09/12/2022
Kings of the Westside 1959 - 1973
Mickey Spillane was one of a long line of bosses of the Hells Kitchen neighborhood, that included Owney "The Killer" Madden, Eddie McGrath and John "Cockeye" Dunn and Spillane's predecessor Hughie Mulligan.
Having worked as a runner for Hughie Mulligan, Mickey Spillane eventually took over as boss of Hell's Kitchen when Mulligan stepped aside. Spillane would be last the last real neighborhood boss of the Westside.
A young Mickey Spillane made the news having been pictured lying on the sidewalk, after been shot by police in an attempted robbery of the Roxy Theater in 1952. After hospitalization Mickey Spillane would be sentenced to four years in prison.
Spillane inherited the gambling, loan sharking and other rackets from Mulligan but werent involved with the sale of drugs in the neighborhood. Spillanes gang would often kidnap mobsters for ransom in order to fund other rackets. Mickey Spillane was known as the Last Gentleman Gangster, Spillane would rule over Hell's Kitchen throughout the 60' & 70's.
Mickey Spillane would marry Maureen McManus, part of the McManus family who were tied into Tammany Hall, New Yorks political machine, Tammany Hall had a long history of corruption and was as much part of Irish life in New York as was Hell's Kitchen.
In the 1970's while under investigation by an assistant district attorney, Spillane, Hughie Mulligan and other mobsters from the Westside were dragged in front of a Grand Jury that were investigating corruption within the New York Police Department.
Under questioning Spillane plead the fifth many times until the DA asked "Are you related to the other Mickey Spillane? The famous writer" Spillane replied "No. but Id be happy to change places with him right now" The court room erupted into laughter, however, the judge wasnt amused and sentenced Spillane to 60 days for contempt of court.
As the 70's were getting underway trouble was beginning to brew between the Irish Mob and Italian Mafia. Spillane had inherited a relationship with the Genovese Family, the two shared in the rackets in Madison Square Garden and the New York Coliseum, Spillane didnt appear to be happy to share the rackets.
A problem arose between the Irish Mob and the Mafia when Eli Zicardi, a Genovese associate was kidnapped by some of Spillane's gang and held for ransom. Kidnapping mobsters was seen as a legitimate tactic that could earn up to $15,000 for the release of the mobster. However, this time something went wrong, Zicardi was never seen again after the ransom was paid. This set up a confrontation between Spillane and Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese Family.
The tensions between the Irish and Italian mobs spilled over during the constructiion of the Jacob Javitts Center being built firmly in Spillane's territory, which Spillane maintained control over. Fat Tony Salerno had hired Joseph "Mad Dog" Sullivan to take out Spillane's top guys, including Spillane's main man Tom Devaney. Sullivan also killed Edward "The Butcher" Cummiskey, who was once with Spillane but had changed sides to work with Jimmy Coonan and his gang.
During the tensions that Spillane had with the Genovese Family, another problem had arisen within Hell's Kitchen in the form of new gangsters, the so called Westies, led by Jimmy Coonan. Coonan, however joined forces with the Gambino Family.
With all the tension within the neighborhood, Mickey Spillane moved from Hell's Kitchen to Queens. On the night of the 13th of May 1977, Mickey Spillane was murdered, supposedly by Roy DeMeo a mobster within the Gambino Family and Jimmy Coonan's contact.
The death of Mickey Spillane marked the end of an era for the Irish Mob on the Westside of Manhattan and Hell's Kitchen in particular.
To this day the Spillane's are still very much part of Hell's Kitchen, though it's now gentrified and not anything like it used to be. The family own Mickey Spillane's bar.
