George Leese

Who is George Leese?

George "Snatchem" Leese was an American criminal, pirate, and a leader of the Slaughter House Gang, known for pickpocketing and river pirating and also for being a prominent personality at illegal bare-knuckle prize fighting held in New York City's infamous Forth Ward and Five Points dive bars during the 1840s and 50s, most notably at Kit Burns' Sportsman's Hall. He was the bouncer and often appointed the official "bloodsucker" in prize fights which called for him to suck the blood from wounds suffered by competitors so the bout could continue for as long as possible. This office made Leese an important figure at these fights.

Leese considered himself as a person who never had an equal in America. He was well known by the New York Police for several years, and was proud of the level of notoriety he had achieved. Leese had also been a gambler in Ann Street and Broadway, and was successful at it according to his own account. He had also claimed that he was capable of "preaching the bloody gospil against any minister in New York", and that he knew all the hymns written by Isaac Watts.

Leese was also employed by John Allen at his Water Street dance hall.