1887-July 26

Thomas F. “Tanner” Smith

Thomas F. “Tanner” Smith was born in 1887 on the west side of Manhattan. Growing up on the streets from a young age, he became wellversed in the ilicit underground antics of New York’s criminal underworld. Tanner was reportedly related to local ward and district politicians and was heavily involved in and around Tammany Hall. These connections helped Tanner acquire leadership of the Marginal gang who constantly battled along with allies, the Gophers and the Pearl Buttons, to defeat the Hudson Dusters for control of the west-side waterfront.

early 1910

Winona Club

The leader of the Gopher gang was a man named Owney Madden who would go onto be close friends and business partners with Tanner. Around 1910 Tanner and Owney joined together to open up the Winona Club on the corner of West 47th Street & 10th Ave. This was a boisterous drinking den, where late night rendezvous behind closed doors raged until all hours. The club reportedly had one of the best warning systems around to let occupants know when the law was outside and provided a series of tunnels and exit routes out. Politicians, gang members, judges, ladies of the night and the odd off-duty police officer were known regulars at the Winona Club.

1914-June 19th

Gopher Gang

On June 19th, 1914 Tanner was arrested for involvement in a gun fight with a member of the Gopher gang on west 20th Street & 10th Ave. Tanner was chased and arrested by Patrolman Krozer and sentenced to a year in the Tombs for carrying a revolver. The year inside helped Tanner realize his wrongdoings. Upon release his mother and sister convinced him to turn away from the criminal underworld he once ran on the west side. He then took a job as a boss stevedore on the Hudson Docks, overseeing the unloading and loading of ships. Tanner became somewhat of a modern day Robin Hood over the next five years–opening his own contracting business and using his profits from the wealthy to help the communities along the west side. He opened several boys’ 9 clubs in an effort to stop the local youth from going down the same path he once did. Unfortunately, the criminal life was never far away. Tanner being the astute business man that he was saw the financial potential that awaited with Prohibition looming. The 18th ammendment had recently passed and with Tanner’s connections on the docks, he and his old ally Owney Madden began forging alliances to start running liquor into New York

early 1919

Marginal Club

In early 1919, Tanner opened the Marginal Club on 11th Street and 8th Ave. The Marginal Club was located above a saloon and was created with the premise of later becoming a speakeasy when the Volstead Act would commence. The entrance had tight security and there were several exit routes out. The club was a hangout for Tanner’s & Owney’s key figures such as Big Frenchy the accountant, The Razor Riley, Goo Goo Knox, The Monk Eastman & One Lung Curran. Tanner’s foray back into the criminal underworld of the west side would be short-lived. On the night of July 26th 1919, Tanner and a few of his associates played cards in the Marginal Club when a masked gunman burst in and shot Tanner in the back. In the days that followed Tanner’s death, his gang unleashed a wave of violence on the west side and Hoboken in retaliation for his murder.

Nov 4th 1920

Rumours

Various rumours circled as to the motive and individuals behind Tanner’s murder. One being that it was Owney’s Gophers who had done it, as they no longer needed Tanner once the smuggling routes where in place. Another rumour was that a former Hudson Dusters leader was behind the assasination. On Nov 4th 1920 George Lewis, a former member of the Hudson Duster’s was convicted of the murder of Thomas F. ‘Tanner’ Smith, ending any furthur speculation. Here at Tanner’s we honour the man who helped ensure New Yorker’s would not go dry during prohibition whilst giving back to his neighbourhood to ensure a better way of life for those who would come behind him.