 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2018) |
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| Founded | 1890s |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Monk Eastman |
| Founding location | Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York |
| Years active | 1890s–1910s |
| Territory | Manhattan, New York |
| Ethnicity | predominantly Jewish-American but also some Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans and English-Americans[1][2][3] |
| Criminal activities | Armed robbery, theft, illegal gambling, extortion, prostitution, and peddling opium |
| Allies | Batavia Street Gang, Lenox Avenue Gang |
| Rivals | Five Points Gang, Whyos, Yakey Yakes |
| Notable members | |
The Eastman Gang was a predominately Jewish-American street gang that dominated parts of the underworld in New York City during the late 1890s until the early 1910s. Along with the increasingly Italian-American and Italian immigrant Five Points Gang under Italian-American Paolo Antonio Vaccarelli, best known by his pseudonym Paul Kelly, the Eastman gang succeeded the long dominant Whyos as the first non-Irish street gang to gain prominence in the underworld during the 1890s. Its rise marked the beginning of a period of strong Jewish-American influence within organized crime in New York City.
Under the leadership of Monk Eastman, a well known bouncer and hired thug, the Eastman Gang spent the next decade establishing a criminal empire in Manhattan's Lower East Side through criminal activities, including prostitution and illegal gambling. They operated stuss games, and established strong political connections through Tammany Hall.