Definition
Harry Horowitz (1885 – 1914), known by the nickname “Gyp the Blood,” was an American gangster and member of the Lenox Avenue Gang in New York City. He was convicted and executed for his role in the 1912 murder of newspaper reporter and bookmaker Herman Rosenthal.
Overview
Born into a Jewish immigrant family in New York’s Lower East Side, Horowitz became involved in criminal activities early in life. By the 1910s he was a prominent figure within the Lenox Avenue Gang, a group engaged in extortion, robbery, and illegal gambling. The gang gained notoriety after the murder of Herman Rosenthal on July 16, 1912. Rosenthal had publicly accused police officials of protecting illegal gambling operations; shortly thereafter, he was shot outside the Hotel Metropole. Investigations linked the killing to members of the Lenox Avenue Gang, including Horowitz, who was identified as one of the gunmen.
Horowitz was arrested, tried, and found guilty of first‑degree murder in 1913. He received a death sentence and was executed by electrocution at Sing Sing Prison on April 13, 1914. The case highlighted police corruption and contributed to reforms of the New York City police department.
Etymology/Origin
- Harry: An English diminutive of the Germanic name “Harold,” common among American Jews of the period.
- Horowitz: A patronymic surname of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, derived from the town of Horovice (now in the Czech Republic). The name is frequently encountered among Eastern European Jewish families that immigrated to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Characteristics
- Criminal affiliation: Member of the Lenox Avenue Gang, operating primarily in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
- Nicknamed “Gyp the Blood”: The moniker referenced his reputation for extreme violence; contemporary newspaper accounts described him as “the bloodthirsty” enforcer for the gang.
- Physical description: Contemporary reports described Horowitz as a short‑statured man, weighing approximately 140 lb, with a ruddy complexion and a distinctive scar on his left cheek.
- Legal outcome: Convicted of first‑degree murder; sentenced to death; executed by electric chair at Sing Sing after one appeal was denied.
- Historical impact: His execution was among the early 20th‑century high‑profile capital punishments in New York, and the surrounding scandal prompted public outcry over police collusion with organized crime.
Related Topics
- Herman Rosenthal murder case – The felony that led to Horowitz’s conviction.
- Lenox Avenue Gang – The organized crime group to which Horowitz belonged.
- Police corruption in early 20th‑century New York – The broader context of the Rosenthal murder.
- Capital punishment in New York State – Historical use of the electric chair and its legal implications.
- Jewish-American organized crime – The demographic background of several early New York gangs, including the Lenox Avenue Gang.