A guide to gangsters, murderers and weirdos of New York City's Lower East Side

"New York's lower east side is the birthplace of everything from organized crime to anarchist movements. In the nineteenth century, an influx of struggling immigrants seeking opportunity met the harsh realities of industrialization. Poverty and squalor fueled a vicious battle for power and political clout. [author] revealed the wicked history of America's most infamous neighborhood, where the abounding graffiti is a testament to the "soul and spirit of the slum." "--Back cover.