Vincenzo Gambi facts for kids

Vincenzo Gambi (died 1819) was an Italian pirate who was active in the early 1800s. He was known as a very tough and active pirate in the Gulf of Mexico. For over ten years, he attacked ships in the Gulf. Gambi worked with Jean Lafitte and helped him during the Battle of New Orleans. Other pirates who helped included Dominique You, Rene Beluche, and Louis "Nez Coupé" Chighizola.

A Pirate's Life

Vincenzo Gambi was one of Jean Lafitte's partners, but he was also quite rebellious. He had been involved in many activities before he came to New Orleans in the early 1800s. Within a few years, he became one of the main pirates in the Gulf of Mexico. He was known for being very fierce.

Gambi was one of the first people Jean Lafitte approached when he started to organize the different pirate groups. These groups were based in places like Grand Terre and the Bay of Barataria. At one of their first meetings, Lafitte asked his fellow pirates to become privateers. This meant they would sail with a special permit called a letter of marque. This permit allowed them to attack only Spanish ships.

Gambi did not agree with this plan and left the meeting. Soon after, Lafitte heard that Gambi was encouraging his own men to go against him. Lafitte quickly stopped any talk of rebellion among the pirates.

Sailing with Lafitte

Gambi sailed with Lafitte's pirate fleet for several years. In May 1813, he was given command of a ship called the Petit Milan. Soon after, he captured a Spanish ship that was carrying dry goods. He took the captured ship to Cat Island. The money from selling the goods was shared between the Lafitte brothers and the rest of the pirate fleet. Gambi and the other pirates were well known in New Orleans. They openly sold their captured goods, often English items, to friends in the city.

During the War of 1812, Gambi and the others joined Lafitte in fighting against the British. He was with Lafitte, Dominique You, Rene Beluche, and Louis "Nez Coupé" Chighizola at the famous Battle of New Orleans. After the war, President James Madison made Gambi an American citizen. Lafitte and the others who fought in the battle also received citizenship. After Lafitte moved from Grand Terre to Texas, Gambi settled in Cheniere Caminada. He built a large house there and raised his family. His house became a popular meeting place for Lafitte, Dominique You, Rene Beluche, and other friends.

Later Adventures

In 1815, Gambi was asked by General Jean Robert Marie Humbert and José Álvarez de Toledo y Dubois to help them with a plan to invade Texas. Even though the United States and Spain were at peace, these men paid Gambi to continue his pirate attacks against Spanish ships. In May, he captured two Spanish ships near Tampico. He brought them back to Grande Isle on June 1. Both ships were carrying cocoa and dry goods. One ship also had silver ingots. The people from the two ships were held captive for about four weeks before Gambi sent them back on one of the captured ships.

Spanish agents in New Orleans found out about Humbert and Toledo's plans. Both Toledo and Gambi were arrested by Commodore Daniel Patterson for piracy. However, neither of them were found guilty.

Gambi was one of many pirates who followed Lafitte after receiving a pardon from President James Madison. He was supposed to command a ship called the Victoria. However, he left soon after because of a disagreement with the Lafitte brothers. Pierre Lafitte had sued him over a loan. For the next four years, Gambi continued to be a pirate, attacking and sinking many ships.

The End of His Journey

Vincenzo Gambi was eventually killed by his own men. They found him sleeping on a pile of gold. His ship was captured in December 1819 by Daniel Patterson. This was thought to be the last pirate ship active in the western Gulf of Mexico. Patterson learned from the crew that they had killed Gambi. They said he had kept thousands of dollars that belonged to them from their last capture. While he was sleeping on the ship's deck, one of his men killed him.