Battle Row Ladies' Social and Athletic Club

The Battle Row Ladies' Social and Athletic Club, also known as the Lady Gophers, was a gang of women who were affiliated with the Gopher Gang in Hell's Kitchen. It was one of the first "women's auxiliaries" to a New York gang.[1] The group was led by Battle Annie and members were considered just a "vicious as their male counterparts."[2][3] The group gave martial arts lessons.[4]

When the group was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, they were notable for being the largest group of women gang members at the time.[5] Battle Annie hired out members of her gang to fight for both trade unions and strikebreakers.[6] Battle Annie often encouraged women in her group to use "more strenuous activity with teeth and nails."[7]

References

  1. ↑ McLaughlin, John (23 April 1987). "Farewell to the Last of the Irish Gangs (Sob!)". Montana Standard. Retrieved 2018-05-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Callow, Jr., Alexander B. (1964-09-27). "Fraud! Fraud!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  3. ↑ Barsanti, Chris (2017). The Handy New York City Answer Book. Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 115. ISBN 9781578596546.
  4. ↑ McLaughlin, John (1982-04-29). "Deadly Gangs Still a Staple of Hell's Kitchen". The Star-Ledger. p. 1. Retrieved 2026-03-30 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Hill, Edwin C. (1935-05-25). "Hell's Kitchen Gives Way to Progress". Milwaukee News. p. 18. Retrieved 2026-03-30 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Asbury, Herbert (2008). The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-0-307-38898-8.
  7. ↑ Gardner, Hy (1951-07-15). "Molls are Getting Milder". The Florida Times-Union. p. 88. Retrieved 2026-03-30 – via Newspapers.com.


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