Monk Eastman

Monk Eastman — gangster with roots in the Russian Empire

Monk Eastman (born Edward Eastman) led the Eastman Gang, one of the most powerful street gangs in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, in rivalry with Paul Kelly's Five Points Gang. After prison he served in France with the 106th Infantry Regiment, was pardoned by Governor Al Smith, and was shot dead on 26 December 1920.

Tracing the roots — New York (no foreign origin documented)

Born Edward Eastman in 1875 in the Corlear's Hook section of the Lower East Side to Samuel Eastman, a New York-born Civil War veteran, and Mary Eastman (née Parks). He appears to have been a Protestant of British descent.

Historical context

Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917

New York (no foreign origin documented). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.

Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

A career defined by ambition