Weird History
The Real Five Points, The Neighborhood That Inspired 'Gangs of New York'
2023 • E48 May 5, 2023 12m
Martin Scorsese's period epic Gangs of New York took up residence in the chaos-ridden New York City neighborhoods of the mid-1800s, populated by eccentric characters and vicious acts of aggression. Its depiction wasn't entirely accurate, but it was based on a very real neighborhood and the very real misery it experienced. Five Points, a major intersection in lower Manhattan, was home to a host of impoverished immigrants seeking a better future for their families. That future wasn't easy to come by; newcomers mostly encountered hostility and distrust, which often boiled over into conflict.