Danny Driscoll

Daniel Driscoll also known by his alias George Wallace (1855 – January 23, 1888) was an American criminal and co-leader of the Whyos Gang with Danny Lyons. The two held joint control over the street gang following the execution of Mike McGloin in 1883; however, both men were executed for separate murders only months apart from each other. They were the last powerful leaders of the organization and, following their downfall, the Whyos were eventually replaced by the Eastman and Five Points Gangs.

His arrest for the murder of well-known Five Points debutante Bridget "Beezy" Garrity during 1886 was followed by one of the most publicized trials of New York's history.

Early life Growing up in a Five Points tenement district, Daniel Driscoll amassed a considerable criminal record by the time he had become a young adult. He was arrested 25 times for transgressions that frequently involved stabbings and shootings, and he served a combined 16 years in both the New York State Penitentiary and New York State Prison. He also acted as a fagin training local youths to pickpocket. In 1882, Driscoll was arrested for grand larceny but escaped from The Tombs when, while being transported in a Black Maria, he switched names with a man arrested for public drunkenness. Upon their arrival, Driscoll simply paid a $10 fine and walked out of the prison.

Whyos Gang

He had become a prominent member of the Whyos by the early 1880s, at the time the most dominant street gang in the city, and became leader of the organization with Danny Lyons following the execution of longtime leader Mike McGloin in 1883. In 1885, he was forced to leave the city and spent some time on the West Coast before returning to New York in May 1886.

On the last day of the trial, a doctor from St. Vincent's Hospital made a surprise appearance and testified that Garrity told him McCarthy was the man who shot her. Driscoll's lawyer, Bill Howe, was also able to weaken the credibility of the witnesses testimony; however, Driscoll was found guilty of first degree murder on September 30, 1886.

Danny Driscoll was held in the Tombs Prison during the murder trial of Beezy Garrity and was later executed there.

Imprisonment and execution Days before his conviction, Driscoll was moved to "Murderer's Row" after it was discovered by the warden that Driscoll had been attempting to tunnel out of his cell.

On the morning of January 23, 1888, Driscoll was brought to the yard of The Tombs Prison, where he was publicly hanged.