Long before Dutch Schultz, "Lucky" Luciano or even Monk Eastman ran rackets in New York City, a man named Albert Hicks terrorized lower Manhattan. He'd made his living as a murderous pirate, and became one of the worst criminals to ever wander the notorious Five Points, a wretched slum made famous in Asbury's (and Scorsese's) "Gangs of New York".
Rich Cohen, bestselling author of "The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, A Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation" is my guest this week. He tells the story of a mysterious, empty ship found floating in the New York Harbor in 1860, and evidence left behind of three violent murders that would eventually lead police to the handsome and ruthless Albert Hicks.
The author's publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547872/the-last-pirate-of-new-york-by-rich-cohen/
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Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast