Lost Boys of the Bronx: The Oral History of the Ducky Boys Gang

by James Hannon

Richard Price, Academy Award nominated screenwriter and mainstream author of The Wanderers says, ""I read through [Lost Boys of the Bronx] in one sitting - It was GREAT!""

Straight from the streets of the mid-1960s Bronx comes a book about one of the borough's most feared gangs - The Ducky Boys. While their unusual name alone might contradict their reputation, in the Norwood/Bainbridge section of the Bronx their appearances provoked an ominous dread. So much so, that when Richard Price needed inspiration for a terrifying gang in his novel (and later movie) The Wanderers, he knew exactly which gang to choose.

Lost Boys of the Bronx tells the story of the Ducky Boys in their own words. It is a story of how a few pre-teen kids in the Botanical Gardens turned into a gang of hundreds - and a gang so alarming that rumors of their arrival would shut down local schools.

This is also a study of the mostly Irish Bronx neighborhood in which the Ducky Boys were born, and where so many of the Ducky kids got caught up in the tumultuous times of the '60s where their fierce loyalty was the only thing that got them through.

This is not your typical gang book. It neither praises nor demonizes the gang for the things they did, but rather simply reports what happened - warts and all. You'll see the truth behind the Ducky Boys' gang - their lives, their loves, their pranks and crimes, and so much more.

To borrow from a particular product's slogan - with a name like the Ducky Boys, you knew they HAD to be tough.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2010

About the author

Growing up in the Bronx during the 70s, author James Hannon never imagined he'd be spending almost a decade of his "adult" life dressed up in costume, but sometimes life takes unexpected detours that somehow includes spandex and plastic armor. James has personally seen this hobby explode from a small niche of Star Wars costumers to the worldwide cosplay phenomenon of today. He has portrayed Stormtroopers, TIE Pilots, Gorilla Soldiers, Cylons, SuperVillains, and a professional-wrestler-turned-governor. James is also the author of 2010 book Lost Boys of the Bronx: The Oral History of the Ducky Boys Gang, and is the director of the 2004 documentary Out of Our Dens: The Richard and the Young Lions Story. He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Jackie who thankfully also costumes, and his cat Buster, who just isn't surprised at anything that goes on at the Hannon house anymore.

Reviews

[Mark Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting but not quite what I was expecting. The abandoned film project looked good so I checked out the book which is essentially a collection of first hand accounts of a few wayward teenage years spent hanging out in a park with friends.

I have always been interested in American gang culture much the same as I am interested in life old Eastern Bloc as it is so radically different to my own. I have seen both The Wanderers and The Warriors and it would appear that as good as those films are, the gangs portrayed are somewhat of a caricature of their real life selves.

On the whole though, it is a good snapshot of teenage life in the early to mid-sixties Bronx amongst the Irish community and well worth a look.

[Adam Bricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of The Wanderers movie and The Ducky Boys band, I've always been intrigued by this "gang" and was excited to come across this book. Good history of The Duckys and that general area of The Bronx in the 60s.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected! Brought the book because of the Bronx connection! No way these Ducky Boys were a gang or even close. And no way they could be considered to be a Irish gang. Lived in the Bronx from birth in 1942 to 1966 when I married and moved to Staten Island! Lots of tough Irish, you had to be o survive! These Ducky Guys would never function in the tough Irish neighborhoods I lived in! Never even heard of them until the movie and the book.