Joe Dolce: The Ballad of the Gangster Paul Kelly

The Ballad of the Gangster Paul Kelly

Quiet down children and please pay heed to me

I’ll tell you about Paul Kelly who was born in Sicily

in eighteen hundred and ninety he came to New York town

his Five Points Gang took control of the criminal underground.

Born Paolo Antonio Vaccarelli he changed his name

when he immigrated from Italy pro boxing was his game

he took his fighting money and put it into whores

ran them in the Bowery and on the docks and shores.

Now the Irish gangs were dominant in the New York railway yards

the Ducky Boys, Dead Rabbits, Swamp Angels and Roach Guards.

Paul Kelly ushered in the rise of mixed-ethnic crews

he took them all: Italians Poles Russians and the Jews.

He recruited younger gangsters who later gained renown

Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone

he spent nine months in jail for assault and robbery

spoke English French Italian and Spanish fluently.

Paul Kelly was well-dressed sophisticated—a learned mind

endeared him to the socialites and politicians of the time

known as Gentleman Mob Boss on Lower Manhattan streets

his Little Naples nightclub was the in-crowd place to meet.

Now the dearest rivals to the Five Points Gang to come along

were Max Eastman’s Coin Collectors two thousand gunmen strong

Max Eastman was a Jewish bouncer and hired thug to boot

so a boxing match was arranged to settle their turf dispute.

Kelly and Eastman fought it out but it ended in a draw

a war broke out that was only settled by intercession of the Law

ten long years in Sing Sing forced Max Eastman to retreat

which left Paul Kelly undisputed mob boss of the streets.

So quiet down now children and please pay heed to me

I’ll tell you about Paul Kelly who was born in Sicily

in eighteen hundred and ninety he came to New York town

his Five Points Gang took control of the criminal underground.

Joe Dolce