The Dead Rabbits

The Dead Rabbits were one of the main gangs of New York in the 1850’s. This odd name was taken from the Irish word raibead which meant, “man to be feared” dead came from the slang that stood for “very” i.e. dead serious. Thus came the Dead Rabbits. The gangs commander was the notorious Priest Valon known for his organization of Irish Catholics along with thieving and thugging. This gang would often times bring a dead rabbit impaled by a spear to gang wars to act as a flag. They also wore a red stripe on their pants to signify who they were, like wearing a red bandana if your a blood. The enemies of the Dead Rabbits included the Roach Guards, the other rival Irish gang, and the infamous Bowery Boys who were out to destroy the Irish Catholic race. These three would often have bloody battles most largely in the Dead Rabbits riot which I will blog about later. When these hooligans weren’t in a street fight they were often times pick pocketing and stealing which was their main source of income.

http://www.gripe4rkids.org/his.html

http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/gangs101/info_002.htm