An Irish American gangster who was a bootlegger in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition Era survived several attempts on his life. Jack “Legs” Diamond was known as the “clay pigeon of the underworld” after escaping many murder attempts between 1916 and 1931.
His resilience led Diamond’s nemesis Dutch Schultz in 1930 to remark, “Ain’t there nobody that can shoot this guy so he don’t bounce back?” Jack was born in July 1897 to Irish parents Sara and John Moran, who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1891. Sara died in December 1913, prompting John to move Jack and his brother Eddie to Brooklyn .
Jack’s life of crime began when he joined the Hudson Dusters, a Manhattan street gang. He was first arrested for burglary when he broke into a jewellery store in February 1914 but went on to serve in the US Army in World War I.
He was convicted and jailed for desertion in 1919 and served two years at Leavenworth Military Prison. He was released in 1921 and became a hired thug and then a personal bodyguard for crime boss Arnold Rothstein.