Madden Gang - Revision history

Informer: Add Phoenix brewery and partner evidence; correct Frenchy role from second-in-command to documented business partner

2026-08-19T02:46:42Z

Add Phoenix brewery and partner evidence; correct Frenchy role from second-in-command to documented business partner

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:46, 19 August 2026
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	\| territory = Manhattan<br>Harlem		\| territory = Manhattan<br>Harlem
	\| structure = Bootlegging and racketeering organization		\| structure = Bootlegging and racketeering organization
	\| activities = ~~Beer~~ and liquor distribution<br>Protection racketeering<br>~~Nightclub investment~~		\| activities = Brewing and liquor distribution<br>Protection racketeering<br>Speakeasy and nightclub operation
	\| leader = Owney Madden~~<br>~~George “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange {{small\|(~~close~~ partner; ~~commonly described as second-in-command~~)}}		\| leader = Owney Madden
	~~\| notable_members =~~ William Frost, alias William Teed {{small\|(reputed member)}}		\| notable_members = George Emile “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange {{small\|(business partner; often rendered George Jean DeMange)}}<br>William Frost, alias William Teed {{small\|(reputed member)}}
			\| allies = William “Big Bill” Dwyer {{small\|(reputed brewery partner)}}
	\| status = Defunct		\| status = Defunct
	\| years_active = 1923–mid-1930s		\| years_active = c. 1923–mid-1930s
	\| founded_date = After Madden's 1923 parole		\| founded_date = After Madden's 1923 parole
	\| dissolved_date = Mid-1930s		\| dissolved_date = Mid-1930s {{small\|(identifiable New York phase)}}
	\| dissolution_cause = End of Prohibition<br>Madden's imprisonment and withdrawal from New York		\| dissolution_cause = End of Prohibition<br>Madden's imprisonment and withdrawal from New York
	}}		}}

	The '''Madden Gang''' ~~was~~ a Prohibition-era bootlegging and racketeering organization associated with former [[Gopher Gang\|Gopher]] leader Owney Madden after his 1923 parole. Contemporary newspapers used ~~“Owney~~ Madden gang” and ~~“Owen~~ Madden ~~gang” as organization names~~. The ~~group should not be treated as simply another name for the~~ earlier ~~Gophers: Madden returned to a changed underworld and organized new beer, protection and entertainment interests with former associates and newer partners~~.		The '''Madden Gang''' is a historical label for the Prohibition-era bootlegging and racketeering organization associated with former [[Gopher Gang\|Gopher]] leader Owney Madden after his 1923 parole. Contemporary newspapers used “Owen Madden gang” and “Owney Madden gang,” although the evidence does not show that the post-prison enterprise adopted a formal corporate-style name. The organization was distinct from Madden's earlier Gopher faction.

	==Formation and bootlegging==		==Formation and bootlegging==
	Madden had been imprisoned for the 1914 killing of former Gopher Patsy Doyle. A January 1923 report announcing his parole still called him a “Gopher Gang chief.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1923/01/23/archives/gopher-gang-chief-to-get-parole-as-model-prisoner.html “Gopher Gang Chief to Get Parole as Model Prisoner”], ''The New York Times'', January 23, 1923.</ref> ~~A syndicated 1933 account said~~ that after ~~returning to New York he and~~ his ~~associates entered protection rackets~~, ~~nightclubs~~ and the ~~manufacture and distribution of~~ beer ~~and spirits~~. ~~The article called Madden an alleged liquor-racket “kingpin,~~” ~~language reflecting investigators' and reporters' allegations rather than a criminal adjudication.~~<ref name="~~Harrison~~">[https://~~www~~.~~loc~~.~~gov/resource/sn86063730/1933-07-06/ed-2~~/?sp=~~7 “New York~~'~~s Capone Is Coming Home”],~~ '~~'Brownsville Herald~~'', ~~July 6~~, ~~1933~~, p. 7.</ref>		Madden had been imprisoned for the 1914 killing of former Gopher Patsy Doyle. A January 1923 report announcing his parole still called him a “Gopher Gang chief.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1923/01/23/archives/gopher-gang-chief-to-get-parole-as-model-prisoner.html “Gopher Gang Chief to Get Parole as Model Prisoner”], ''The New York Times'', January 23, 1923.</ref> Historian J. Anne Funderburg writes that Madden began with small-scale liquor trafficking after his release, took over a Manhattan brewery in 1924 and operated it as the Phoenix Bottling Company, later the Phoenix Cereal Beverage Company. Its beer became known as “Madden's Number One.”<ref name="Funderburg">J. Anne Funderburg, [https://books.google.com/books?id=aEdXAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 ''Bootleggers and Beer Barons of the Prohibition Era''] (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2014), pp. 89–94.</ref>

	~~The organizational name was contemporary. In 1932, ''The New York Times'' described William Frost~~, ~~also known as William Teed, as a reputed member~~ of the ~~“Owen~~ Madden ~~gang~~.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/~~1932~~/10/29/archives/~~reputed~~-~~aide~~-of-~~madden~~-~~seized~~.html ~~“Reputed Aide of Madden Seized”~~], ''The New York Times'', ~~October 29~~, ~~1932~~.</ref> ~~During the~~ 1933 ~~O'Connell kidnapping investigation~~, ~~the~~ ''~~Washington~~ Times'' ~~reported that detectives searched buildings previously used~~ by the ~~“Owney Madden gang to handle beer in pre-~~legal ~~days~~.”<ref>[https://www.~~loc~~.~~gov~~/~~resource~~/~~sn84026749~~/~~1933~~-07-~~18/ed~~-~~1/?sp=7 “New York Searched”~~], ''The ~~Washington~~ Times'', ~~July 18~~, 1933~~, p. 7~~.</ref>		Federal agents raided the Phoenix plant at Tenth Avenue and West Twenty-fifth Street in 1931 and reported finding 30,000 gallons of high-test beer. Contemporary reports connected the brewery syndicate to Madden and William “Big Bill” Dwyer.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1931/07/22/archives/25-dry-agents-raid-1500000-brewery-30000-gallons-of-hightest-beer.html “25 Dry Agents Raid $1,500,000 Brewery”], ''The New York Times'', July 22, 1931.</ref> In 1933, ''The New York Times'' called Phoenix reputedly owned by Madden and Dwyer, preserving the qualification rather than establishing legal ownership.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1933/04/19/archives/phoenix-padlock-stands-brewery-withdraws-its-plea-to-reopen-appeal.html “Phoenix Padlock Stands”], ''The New York Times'', April 19, 1933.</ref>

	~~Madden~~ was also ~~associated with~~ Harlem nightlife, most famously the Cotton Club. These ~~entertainment~~ investments overlapped with the bootlegging organization but do not establish that every employee, performer or investor was a gang member.		The organizational label was contemporary. In 1932, ''The New York Times'' described William Frost, also known as William Teed, as a reputed member of the “Owen Madden gang.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1932/10/29/archives/reputed-aide-of-madden-seized.html “Reputed Aide of Madden Seized”], ''The New York Times'', October 29, 1932.</ref> During the 1933 O'Connell kidnapping investigation, the ''Washington Times'' reported that detectives searched buildings previously used by the “Owney Madden gang to handle beer in pre-legal days.”<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1933-07-18/ed-1/?sp=7 “New York Searched”], ''The Washington Times'', July 18, 1933, p. 7.</ref>

			Madden's enterprises extended into Harlem nightlife, most famously the Cotton Club. These investments overlapped with the bootlegging organization but do not establish that every employee, performer or investor was a gang member.

	==George “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange==		==George “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange==
	Madden's ~~closest~~ associate known as “Frenchy” was '''George Emile Jeandemange''' (1892–1939), whose surname was frequently shortened to '''~~Demange~~''' or '''~~DeMange~~'''. ~~Later crime histories commonly describe Big Frenchy as~~ Madden~~'s second~~-in-~~command~~. ~~A documentary reconstruction~~ by ~~crime historian Tom Hunt supports the more precise description of Jeandemange as Madden's close business partner and~~ a ~~reported enforcer and collector, while noting that records proving his ownership stake in~~ the ~~Cotton Club have not been found~~.<ref name="Hunt">Tom Hunt, [https://mobhistory.substack.com/p/more-on-owneys-pal-jeandemange “More on Owney's Pal Jeandemange: ‘Big Frenchy’ Was a Memorable New York Gangland Figure”], ''MobHistory'', May 9, 2025.</ref> ~~The~~ formal ~~title~~ “second-in-~~command” is therefore best treated as a~~ later ~~characterization rather than a documented rank~~.		Madden's close associate known as “Frenchy” was '''George Emile Jeandemange''' (1892–1939), whose surname was frequently shortened to '''DeMange''' or '''Demange'''. His 1939 obituary called him George Jean “Big Frenchy” De Mange, a liquor racketeer and nightclub owner, and a former partner of Madden.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1939/09/22/archives/de-mange-is-buried-amid-dry-era-pomp-pals-of-liquor-racketeer-pay.html “De Mange Is Buried Amid Dry Era Pomp”], ''The New York Times'', September 22, 1939.</ref> The legal-name form George Emile Jeandemange is supported by a birth-certificate reconstruction; George Jean DeMange is the common published form.<ref name="Hunt">Tom Hunt, [https://mobhistory.substack.com/p/more-on-owneys-pal-jeandemange “More on Owney's Pal Jeandemange: ‘Big Frenchy’ Was a Memorable New York Gangland Figure”], ''MobHistory'', May 9, 2025.</ref>

			Funderburg describes Madden and DeMange as partners who teamed up in the liquor trade and jointly built a profitable speakeasy business. DeMange preferred a backstage role and seldom appeared in the press.<ref name="Funderburg" /> Available strong sources therefore support calling Frenchy Madden's '''business partner'''; they do not establish the formal rank “second-in-command.” James Haskins's later history says DeMange became secretary of the corporation operating the Cotton Club, but surviving documentation of his exact ownership interest remains uncertain.<ref>James Haskins, [https://ufl.pb.unizin.org/cottonclub/chapter/chapter-2-the-cotton-club/ ''The Cotton Club''], chapter 2 (New York: Random House, 1977; University of Florida digital edition).</ref><ref name="Hunt" />

	Jeandemange already had independent liquor connections before Madden left prison. He was indicted in 1922 in an illicit-liquor case involving Emanuel “Mannie” Kessler and suspended Prohibition agents~~. After Madden's release, Jeandemange reportedly partnered with him in several ventures~~. Vincent Coll's gang abducted Big Frenchy in June 1931; later accounts say Madden paid a substantial ransom for his release.<ref name="Hunt" /> ~~These facts place Frenchy near the center of Madden's network without reducing him to an otherwise undocumented formal office.~~		Jeandemange already had independent liquor connections before Madden left prison. He was indicted in 1922 in an illicit-liquor case involving Emanuel “Mannie” Kessler and suspended Prohibition agents. Vincent Coll's gang abducted Big Frenchy in June 1931; later accounts say Madden paid a substantial ransom for his release.<ref name="Hunt" />

	==Decline==		==Decline==
	Madden was returned to prison as a parole violator in 1932 and released in 1933.~~<ref name="Harrison" />~~ National Prohibition ended later that year, removing the organization's principal illicit market. Madden increasingly withdrew from New York and eventually settled in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Because the ~~organization~~ was informal, no single documented dissolution date survives; “mid-1930s” ~~reflects~~ the end of its identifiable New York bootlegging phase rather than a formal disbanding.		Madden was returned to prison as a parole violator in 1932 and released in 1933. National Prohibition ended later that year, removing the organization's principal illicit market. Madden increasingly withdrew from New York and eventually settled in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Because the enterprise was informal, no single documented dissolution date survives; “mid-1930s” refers to the end of its identifiable New York bootlegging phase rather than a formal disbanding.

	==References==		==References==

Informer: Create independently sourced historical gang article

2026-08-19T02:40:12Z

Create independently sourced historical gang article

New page

{{SHORTDESC:Prohibition-era New York bootlegging organization led by Owney Madden}}
{{Infobox criminal organization
| name = Madden Gang
| also_known_as = Owney Madden gang Owen Madden gang
| image = Owney Madden 1931 mugshot.jpg
| image_alt = Mug shot of Owney Madden
| caption = Owney Madden in 1931
| founder = Owney Madden
| founding_location = Manhattan, New York City
| territory = Manhattan Harlem
| structure = Bootlegging and racketeering organization
| activities = Beer and liquor distribution Protection racketeering Nightclub investment
| leader = Owney Madden George “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange {{small|(close partner; commonly described as second-in-command)}}
| notable_members = William Frost, alias William Teed {{small|(reputed member)}}
| status = Defunct
| years_active = 1923–mid-1930s
| founded_date = After Madden's 1923 parole
| dissolved_date = Mid-1930s
| dissolution_cause = End of Prohibition Madden's imprisonment and withdrawal from New York
}}

The '''Madden Gang''' was a Prohibition-era bootlegging and racketeering organization associated with former [[Gopher Gang|Gopher]] leader Owney Madden after his 1923 parole. Contemporary newspapers used “Owney Madden gang” and “Owen Madden gang” as organization names. The group should not be treated as simply another name for the earlier Gophers: Madden returned to a changed underworld and organized new beer, protection and entertainment interests with former associates and newer partners.

==Formation and bootlegging==
Madden had been imprisoned for the 1914 killing of former Gopher Patsy Doyle. A January 1923 report announcing his parole still called him a “Gopher Gang chief.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1923/01/23/archives/gopher-gang-chief-to-get-parole-as-model-prisoner.html “Gopher Gang Chief to Get Parole as Model Prisoner”], ''The New York Times'', January 23, 1923.</ref> A syndicated 1933 account said that after returning to New York he and his associates entered protection rackets, nightclubs and the manufacture and distribution of beer and spirits. The article called Madden an alleged liquor-racket “kingpin,” language reflecting investigators' and reporters' allegations rather than a criminal adjudication.<ref name="Harrison">[https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86063730/1933-07-06/ed-2/?sp=7 “New York's Capone Is Coming Home”], ''Brownsville Herald'', July 6, 1933, p. 7.</ref>

The organizational name was contemporary. In 1932, ''The New York Times'' described William Frost, also known as William Teed, as a reputed member of the “Owen Madden gang.”<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1932/10/29/archives/reputed-aide-of-madden-seized.html “Reputed Aide of Madden Seized”], ''The New York Times'', October 29, 1932.</ref> During the 1933 O'Connell kidnapping investigation, the ''Washington Times'' reported that detectives searched buildings previously used by the “Owney Madden gang to handle beer in pre-legal days.”<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1933-07-18/ed-1/?sp=7 “New York Searched”], ''The Washington Times'', July 18, 1933, p. 7.</ref>

Madden was also associated with Harlem nightlife, most famously the Cotton Club. These entertainment investments overlapped with the bootlegging organization but do not establish that every employee, performer or investor was a gang member.

==George “Big Frenchy” Jeandemange==
Madden's closest associate known as “Frenchy” was '''George Emile Jeandemange''' (1892–1939), whose surname was frequently shortened to '''Demange''' or '''DeMange'''. Later crime histories commonly describe Big Frenchy as Madden's second-in-command. A documentary reconstruction by crime historian Tom Hunt supports the more precise description of Jeandemange as Madden's close business partner and a reported enforcer and collector, while noting that records proving his ownership stake in the Cotton Club have not been found.<ref name="Hunt">Tom Hunt, [https://mobhistory.substack.com/p/more-on-owneys-pal-jeandemange “More on Owney's Pal Jeandemange: ‘Big Frenchy’ Was a Memorable New York Gangland Figure”], ''MobHistory'', May 9, 2025.</ref> The formal title “second-in-command” is therefore best treated as a later characterization rather than a documented rank.

Jeandemange already had independent liquor connections before Madden left prison. He was indicted in 1922 in an illicit-liquor case involving Emanuel “Mannie” Kessler and suspended Prohibition agents. After Madden's release, Jeandemange reportedly partnered with him in several ventures. Vincent Coll's gang abducted Big Frenchy in June 1931; later accounts say Madden paid a substantial ransom for his release.<ref name="Hunt" /> These facts place Frenchy near the center of Madden's network without reducing him to an otherwise undocumented formal office.

==Decline==
Madden was returned to prison as a parole violator in 1932 and released in 1933.<ref name="Harrison" /> National Prohibition ended later that year, removing the organization's principal illicit market. Madden increasingly withdrew from New York and eventually settled in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Because the organization was informal, no single documented dissolution date survives; “mid-1930s” reflects the end of its identifiable New York bootlegging phase rather than a formal disbanding.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prohibition gangs]]
[[Category:Former gangs in New York City]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1923]]