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by Hilmarj Torgrim (Author)
Sadie Farrell: Blood on the Hudson tells the gripping, historically grounded story of one of New York City's most notorious yet little-known figures. Born in the rough and poverty stricken Fourth Ward, Sadie Farrell rose from a childhood marked by hunger, violence, and fierce survival instinct to become a feared mugger whose headfirst attacks earned her the name Sadie the Goat. Humiliated in a brutal fight with the towering bouncer Gallus Mag, Sadie fled to the West Side waterfront, where she joined and eventually commanded a frail gang of would-be thieves. Under her strategic leadership, they hijacked a sloop and carved a brief but unforgettable reign of piracy along the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. From farm raids to merchant boat seizures, from her infamous plank walks to her painful losses, Sadie's life was a whirlwind of ambition, resilience, and raw determination. Returning to the Fourth Ward as the Queen of the Waterfront, she forged unexpected alliances, reclaimed her dignity, married her loyal companion Tommy Shields, and lived out her days as a tavern keeper beside Gallus Mag herself. This book traces her journey from battered girl to river captain to hardened survivor and ends with a detailed historical timeline of her life to help separate fact from enduring folklore.
"This is a razor sharp tale rooted deeply in history. Absolutely ferocious, moving, and brilliantly atmospheric."
⁃ Helena Johnson, Historian (pirates)
