“The Bowery Boys” were a criminal gang based in the Bowery neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, in the early mid-19th century. The Bowery was a much more well-off working class community than many of the city slums. Despite its reputation as one of the most notorious street gangs of New York City, the majority of the Bowery Boys led law-abiding lifestyles. The gang was made up of volunteer firemen that fought rival fire companies over who would extinguish a fire.
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