A new book, “The Many Murders of Michael Malloy” by Simon Read, has hit the shelves, recounting the astonishing true story of a homeless Irish immigrant from Donegal who defied death.
Michael Malloy, now a cult figure in true crime history, was the victim of a chilling plot by five men in early 1933. This group, notoriously dubbed the “Murder Trust,” sought to commit life insurance fraud by orchestrating Malloy’s death and claiming the hefty payout.
But their seemingly simple plan to get Malloy into an early grave was thwarted by his incredible durability.
What followed was a sinister concoction of poisoned alcohol, shots of antifreeze, tainted oysters, sardine sandwiches laced with glass, overnight exposure to freezing temperatures, and assault by taxicab. ‘Iron Mike’ Malloy almost survived it all, living to the age of 59 or 60.
While specifics about Malloy’s origins in Donegal remain unknown, the book reveals how he arrived in the States in obscurity. He was an anonymous alcoholic who relied on his local speakeasy for sustenance. When hard times hit the bar owner, Tony Marino, he conspired with an undertaker, a greengrocer, a cabbie, and a local gangster to eliminate Malloy.
Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and based on police reports, court records, and the colourful tabloid reporting of the day, The Many Murders of Michael Malloy details a crime so convoluted, so staggering in its audacity, authorities refused to believe it until the irrefutable evidence revealed ‘the most grotesque chain of events in New York criminal history’, securing Malloy’s status as a true crime folk hero.
The Many Murders Of Michael Malloy: The unbelievable true story of the Irishman who refused to die by Simon Read is out now on Paperback, €18.99 | ISBN: 9781804583005
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