Red's Dead Baby, Red's Dead

Ninety-years ago today Charles "Red" Donnelly's name was added to the list of former White Hand gang leaders. Red's record dated back to the teens when he was arrested with Wild Bill Lovett for homicide back in 1919. Over the course of the decade, as the gang leaders fell, Red's stock rose in the gang. Sometime around mid 1928, we are told, Red took over the reigns of the White Hands water front rackets.

Like those before him, his days were numbered and he got what, assuredly, he knew as coming at some point. As he watched his men load a ship word came to Red that somebody wanted to see him in the "shack", the shack being the shanty that doubled as an office. He walked into the shack. Inside some words were exchanged, possibly in a loud manner. Next two shots were heard. One went into Red's left temple the other his ear.

Though nobody saw anything leadership was passed to one Mathew "Matty" Martin, who, like Red,...well, that's another post.

Red Donnelly

Early Birds Get The Doyle

Well before sunrise on this date back in 1932  the life and times of one John Doyle came to an abrupt end. Known as both Jocko Doyle and Jackie Doyle, he was a career criminal with fourteen arrests and three convictions on his record. The convictions were for burglary and assault, with intent to kill, but it was for moving into the drug trade that police believe he was put on the spot.

At the time of his death Doyle was out on bail following an arrest in Philadelphia for a hold up. It was also in the City of Brotherly Love, nine years previous, that Doyle and a partner named “Big Frank” Watkins were sought for a gangland murder. Police traced them to a house on the west side and a shoot out ensued. Watkins was killed and Doyle was arrested but later cleared of the killing. Philly police also said that Doyle was active in South Jersey as a beer runner.

The end came at 3:00 am the morning when two gunmen entered the restaurant where Doyle was eating and shot him seven times. Other then saying that they thought Doyle was stealing drug customers from established dealers the police didn’t elaborate on their theory as to why he was killed or who killed him.

Jocko Doyle