My Irish eyes are smiling!

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — It was a sad, solemn day in Hot Springs. In late April 1965, there was the funeral for Owen Vincent Madden and over 200 people were there.

Over 200 people attended, including Arkansas State Senator Q. Byrum Hurst. Hurst delivered a 20 minute eulogy in which he said, “There is no ballpark named after Owen Madden, no silver cup bearing his name, but his name is written upon the hearts of all the people he helped. With money, by deed, and by word of encouragement in their dark hours.” This it’s truly what I love about Hot Springs Arkansas. No less than 1 mile from where I write these words on the left former President Bill Clinton’s childhood home another thousand yards up the road on the right hand side Al Capone’s place. another three-quarters of a mile to Belvedere the high roller casino and country club. He made certain everyone came to Hot Springs to have a good time. He enforced his rules and nobody disrespected Hot Springs. The town, the people, and the community at large were booming. RIP Irish Owney Madden! #LANEtv #irish #MydixDublin

Robert Raines knows Madden and knows his story well. He owns The Gangster Museum of America. 

“In my studies, Madden was the father of organized crime,” Raines explained as he stood in front of a portrait of Al Capone.

Madden moved from Leeds, England to New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen area as a young man.

“He ended up controlling New York — the politicians, the police, the money,” he said.

But, he couldn’t control his temper. He was nicknamed “Killer” because he reportedly killed six people. He spent nine years in Sing Sing Prison for murder and tax evasion. 

When he got out of prison in 1923, he wanted to go back to New York, but then something happened that changed his and Hot Springs’ history forever.

“Historians considered that he was exiled from New York,” he said.

Prohibition ended and Madden needed a place to recover from old wounds, so he moved to Hot Springs.

Legend has it, he passed through with a fellow gangster and fell in love with the area in more ways than one.

“And some say that he met Agnes, his future wife, here in Hot Springs,” Raines said.

Photo by: Gangster Museum of America

He would never leave, spending over 30 years in the spa city.

Fred Mark Palmer was a little boy and remembers meeting Madden.

“He was a nice little guy. He cussed a little bit and he smoked Palm Mall cigarettes all the time,” Palmer explained.

He became a business man… sort of.

l would like to jump in here if I may….. He never did anything sort of…He actually ran the entire state of Arkansas as a criminal Enterprise.  As a resident of Hot Springs National Park and self proclaimed historian I tip my cap to Owney Vincent Madden a gentleman and a scholar. #HelpS #HOTsprings #LANEtv