The Murder Plot of Mike Malloy
By: Josie Klakström
Tags: Prohibition, New York, True Crime, Murder, History

The Murder Plot of Mike Malloy

Photo by Mark Asthoff on Unsplash

In the 1930s, New York was already flattened by the Great Depression. People across the city had lost their jobs and homes, and the financial structure of New York bared no resemblance to its former position in the world market. It was a desperate era, where many tried to earn money however they could.

Michael Malloy had moved to New York in the 1920s. The former firefighter was between 40 and 60, depending on the newspaper, and hailed from County Donegal in Ireland. He’d moved to America for a better life but would never find his American Dream.

Due to the Depression, Mike was unemployed, homeless and had become an alcoholic, despite the prohibition. He never paid his bar tabs, and his local speakeasy had grown weary of him and the enormous amount of alcohol he was drinking.

The Mermaid was owned by Tony Marino, who was not only the proprietor of the establishment but was also a murderer. He had taken out life insurance on a homeless woman, Mabelle Carson a few years earlier, due to rising debts. He then killed her by force-feeding her alcohol and left her by an open window on a particularly cold night. He received $2,000 from the policy he took out on her accidental death, around $130,000 today.

The Mermaid via thejournal.ie

Tony Marino and some of his regulars noticed that Malloy appeared to have no family and no friends. Every morning, he would appear at the door of the speakeasy and waited for it to open, so he could begin his day of drinking. He would drink until he passed out, usually on the floor, and never paid for his drinks. Marino revealed to Pasqua that business wasn’t good, and something had to be done about the man.

The group devised a plan, to bring them the fortunes they desperately needed and rid them of the pest that Malloy had become.

Tony Marino had already committed one murder and Pasqua was an undertaker, so he could easily get rid of the body. Their plan was set; they were going to murder Mike Malloy and split the insurance money.

Regulars of the Mermaid heard about the plan and wanted to be involved. The Murder Trust, as they were known, included Dan Krisberg, a grocer who needed the money for his family, “Tough Tony” Bastone would do anything for a price. There were also criminals John McNally, “Tin Ear” Smith and Joe Maglione. The bartender, 28-year-old Joe Murphy, also became involved.

Policies were taken out on “Nicholas Mellory”, the name the Trust decided to give Malloy in death. Because of Pasqua’s connections, they could easily forge a death certificate for the fictitious man.

The reported amount the Trust were able to take out of Mike Malloy’s life differs, from $800 to $3,500. However, the amount ended up being irrelevant, as so much money was spent, trying to kill Malloy.

Attempted murder

Tony Marino gave Mike Malloy an open tab at the Mermaid, telling the man that the competition in the area was high and he needed bodies in his bar. Every time Malloy finished a drink, his glass was refilled, and this continued all night. He drank and drank until he’d finally had enough and told Marino that he’d be back tomorrow.

This continued for three days, with Malloy stopping to eat free sardine sandwiches during the binge. He drank constantly during this time and the Murder Trust were at a loss as to how he hadn’t drunk himself to death yet. They were counting on Malloy choking on his vomit, but there wasn’t an opportunity; he didn’t stop drinking.