I only find out about this place recently through a Yelp mailing
Generally very good reviews, a few sour apple type things
Museum of the American Gangster
80 St. Marks Pl
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 228-5736
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 228-5736
- Nearest Transit Station:
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1 Ave. (L)Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)3 Ave. (L)
- Hours:
- Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat 1 pm - 6 pmSun 10 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
9 reviews for Museum of the American Gangster
9 reviews in English
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Review from Theresa O.
New York, NYGo to this museum not for the memorabilia (it's not an expansive museum you want to peruse on your own) but for the engaging stories retold by the tour guide from this fascinating time in history.
The museum is located in a building on St. Mark's that once operated as an illegal speakeasy during the Prohibition Era. The actual museum is small, consisting of a two-room collection of memorabilia related to illegal "gang" operations spanning the American Revolution to present day.
The tour starts off with a 15-minute video, which provided some light background info on the gang activity during these historical periods. What really got my attention wasn't the video, but how the tour guide seamlessly connected nearly every piece of museum memorabilia to interesting facts and stories from each time period. We were then given hard hats to walk down to the basement area of the building and see firsthand the process of how alcohol was once smuggled into the old speakeasy.
I took a family member who was visiting NYC and we both really enjoyed it. -
Review from Michelle L.
New York, NYThe Museum of the American Gangster is a tiny museum located in a two-room apartment on St. Mark's. My friend and I came on a Saturday afternoon with a Groupon deal ($20 for admission for two and a guided tour). To get in, you have to walk through the gate at 78 St. Mark's Place, go up the steps, and ring the doorbell. When we arrived, the guy who answered the door told us there was a tour that was finishing up and we could join in if we wanted, but we decided to go walk around the block to kill time so we could do the tour from the beginning. We came back later after the previous tour finished, and there were about 10 other people who ended up joining at the same time.
We began by watching a 15-minute video that went over a brief history of organized crime in the US; basically, a preview of what our tour guide would talk about. The rest of the tour was divided into two parts. First was a tour of the museum itself. Our guide, Andy, was knowledgeable and great at storytelling, though I do wish he'd talked a bit more specifically about some of the artifacts on display (like the Tommy gun). He covered the history of organized crime from the Underground Railroad, to Prohibition, to outlaws like Bonnie & Clyde, focusing mainly on the Prohibition. The second part of the tour was more about the history of the building, which houses a theater and bar downstairs that had been very active as a speakeasy during Prohibition. Unfortunately we couldn't go into the theater that day because it was being used by the Upright Citizens Brigade for a show, but we were able to go down into the basement below and see how Frank Hoffman (the guy who ran the speakeasy during the Prohibition) safeguarded the entire place against police raids.
The entire tour took about 2.5 hours. The museum wasn't really what I had expected (well actually I don't really know what I was expecting, I guess something like... The Godfather), but it was very interesting and informative! I'd definitely recommend it if you're a history buff, especially with a Groupon or Livingsocial deal.-
Part 2 of the tour: the speakeasy's basement
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Part 2 of the tour: the speakeasy's basement
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Part 2 of the tour: the speakeasy's basement
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Review from Rusty R.
Finding the museum is a bit hard because it's advertised as 80 St. Marks but the entrance is at 78. This should be clarified. There is a sign but it's still hard to see and not really obvious.
Upon entering the museum, I was a little worried. It is just 2 rooms in a row home and it appeared to be a bit makeshift. And, truth be told, it is. It was clearly done by a person with passion for the era/theme but not with a museum background. It is a humble attempt.
But then it was tour time. (Side note: tour times should be listed on the website - something like every hour on the half-hour or whatever the case may be so that people know how to time their visits.) I forget the name of our tour guide (heavy set middle aged man) but he was very good. He had a lot of historical information and it was clear that he was passionate about the topic.
As part of the tour, you enter the theater space. Here you can see where the conversion from bar to theater took place, as structural remnants remain. From the stage, you are shown the door from the alley (which is how you would enter a speakeasy since the front door from 8th St. would have been boarded up). Also, he explains that the bar was much larger and extended into the theater space, he points out where the band would have been situated, etc. I am a very visual person, and I would have loved if during this part of the tour (or perhaps just as a display in the museum) there were side-by-side floorplans of "then" and "now" showing exactly how things were arranged (even if just speculation).
I would also like to mention that Megan M, below, seems confused. The bar on the ground floor, as well as the theater in the rear, WAS the speakeasy. The cellar was just that, a cellar which was the escape route. Perhaps her guide gave confusing stories, but the bar you visit IS the bar that was a speakeasy.
Next you are ushered into the cellar. Here you learn about the escape route through the adjoining building. A portion of wall was bashed out to provide access to next door for easy escape. This was also used because food/ice deliveries were made to the building next door and then brought to the speakeasy through this hole. Here you learn about the iron bars on the windows (if one is cut a copper wire is severed and a bomb goes off upstairs), the safe found in the 1960s with old gangster money in it, etc.
It would be nice if the cellar could be partially restored to reflect how it may have looked in the 1910-20s. I hope that this is part of the long-term plan. I suspect that things like this are cost-prohibitive at this time since it's a small museum and perhaps funding is difficult.
Lastly you stop at the Bar which was the former speakeasy. This part of the tour could be a bit more informative. We did learn about the monopoly that beer distributors had on the bars, which was very interesting. But I'd be curious to know what, if any, elements of the bar were original.
I did not see the video, so I cannot comment on that.
Overall, my opinion is that the minds behind this museum are on to something really good. A little time, money, and expertise on museums can really make this something great. Like I said it seems makeshift at times but that can be improved. A lot about the topic is, of course, speculation since mob activity isn't really well documented, as you can imagine. I think that this museum could also benefit, over time, if they can eventually add more info about other eras (not just 1910-1920s primarily). Touch on the pre-gangester days. This was mentioned when we learned that originally gangsters were street thugs and everything changed w/ prohibition - very fascinating, by the way. And, perhaps bring it more up to date with modern crime families (to the extent that they'll let you, LOL).
I do recommend this museum. If you think you're going to the Smithsonian your expectations are way too high. But, it's a grassroots attempt at something that is in fact interesting and I suspect a work in progress. My tour guide was very good. I know there are more tour guides so I can't comment on the others. -
Review from Janice D.
Los Angeles, CAIf you've a fan of Godfather movies or Once Upon a Time in America with Robert DeNiro, or even if you've never heard of anything related to mob / organized crime before, this museum is great. If you liked the Tenement Museum, this experience is similar (though not as colored by gentrification). It's homemade and family-run, includes authentic history from the Lower East Side area, gives you a cozy feel in the big city, and transports you back in time.
We came here with a Groupon, and boy, was it worth it. Though you can't expect consistent tour times, and though the two rooms that comprise the museum look a bit kitsch and homemade (exhibits and signs / captions are definitely homemade and pretty crammed together), it was an incredibly personal experience, more organized than it appears at first glance, and more than just a mob museum - it covered bootlegging history from the American Revolution to the 1990s. In fact, I think a museum on this type of "Underworld" topic has to be housed in an informal space like this - it was so authentic because we got to see the basement where the former owners smuggled in alcohol during Prohibition, heard personal stories, etc.
The museum was a bit hard to find from the street, but once inside, the founder of the museum and the tourguide were friendly, warm, and knowledgable. The tour began with a short documentary covering the basics of mob / Prohibition / bootlegging history (narrated by the founder of the museum, who we had literally just met), and then the tourguide elaborated on many points from the American Revolution to present day, focusing a lot on Al Capone, the Irish mob, Jewish mob, Italian mob, and famous bank robbers / conspiracy theories. At the end, we donned hardhats and went down into the basement, where we saw the spaces that this specific (former) speakeasy used for alcohol / money smuggling during Prohibition. It's all pretty intact and chock full of history.
As someone who enjoys exploring new and different and out-of-the-box places in NYC, I would definitely recommend a visit to this non-traditional, non-stuffy, family-run museum. Go with an open mind, and you may really be surprised by the very different museum experience you will find and the interesting history you will learn. Now I'm going to go and watch the movie Goodfellas... -
Review from Jessie K.
So, this place is a little ridiculous, both in good and bad ways.
First of all - the address is 80 St. Marks BUT we had to enter through 78. That's a little confusing, so I thought it was important to point out. Also, I believe that the hours of operation on the Yelp page are incorrect. According to the website, they are open daily from 1-6pm.
Our guided tour included a 15 minute "movie", shown on a tube tv with the volume turned up to the point where the audio was unintelligible. Our guide, KT, (and the only employee in the joint) was friendly and actually pretty knowledgeable about the topic. The "exhibits" are pretty much pictures up up on the wall with text in too-small font. Honestly, I didn't find much of the "artifacts" to be that exciting but KT did share some good stories and tidbits during the tour.
It was cool to see the speakeasy, where she explained how the old entrance used to be through a butcher shop around the corner. We saw the basement, which had a lot of history but now just.. looks like a creepy basement. It would be nice if they could have restored it at least somewhat to what it looked like during Prohibition. It's hard to imagine how it looked like years ago when you're standing next to a cabinet of paint and in front of empty kegs.
All in all it was a decently fun way to spend the afternoon. Right now they are running a LivingSocial deal and my friend and I got two tickets for $20. I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay much more than that. -
Review from Sean B.
Avenel, NJI bought my tickets on Groupon and I must say it def was a waste off time...money...and energy to find the little hole in the wall of a place. Lets just say it is so unorganized (i.e. tour times...who works there...where to enter...etc...) I was overwhelmed with frustration and left before I could even go inside.
When I arrived a couple was waiting outside with the door locked. No one was present to let you know anything. Even after ringing the bell & calling...nothing. Finally someone came out saying she had been waiting for 20 minutes for someone to come and that's when I noticed the "back in 5 minutes" note on the apt door. A woman then appeared and told us we could wait in the bar below (FYI...looks like a skeevy dive bar). After almost 30 minutes we finally left. I am baffled as to how Groupon allows this place to be one of there merchants. -
Review from Megan M.
Brooklyn, NYOHMYGOD don't waste your donation money here.
http://Going.com usually has some pretty good suggestions on unique and interesting things to do in and around the city. This museum popped up on their list one week and I thought it'd be something "different" to do. It was definitely different, if different means CRAPPY.
They suggest $10/person donation. We gave them $17 for the two of us and felt bad about shorting them the $3.
The tour started late and the tour guide continuously repeated himself for every latecomer. We were first walked into their auditorium/stage area where an audition was going on. Nothing spectacular. Yeah, it looks like a stage. Great. And don't get all excited, this is not part of the "old prohibition" part of the tour. It was a recent addition to the building. So yeah, he showed us a new stage.
Walking back through the lobby, we enter the bar...that was visible to us even before we paid, when we entered the front door. By no means did I think this was the "speakeasy" that was hidden from all eyes back in the Prohibition period. And unless I missed it, he didn't say it was either. From that point on, we all stood, for 45 minutes, listening to this guy talk about Ben Franklin and the history of prohibition. Some points were interesting, most were not. The tour guide spent a lot of time on this "box" that he said he had found in basement with all of this really old stuff in it. Pictures were hanging from the walls of the bar of this "stuff" -- old beer bottles, cigarette buds, old clam shells from someone's dinner...a torn picture. Basically he found someone's trash in a box.
Now downstairs...that's what we were all waiting for. The speakeasy was downstairs. Where all the people hid when the cops came was downstairs. That $17 to sit through this boring lecture...was all going to be worth it once we got downstairs...
We had to put on hard hats and everything. My boyfriend and I smile at each other in excitement...and glee that we're getting out of this history lesson. We walk down the crooked and squeaky steps.
We arrive...in a basement. It's A BASEMENT. Like the basement your parents had when you were growing up. IT'S A FREAKING BASEMENT. No speakeasy, no hide-a-way tunnels, none of that shit. And then there's that "box" with all the "stuff" in it...yeah...he's got the stuff in a glass box. And you know what it is? It's junk. It's someone's leftover trash that they put in a box and this guy found 100 years later. He's keeping trash in a glass box and this is like the highlight of the tour.
Don't waste your money. We left laughing...not sure if it was at ourselves for wasting 1.5 hrs of our life...or at this poor guy...and his box of trash. -
Review from David B.
Brooklyn, NYMegan's review nails it, except she was generous. The tour guide in question, Lorcan Otway, is narcissistic and dull. He spends a great deal of time on his wacky version of American historical dialectic-ism that he funnels through his prohibition "still". I think something else was used to funnel it. -
Review from Pete A.
Manhattan, NY
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