Five Points Gang
How did the Five Points Gang create notorious criminals in America?
4.7 (26)
64 mins
Explore how the Five Points Gang rose from New York’s slums to become one of the most powerful criminal groups. Discover how it produced infamous figures like Al Capone and shaped early organized crime in America.
Ep 1:
The Pond That Poisoned a City
Discover how a pristine freshwater pond became Five Points, America's most notorious slum—where disease, fire, and desperation claimed children at staggering rates.
Ep 2:
Dancing Amid the Ruins
Amid squalor and prejudice, an unlikely melting pot birthed tap dance and fierce gangs—the Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys—whose rivalry exploded into a citywide riot.
Ep 3:
Birth of the Business of Crime
Meet the Forty Thieves, Daybreak Boys, and Whyos with their infamous violence price list, then witness the Draft Riots and the rise of visionary gangster Paul Kelly.
Ep 4:
The Empire Cracks and a Warrior's Fall
Paul Kelly's criminal empire crumbles after a bloody betrayal, while rival boss Monk Eastman's astonishing path from prison to war hero ends in tragic irony.
Ep 5:
The Camera That Shook a City
Reporter Jacob Riis wielded a camera to expose Five Points' horrors, sparking outrage, reform, and the neighborhood's stunning transformation into parkland.
Ep 6:
From Slum Streets to National Syndicate
Trace the direct line from Five Points' street gangs to Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and the historic meeting that forged America's national crime syndicate.
Discussions (5)
Tony
Level 9 · 4 mo agoFilling the pond was dumb.
Clint
Level 4 · 4 mo agoDude Biff and Razor turning on Kelly is PEAK drama
Renny
Level 7 · 4 mo agoSpot on about Hellcat Maggie. Asbury invented her.
