Vannie Higgins
Encyclopedia
Charles "Vannie" Higgins (1897 – June 19, 1932) was a New York mobster and one of the most prominent bootleggers during the Prohibition
era. Known as "Brooklyn's Last Irish Boss", Higgins was notorious for his escapes from law enforcement.
, New York
. Learning pickpocketing and petty theft as a child, by 1916, he had been arrested for assault
twice but was put on probation. At the beginning of Prohibition he had formed a small-time gang which started to operate outside of Bay Ridge after taking control of "Big Bill" Bill Dwyer's bootlegging operations with partner Frank Costello
in 1927, importing high quality Canadian liquor for Dwyer's high-society clientele.
By the mid-1920s, Higgins' rum-running operations included a fleet of taxis and loading trucks, as well as several planes and numerous speedboats which were used in smuggling alcohol into the United States from Canada (one of which, the Cigarette, was described as "the fastest rum-runner in New York waters"). Higgins, himself a flying enthusiast and licensed pilot, often used his planes for personal use. During a business trip in Baltimore, Higgins was a witness to a gang fight between rival bootleggers while visiting a local speakeasy and, while deciding to leave the premises, he was mistaken for one of the fighting bootleggers and shot in the leg by a local police officer.
, where he would come into conflict with Dutch Schultz
and during the Manhattan Beer War, aligned himself with Jack "Legs" Diamond, Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll
, and Anthony "Little Augie Pisano" Carfano
against Schultz.
Higgins reportedly stated "I don't let my boys take risks I don't take." at the scene of many gun battles between himself and Schultz during 1928. During one such incident, Higgins and gunman William "Bad Bill" Bailey were seen fleeing the scene after fighting rival gunmen at Brooklyn's Owl Head Cafe at 69th Street and Third Avenue in which a patrolman Daniel J Maloney was killed in the crossfire by fellow arriving police officers in March 1929.
Higgins, Bailey and another gunman were arrested several weeks later in connection with the death of Brooklyn bootlegger Samuel Orlando, identified by witnesses as the rival gangsters who had gunned Orlando down. By the time of his trial, however, none of the witnesses could be found and was acquitted of all charges.
Several months later, Higgins and Bailey were shot at in an attempted drive-by shooting by rival gunmen, although the two, driving in another car at the time of the attack, were able to escape their pursuers.
A colorful character in public life, Higgins made public appearances and often posed for news photographers, as he dressed in expensive British imported suits and was driven around in various limousines. Although almost always surrounded by bodyguards, Higgins had earned a reputation for recklessness in gang battles as his offices and residence were known to be well-stocked with weapons. When Higgins acquired a shipment of grenades from a military arsenal, he and "Legs" Diamond used them against Schulz's speakeasies during their battles with the rival gangster.
Enjoying extensive political protection from many of New York's politicians and public officials, Higgins was allowed to land his plane at the state prison of Comstock, New York, where he had dinner with childhood friend Warden Joseph H. Wilson. Although Wilson was criticized by then-New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Wilson maintained he had the right to entertain anyone he wanted.
). When Higgins refused to leave, arguing with the owner over a shipment of beer and liquor, a fight broke out in which Higgins suffered serious knife wounds. Although taken to Polyclinic Hospital, Higgins refused to identify his attacker while recuperating.
Later that year, Higgins and Bailey were suspected in the death of Robert "Whitey" Benson, a member of Higgins' organization who was suspected of secretly working for rival Dutch Schultz
and informing him on information regarding Higgins' organization, including details on liquor shipments. Although arrested for the murder, the two were once again acquitted due to lack of evidence.
On the night of June 18, 1932, after attending his daughter's tap dance recital at the Knights of Columbus
clubhouse in Prospect Park
, Higgins was gunned down in the street while trying to protect his 7-year-old daughter. He was taken to the Methodist Episcopal Hospital by a local patrolman and, despite police attempts to question him; Higgins refused to answer any questions regarding the shooting and died the following afternoon.
In recent years another mysterious death has been ascribed to Higgins. The British criminal historian, Jonathan Goodman did a thorough study of the death at Long Beach
, Nassau County, New York
, on 8 June, 1931, of Starr Faithfull. Starr Faithfull's body was found at the beach at the city of Long Beach, presumably drowned. But was she drowned accidentally, or was it suicide, or was she murdered? As the weeks passed and the story was stripped by the newspapers, it turned out Starr's life was a tangle due to sexual mistreatment as a teenager by her mother's cousin, Mayor Andrew Peters
of Boston. Peters (best recalled as the Mayor during the 1919 Boston Police Strike) kept the sexual relationship going for years, and paid the mother and stepfather of Starr money for their silence. Starr was also interested in other men, including a steamship physician, Dr. George Jameson Carr. But Carr was married, and appeared to be breaking the relationship off. So there
was a strong possibility that Starr committed suicide.
Goodman discovered that Higgins had learned that Starr had an irregular sexual relationship with a Mayor of a large eastern city, and her family had been extorting money from this Mayor. However Higgins information was incomplete, and he may have jumped to an erroneous conclusion. The Faithfulls lived down the block in Greenwich Village from the official residence of Mayor James J. Walker of New York City, and Higgins concluded it was Walker (who was having an affair with actress Betty Compton
) who was paying the blackmail. Goodman concluded that Higgins
had Starr kidnapped and driven to Long Beach, where he tried to force her to divulge what was the secret she had against Walker, and when he learned he had made a mistake ordered her killed.
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
era. Known as "Brooklyn's Last Irish Boss", Higgins was notorious for his escapes from law enforcement.
Early life & Prohibition
Higgins was born in the Bay Ridge section of BrooklynBrooklyn
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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Learning pickpocketing and petty theft as a child, by 1916, he had been arrested for assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
twice but was put on probation. At the beginning of Prohibition he had formed a small-time gang which started to operate outside of Bay Ridge after taking control of "Big Bill" Bill Dwyer's bootlegging operations with partner Frank Costello
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
in 1927, importing high quality Canadian liquor for Dwyer's high-society clientele.
By the mid-1920s, Higgins' rum-running operations included a fleet of taxis and loading trucks, as well as several planes and numerous speedboats which were used in smuggling alcohol into the United States from Canada (one of which, the Cigarette, was described as "the fastest rum-runner in New York waters"). Higgins, himself a flying enthusiast and licensed pilot, often used his planes for personal use. During a business trip in Baltimore, Higgins was a witness to a gang fight between rival bootleggers while visiting a local speakeasy and, while deciding to leave the premises, he was mistaken for one of the fighting bootleggers and shot in the leg by a local police officer.
Manhattan bootleg wars
Higgins soon began moving into ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, where he would come into conflict with Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz was a New York City-area Jewish American gangster of the 1920s and 1930s who made his fortune in organized crime-related activities such as bootlegging alcohol and the numbers racket...
and during the Manhattan Beer War, aligned himself with Jack "Legs" Diamond, Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll
Mad Dog Coll
Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll was an Irish mob hitman in 1920s New York City. Coll gained notoriety for the accidental killing of a young child during a mob kidnap attempt.-Early years:...
, and Anthony "Little Augie Pisano" Carfano
Anthony Carfano
Anthony Carfano , also known as "Little Augie Pisano", was a New York gangster who became a caporegime, or group leader, in the Luciano crime family under mob bosses Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello....
against Schultz.
Higgins reportedly stated "I don't let my boys take risks I don't take." at the scene of many gun battles between himself and Schultz during 1928. During one such incident, Higgins and gunman William "Bad Bill" Bailey were seen fleeing the scene after fighting rival gunmen at Brooklyn's Owl Head Cafe at 69th Street and Third Avenue in which a patrolman Daniel J Maloney was killed in the crossfire by fellow arriving police officers in March 1929.
Higgins, Bailey and another gunman were arrested several weeks later in connection with the death of Brooklyn bootlegger Samuel Orlando, identified by witnesses as the rival gangsters who had gunned Orlando down. By the time of his trial, however, none of the witnesses could be found and was acquitted of all charges.
Several months later, Higgins and Bailey were shot at in an attempted drive-by shooting by rival gunmen, although the two, driving in another car at the time of the attack, were able to escape their pursuers.
A colorful character in public life, Higgins made public appearances and often posed for news photographers, as he dressed in expensive British imported suits and was driven around in various limousines. Although almost always surrounded by bodyguards, Higgins had earned a reputation for recklessness in gang battles as his offices and residence were known to be well-stocked with weapons. When Higgins acquired a shipment of grenades from a military arsenal, he and "Legs" Diamond used them against Schulz's speakeasies during their battles with the rival gangster.
Enjoying extensive political protection from many of New York's politicians and public officials, Higgins was allowed to land his plane at the state prison of Comstock, New York, where he had dinner with childhood friend Warden Joseph H. Wilson. Although Wilson was criticized by then-New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Wilson maintained he had the right to entertain anyone he wanted.
Final years
In 1931, Higgins led his men into the Manhattan's Blossom Heath Inn on West 57th Street, where he visited the owner, Frank McManus (McManus was the brother of George "Hump" McManus, a suspect in the 1928 murder of Arnold RothsteinArnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
). When Higgins refused to leave, arguing with the owner over a shipment of beer and liquor, a fight broke out in which Higgins suffered serious knife wounds. Although taken to Polyclinic Hospital, Higgins refused to identify his attacker while recuperating.
Later that year, Higgins and Bailey were suspected in the death of Robert "Whitey" Benson, a member of Higgins' organization who was suspected of secretly working for rival Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz was a New York City-area Jewish American gangster of the 1920s and 1930s who made his fortune in organized crime-related activities such as bootlegging alcohol and the numbers racket...
and informing him on information regarding Higgins' organization, including details on liquor shipments. Although arrested for the murder, the two were once again acquitted due to lack of evidence.
On the night of June 18, 1932, after attending his daughter's tap dance recital at the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
clubhouse in Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
, Higgins was gunned down in the street while trying to protect his 7-year-old daughter. He was taken to the Methodist Episcopal Hospital by a local patrolman and, despite police attempts to question him; Higgins refused to answer any questions regarding the shooting and died the following afternoon.
In recent years another mysterious death has been ascribed to Higgins. The British criminal historian, Jonathan Goodman did a thorough study of the death at Long Beach
Long Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
, Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, on 8 June, 1931, of Starr Faithfull. Starr Faithfull's body was found at the beach at the city of Long Beach, presumably drowned. But was she drowned accidentally, or was it suicide, or was she murdered? As the weeks passed and the story was stripped by the newspapers, it turned out Starr's life was a tangle due to sexual mistreatment as a teenager by her mother's cousin, Mayor Andrew Peters
Andrew James Peters
Andrew James Peters was an American politician. He was born on April 3, 1872 in Jamaica Plain, a section of Boston. His family had been in Massachusetts since the first Andrew Peters arrived there in 1657. Peters attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School. He served two terms in the...
of Boston. Peters (best recalled as the Mayor during the 1919 Boston Police Strike) kept the sexual relationship going for years, and paid the mother and stepfather of Starr money for their silence. Starr was also interested in other men, including a steamship physician, Dr. George Jameson Carr. But Carr was married, and appeared to be breaking the relationship off. So there
was a strong possibility that Starr committed suicide.
Goodman discovered that Higgins had learned that Starr had an irregular sexual relationship with a Mayor of a large eastern city, and her family had been extorting money from this Mayor. However Higgins information was incomplete, and he may have jumped to an erroneous conclusion. The Faithfulls lived down the block in Greenwich Village from the official residence of Mayor James J. Walker of New York City, and Higgins concluded it was Walker (who was having an affair with actress Betty Compton
Betty Compton
Betty Compton was a stage actress who married New York City mayor Jimmy Walker in 1933. She was born as Violet Halling Compton in Sandown, Isle of Wight....
) who was paying the blackmail. Goodman concluded that Higgins
had Starr kidnapped and driven to Long Beach, where he tried to force her to divulge what was the secret she had against Walker, and when he learned he had made a mistake ordered her killed.
External links
- Vannie Higgins: Brooklyn's Last Irish Boss by Allen May
- Vannie by John William Tuohy
- Time Magazine obituary notice, details of the shooting
- Vannie Higgins at Find-A-Grave