Eastman Gang - Early Years

Early Years

According to an article in the April 26th, 1903 edition of the New York Daily Tribune, the gang that would become the Eastmans first came on the scene in the early 1890s. They started out in the notorious Corlear's Hook section of the lower east side on Rivington street in the vicinity of Mangin and Goerck streets. Another gang of the era, the Short-Tail Gang, had its headquarters in this same area, making it entirely possible that the Eastmans grew out of the Short-Tails. Originally composed of gentiles from the local slums, the gang quickly became almost exclusively Jewish with the influx of Jewish immigrants into lower Manhattan and nearby Brooklyn. When Monk Eastman himself entered the gang is unknown, but the fact that several newspaper articles refer to him as hailing from Corlear's Hook indicates that it was probably during this early era.

By the start of the 20th century the gang had expanded beyond Corlear's Hook and changed its criminal focus from petty theft to pimping, using the many "disorderly houses" (brothels) along Allen street to amass a small fortune. During this time the gang became known as the "Allen Street Cadets" ("cadet" being bowery slang for a pimp) and adopted the flamboyant lifestyle that came with their profession. According to one local charity worker "You never saw an Eastman without a woman." Aside from pimping they also kept their hand in other crimes, running gambling houses, peddling opium, and hiring themselves out as paid goons. One of the gang's "clubhouses" during this time was Silver Dollar Smith's saloon on Essex street. Monk Eastman himself worked as a "sheriff" or bouncer there, and he quickly became a favorite mercenary for the many Tammany Hall politicians and Wall street big wigs who frequented the place. As Monk's fame grew, his gang came to be known simply as the "Monk Eastmans" or the "Eastman gang".

Like many gangs of the time, the Eastmans were mostly dandies, well-groomed men who liked to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth. According to Alfred Henry Lewis's 1912 book, The Apaches of New York, many of the gang members were also bicycle enthusiasts, owing to Monk Eastman's own interest in the riding machines. Lewis claims that Monk rented bicycles out of his Broome street bird shop, and that an associate even opened a club in Monk's honor called "The Squab Wheelman" (after the boss's twin passions—pigeons and bicycles).

Eventually, the gang became involved in rivalries with other local gangs such as the Yakey Yakes and the Five Points Gang, warring over both territory and work as political sluggers for Tammany Hall. The Eastmans dominated the gang war during the first year as gang members rallied under Monk Eastman in pitched battles in the streets of New York reminiscent of the gangs of the previous century. Eastman's charismatic leadership, who often lead his men into battle, caused many members of the Five Pointers to defect to the Eastmans including Richie Fitzpatrick and Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach among others. However, as the gang war began to escalate, the gang leaders were forced by Tammany politicians to agree to a truce before losing control of the situation.