Cookstown’s newest bar the 40 Thieves Tavern, named after one of New York’s earliest known criminal gangs, opens to the public on Saturday November 2, promising to give customers ‘a taste of the Big Apple in the 19th century’.
Located at William Street, the Irish-American style pub opens its doors at 7pm, with lots of surprises lined up including live music, dancers and actors to bring the 40 Thieves story to life – and a free drink on arrival for the first 50 customers!
The 40 Thieves gang was founded in 1825 by notorious gang leader Edward Coleman and consisted mainly of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans who terrorised the Five Points neighbourhood of Manhattan between the 1820s and 1850s.
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With décor inspired by the legendary characters of this unique underground world, the stylish new 40 Thieves ‘speakeasy’ in Cookstown will bring the spirit of 1820s Gang Life in New York to life with lively music and entertainment, crafted cocktails, and delicious food.
Nicky Wright of 40 Thieves owners 1 Oak Leisure Ireland said the bar will bring something completely different to the Cookstown social scene.
“With its unique concept, inspired by the notorious Irish-American gang that once ruled the streets of New York, the 40 Thieves Tavern is an exciting and very welcome addition to the social scene in Cookstown and the wider Mid-Ulster region,” she said.
“We’re delighted by the look and feel of the new bar and can’t wait for customers to experience the atmosphere we have created - a really cool vibe based on that gritty yet vibrant underworld era where danger thrived, music filled the air, and every drink told a story.
“Whether you’re enjoying hearty plates of food, sharing laughs with friends, or discovering your next favourite whiskey, we want the 40 Thieves to be a meeting place where the welcome is big and the craic is good whenever you walk through the door,” she added.
“We hope that the 40 Thieves will help revitalise Cookstown and return it to a golden era when the town was once the social capital of Mid-Ulster, with people travelling from all over Northern Ireland to come here.”
Who were The 40 Thieves gang?
The Forty Thieves gang was formed in 1825 and alleged to be the oldest criminal gang in New York City and the first Irish gang with an established leader.
Originally based in New York’s Lower East Side, the Forty Thieves were founded by Edward Coleman—a notorious rogue who was later hanged for beating his wife to death – and consisted primarily of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans who terrorized the Five Points neighbourhood of 19th century Manhattan.
This gang emerged due to prejudice and class distinction – initially founded to rebel against their low social status but the members soon turned to crime to relieve their frustrations.
Such social conditions were evident in the Five Points area of New York in the 1820s. Canal Street, the Bowery, Broadway, and Mulberry Street bordered this area, which was a slum infested with mosquitoes and disease.
The Forty Thieves met at a Centre Street grocery store owned by Rosanna Peers, a notorious fence of stolen goods who also sold illegal alcohol in an underground speakeasy.
At Peers’ grocery, gang members would be given assignments and issued strict quotas on the gang’s share of illegal activities.
Members reportedly had quotas that required them to steal a certain amount of goods each day or face expulsion. The quota system proved a great motivator among veterans competing against younger members seeking to take older members’ positions.
However, in the long term the gang was unable to maintain internal discipline in early New York, and by 1850 the gang had dissolved with its members joining larger gangs or leaving on their own.
The juvenile Little Forty Thieves, an apprentice street gang of the original Forty Thieves, would outlast their mentors, continuing to commit illegal activities throughout the 1850s before eventually joining the later street gangs following the American Civil War in 1865.
Following his arrest and conviction for the murder of his wife, founder Edward Coleman became the first man to be hanged at the newly constructed Tombs Prison (built in 1838) on January 12, 1839.