Download or read book Gangs and Outlaws of Western Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2012-07-24 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Violent bank heists, bold train robberies and hardened gangs all tear across the history of the wild west--western Pennsylvania, that is. The region played reluctant host to the likes of the infamous Biddle Boys, who escaped Allegheny County Jail by romancing the warden's wife, and the Cooley Gang, which held Fayette County in its violent grip at the close of the nineteenth century. Then there was Pennsylvania's own Bonnie and Clyde--Irene and Glenn--whose murderous misadventures earned the "trigger blonde" and her beau the electric chair in 1931. From the perilous train tracks of Erie to the gritty streets of Pittsburgh, authors Thomas White and Michael Hassett trace the dark history of the crooks, murderers and outlaws who both terrorized and fascinated the citizenry of western Pennsylvania.
Download or read book Legends Lore of Western Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by History Press Library Editions. This book was released on 2009-06 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Steel Mill Mafia written by Carl Begovich and published by Published! an Affiliate of Village Voices Gallery. This book was released on 2012-07-01 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frank Mattich--the first in his family to graduate college, the first in his family to go to prison. How does an ordinary school teacher become a mafia style kingpin, dealing in drugs and running a gambling enterprise? "Steel Mill Mafia--The Pittsburgh Connection" explains how a man of common circumstance can turn down the wrong path and how a core of innate goodness can redeem him.
Download or read book Prohibition Gangsters written by Marc Mappen and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2013-06-06 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master story teller Marc Mappen applies a generational perspective to the gangsters of the Prohibition era—men born in the quarter century span from 1880 to 1905—who came to power with the Eighteenth Amendment. On January 16, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution went into effect in the United States, “outlawing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors.” A group of young criminals from immigrant backgrounds in cities around the nation stepped forward to disobey the law of the land in order to provide alcohol to thirsty Americans. Today the names of these young men—Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Dutch Schultz, Legs Diamond, Nucky Johnson—are more familiar than ever, thanks in part to such cable programs as Boardwalk Empire. Here, Mappen strips way the many myths and legends from television and movies to describe the lives these gangsters lived and the battles they fought. Placing their criminal activities within the context of the issues facing the nation, from the Great Depression, government crackdowns, and politics to sexual morality, immigration, and ethnicity, he also recounts what befell this villainous group as the decades unwound. Making use of FBI and other government files, trial transcripts, and the latest scholarship, the book provides a lively narrative of shootouts, car chases, courtroom clashes, wire tapping, and rub-outs in the roaring 1920s, the Depression of the 1930s, and beyond. Mappen asserts that Prohibition changed organized crime in America. Although their activities were mercenary and violent, and they often sought to kill one another, the Prohibition generation built partnerships, assigned territories, and negotiated treaties, however short lived. They were able to transform the loosely associated gangs of the pre-Prohibition era into sophisticated, complex syndicates. In doing so, they inspired an enduring icon—the gangster—in American popular culture and demonstrated the nation’s ideals of innovation and initiative. View a three minute video of Marc Mappen speaking about Prohibition Gangsters.
Download or read book Witches of Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2010-12-03 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A folklorist chronicles the history and lore of witchcraft in the Keystone State from William Penn’s 17th century witch trial to 20th century occultism. As English and German settlers migrated to Pennsylvania, they brought their beliefs in magic with them from the Old World—sometimes with dangerous consequences. In 1802, for example, an Allegheny County judge helped an accused witch escape an angry mob. But Susan Mummey was not so fortunate. In 1934, she was killed in her home by a young Schuylkill County man who was convinced that she had cursed him. In other regions of the state, views on folk magic were more complex. While hex doctors were feared in the Pennsylvania German tradition, powwowers were and are revered for their abilities to heal, lift curses and find lost objects. In this revealing study, author Thomas White traces the undercurrent of witchcraft and occultism through centuries of Pennsylvania history.
Download or read book Living Among South Carolina Outlaws written by Carl L. Poston Jr and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2013 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interior of South Carolina was a Lawless place. In fact, Northern Georgia to western Pennsylvania has always been lacking in law and order, but in South Carolina, after the Cherokee Indian War in 1761, what little law had existed, deteriorated to almost none. Indians were no longer a threat, but bold outlaw gangs roamed and ravaged the country, robbing, killing and kidnapping, ever bold enough to challenge the few Militia. Here, there was no law, therefore, no court or jail for any legal transaction, a weeklong trip had to be made to Charlestown. Seeing no help coming from the government in Chrlestown, citizens of the back country began organizing into vigilante groups called Regulators. In 1766, John Poston II migrated from Pennsylvania with his two sons, John III and Anthony to settle by Lynches Creek in Qyeensboro Township. Here in the lawless frontier, they struggled to make a home among the outlaws and Regulators.
Download or read book The Witch of the Monongahela written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-21 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A look at the folklore surrounding the legendary Pennsylvanian witch, and the facts behind them. In the ancient hills and misty hollows of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, generations of locals have passed down stories of a woman with mysterious magical powers. People came from near and far to seek healing and protection through her strange rituals. Some even believed she could fly. Named Moll Derry and nicknamed the Witch of the Monongahela, her legend has been documented by writers and folklorists for more than two hundred years. She is intertwined in many regional tales, such as the Lost Children of the Alleghenies and Polly Williams and the White Rocks. Author Thomas White separates fact from fiction in the many versions of Moll Derry and recounts Western Pennsylvania's folk magic history along the way.
Download or read book Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs written by Phillip C. McGuire and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Witch of the Monongahela The Folk Magic in Early Western Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2020 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the ancient hills and misty hollows of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, generations of locals have passed down stories of a woman with mysterious magical powers. People came from near and far to seek healing and protection through her strange rituals. Some even believed she could fly. Named Moll Derry and nicknamed the Witch of the Monongahela, her legend has been documented by writers and folklorists for more than two hundred years. She is intertwined in many regional tales, such as the Lost Children of the Alleghenies and Polly Williams and the White Rocks. Author Thomas White separates fact from fiction in the many versions of Moll Derry and recounts Western Pennsylvania's folk magic history along the way.
Download or read book A Dynasty of Western Outlaws written by Paul Iselin Wellman and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 1986-01-01 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the tradition of lawlessness in the American West from the time of Quantrill's Raiders to Pretty Boy Floyd
Download or read book 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment written by Federal Bureau of Investigation and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gangs continue to commit criminal activity, recruit new members in urban, suburban, and rural regions across the United States, and develop criminal associations that expand their influence over criminal enterprises, particularly street-level drug sales. The most notable trends for 2011 have been the overall increase in gang membership, and the expansion of criminal street gangs' control of street-level drug sales and collaboration with rival gangs and other criminal organizations.
Download or read book Murder Mayhem in Ulster County written by A.J. Schenkman and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1870, the" New York Herald" proclaimed that Ulster County was New York's "Ulcer County" due to its lawlessness and crime. The columnist supported his claim by citing that in only six months, "it has been the scene of no less than four cold blooded and brutal murders, six suicides and four elopements." Hannah Markle--the bane of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union--ran a Kingston saloon where murder and violence were served alongside the whiskey. John Babbitt confessed on his deathbed to murdering Emma Brooks, and Willie Brown--reputed member of the Eastman Gang--accidentally shot his best friend. The infamous Big Bad Bill, the "Gardiner Desperado," lashed out more than once and killed in a drunken rage. Discover the mayhem and murder that these and others wreaked on one of New York State's original counties.
Download or read book Supernatural Lore of Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2014-07-22 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Local legends and paranormal mysteries of Pennsylvania—photos included. Strange creatures and tales of the supernatural thrive in Pennsylvania, from ghostly children who linger by their graves to werewolves that ambush nighttime travelers. Passed down over generations, Keystone State legends and lore provide both thrilling stories and dire warnings. Phantom trains chug down the now removed rails of the P&LE Railroad line on the Great Allegheny Passage. A wild ape boy is said to roam the Chester swamps, while the weeping Squonk wanders the hemlock-shrouded hills of central Pennsylvania, lamenting his hideousness. On dark nights, the ghosts of Betty Knox and her Union soldier beau still search for each other at Dunbar Creek. Join Thomas White and company as they go in search of the truth behind the legends of supernatural Pennsylvania.
Download or read book Haunted Roads of Western Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-28 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The twisty roads—and twisted tales—of the Appalachian Mountains make for distracted driving in western Pennsylvania. Ghostly travelers are said to wander the lonely roads of western Pennsylvania. A creeping fog rises from Blue Mist Road, and stories of car crashes, lynchings and even strange beasts haunt this isolated stretch outside Pittsburgh. Is it the angry spirit of a jealous husband or a gypsy king who stalks Erie County’s Axe Murder Hollow? Shades of Death Road in Washington County may be host to phantom coal miners killed during a deadly labor dispute. With firsthand accounts and historical research, authors Thomas White and Tony Lavorgne travel the backcountry roads and byways of western Pennsylvania to discover their ghost tales and mysterious legends. Includes photos! “The authors include a history of each road along with the supernatural legends and other unexplained activity. Surprisingly, they are able to provide possible explanations for most of the alleged hauntings, but admit that they cannot account for every one, which allows the roads in question to keep their allure and spooky possibilities.” —PopCultureGuy
Download or read book Hell s Angels written by Hunter S. Thompson and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 1996-09-29 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gonzo journalist and literary roustabout Hunter S. Thompson flies with the angels—Hell’s Angels, that is—in this short work of nonfiction. “California, Labor Day weekend . . . early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur. . . The Menace is loose again.” Thus begins Hunter S. Thompson’s vivid account of his experiences with California’s most notorious motorcycle gang, the Hell’s Angels. In the mid-1960s, Thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial Angels, cycling up and down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, and, as befits their name, raising hell. His book successfully captures a singular moment in American history, when the biker lifestyle was first defined, and when such countercultural movements were electrifying and horrifying America. Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, writes with his usual bravado, energy, and brutal honesty, and with a nuanced and incisive eye; as The New Yorker pointed out, “For all its uninhibited and sardonic humor, Thompson’s book is a thoughtful piece of work.” As illuminating now as when originally published in 1967, Hell’s Angels is a gripping portrait, and the best account we have of the truth behind an American legend.
Download or read book Jailing the Johnston Gang written by Bruce Mowday and published by . This book was released on 2010-10-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jailing the Johnston Gang: Bringing Serial Murderers to Justice is the inside story of the dedicated law enforcement team that brought to justice serial murderers Norman, David, and Bruce A. Johnston Sr. For more than a decade the Johnston Gang terrorized communities throughout the East Coast of the United States by stealing millions of dollars worth of property. When gang members couldn't intimidate witnesses to their many crimes, they murdered them. Thomas Cloud, former Pennsylvania State Policeman and Johnston investigator: "The Johnston gang terrorized communities throughout the Eastern United States. Bruce Mowday's account, Jailing the Johnston Gang, is the amazing true story of those dedicated law enforcement officers who chose to stand up to them." David Richter, former FBI agent and Johnston investigator: "Jailing the Johnston Gang is a book that proves the good guys win and murderers go to jail even if they use witness intimidation. As award-winning reporter and author Bruce Mowday depicts, FBI agents and state troopers witnessed gang members committing crimes and testified. They couldn't be intimidated." William Lamb, former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice and Chester County District Attorney: "Bruce Mowday is a capable and experienced author who has captured the essence of the Johnston cases. These cases are certainly the most notorious murder cases in Chester County. Their complexity has been detailed ably by Mowday in his book and is a great read." Book jacket.
Download or read book Ghosts of Southwestern Pennsylvania written by Thomas White and published by History Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover some of Southwest Pennsylvania's most harrowing ghost tales. The ghostly woman of Summit Cut Bridge, a black hound that guards the Gates of Hell and the whispering dead entombed beneath the Black Crossthese are the spirits of southwestern Pennsylvania. Join local author Thomas White as he recounts such chilling stories as that of Revolutionary War witch Moll Derry and the phantom bride of White Rocks and the hair-raising tale of the angry specter of a steel millworker burned alive in a ladle of molten iron. Ascend the secret stairs of the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh and wander the dim stretch of Shades of Death Road in Washington County to encounter the otherworldly denizens of the Keystone State.
