1 3 , ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁– ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁Irish - American ▁mob ster ▁who ▁controlled ▁ ▁Hell ' s ▁K itchen ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Sp ill ane , ▁who ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁" last ▁of ▁the ▁gentleman ▁gang sters ", ▁was ▁a ▁marked ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁violent ▁West ies ▁mob ▁members ▁who ▁succeeded ▁him ▁in ▁Hell ' s ▁K itchen . ▁ ▁Life ▁Sp ill ane , ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁to ▁Michael ▁Anthony ▁Sp ill ane ▁and ▁Margaret ▁Cur ran ▁▁ ▁At ▁ 1 6 ▁or ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁attempted ▁to ▁rob ▁a ▁movie ▁the ater , ▁but ▁was ▁shot ▁by ▁a ▁police ▁officer . ▁He ▁spent ▁four ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁▁ ▁After ▁his ▁release ▁from ▁prison , ▁Sp ill ane ▁started ▁as ▁a ▁numbers ▁runner ▁for ▁various ▁organized ▁crime ▁figures ▁in ▁Hell ' s ▁K itchen . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Mic key ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁ra ckets ▁left ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁Hugh ie ▁M ull igan . ▁He ▁married ▁Ma ure en ▁Mc Man us , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁Hell ’ s ▁K itchen ▁Democratic ▁district ▁leader ▁Eug ene ▁Mc Man us . ▁ ▁Though ▁Italian ▁mob sters ▁domin ated ▁organized ▁crime ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁the ▁Italian