Forty Thieves (New York gang)

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Forty Thieves

George Catlin painting of the Five Points, Manhattan, New York City in 1827 the slum territory of the "Forty Thieves" and the other Irish criminal gangs
Founded by	Edward Coleman
Founding location	Centre Street, Manhattan, New York City
Years active	1825-1860s
Territory	Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City
Ethnicity	Irish
Membership (est.)	?
Criminal activities	Street fighting, knife fighting, assault, murder, robbery
Allies	Chichesters, Shirt Tails, Kerryonians, Dead Rabbits, Tammany Hall
Rivals	Bowery Boys, Roach Guards

The Forty Thieves — likely named after Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves — were formed in 1825 and alleged to be the first known and oldest New York City criminal street gang. The Thieves consisted primarily of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans who terrorized the Five Points neighborhood of 19th century Manhattan. Another criminal gang named the "Forty Thieves" which had no criminal ties to the New York gang was formed in London, England in 1828.^[1]

From 1873-1950s, an all-female London criminal gang known as the "Forty Elephants" was also known to use the name the Forty Thieves.^[2] Later a criminal gang in Philadelphia called themselves the Forty Thieves.^[3] The Kerryonians, another early Irish gang formed in the same year as the Forty Thieves, have been alleged to be the second oldest organized criminal gang in New York City.