Grady Gang
Encyclopedia
The Grady Gang was a New York
sneak thief gang during the 1860s. Organized by fence
John D. "Traveling Mike" Grady
following the American Civil War
, the Grady Gang operated in Broadway
's "Thieves Exchange" where Grady would regularly purchase around $10,000 in stolen goods.
He soon formed his own gang from many of the prominent thieves of the decade including Billy "The Kid" Burke
, "Boston" Pet Anderson, Hod Ennis, Eddie Pettengill and Jake Rand. The gang's most successful theft was the robbery of $2 million in cash and bank certificates from financier Rufus L. Lord on March 7, 1866. By the end of the decade, most of the gang members retired, however, Grady would continue operating as a fence. Later, he competed against rival fence Marm Mandelbaum who had formed a gang of her own. Grady, however, bought out Mandelbaum by offering her gang members much higher prices than she could afford to pay and was quickly eliminated as a competitor.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
sneak thief gang during the 1860s. Organized by fence
Fence (criminal)
A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may or may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the...
John D. "Traveling Mike" Grady
John D. Grady
John D. "Traveling Mike" Grady was a New York criminal and, as leader of the Grady Gang, financed and organized many of the major burglaries of the 19th century...
following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Grady Gang operated in Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
's "Thieves Exchange" where Grady would regularly purchase around $10,000 in stolen goods.
He soon formed his own gang from many of the prominent thieves of the decade including Billy "The Kid" Burke
Billy Burke
Billy Burke or Bill Burke may refer to:*Billy Burke *Billy Burke *Billy Burke , professional golfer*Billy Burke , Major League Baseball player...
, "Boston" Pet Anderson, Hod Ennis, Eddie Pettengill and Jake Rand. The gang's most successful theft was the robbery of $2 million in cash and bank certificates from financier Rufus L. Lord on March 7, 1866. By the end of the decade, most of the gang members retired, however, Grady would continue operating as a fence. Later, he competed against rival fence Marm Mandelbaum who had formed a gang of her own. Grady, however, bought out Mandelbaum by offering her gang members much higher prices than she could afford to pay and was quickly eliminated as a competitor.