Ah Hoon

Who was Ah Hoon?

Ah Hoon was a Chinese American comedian and associate of the On Leong Tong.

A celebrated comic in New York's Chinatown during the tong wars between the On Leong and Hip Sing Tong, Ah Hoon began insulting the rival Hip Sings during performances at the Chinese Theater on Doyers Street. Perceiving his insults as an attack of their honor, the Hip Sings declared a death sentence against Ah Hoon. Publicly announcing his death to take place on December 30, Ah Hoon came under the protection of the On Leongs. On December 29, Ah Hoon was under the protection of a police sergeant and two patrolmen as he performed and was escorted back to his Chatham Square boardinghouse where members of the On Leongs stood on guard.

The On Leong began holding parades celebrating their victory over the Hip Sings. However, the following morning, Ah Hoon's body was found after he had been shot in the head and killed. Initially puzzled as the only window faced a blank wall across a courtyard, a later police investigation revealed a Hip Sing hatchetman had been lowered from the roof while on a chair and sneaked into the apartment where he shot the sleeping comedian with a silenced pistol. The following day the Hip Sings paraded throughout Chinatown; however, the murder of Ah Hoon remained unsolved by authorities as the war between the On Leongs and Hip Sings continued for another year.