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Jack McManus

1864 – 1905

American boxer, then gangster

Boxer Gangster
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About Jack McManus

Lived 1864 – 1905 (aged 40–41). Jack McManus was an American boxer and gangster.

Jack McManus (born Thomas McManus, March 24, 1862 – May 26, 1905), also known as Eat 'Em Up, was a noted New York City gangster around the turn of the 20th century.

Life Born in Boston, he was considered one of the premier boxers of the underworld, rivaled only by Monk Eastman, McManus started off as a prize fighter only to begin work in as a bouncer in the dives of Lower Manhattan, including "Suicide Hall" and "New Brighton".

Eat 'Em Up Jack became known as the right-hand man of Paul Kelly, leader of the Five Points Gang. Always dressed in the finest clothes, McManus cut a fearsome figure around New York until May 1905, when he met his end after a brawl with gangster Chick Tricker. After shooting Tricker in a street brawl outside the New Brighton dance hall, Eat 'Em Up Jack was beaten to death in the Bowery by an underworld character known as Sardinia Frank, who crept up behind the gangster and bashed in his skull with a lead pipe.

In popular culture Eat 'Em Up Jack McManus in a minor character in the 1994 novel The Alienist by Caleb Carr.

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Important facts

Born
1864, New York City
Birth century
Died
1905
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Thomas McManus

People in Jack McManus's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack McManus's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack McManus?

American boxer, then gangster

When was Jack McManus born?

Jack McManus was born in 1864 in New York City.

When did Jack McManus die?

Jack McManus died in 1905.

What was Jack McManus's occupation?

Jack McManus was a boxer and gangster.

What nationality was Jack McManus?

Jack McManus was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack McManus

· Wikidata: Q6114038

· DBpedia: Jack McManus (gangster)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack McManus. https://biography.guide/jack-mcmanus-boxer/

MLA: "Jack McManus." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-mcmanus-boxer/.

Chicago: "Jack McManus." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-mcmanus-boxer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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