14 Facts About Owney Madden

Owen Vincent "Owney" Madden was an Irish-American gangster who was a leading underworld figure in New York during Prohibition.

Owney Madden ran the Cotton Club in Manhattan and was a leading boxing promoter.

Owney Madden's mother left for New York to become a maid, leaving Owen and his sister Mary and brother Martin in a British orphanage.

Owney Madden re-joined his mother and sister in New York's Hell's Kitchen, yet another immigrant in the city's long established Irish community.

Owney Madden grew up on the streets of New York, where he learned how to use blackjacks, brass knuckles, baseball bats, pipes, and knives, including the stiletto.

Owney Madden earned the nickname, "The Killer" for getting away with two brazen murders.

In February 1912, Owney Madden was on a crowded street trolley, arguing with a store clerk named William Henshaw about a woman.

Owney Madden shot Henshaw, a non-gang member, in the face; as he was dying, Henshaw named Owney Madden as his killer.

Owney Madden purchased the Club Deluxe from former heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson and reopened it a year later.

Owney Madden gained recognition for his revenge tactics and payoffs of City Hall.

In 1932, Owney Madden was involved in the murder of Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll, who had been extorting money from several mobsters, including DeMange and Owney Madden.

Owney Madden became involved in local criminal activities, especially illegal gambling.

Owney Madden became a naturalized US citizen in 1943 and eventually married the daughter of the city postmaster.

Owney Madden lived in Hot Springs until his death in 1965.