by Bruno, Joe
Seeing how Holstein and Stephanie St. Clair had turned Harlem into a financial bonanza due to their numbers rackets, gangster Dutch Schultz barged in and took over their games. Just like that. Schultz had big politicians, including the disgraced Jimmy Hines, in his back pocket. Schultz also bought off the cops, and he killed, or had killed, black numbers runners who did not work for him. Schultz eventually forced St. Clair to work under him, but Holstein refused Schultz's offers to consolidate their numbers rackets.
In 1928, Holstein was kidnapped for $50,000 ransom, by five white gangsters, whom were presumed by the Harlem public to be goons sent by Schultz. The news of Holstein's kidnapping made national headlines. The New York Times reported that Holstein had been seen at Belmont Racetrack just days before his abduction, betting more than $30,000 on the ponies.
Holstein was released by his captors after three days in custody, insisting he had paid no ransom. Holstein's explanation was that his captors had felt sorry for him and had freed him with $3 cab fare in his pocket.
However, Holstein's tale carried very little weight, since he soon mysteriously cut down on his policy activities. A few years later, Holstein completely stopped his street operations, and he operated only as a lay-off better.
In 1935, despite the fact that he was barely in the game, Holstein was arrested for illegal gambling. Holstein was tried and convicted, and he spent one year in prison. Holstein claimed he was framed, possibly by Schultz, but he did his time in jail uneventfully. When he was released from prison, Holstein got involved in the real estate business, and he provided mortgages for people in Harlem whom the regular banks shunned.
Casper Holstein died on April 5, 1944, at the age of 68. More than 2,000 people attended Holstein’s funeral at Harlem's Memorial Baptist Church. A scholarship at the University of the Virgin Islands and a housing development in St. Croix are named in Holstein's memory.
Hudson Dusters
The Hudson Dusters were an unruly street gang, which, starting in the late 1890's, ruled the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They were formed by the trio of Kid Yorke, Circular Jack, and Goo Goo Knox, who was a former gang member of the Gophers, a homicidal group that ran Hell's Kitchen a few blocks to the north.
Knox had tried to take control of the Gophers, failed, and then moved south to terrorize a different neighborhood, which was open to whichever gang could take control. The Hudson Dusters crushed local gangs like the Potashes, and the Boodles, and then they took command of the rackets in Greenwich Village. The Hudson Dusters also made big scores, plundering the docks along the Hudson River, a few blocks to the west.
After the Hudson Dusters committed one of their varied crimes, the snakelike streets of Greenwich Village were perfect for their getaways. Their most accomplished thief was Ding Dong, who would roam the streets with a dozen or so youths. When the opportunity arose, Ding Dong would direct the kids to jump on passing wagons, and to toss to him any valuables they could get their hands on. Before the police could respond, Ding Dong was long gone, having disappeared through the maze of streets that comprised Greenwich Village.
The Hudson Dusters became street legends, but they were not particularly famous for their fighting prowess, as were other brutal New York City gangs. The Hudson Dusters hung out in the taverns and gin mills of the Village, mingling with the famous writers and artists of their time. The print journalists also favored the Hudson Dusters, whom they portrayed in the newspapers as nothing more than a fun-loving bunch, who drank more than they committed crimes. One of Hudson Dusters' party pals was playwright Eugene O'Neil, who frequented the gang's hangout - the Hell Hole on Sixth Avenue and 4th Street. It was there that O'Neil garnered most of his characters for his most famous play: The Iceman Cometh; the Iceman meaning “death.”
At their inception, the Hudson Dusters moved their base of operations frequently, finally settling on a house on Hudson Street, just below Horatio Street, later the site of the Open Door Mission. More interested in partying than pillaging, the Hudson Dusters installed a piano, and they danced the nights away, in a cocaine-induced stupor, with the prostitutes who prowled the West Side piers a few short blocks away. This annoyed the neighboring homeowners and business owners to no end, but they all were afraid to make a complaint to the police, because the Hudson Dusters had the reputation of seeking revenge in a hot moment against anyone who dared rat them out. After a night of carousing, the Hudson Dusters were known to parade in the streets, boozed out and hopped-up on coke, looking to cause mayhem on anyone or anything in their path.
One night, the Hudson Dusters asked a local saloon keeper to provide them with a few kegs of beer for a party, on the arm, meaning they did not expect to pay the man for his stock. The saloon keeper refused, and the Hudson Dusters descended up his establishment. They wrecked the joint and carried away every ounce of booze on the premises. The saloon keeper ran to his friend, Patrolman Dennis Sullivan. Patrolman Sullivan opted to declare war on the Hudson Dusters. He rounded up ten Hudson Dusters, including their then-leader Red Farrell, and arrested them for vagrancy.
The Hudson Dusters decided to retaliate, and with the blessing of a Greenwich Village politician who used the Hudson Dusters for intimidation on Election Day, they ambushed Patrolmen Sullivan, as he was about to arrest one of the Hudson Dusters on a robbery charge. The Hudson Dusters attacked Patrolman Sullivan from behind and stole his jacket, gun and shield, while beating him with stones and blackjacks. As many as 20 Hudson Dusters took turns kicking and punching the distressed policeman after he was down. When Patrolman Sullivan was finally unconscious, four Hudson Dusters rolled him onto his back, and then they ground the heels of their boots into his face, causing permanent scars. Patrolman Sullivan was finally taken to the hospital, where he stayed, recuperating for over a month.
The Gophers Street Gang congratulated the Hudson Dusters on their cop-beating accomplishment. Gopher leader, “One Lung” Curran, felt moved enough to write a poem praising their actions. The poem reads:
Says Dinny "Here's me only chance
To gain meself a name;
I'll clean up the Hudson Dusters,
and reach the Hall of Fame."
He lost his stick and cannon,
and his shield they took away.
It was then he remembered,
Every dog had his day.
The Hudson Dusters loved this poem so much, they printed up hundreds of copies, and distributed them on the streets of Greenwich Village, even dropping one off at the Charles Street Station House where Patrolman Sullivan was assigned.
By 1916, the Hudson Dusters had dissipated, as most of their gang members were either coke addicts, dead, or locked up in jail. Another Greenwich Village gang, the Marginals, led by Tanner Smith, took over the Hudson Dusters' rackets. The Marginals controlled the Village, until Tanner was killed by Chicky Lewis, inside the Marginal Club on Eighth Avenue, on July 29, 1919.
For all practical purposes, that was the end of a street gang presence on the Lower West Side of Manhattan.
Ida “The Goose”
Ida “The Goose” Burger was a strikingly beautiful dance hall girl, and sometimes prostitute, who was the favorite of several members of the five-hundred-strong Gophers gang, which controlled New York City's Hell's Kitchen. The Gophers passed Ida the Goose around from boss to boss, and even down to the low-level members of their gang. Make no mistake, Ida belonged to the treacherous Gophers, and anyone who thought otherwise would be dealt with severely.
Jack Tricker was a saloon keeper/gangster, whom, after Monk Eastman was sent to prison for armed robbery, headed up one faction of the Eastman gang on the Lower East Side. Tricker owned a bar on Park Row in downtown Manhattan. But after it was closed by authorities (for basically being a den of iniquity), Tricker decided to branch out of the Lower East Side and into Hell's Kitchen, which was enemy territory. Tricker decided, that maybe, because of the Gophers' internal battles, they were not so tough anymore. In an act of defiance, Tricker
bought the Old Stag Bar on West 28th Street, smack in the middle of Gopher territory, and he renamed it the Maryland Cafe.
One of Tricker's men, Irish Tom Riley, somehow won the affections of the glorious Ida the Goose. Riley spit in the Gophers' face, when he took Ida away from the Gophers and brought her to the Maryland Cafe, where they immediately installed Ida as the main attraction - the “Belle of The Ball,” so to speak.
The Gophers sent an emissary to Tricker, demanding the return of Ida the Goose. Tricker told the emissary that he would not get involved, one way or another, and that it was their problem, not his. Immediately, threats spewed from the Gophers to Tricker's gang, who armed themselves heavily in anticipation of a street war. However, after weeks had passed and nothing happened, Tricker's gang relaxed a bit, thinking the Gophers were all talk and no action.
In October of 1910, four Gophers, one of whom was Ida's former boyfriend, swaggered into the Maryland Cafe. They approached the bar and ordered four beers, which they were quickly served. Six Tricker gangsters, who were sitting at a large round table nearby, were so surprised by the bold move, they sat transfixed and said not a word, let alone try to evict the invaders.
Outraged, it was Ida the Goose who spoke first. She screamed at the Gophers, “Say!! Youse guys have some nerve!”
The Gophers calmly finished their beer, then one turned around slowly, and said, “Well, let's get at it.”
The four Gophers each drew two guns, and they began spraying the bar's walls, mirrors, and tables with bullets. The two bartenders, who were not part of Tricker's gang, dived behind the bar for cover. Five of Tricker men's were shot and disabled. The sixth, who was Ida's newfound lover, Riley, was so far untouched and un-bloodied. Seeking refuge, Riley dived under Ida's flowing skirt.
Nonplussed, Ida stared down at Riley in disdain.
Then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Say, youse! Come on out and take it.”
Ida stepped back, and she shoved Riley into the center of the floor. Smiling broadly, the four Gophers pumped four bullets into Riley's torso. Then Ida's former boyfriend stepped forward, and he put one final bullet into Riley's brain.
Proud of their accomplishments, the four Gophers strode out of the Maryland Cafe, followed closely by Ida the Goose, glowing with pride that such a battle had been fought over her affections.
As a result, Ida the Goose was again the exclusive property of the Gophers, never to stray from their embrace.
Johnson, Ellsworth (Bumpy)
Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson was known as a murderous policy numbers baron in Harlem during the 1930's, but he was, in addition, the conduit between the Italian Mob and the Harlem rackets for almost three decades.
Ellsworth Johnson was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 31, 1905. He got the nickname “Bumpy” because as a child he had received a huge dump on the back of his head. Johnson was a brilliant youth, and by the time he was eight years old, he had already skipped two grades.
When Johnson was 10, his brother Willie was accused of killing a white man. Knowing a lynch mob was looking for Willie, Johnson's parents sent Willie to live up north.
Growing toward adulthood, Bumpy Johnson was a proud black man, defiant of the segregation and the violence perpetrated against blacks in the deep south. Johnson's parents were worried Johnson, who had a violent temper, would follow in his brother Willie's footsteps. So, in 1919, they sent Johnson to Harlem to stay with his Aunt Mabel.
After graduating from Boys High in Brooklyn and attending City College for a few semesters, Johnson got involved with a wild element in Harlem. As a result, he made several trips to prison, for such crimes as armed robbery and burglary. In a 10-year stretch of prison life, Johnson, because of his penchant for violence, spent a full three years in solitary confinement. When he was released in 1932, Johnson had spent more than half of his life behind bars.
Back on the streets causing mayhem, Johnson caught the eye of Stephanie St. Clair, called “Madame Queen” in Harlem. Johnson became chief lieutenant to St. Clair. But it was rumored they were also lovers, even though St. Clair was 20 years Johnson's elder.
St. Clair was a numbers baron, who was being squeezed out of the rackets by crazed gangster Dutch Schultz. Schultz used every trick in the book to drive St. Clair out of Harlem, including killing her numbers runners and paying off the cops to arrest St. Clair's numbers runners on sight.
Johnson, knowing Schultz was not a reasonable man, went to Italian mob boss Lucky Luciano, and he asked Luciano to intercede on St. Clair's behalf. Luciano was impressed with Johnson's gumption and intelligence. But he told Johnson there was not much he could do as far as Schultz was concerned, since he and Schultz were partners in several other illegal activities. Johnson decided to take the war to Schultz, and for the next three years, the two gangs shot each other on sight, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides.
In 1935, Johnson and St. Clair caught a break, when Luciano, tired of the murderous Schultz's unpredictable violence, had Schultz gunned down in a New Jersey steakhouse. Luciano gave Schultz's numbers rackets to “Trigger” Mike Coppola, a captain in what was later to be called the “Genovese Crime Family.”
However, Luciano, remembering Johnson's capabilities, cut a deal with Johnson, allowing Johnson and St. Clair to keep their independent Harlem numbers business intact. This made Johnson an instant hero to the black people in Harlem, and it also gave Johnson respect and credibility with the Italian mob. Soon, St. Clair opted for retirement, and she turned over her number business to Johnson.
With the backing of the Italian mob, Johnson became “The Man” in Harlem. Johnson rubbed elbows with many Harlem celebrities, including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, and World Middleweight Champion Sugar Ray Robinson. Johnson was also the uncrowned “Crime Boss of Harlem,” and no one could run an illegal operation in Harlem without clearing it with Johnson first and cutting him in for a piece of the pie.
From 1940 until 1968, Johnson acted as a “middleman,” between the Genovese Crime Family, who operated out of Italian Harlem (the area surrounding East 116th Street), and the black gangsters operating out of the main section of Harlem. Johnson brokered numerous drug deals between black drug dealers and the Italian suppliers, who were importing the drugs from overseas. Johnson was also known as a “persuader,” or a high-level gangster, who could settle mob disputes before they erupted into violence. It is estimated that during the time he was in power in Harlem, Johnson brokered deals, mostly drug affairs, involving tens of millions of dollars with the Genovese Crime Family.
In 1952, Johnson was indicted for conspiracy to sell heroin. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. While he was at Alcatraz, it was rumored Johnson helped three fellow inmates escape. Although he stood put himself, Johnson was said to have arranged to have a boat to pick up the three escapees, once they slipped out of prison and made it to San Francisco Bay.
Johnson was released from prison in 1963, and when he returned to Harlem, the local folk threw him a ticker tape parade. In December 1965, Johnson led a sit-down strike in a police station, refusing to leave, as a protest against the cops conducting unreasonable surveillances on his crew. Johnson was charged with "refusal to leave a police station," but at trial he was found not guilty.
On July 7, 1968, Johnson, under indictment by the feds for drug conspiracy, was at Wells Restaurant in Harlem at 2 a.m., munching on a meal of chicken legs and hominy grits, washed down by coffee. Suddenly, Johnson grabbed his chest, and he toppled to the floor.
With two lifelong friends at his side, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson died of a heart attack at the age of 63, forever to be known as the “Harlem Godfather.”
Kaplan, Nathan (Kid Dropper)
Nathan Kaplan was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1891. Kaplan took to the streets as a youth, and soon he became engaged in petty swindles, such as the “dropper” scheme.
When no one was watching, Kaplan would con
veniently “drop” a wallet full of counterfeit money on the sidewalk. Then he would immediately “find” the wallet, and look for a sucker, whom he told, “Lookit, I don't have time to locate the owner. You take the wallet and find the owner. Give me half of what you think the reward money will be.”
Dupes constantly fell for this scheme, hence Kaplan was given the nickname “Kid Dropper.”
Because of his expertise in making an illegal buck, Dropper joined Paul Kelly's (Paolo Vaccarelli) Five Points Gang, which was quite unusual for the Jewish Dropper, since the vast majority of Kelly's gang members were of Italian descent.
Yet, Dropper did not last too long with the Five Pointers. In 1911, he was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to seven years in Sing Sing Prison. By the time Dropper was released in 1917, Kelly's gang had been disbanded. Dropper, considered a minor criminal before he went to jail, fancied himself as successor to Kelly, and he grabbed Kelly's labor rackets business.
In his past life, Dropper was a habitual wearer of slovenly attire, in other words, he dressed like a bum. Now as a boss, Dropper started to dress accordingly. He threw away his normal rags, and started prancing around the streets in loud checkered suits, pointed shoes, shirts and ties with loud colors and outlandish designs, and a straw hat or a derby tilted rakishly over one eye.
Dropper soon compiled a motley crew of low-level gangsters. He called his gang, “The Rough Riders of Jack Dropper.” However, Dropper soon found himself in a war for control of Kelly’s old rackets with an old foe who had just been released from prison himself.
Before his incarceration, Dropper had made a very bad enemy in fellow Five Pointer Johnny Spanish, a Spanish Jew; real name Joseph Weyler. The two men had been pals, until 1911, when Spanish had to take it on the lam for a shooting which resulted in the death of an innocent eight-year-old girl. Spanish split town for a few months, and when he came back he found Dropper had stolen his girlfriend. Spanish, who carried four guns with him at all times, proceeded to pepper his former lover with multiple gunshots. Somehow the woman survived, but Spanish got seven years in prison for his actions.
