In March of 1860, sailors found a bloody ghost ship floating in New York’s East River. The discovery sparked a manhunt for a serial killer who had robbed and killed his way around the globe. This episode is the story of the last pirate and the original gangster, Albert Hicks.

Sources:

Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld. (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1927).

Cohen, Rich. The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, A Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation. (New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2019).

“The Original Gangster Style Guy.” The New York Times. June 10, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/10/fashion/the-original-gangster-style-guy.html

“A Walking Tour of New York, Circa 1860, Accompanied by the Cities’ Last Pirate.” Vulture. June 11, 2019. https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/touring-the-new-york-of-albert-hicks-new-yorks-last-pirate.html

“Meet the 19th-Century Pirate Who Taught New York’s Tough Guys How to Flex.” Vanity Fair. June 4, 2019. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/06/meet-the-19th-century-pirate-who-taught-new-yorks-tough-guys-how-to-flex

Hicks, Albert W. The Life, Trial, Confession and Execution of Albert W. Hicks, the Pirate and Murderer… (New York: Robert M. De Witt, 1860).

Articles from the New York Times, March to July 1860

Music: Credits to David Fesilyan and Luke Holizna

For more information, visit www.oldbloodpodcast.com