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Journalists Craig Thompson and Allen Raymond, writing back in 1940, stated that "...the lower East Side of Manhattan in the first twenty years of the twentieth century was the greatest breeding ground for gunmen and racketeers, since risen to eminence, that this country has ever seen..." (Gang Rule in New York)
The pre-Prohibition Twentieth Century Lower East Side, discussed by Thompson and Raymond, certainly experienced an explosion in gangs and racketeering. But that was just a small part of the exciting and bloody underworld history of the region. Informer will examine the gangland figures and stories from the Civil War Era through the end of the Prohibition Era. We are currently seeking researchers/writers to help define and tell these stories. If you'd like to contribute to the issue, contact Informer (ASAP) with your article ideas at informerjournal@gmail.com. The articles deadline is August 1, 2023. The issue will be released before October 3, 2023.