The Heroic Gangster : The Story of Monk Eastman, From the Streets of New York to the Battlefields of Europe and Back

Monk Eastman was born in 1873 to a respectable New York family. By the age of eighteen he was running the streets of Lower Manhattan, first starting as a bouncer, and later as a gang leader who led an army of two thousand. He had both politicians and cops in his pocket and seemed untouchable. That all changed when he was sentenced to ten years at Sing Sing prison after several battles with Pinkerton detectives. He ended up losing all his territory and by the time he got out, realized that the streets were no longer safe enough for him to be around. With that, he immediately joined the New York National Guard, going from a street kingpin to a lowly private. Taking what he learned from the streets, Monk quickly proved himself, as his division was put on the front lines during the trench warfare of World War I. He came back to New York a hero and was given a governor’s pardon. He was back on top; but the real question was, would he be able to leave his past behind? This incredible story, told by Neil Hanson, relives for the reader the history of Monk Eastman, New York, and a pivotal point in our country’s history. Cover Page Also by Neil Hanson Title Page Dedication Copyright Contents List of Maps Part I Prologue A Lot of Little Wars 1 The Hall of Tears 2 Blacker Than a Wolf's Throat 3 As a Pool Reflects the Sky 4 A Modern Robin Hood 5 The Rogues' Gallery 6 The Gangland Code 7 The Wolf of Wall Street 8 The Battle of Rivington Street 9 The Tombs 10 A Napoleon Returned from Elba Part II 11 O'Ryan's Roughnecks 12 We Only See Old Men And Boys 13 This Realm of Silence 14 The Niagara of Shells 15 More than Brothers 16 The Men Must go Forward 17 A Sort of Sacrifice. 18 The Hindenburg Line19 The Phantom Division 20 Always Shall we Honor Them Part III 21 The Fighters that they Were 22 Victimless Crimes 23 Draped in Black Cloth Epilogue The Way Things Have Changed Acknowledgments Glossary Notes Bibliography Index.