Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Legs Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as John Nolan and Gentleman Jack, was an Irish-American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootlegger and close associate of gambler Arnold Rothstein, Diamond survived a number of attempts on his life between 1916 and 1931, causing him to be known as the "clay pigeon of the underworld". In 1930, Diamond's nemesis Dutch Schultz remarked to his own gang, "Ain't there nobody that can shoot this guy so he don't bounce back?"
Jack Diamond was born July 10, 1897, to Sara and John Moran, who emigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US in 1891. In 1899, Jack's younger brother Eddie was born. Jack and Eddie both struggled through grade school, and Sara suffered from severe arthritis and other health problems. She died on December 24, 1913, following complications brought on by a bacterial infection and a high fever. John then moved his family to Brooklyn, New York.
Diamond soon joined a Manhattan street gang called the Hudson Dusters. His first arrest for burglary occurred when he broke into a jewelry store on February 4, 1914. Diamond served in the United States Army in World War I but was convicted and jailed for desertion in 1918 or 1919. He served two years of a three- to five-year sentence at Leavenworth Military Prison. After being released in 1921, Diamond became a hired thug and later personal bodyguard for gambler Arnold Rothstein.
Diamond was known for leading a rather flamboyant lifestyle. He was an energetic individual—his nickname "Legs" derived either from his being a good dancer or from how fast he could escape his enemies. His wife Alice was never supportive of his life of crime but did not do much to dissuade him from it. Diamond was a womanizer; his best-known mistress was showgirl and dancer Marion "Kiki" Roberts.
In the late 1920s, Prohibition was in force, and the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages was illegal in the United States. Diamond traveled to Europe to acquire beer and narcotics but failed. However, he did obtain liquor, which was dumped overboard in partially full barrels that floated to Long Island as ships entered New York Harbor. Diamond paid children a nickel for every barrel they brought to his trucks.
Following the death of Jacob "Little Augie" Orgen, Diamond oversaw illegal alcohol sales in downtown Manhattan via the Hotsy Totsy Club, an establishment partly owned by Diamond on Broadway. This work brought him into conflict with Dutch Schultz, who wanted to move beyond his base in Harlem. Diamond also ran into trouble with other gangs in the city. On July 14, 1929, Diamond and fellow gang member Charles Entratta shot three drunken brawlers in the Hotsy Totsy Club; two of the brawlers, William Cassidy and Simon Walker, were killed, while the survivor, Peter Cassidy, was severely wounded. The club's bartender, three waiters and the hat check girl "vanished" (one of them was found shot dead in New Jersey). Diamond was not charged, but he was forced to close the club.
In 1930, Diamond and two henchmen kidnapped truck driver Grover Parks in Cairo, New York, demanding to know where he had obtained his load of hard cider. When Parks denied carrying anything, Diamond and his men beat and tortured Parks, eventually letting him go. A few months later, Diamond was charged with the kidnapping of James Duncan. He was sent to Catskill, New York, for his first trial, but he was acquitted. However, he was convicted in a federal case on related charges and sentenced to four years in jail. Diamond was tried in December 1931 in Troy, New York, also for kidnapping, but was once again acquitted.
On August 23, 1930, Diamond, under the false name John Nolan, boarded the ocean liner Belgenland, bound for Europe. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) suspected that he might have left the U.S. aboard RMS Olympic or RMS Baltic, but he was not found on either ship when they reached Europe. The NYPD then sent a wireless telegraph message to the crew of Belgenland, who replied that a man similar to Diamond's description was among the passengers. Diamond spent much of the voyage in the ship's smoking room playing poker; one report claimed that he won thousands of dollars in this game. Belgenland's officers, however, refuted this, saying his winnings were small.
Hub AI
Legs Diamond AI simulator
(@Legs Diamond_simulator)
Legs Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond (possibly born John Thomas Diamond, though disputed; July 10, 1897 – December 18, 1931), also known as John Nolan and Gentleman Jack, was an Irish-American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootlegger and close associate of gambler Arnold Rothstein, Diamond survived a number of attempts on his life between 1916 and 1931, causing him to be known as the "clay pigeon of the underworld". In 1930, Diamond's nemesis Dutch Schultz remarked to his own gang, "Ain't there nobody that can shoot this guy so he don't bounce back?"
Jack Diamond was born July 10, 1897, to Sara and John Moran, who emigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US in 1891. In 1899, Jack's younger brother Eddie was born. Jack and Eddie both struggled through grade school, and Sara suffered from severe arthritis and other health problems. She died on December 24, 1913, following complications brought on by a bacterial infection and a high fever. John then moved his family to Brooklyn, New York.
Diamond soon joined a Manhattan street gang called the Hudson Dusters. His first arrest for burglary occurred when he broke into a jewelry store on February 4, 1914. Diamond served in the United States Army in World War I but was convicted and jailed for desertion in 1918 or 1919. He served two years of a three- to five-year sentence at Leavenworth Military Prison. After being released in 1921, Diamond became a hired thug and later personal bodyguard for gambler Arnold Rothstein.
Diamond was known for leading a rather flamboyant lifestyle. He was an energetic individual—his nickname "Legs" derived either from his being a good dancer or from how fast he could escape his enemies. His wife Alice was never supportive of his life of crime but did not do much to dissuade him from it. Diamond was a womanizer; his best-known mistress was showgirl and dancer Marion "Kiki" Roberts.
In the late 1920s, Prohibition was in force, and the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages was illegal in the United States. Diamond traveled to Europe to acquire beer and narcotics but failed. However, he did obtain liquor, which was dumped overboard in partially full barrels that floated to Long Island as ships entered New York Harbor. Diamond paid children a nickel for every barrel they brought to his trucks.
Following the death of Jacob "Little Augie" Orgen, Diamond oversaw illegal alcohol sales in downtown Manhattan via the Hotsy Totsy Club, an establishment partly owned by Diamond on Broadway. This work brought him into conflict with Dutch Schultz, who wanted to move beyond his base in Harlem. Diamond also ran into trouble with other gangs in the city. On July 14, 1929, Diamond and fellow gang member Charles Entratta shot three drunken brawlers in the Hotsy Totsy Club; two of the brawlers, William Cassidy and Simon Walker, were killed, while the survivor, Peter Cassidy, was severely wounded. The club's bartender, three waiters and the hat check girl "vanished" (one of them was found shot dead in New Jersey). Diamond was not charged, but he was forced to close the club.
In 1930, Diamond and two henchmen kidnapped truck driver Grover Parks in Cairo, New York, demanding to know where he had obtained his load of hard cider. When Parks denied carrying anything, Diamond and his men beat and tortured Parks, eventually letting him go. A few months later, Diamond was charged with the kidnapping of James Duncan. He was sent to Catskill, New York, for his first trial, but he was acquitted. However, he was convicted in a federal case on related charges and sentenced to four years in jail. Diamond was tried in December 1931 in Troy, New York, also for kidnapping, but was once again acquitted.
On August 23, 1930, Diamond, under the false name John Nolan, boarded the ocean liner Belgenland, bound for Europe. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) suspected that he might have left the U.S. aboard RMS Olympic or RMS Baltic, but he was not found on either ship when they reached Europe. The NYPD then sent a wireless telegraph message to the crew of Belgenland, who replied that a man similar to Diamond's description was among the passengers. Diamond spent much of the voyage in the ship's smoking room playing poker; one report claimed that he won thousands of dollars in this game. Belgenland's officers, however, refuted this, saying his winnings were small.