Owney Madden
| Owney Madden | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Owen Vincent Madden December 18, 1891 Leeds, England |
| Died | April 24, 1965 (aged 73) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Other names | The Killer |
| Occupation | Gangster |
Owen Vincent Madden, known as Owney Madden and nicknamed "The Killer" (December 18, 1891 – April 24, 1965) was a leading underworld figure in Manhattan, most notable for his involvement in organized crime during Prohibition. He also ran the famous Cotton Club and was a leading boxing promoter in the 1930s.
Owen Vincent Madden was born into a working-class family at 25 Somerset Street in Leeds, England on December 18, 1891, the son of Francis Madden and Mary Madden (née O'Neil.)
In search of work, the family moved first to Wigan, then to Liverpool. It was Francis' intention to take the family to the United States, but he died before this ambition could be fulfilled. In 1901, Mary Madden sailed to New York on the RMS Oceanic, to stay with her widowed sister Elizabeth O'Neil, at 352 10th Avenue, in Manhattan. Owen and his older brother, Martin, were left at a children's home, at 36 Springfield Terrace, in Leeds, until 1902, when Mary could finally afford passage for them. The family found a new home in New York's long-established Irish community, which was to shape Madden's life permanently, giving him a reliable and loyal network among the thousands of other Irish emigrant families who had made New York their home.
On June 4, 1902, Madden, together with his brother Martin and his younger sister Mary, sailed from Liverpool as steerage passengers on board the SS Teutonic. Settling in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Madden joined the Gopher Gang later that year. Described by associates as "that banty little rooster from hell", Madden quickly became a fierce fighter, known for his skill with a lead pipe and gun in fights with rivals the Hudson Dusters. Madden gained the nickname "the Killer" after gunning down an Italian gang member in the streets, after which he shouted, "I'm Owney Madden, 10th Avenue!" Despite the public nature of the murder, no witnesses came forward linking Madden to the crime.
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