Patsy Conroy Gang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patsy (Patsey) Conroy Gang |
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The Patsy Conroy Gang of river pirates raided ship cargo in the mid-late 19th century along the New York City waterfront.
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| In | New York City |
| Founded by | Patsy Conroy |
| Years active | 1860s-1874 |
| Territory | Corlears' Hook, New York waterfront |
| Ethnicity | predominantly Irish-American |
| Membership | 14 |
| Criminal activities | river piracy, armed robbery |
| Rivals | Daybreak Boys, Hook Gang |
The Patsey Conroy Gang was a group of river pirates who operated in New York City after the American Civil War. They were known for raiding ships along the New York City waterfront, especially around an area called Corlears' Hook. For almost twenty years, the Patsy Conroys were a powerful gang in this area. They were one of the last big waterfront gangs before the New York City Police Department formed a special unit called the George Gastlin's Steamboat Squad to stop them. The Patsey Conroy Gang disappeared suddenly when their leaders, Patsy Conroy, Larry Griffin, and Denny Brady, were sent to jail in 1874.
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How the Gang Started
The gang was first formed by Patsy Conroy. He was an experienced river pirate who had been very successful along the old Fourth Ward waterfront. In the early 1870s, he moved his gang to the Corlears' Hook area.
Once he settled there, Conroy started to recruit many well-known waterfront thieves and criminals. These included people like Socco the Bracer, Scotchy Lavelle, Johnny Dobbs, Kid Shanahan, Pugsey Hurley, Wreck Donovan, Tom The Mick, Beeny Kane, Piggy Noles, Billy Woods, Bum Mahoney, Denny Brady, and Larry Griffin. Brady and Griffin later became important leaders of the gang. Their main meeting place was in a basement spot in the Bowery neighborhood.
The Chase of Socco the Bracer
On May 29, 1873, gang members Billy Woods, Bum Mahoney, and Socco the Bracer, who was a top member of Conroy's gang, stole a small boat. They sailed down the East River to Pier 27. There, a ship called the Margaret was waiting to be loaded with goods.
The three men got onto the ship. While they were looking for things to steal, they woke up the captain and his mate. A struggle happened with the ship's crew. The gang members were forced off the ship and into their boat. The captain fired shots into the air to alert the police. Patrolmen Musgrave and Kelly, who were on the river in a rowboat, tried to catch the pirates. However, they lost sight of them in the fog and darkness.
Officer Musgrave used a special lantern to look for the pirates. He saw a boat slowly come out from under a nearby pier. Mahoney and Woods were rowing, and Socco the Bracer was standing in the back with a gun. As soon as Musgrave shined his light on them, Socco fired at the officer. When he missed, Mahoney and Woods also stopped rowing and began shooting.
A short gunfight followed as the police shot back. Musgrave's first shot hit Socco. Mahoney and Woods quickly started rowing again, moving fast into the middle of the river. They then pushed Socco overboard. They hoped this would make their small boat lighter. But Socco was not dead yet and held onto the side of the boat. Even though he was badly hurt, the cold water helped him wake up. He tried to climb back into the boat, holding onto its edge. The officers chasing them could hear Socco begging his friends to let him back in.
Woods suggested they hit Socco's hands so he would let go and drown. But Mahoney changed his mind and pulled Socco back into the boat. Socco died very soon after. Mahoney then pushed his body into the water again. The two men managed to get away. Socco's body was later found floating near Stanton Street, close to where he lived.
The Mattan Ship Robbery
Even though Socco the Bracer's death had made the Corlears' Hook gang members nervous, six months later they planned another robbery. This time, they targeted the Mattan. This ship was carrying petroleum and was getting ready to sail to Liverpool, England the next day. The Mattan had moved down the East River to the Battery and anchored there on the afternoon of November 30. The ship had only a small crew because Captain T.H. Connauton expected to get more sailors before leaving New York.
Soon after midnight, seven masked men came to the ship in a small boat. They got onto the ship using a rope that had been left hanging over the side. Once on board, the river pirates went towards the back of the ship. But one of them tripped over a rope and fell onto the deck. This noise woke up the ship's first mate. When he went to check on the noise, the mate was captured and tied up. The second mate and the steward were also captured in the same way.
The pirates then went to the captain's cabin where Captain Connauton, his wife, and three children were sleeping. Connauton woke up when someone knocked on his door. The pirates claimed they were part of the harbor police and wanted to talk to him. The captain slowly opened the door. But when he saw the masked men with their weapons, he quickly shut the door. One of the pirates fired his gun at the door. The bullet went through the door and hurt Connauton's leg. Connauton fell to the floor. His wife and children tried to block the door with furniture, which slowed the pirates down for a short time. But the invaders eventually broke their way into the cabin.
Facing Connauton, the men demanded $4,000 in cash. They believed this money was on board. When the captain refused, the pirates grabbed his wife and threatened to harm her if he did not tell them where the money was hidden. Connauton finally convinced them that the ship did not have $4,000. He offered them $45 instead. The pirates then let his wife go and started searching the cabin. In total, the men spent an hour on the ship. They left after stealing a diamond ring, two watches, three gold chains, a ruby ring, and three silk dresses. Mrs. Connauton had bought the dresses during her last trip to Liverpool.
The robbery of the Mattan was widely reported in the news. Two days after the robbery, the harbor police arrested two well-known river pirates, Tommy Dagan and Billy Carroll. They were wrongly found guilty and sent to jail for the crime. Six months later, police found out that Dagan and Carroll had been somewhere else that night and could not have been involved. They were later set free.
The Gang's Final Years
Patsy Conroy and his gang were eventually named as suspects in the Mattan robbery. However, it was Denny Brady and Larry Griffin who actually led the masked group. Besides the waterfront, the gang also started raiding quiet towns in Westchester County along Long Island Sound and sometimes on the island itself. The Patsy Conroys relied more and more on these raids as their activities on the waterfront became harder. For two years, "they kept these towns in a constant state of fear."
In 1874, Brady was caught robbing a house in Catskill. That same year, Griffin and Patsy Conroy were also arrested for robbing the home of Robert Emmett in White Plains. All three were sent to jail for a long time. With their leaders in prison, the gang quickly disappeared from the New York criminal world.
See also
- Charlton Street Gang
- Daybreak Boys
- Patsy Conroy
- Sadie Farrell
- George Gastlin (Steamboat Squad)
- Hook Gang
- River pirate
