Michael Malloy

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This article is about the Irish murder victim. For the American radio host, see Mike Malloy. For the Australian comedian, see Mick Molloy.
Michael Malloy
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathCarbon monoxide poisoning
Resting placeFerncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
Other names
  • Mike the Durable
  • Iron Mike
  • Iron Mike Malloy
  • Irish Rasputin
  • The Juggernaut
Occupation(s)Firefighter
Stationary engineer[1]

Michael Malloy (1873 – February 22, 1933), nicknamed Mike the Durable or Iron Mike, was a homeless Irishman from County Donegal who lived in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s.[2][3] A former firefighter and stationary engineer, he was murdered by a group of five acquaintances after multiple failed attempts on his life by the men to perpetrate life insurance fraud.[1][2][4]

Failed murder attempts

Marino's speakeasy on Third Avenue, New York City

Beginning in January 1933, while Malloy was unemployed, alcoholic and homeless, five of his acquaintances – Tony Marino, Joseph "Red" Murphy, Francis Pasqua, Hershey Green, and Daniel Kriesberg (later dubbed "the Murder Trust" by the headlines)[1] – plotted to kill Malloy by getting him to drink himself to death to collect life insurance. Presumably achieved with the aid of a corrupt insurance agent, they collected insurance policies on Malloy's life under the name Nicholas Mellory[5] and stood to gain over US$3,500 (equivalent to $82,000 in 2023) if Malloy died an accidental death.[2][3]

Marino owned a

wood alcohol (pure methanol) in with his normal shots of liquor. This did not kill Malloy, presumably because the normal liquor helped negate the methanol poisoning.[2][7]

The group then gave Malloy raw

whiskey.[2] A sandwich of spoiled sardines mixed with poison and carpet tacks was then tried.[2][3][8]

Concluding that it was unlikely that anything Malloy ingested was going to kill him quickly enough before the insurance policies ran out, the group decided to freeze him to death. On an extremely cold night, after Malloy drank until passing out, he was carried to a park, dumped in the snow, and had 5 US gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) of water poured on his bare chest. However, shortly thereafter, Malloy was rescued by police who took him to a homeless charity where he was re-clothed.[2][3]

The group then attempted to kill Malloy by running him down with Green's taxi, moving at 45 miles per hour (72 km/h).[2][3] This put Malloy in the hospital for three weeks with broken bones.[3] The group presumed he was dead, but they were unable to collect the policy on him.[2]

Malloy's murder

On February 22, 1933, after he had passed out for the night, the murderers took Malloy to Murphy's room, put a hose in his mouth that was connected to the

exhumed and forensically examined.[2][3]

The five men were put on trial for homicide and subsequently convicted. Dr. Manzella was held as an

Ossining, New York: Kriesberg, Marino, and Pasqua on June 7, 1934, and Murphy on July 5, 1934.[2][11][12]

  • Malloy's body, during his autopsy
    Malloy's body, during his autopsy
  • Marino's mug shot
    Marino's mug shot
  • Pasqua's mug shot
    Pasqua's mug shot

In popular culture

  • A 1986 episode of Amazing Stories, called "One for the Road", is a fictionalized version of this incident, in which a group of friends conspire to kill a drunk named Mike Malloy for insurance money.[13]
  • Alternative rock band Primus included the Matt Winegar-penned instrumental (which Winegar also performed) "You Can't Kill Michael Malloy" for their 1990 album, Frizzle Fry.[14]
  • A 2015 episode of True Nightmares, produced by Wilma TV/Discovery Channel Season 2, Episode 3 "Friends Like These", is a telling of the story of Michael Malloy and his murder.[15]

See also

  • List of unusual deaths
  • Grigori Rasputin (1869–1916) – a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man, assassinated by a group of conservative noblemen who opposed his influence in late imperial Russia
  • Angelina Rodriguez (born 1968) – an American woman, sentenced to death for the murder of her fourth husband after taking out a US$250,000 life insurance policy on him

References

  1. ^ a b c Keating, Isabelle (May 12, 1933). "Doctor and Undertaker Held in 'Murder Trust'". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-425-20678-2
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-59420-243-8
    .
  4. ^ Wallace, Irving; Wallechinsky, David. "New York Gangs Murder Trust and Michael Malloy Part 1". www.trivia-library.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "Episode 151: The Many Lives of Michael Malloy (11.6.2020)". This Is Criminal. November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. S2CID 22954381
    .
  7. ^ a b O'Connor, Michael (October 7, 2007). "The Durable Mike Malloy". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018.
  8. ^ "4 Men Go On Trial in Old Insurance Plot". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. October 18, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "4 Murder Attempts Cited in Weird Insurance Plot". Altoona Tribune. Altoona, Pennsylvania. May 13, 1933. p. 4 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "PHYSICIAN IS GUILTY IN MALLOY SLAYING; Bronx Jury Finds That Dr. Manzella Gave a False Certificate of Death". The New York Times. No. 12-15-1934, Financial Section, page 30. December 15, 1934. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  11. ISBN 978-1-58829-821-8
    .
  12. ^ Blanco, Juan Ignacio. "Executions in New York - 1926-1940". DeathPenaltyUSA, the database of executions in the United States.
  13. ^ Beggs, Scott (March 16, 2020). "10 Amazing Facts About Amazing Stories". Mental Floss. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  14. ^ Prato, Greg (September 16, 2014). "Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool". Akashic. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "True Nightmares" Friends Like These (TV Episode 2016) - IMDb, retrieved May 8, 2023

Sources

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