Monk Eastman

Long ago, a man named Monk lived in New York.

He led a big group of men. They were often in trouble with the law.

Monk once sold birds in a shop.

He also loved his pet pigeons. He was a very tough man.

Monk had a rival named Paul. The two groups fought in the streets. This was very bad for the city.

Later, Monk joined the Army. He went to help in a big war. He served in a land called France.

Monk died in the city of New York. He had a big funeral for his service. It was the end of his long life.

Edward "Monk" Eastman was a famous leader in New York City.

He led a large group called the Eastman Gang. They were very powerful in the late 1800s.

Monk grew up on the Lower East Side. He once owned a pet shop on Broome Street. He sold birds and loved his pet pigeons. He was a very tough man. He even worked as a bouncer at a club.

Monk had a big rival named Paul Kelly. Paul led a different group called the Five Points Gang. The two groups fought often in the streets. This fighting was dangerous for people living nearby. In 1903, leaders set up a boxing match to stop the fighting. The match lasted two hours, but it ended in a draw.

Monk went to prison for several years. When he came out, he was no longer a big leader. In 1917, he joined the Army to fight in World War I. He served in France.

Monk died in New York in 1920. He had a military funeral to honor his service.

Edward "Monk" Eastman was a famous leader in New York City. He led a group called the Eastman Gang. This gang was very powerful in the late 1800s.

He was a very tough man with wild hair. He often wore a small derby hat. People also remember him for his gold-capped teeth. He even loved keeping pet pigeons. For a long time, he told people he was a bird salesman. This was his job on many government forms.

Monk lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He grew up in a home on East Seventy-Fifth Street. His father, Samuel, was a veteran of the Civil War.

After his father left, Monk lived with his mother and grandfather. His grandfather, George Parks, helped him start a pet shop. This shop was located on Broome Street. Monk was also a bouncer at a club called New Irving Hall. He worked with powerful politicians from a group called Tammany Hall. They used his gang to help during elections.

Monk had a very big rival named Paul Kelly. Kelly led the Five Points Gang. The two gangs fought many battles in the streets. In 1903, a huge gun battle happened on Rivington Street. This fight was very dangerous for the people living nearby. It even injured innocent civilians. To stop the fighting, leaders set up a boxing match in 1903. The match took place in a barn in the Bronx. It lasted for two hours, but it ended in a draw.

Monk went to prison for a long time. In 1904, he tried to rob a man on 42nd Street. Two agents were watching the man at the time. Monk was caught by the police after the event. He was sent to Sing Sing prison for ten years. He was released in 1909 after serving five years.

When he came out, his gang had changed. He was no longer the powerful leader he once was. He spent some time doing smaller crimes. He also struggled with an addiction to opium.

In 1917, Monk joined the United States Army. He wanted to serve during World War I. He went to France with the 106th Infantry Regiment.

A doctor once saw his many scars from old fights. Monk said he had fought many "little wars" in New York. After the war, he returned to a life of crime. On December 26, 1920, Monk was shot and killed in Manhattan. He was buried with full military honors in Brooklyn.

Edward "Monk" Eastman was a prominent American gangster in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He founded and led the Eastman Gang in New York City. This group became one of the most powerful street gangs in the city during that era.

Eastman is often viewed as one of the last major gangsters of the 19th century. His era preceded the rise of the Jewish mob and organized groups like the Italian American Cosa Nostra. Because his criminal enterprise included many Jewish-American members, some historical reports labeled him as Jewish. However, researchers note he was likely a Protestant of British European descent. His family's religious ties were often linked to Baptist and Methodist traditions.

Eastman's early life began in the Corlear's Hook section of Manhattan's Lower East Side. He was born in 1875 to Samuel Eastman and Mary Parks. His father was a Civil War veteran who worked as a wallpaper-hanger. After his father left the family, Edward lived with his mother and his maternal grandfather, George Parks.

Parks worked in a dry goods store and helped Edward establish a pet shop on Broome Street. For many years, Eastman used the occupation of "bird seller" on official government forms. He was known for his love of pigeons and often kept them with him. This pet business provided a public cover for his involvement with neighborhood gangs.

As his reputation grew, Eastman's criminal activities became more organized. He worked as a bouncer, or "sheriff," at the New Irving Hall club. This position allowed him to meet influential politicians from Tammany Hall. These politicians were deeply involved in the ethnic immigrant communities of New York. They used Eastman and his followers for political purposes. The gang acted as "repeat voters" during elections. They also served as strong-arm men to intimidate political opposition. This relationship connected street crime directly to the city's political systems.

Eastman's career was defined by a violent rivalry with Paul Kelly. Kelly was the leader of the Italian Five Points Gang. The two leaders fought for control of the city's underworld. This conflict reached a peak on September 17, 1903. A massive gun battle occurred on Rivington Street involving dozens of gangsters. The violence resulted in the death of Michael Donovan and the wounding of John Carroll. Many innocent civilians were also injured during the chaos. Following the battle, police arrested approximately 18 members of the Eastman gang.

To end the street warfare, Tammany Hall officials intervened in 1903. They organized a boxing match between Eastman and Kelly to settle the feud. The fight took place in an old barn located in the Bronx. It was an intense struggle that lasted for two hours. Both men received heavy punishment during the bout. Ultimately, the match ended in a draw. The politicians used this event to press the gang leaders to accept a truce. They wanted to stop the bad press and the danger to civilians.

Eastman's criminal dominance ended following a failed robbery in 1904. He attempted to rob a man on 42nd Street and Broadway. Pinkerton agents were watching the man and intervened during the crime. Eastman shot at the agents while trying to escape but was caught by police. Because of the bad publicity, Tammany Hall refused to help him. He was convicted of attempted assault and sentenced to ten years at Sing Sing penitentiary.

He served five years before being released in 1909. Upon his release, he found his gang had split into different factions. He lost his power and struggled with an addiction to opium.

In 1917, Eastman joined the United States Army during World War I. He served in France with the 106th Infantry Regiment, also known as "O'Ryan's Roughnecks." During his physical exam, a doctor noticed many scars from bullets and knives on his body. When asked about his history, Eastman joked that he had fought many "little wars" in New York.

After the war, he returned to petty crime and worked with a corrupt Prohibition agent named Jerry Bohan. On December 26, 1920, a dispute over money at the Bluebird Cafe led to a fatal shooting. Bohan shot Eastman several times, ending the gangster's life. Eastman was buried with full military honors in Cypress Hills Cemetery.