Morrissey, John (1831–78), boxer, gang-leader, and US congressman, was born 12 February 1831 at Templemore, Co. Tipperary, the only son among eight children of Timothy Morrissey, factory worker, and Julia (or Mary) Morrissey. In 1834 the family emigrated to Canada and then the USA, settling at Troy, New York. It was there that Morrissey became involved in various street gangs, developing a reputation as a pugilist of great strength and resolve. As leader of the Downtowns he defeated six members of the rival Uptown gang in a single afternoon in 1848; this prompted him to abandon his job at the Burden iron works and become a fighter. Employed on a Hudson River steamer, he married Sarah Smith, daughter of the ship's captain, but their only child died before reaching adulthood. Returning to New York, Morrissey challenged Charley ‘Dutch’ Duane to a prize-fight and, when he was not to be found, with typical bravado he extended the challenge to everyone present in the saloon. This impressed the owner, Isaiah Rynders, the Tammany Hall politician, and he employed Morrissey to help the Democratic party: this involved Morrissey in intimidating voters at election time.
A fist-fight with Tom McCann earned Morrissey the nickname ‘Old Smoke’. He had been forced on to a bed of coals, but despite having his flesh burnt refused to concede defeat; he fought his way back and beat McCann into unconsciousness. Stowing away to California to challenge other fighters, he began a gambling house to raise money, and embarked on a privateering expedition to the Queen Charlotte Islands in a quixotic attempt to make his fortune. In his first professional prize-fight (21 August 1852) he defeated George Thompson in dubious circumstances, and began calling himself the ‘champion of America’. However, it was only on 12 October 1853 that he officially earned this title, when he won the heavyweight championship of America in a bout at Boston Corners, New York, against ‘Yankee’ Sullivan. The fight lasted thirty-seven rounds, and Morrissey had the worst of most of them, but he was awarded the contest after a free-for-all in the ring.
Increasingly involved in New York politics, he and his supporters fought street battles against the rival gang of Bill Poole, known as ‘Bill the butcher’, a Know Nothing politician later fictionalised in the film The gangs of New York (2002). On 26 July 1854 the two men fought on the docks, but Morrissey was beaten badly and forced to surrender. This marked the beginning of a bitter feud between the two parties, with heavy casualties on both sides, which climaxed on 8 March 1855 when Poole was murdered. Morrissey was indicted as a conspirator in the crime, but was soon released because of his political connections. On 20 October 1858 he fought John C. Heenan (1835–73) in another heavyweight championship bout. Heenan broke his hand early in the fight and was always at a disadvantage; after taking much punishment Morrissey finally made his dominance count. There was a rematch on 4 April 1859, which Morrissey again won, and after this he retired from the ring. Investing his prize-money, he ran two saloons in New York and managed a gambling house on Barclay St. With the huge profits from his gambling empire he invested in real estate in Saratoga and opened a racetrack there in 1863. A political career beckoned as a reward for his consistent support for the Democratic party. He was elected to the house of representatives in 1866 representing New York's fifth district, was reelected the following year, and served until 3 March 1871. He supported President Andrew Johnson against demands for his impeachment, and was sceptical about the Radicals' plans for reconstruction in the south. In his final years he served as a US senator for New York State (1875–8). He died at the Adelphi Hotel, Saratoga Springs, on 1 May 1878, and was buried at St Peter's cemetery, Troy.