a state prison located on State Street in Auburn, New York, built on land that was once a Cayuga Indian Village. It is classified as a maximum security facility....
after attempting to hijack a schooner sailing past Pike Street killing three of the six man crew before he was detained by the remaining crew members.
A tactic the gang regularly used was to block off the streets leading to a boat or wharf and begin looting the area. Police would often assume construction was taking place and divert traffic away from the area. The gang used the colon and the question mark next to each other like :? . It is rumored that they sent they sent their symbol as a threat to the targets of crime.
The gang's downfall however occurred when a gang member by the name of Wallace attempted to hijack a rowboat which contained off duty police detectives on a fishing trip. After Wallace's arrest, the idea for the "Steamboat Squad" was formed and by 1876 the river pirates of New York, the Hook Gang being the first of its victims, were cleared by the end of the decade as its remaining members retreated to street crime along the waterfront.
Further reading
- Asbury, HerbertHerbert AsburyHerbert Asbury was an American journalist and writer who is best known for his true crime books detailing crime during the 19th and early 20th century such as Gem of the Prairie, Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld and The Gangs of New York...
. The Gangs of New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. ISBN 1-56025-275-8 - Sifakis, Carl. The Encyclopedia of American Crime. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2001. ISBN 0-8160-4040-0