The Bowry Boys episode 79 the legend of the Wios. Hey, it's the Bowry Boys. Hey

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Hello, welcome to the Bowry Boys. My name is Greg Young with a short

violent episode for you this week. I am unfortunately about to sully the very name of the Bowry Boys

By spending some time talking about a group of criminals that would have probably most likely been the Bowry Boys mortal enemies

Although they reached their heights of powers in different generations. I'm talking today about the rough and tumble five points game called the Wios

That's why

O one of the most loathsome groups of criminals the terrorized New York in the years following the civil war

They weren't you run on the mill gang of hooligans here, but rather an organization of rather violent personalities who at times carried themselves like illicit

Businessmen the Wios conquered the streets of New York in 1880 by defeating other rival groups expanding outside their neighborhood and

innovating their crimes praise and some sort of rather creative ways at least for the time without the Wios

There would be no sopranos, but make no mistake. These guys were evil and I'm about to tell you how evil

So clear the streets hold on to those children of yours because here come the Wios

The Dominions of the gangs of New York in the 19th century were places that we've talked about quite a bit on this show places like the Bowry

Hell's Kitchen the docks along South Street and the tenderloin district and of course

Five points that notorious slum just north of City Hall

You can check out our two-part podcast on the history of five points for some more information

There's a little plug for our catalog gangs first formed in five points almost as early as people had started to move in to five points

Around 1825 or 26 came the very first recorded five points gang called the 40 thieves as the population of the neighborhood

Exploded mostly with Irish immigrants the number of gangs multiplied for many of these men and boys who are all poor and a lot of work

Most likely joining a gangs a method of survival your fellow gang members watched your back

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