American Gangster Museum
Hosted in St.
Mark's Place, this specialized museum showcases a fascinating insight into New York's gritty criminal history.
A special cultural space for discovering the lives of infamous underworld figures, it an absolute must for any New York tourist who has enjoyed the Godfather trilogy, Goodfellas or Donnie Brasco.
The museum itself is a former speakeasy- illegal parlours that served an illicit mix of alcohol, gambling and prostitution during the Prohibition.
In the 1920s and 1930s it was frequented by gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.
Anyone who caught the recent HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire' would have noticed the glamour and money that these gangsters accumulated, finding influence amongst politicians and businessmen.
The museum owner and director, Lorcan Otway, says that it is "a fascinating building.
Our job is not to glorify criminals but to objectively tell the story of the role of crime, gangs and the mob played in shaping society and politics in America.
" Moreover, these shadowy figures have entered American and New York folklore.
Just two years ago, the museum celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of Goodfellas by hosting a special screening of the movie, introduced by the actual Henry Hill! Like many New York gangsters, Hill was allowed a relatively sympathetic portrayal on the silver screen.
Just like Tony Sopran from the groundbreaking HBO series 'The Sopranos,' these gangsters gained they notoriety through a life of violence and crime, but were also fallible, sometimes loveable characters who cared deeply for their families and communities during an era where their ethnicity and socio-economic background kept them out of the mainstream of American life.
Yet they helped to construct a modern New York identity; it is no irony that many of the gangsters were immigrants from southern Italy whose first port of call in the United States was Ellis Island in the early 20th century, overlooked by the Statue of Liberty.
Their activities forged a voice for their community, and their illicit trade in alcohol during the Prohibition engendered an international reputation for New York City.
And their characters would go on to be inspirational for a whole series of authors, screenwriters and film directors, producing some of the most memorable and enduring cinema of the 20th century.
Off the beaten track and certainly unique in scope, the Museum of the American Gangster is altogether a different celebration, and well worth a few hours on one's list of things to do in New York.
Mark's Place, this specialized museum showcases a fascinating insight into New York's gritty criminal history.
A special cultural space for discovering the lives of infamous underworld figures, it an absolute must for any New York tourist who has enjoyed the Godfather trilogy, Goodfellas or Donnie Brasco.
The museum itself is a former speakeasy- illegal parlours that served an illicit mix of alcohol, gambling and prostitution during the Prohibition.
In the 1920s and 1930s it was frequented by gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.
Anyone who caught the recent HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire' would have noticed the glamour and money that these gangsters accumulated, finding influence amongst politicians and businessmen.
The museum owner and director, Lorcan Otway, says that it is "a fascinating building.
Our job is not to glorify criminals but to objectively tell the story of the role of crime, gangs and the mob played in shaping society and politics in America.
" Moreover, these shadowy figures have entered American and New York folklore.
Just two years ago, the museum celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of Goodfellas by hosting a special screening of the movie, introduced by the actual Henry Hill! Like many New York gangsters, Hill was allowed a relatively sympathetic portrayal on the silver screen.
Just like Tony Sopran from the groundbreaking HBO series 'The Sopranos,' these gangsters gained they notoriety through a life of violence and crime, but were also fallible, sometimes loveable characters who cared deeply for their families and communities during an era where their ethnicity and socio-economic background kept them out of the mainstream of American life.
Yet they helped to construct a modern New York identity; it is no irony that many of the gangsters were immigrants from southern Italy whose first port of call in the United States was Ellis Island in the early 20th century, overlooked by the Statue of Liberty.
Their activities forged a voice for their community, and their illicit trade in alcohol during the Prohibition engendered an international reputation for New York City.
And their characters would go on to be inspirational for a whole series of authors, screenwriters and film directors, producing some of the most memorable and enduring cinema of the 20th century.
Off the beaten track and certainly unique in scope, the Museum of the American Gangster is altogether a different celebration, and well worth a few hours on one's list of things to do in New York.
