Tommy Hadden

Thomas Hadden (fl. 1840 – 1881) was an American saloon keeper, criminal and underworld figure in New York City's infamous Fourth Ward during the mid-to late 19th century. He was the owner of a Cherry Street dive bar, a popular underworld hangout located next to Dan Kerrigan's place, and co-led the Dead Rabbits with Kit Burns. For over 25 years, his Water Street boarding house was one of the most notorious "crimp houses" on the New York waterfront as thousands of sailors were shanghaied, robbed or murdered. Hadden, and contemporaries such as Bill Slocum or John Allen, exercised considerable political influence in the city and were generally able to receive protection from city officials throughout their criminal careers.

Biography Early life and criminal career Tommy Hadden first came to prominence in New York's underworld as a Paradise Square street tough and brawler who eventually became leader of the Dead Rabbits, among other early Five Points gangs, with Kit Burns in the 1840s. As they grew older, however, they eventually moved to the Fourth Ward where they established popular dive bars and other businesses on the city's waterfront. Hadden opened a popular dive bar at No. 10½ Cherry Street, next door to a similar establishment run by pugilist Dan Kerrigan, frequented by many underworld figures throughout its existence. He also owned a sailor's home on Water Street which would eventually become known as the district's most notorious crimp house. Both he and Burns frequently returned to the Five Points to lead the Dead Rabbits on forays well into the 1850s and early 1860s.

Kehoe murder Hadden and Burns, like many underworld figures of the period, were able to gain influence in New York City Hall and his political connections were able to protect him from his shanghaiing activities. His involvement with the Dead Rabbits, however, would occasionally result in his arrest for fighting and other violent offences. The most serious of these occurred in 1852 when Hadden committed a violent street mugging that resulted in the death of a man named Kehoe. On the night in question, Hadden and two others lured Kehoe into a dark alley off Liberty Street whereupon the gang leader approached his victim from behind and "buried a slungshot into his brain". Hadden and his accomplices stole the gold that Kehoe was carrying and escaped. Kehoe was eventually found, still alive, and carried to a nearby friend's house on Fourth Avenue where he died of his injuries a few hours later. At this particular trial, he was sentenced to a long term in the state prison but never served his sentence and a few days after the trial "was again in his old den plying his nefarious vocation". The newspaper specifically charged Hadden with "playing the pious with the hope of being secured from trial before the Court of General Sessions for having recently shanghaied a Brooklynite, and also in consideration of a handsome moneyed arrangement with his employers".

Imprisonment and later years In June 1870, Hadden was arrested for grand larceny in New Jersey and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment