The Legendary John Morrissey
In the North, New York City developed as one of the primary gambling centers of America both during and after the Civil War despite the anti-gambling sentiments of the time.
By 1850, the gambling houses numbered an astounding six thousand. William Tweed and his crooked Tammany Hall crew ravaged the city more than any other politicians in American history.
The dishonest police force turned a blind eye to the operation of the gambling houses, following the lead of the country's politicians and business leaders.
Even women began gaming in halls built solely for them.
In this corrupt city, one name stood out--- John Morrissey. Morrissey was the undisputed king of gambling in New York City for over twenty years.
He was a Tammany Hall politician and heavyweight fighter of some repute whose nickname was Old Smoke.
He was a member of the New York Senate and the United States Congress. He fleeced his customers ruthlessly in the gambling houses he built all over the city.
Morrissey was born in Ireland but came to the United States with his parents in 1834, when he was three. His family settled in Troy, new York; Morrissey roamed the streets of Troy until young adulthood and didn't learn to read or write until he was nineteen.
He became the leader of a street gang called the Downtowns and had frequent brushes with the law. He moved to New York City and worked as a boarding house runner and bouncer; he also engaged in several bloody brawls with other fighters.
Morrissey managed to save enough money to pay his passage to San Francisco in 1851, where he opened a Faro game with a partner and soon earned a considerable amount of money.
In addition, he made his debut as professional prize fighter, winning sizeable purses
He fought professionally until 1858, when he announced his retirement from the ring. With all his earnings, he returned to New York and opened two gambling saloons, which he later sold at a profit.
Thereafter, he followed a pattern of buying gambling saloons, running them efficiently and selling them at a profit. During this period of time, he amassed a considerable personal fortune.
One of Morrissey's famous achievements as a professional gambler was the development of gambling and horse racing in Saratoga Springs, New York.
In 1867, he built the Saratoga Club House and a horse racing track to go with it. The Club House was Morrissey's crowning achievement and remains so even today.
It was compared to the great European gambling spas of the time. Morrissey established two rules for his Club House which were rigidly adhered to even after he sold it--- the residents of Saratoga were not allowed to gamble there and women were not permitted in the gaming rooms.
Morrissey was as successful a politician as he was a gambler. He dominated New York politics because of his great power among the gamblers and became a congressman for two terms.
He broke with the Tammany Hall gang in 1875 and was elected to the State Senate over opposition from Boss Tweed's gang of thugs.
He successfully ran for a second term but contracted pneumonia during the campaign, and died in 1878.