The sun., 1919-08-03
Murders Resulting From Rivalry Among Gangsters Were
Many, but None. Perhaps More Thrilling Than the
Dumping Off of Kid Twist by Louie the
Lump''-Eow Dandy Johnny Came
to Grief Through Vanity

Dolan of the old Whyo gang Is a good
case in point. Dandy Johnny" was
enc Of the shining lights of the Whyos,
an old time gang that fiourished in the
late '90s and which was the ruling
power in the old Greenwich Village
district. a gang which got its name
through the call of its members,
"Wheeooo" That is call that coun-
try boys have used for years, and one
that every country boy knows. but the
whyos adapted 1t to city uses and be-
came famous through their employ
ment of 1t.
Dandy Johnny was as proud of his
manly beauty as he was OF his ability
ss a yegg and loft worker. He had a
carved cane which he had had made at
considerable expense and which was
the apple of his eye. He went nowhere
without it, even taking It with him
when he went to steal and plumber
and kill. The police knew he had 1t.
and more than once a detective
found it where Dandy Johnny"
had carelessly left It behind him in a
loft he had burglarized. But 1t always
found its way into the hands or
friendly politician and was returned to
the gangster, because in those days the
! whyos were politically powerful, and
Dandy Johnny" could WELD a black
| lack on election day with certainty
! of effect that endeared him greatly TO
the politicians. He was fairly safe, no
matter what he did and no matter
where he left his cane, so long as he
remained in his own territory.
"Dandy Johnny's" Downfall.
But DANDY Johnny" got ambitious
and hearing of a particularly rich loft
laden with great booty, he went into
another gangs territory over in Greene
street to pull of the job. Unfortu-
! rately for him he found II necessary
TO kill a night Waterman, and in the
| excitement left his cane lying on the
floor beside the mans body. The trail
was plain, and so DANDY Johnny was
hanged, because-all the politicians ha6
not influence enough to save him from
a murder charge that proved itself
Even the Judges knew that nobody but
Dandy Johnny" could have taken thai
cane there, and although the gangstei
was we'll supplied with alibis they
were of no avail.
Louis Pioggi, known Throughout
gangland as Louie the Lump" be-
cause of his chunky build, resemble(
a Little Lord Fauntleroy dressed II
modern clothing when he shot anC
killed Kid Twist at Coney Island II
1908. Pioggi owed allegiance to Pau
Kelly's gang, which was the old Fiv'
Points gang with modernized methods
while Kid Twist at that time wa
leader of the Monk Eastmans. tn
great rival gang of the Kellys, by vir
tue of the fact that Monk Eastman
himself was up the river doing bl
for robbery, and because Richie Fitz
patrick had been killed. Fitzpatrick
! aspired to the leadership of the East
mans after Monk was sent away, an
Kid Twist seemed to fall in with hi
plans. He arranged a conference o
the leading members of the gang. bu
; Something happened there and Fitz
patrick was found by the police wit
bullet in his heart. Kid Dahl,
friend of Twists, arranged things g
that he was arrested, and turned u
In court with a perfect alibi, so tina
3 nobody was ever brought to book 70
{ the crime. Dahl was later rewarde
7 for his services by being given tn
|. stuss game privilege owned by a Fiv
Points gangster called "The Bother.
: Twist gave that game to Dahl. al
Z though Twist did not own 1t. Blu
Twist very conveniently and kind
= arranged for 1.-THE Boilers" murde
3 end Dahl took over the stuss game a
q q matter of course.
Louie the Lump was only IL whe
, he killed Twist. but he was a bad ma
: and a dangerous man, although D
. didn't look 1t. To all appearances b