Kings of New York

Chapter 6: R + V + S + W

There were four men who waked away relatively unscathed from the Becker-Rosenthal Affair, even though they were arguably most complicit in the murder. All four took a plea deal in exchange for their perjured testimony on the stand against Lt. Becker and the four "Shooters" from the Lenox Gang. Jack Rose, Harry Vallon, Sam Schepps, and Bridgey Webber were all deeply involved in the Tenderloin gambling and prostitution scene. They all knew one another from childhood, and would do anything and everything to save themselves and their friends, even at the cost of condemning others to an unjust execution. In Chapter 6, we hit our point of frustration and futility with this story, while discussing these four stool pigeons.

Chapter 5: Sen. "Big" Tim Sullivan

"Becker said that he was being sacrificed for his friends" In this chapter, we introduce Senator "Big" Tim Sullivan - a prominent Tammany Hall politician with deep roots in the Bowery. The Patron Saint of immigrant masses and every imaginable illicit activity alike, he was beloved yet corrupt beyond measure. Mentor to the murdered Herman Rosenthal and a friend to Lt. Becker, Sen. Sullivan comfortably existed in both worlds and perhaps linked them in more ways than we know. He was perhaps the only person who could have saved Becker from the electric chair, had he not met his own untimely (yet convenient for some) demise. WARNING: some descriptions of crime scenes and dismemberment.

Chapter 4: The Lenox Gang & The Plot

In this chapter Annie and Alissa talk about the four shooters that were sent to the electric chair for directly carrying out the murder of Herman Rosenthal. Whitey Lewis, Dago Frank, Lefty Louie, and Gyp the Blood were all members of Jack Zelig's Lenox Gang and professional gunmen. Like Becker, they maintained that they were innocent up until their last moments prior to their executions. Court records, newspaper articles, and original documents don't line up either...so did they do it or did they too take the fall for someone else?

Chapter 3: Charles Becker

We dive into the life of Lt. Charles Becker, the alleged mastermind behind Herman Rosenthal's murder. Just like any human being, Lt. Becker was a complicated person with his own demons driving him to bend the law in his favour, give into the temptation of graft, and ultimately overdraw his hand. He stepped into power when the perfect storm of political and police reform left little oversight on his activities, giving him free reign over New York's Tenderloin district with the System to back him up.

Our Fancy New Intro!

110 years in the making, this podcast takes a fresh look at the Becker-Rosenthal murder trial of 1912. Our intro and teaser trailer features the marvelous voiceover by Marc-L. Porter to really set the scene for the Trial of the Century. Background audio track by Sunshine Music. [https://www.shutterstock.com/music/search?artist=sunshine-music]