The Eastman Gang

The Eastman Gang of New York was one of the last of the 19th century. The Eastman’s succeeded the Whyos, and was the first dominant Jewish gang of New York. The gang was lead by notorious thug Monk Eastman, and gained money from petty crimes, gambling, working as hit men, and most importantly prostitution. The Eastman were the pimps of the era being called the, “Allen Street Cadets”(Cadets was slang for a pimp). The Eastman’s rivals were the Yakey Yakes and Five Points Gang, who were constantly battling for territory, and work as hit men for Tammany Hall, a democratic party in NY. The Eastman’s dominated their counterparts in all street fights that occurred, which caused many members of the rival gangs to switch sides including Richie Fitzpatrick and Max “Kid Twist” Zwerbach. Later on Monk Eastman was arrested for a mugging in 1896, which left the gang facing disintegration. The two new members Kid Twist and Richie Fitzpatrick would end up battling for leadership of the gang. This caused the gang to take sides, and when the gang was about to launch civil war Fitzpatrick and Kid Twist decided to make a peace treaty. However when the two met for this treaty Kid Twist planted a gun in the bathroom restaurant that the two agreed to meet in. Fitzpatrick was then of course shot and Twist took over the gang, this murder was the inspiration for the scene in The Godfather where the same act is committed. Kid Twist’s reign was short, for he was ambushed by rival Five Pointers shortly after his takeover. This incident resulted in the gang’s collapse and marked the end of the Eastman’s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monk_Eastman_Gang

Monk Eastman