Jimmy Kelly

Who is Jimmy Kelly?

Giovanni de Silvio or Jimmy Kelly was an American saloon keeper, political organizer and underworld figure in New York City during the start of the 20th century. He was the owner the Fourteenth Street saloon The Folly as well as the popular Mandarin Cafe in Chinatown, located in the notorious "Bloody Angle" along Doyers Street, and was a hangout for politicians, gang leaders and other noted criminals of the era. His cafe was also the scene of several violent incidents, especially during the Tong War, which included, in 1910, the fourth attempted suicide of Chinatown character John "Dippy" Rice and the 1912 murder of Hen Ken Yum, the latter a high-level member of the On Leong Tong and a lieutenant of Mock Duck.

He himself controlled a small gang of thugs-for-hire and was an ally of the Eastman Gang, particularly Jack Zelig, but later became involved in an underworld rivalry with Chick Tricker and Jack Sirocco. For several years, he feuded with Tricker and Sirocco over control of Chinatown's graft and was the main competitor of their establishment The Flea Bag. He became a major political organizer for Tammany Hall, successful in taking power in Chinatown following the arrest of Monk Eastman in 1904, and was eventually awarded control of the district by Tammany politicians. Both Tricker and Sirocco resisted Kelly's attempts to take over but were forced out after a police raid led to the close of The Flea Bag.