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Nov 29, 2020 · William “Bill the Butcher” Poole was a larger-than-life figure in 19th century New York City. He led the fearsome Bowery Boys street gang, which allowed him to become one of the most influential figures in the criminal underworld and eventually the political establishment.
Sep 12, 2023 · Gangs of New York 's ending showcases the message that history cannot be erased, as Amsterdam avenges his father's death and buries the knife as a symbol of understanding. The changing New York City skyline in the film's final moments represents the ever-evolving world, while Amsterdam's words remind us that the past will not be forgotten.
- William Poole: The Brutal Son of A Butcher
- An Anti-Immigrant Xenophobe
- A Dirty Fight
- Murder at The Stanwix
- “I Die A True American.”
It should be noted that Bill the Butcher’s history is steeped in lore and stories which may or may not be true. Many of his major life events — including his fights and his murder — have yielded conflicting accounts. What we do know is that William Poole was born on July 24, 1821, in northern New Jersey, the son of a butcher. At about age 10, his f...
William Poole became a leader of the Bowery Boys, a nativist, anti-Catholic, anti-Irish gang in antebellum Manhattan. The street gang was associated with the xenophobic, pro-Protestant Know-Nothing political movement, which flourished in New York in the 1840s and 50s. The public face of this movement was the American Party, which maintained that th...
Poole’s and Morrissey’s rivalry came to a head in late July 1854 when the two crossed paths at the City Hotel. “You dare not fight me for $100 — name your place and time,” Morrissey reportedly said. Poole set the terms: 7 o’clock the following morning at the Amos Street docks (Amos Street is the former name of West 10th Street). At daybreak, Poole ...
According to newspaper accounts, John Morrissey met William Poole again on Feb. 25, 1855. At about 10 p.m., Morrissey was in the back room of Stanwix Hall, a saloon that catered to partisans of all political persuasions in what is now SoHo, when Poole entered the bar. Hearing his nemesis was there, Morrissey confronted Poole and cursed at him. Ther...
It took 11 days for William Poole to die. The bullet didn’t penetrate his heart but rather lodged into its protective sac. On March 8, 1855, Bill the Butcher finally succumbed to his wounds. His reported last words were, “Goodbye boys, I die a true American.” Poole was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn on March 11, 1855. Thousands of his su...
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Aug 10, 2022 · "Gangs of New York" is shockingly cynical about American history, and it must've been even more shocking when it was released, at the height of post-9/11 flag-waving.
William Poole, aka Bill the Butcher, was a fierce knife-wielding gang leader in 19th-century New York City. He led the nativist street gang Bowery Boys, went on to rule the criminal underworld, and later got into politics.
William Poole (July 24, 1821 – March 8, 1855), also known as Bill the Butcher, was the leader of the Washington Street Gang, which later became known as the Bowery Boys gang. He was a local leader of the Know Nothing political movement in mid-19th-century New York City .
Background of Bill “The Butcher”: William Poole (the basis for the character “William Cutting” in the movie "Gangs of New York"), also known as Bill “The Butcher”, was a member of the New York City gang the Bowery Boys. A bare-knuckle boxer, and a leader of the “Know Nothing” political movement.
