Legs by William Kennedy
"Legs" by William Kennedy is a fictional biography that chronicles the tumultuous life of Jack "Legs" Diamond, a notorious gangster who thrived during the Prohibition era in upstate New York. The narrative is presented through the eyes of Marcus Gorman, a lawyer and admirer of Jack, who recounts their relationship and the exploits of Jack, a figure known for his criminal activities, including bootlegging, murder, and drug dealing. Kennedy's work, developed over five years with extensive historical research, delves into the psychological and sociological aspects of America's fascination with gangsters, portraying Jack as not only a criminal but also a charismatic figure who captivated the public and media.
The novel navigates the themes of morality and the allure of crime, painting a vivid picture of Jack's violent life and the complexities of his character. Despite his dark deeds, Marcus idolizes Jack, portraying him as a man of integrity within the criminal realm. The story captures the excitement and danger of Jack's world, from his elaborate smuggling operations to his tumultuous relationships, all while reflecting on broader themes of the American Dream and the nature of success. As Jack's empire begins to crumble under legal pressure, the narrative ultimately questions the legacy of such figures in American culture. "Legs" presents a compelling exploration of a gangster's rise and fall, offering insights into the enduring mythos surrounding such characters in society.
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Legs by William Kennedy
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1975
Type of work: Novel
The Work
In Legs, Kennedy creates a fictional biography recounting the last year and a half of the life of Albany’s most notorious gangster. Jack “Legs” Diamond—a real-life bootlegger, murderer, drug dealer, and rascal—lived above the law, carrying out his business in upstate New York during Prohibition in the 1920’s and early 1930’s. Kennedy’s fictional account of this legendary figure was five years in the making, the result of painstaking historical research and eight drafts. Legs is, however, more than a catalog of one gangster’s exploits. It is a psychological and sociological look at America’s fascination with gangsters, murderers, and criminals of all types. Jack, like many gangsters of his era, was a celebrity, a national obsession. The newspapers were filled with details of his every move. He received fan mail, and cheers filled the courtroom when he was acquitted of one particularly brutal assault.
Legs is narrated by Marcus Gorman, Jack’s employee, friend, and admirer. The two first meet in the Catskills in 1925 when Marcus impresses Jack with his eloquent praise of Al Jolson, one of Jack’s favorite musicians. Later, Jack sends Marcus, an ambitious young lawyer, six quarts of Scotch in exchange for a pistol permit from Albany County. Attracted to the excitement and intrigue that surrounds this Irish American gangster-bootlegger, Marcus becomes Jack’s personal lawyer in 1930. While acknowledging the violence and crime, Marcus nevertheless idolizes his boss and recounts their days together with heartfelt admiration and devotion. Marcus declares that Jack was, above all, a man of integrity and deserves at least some credit for being an honest thief.
Working out of his headquarters in the Catskills, Jack made his money running liquor across the border from Canada during the days of Prohibition. His operation was huge and elaborate, with flocks of carrier pigeons used as messengers to avoid telephone wiretaps. Jack came to upstate New York after leaving New York City, where he had shot a customer at his nightclub—once in the stomach, once in the forehead, twice in the temple, and twice in the groin—then hit the man’s brother over the head with the spent revolver. Marcus tells the details of several other of Jack’s gruesome deeds. Once upstate, Jack tried to hang a local farmer, then did away with a competing rum-runner by dismembering him and burning his body in a still. Wherever Jack went, he left a trail of crime. He killed and tortured, dealt in liquor and heroin, and betrayed his associates. He bought judges, politicians, and policemen, and to many he seemed unstoppable. His body was filled with bullets and crossed with scars that his mistresses traced with their fingers. He was a ladies’ man who frequented whorehouses while his devoted wife, Alice, remained faithful to him to the end.
In 1931, Jack’s empire began to crumble. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then governor of New York, brought a fourteen-count indictment against him. The new federal crowd seemed unbuyable, and in a raid on his headquarters in the Catskills, seized ten million dollars in warehouse stock. Later that year, Jack, wearing only his underwear, was gunned down in a rooming house.
Kennedy writes with wit and energy as he brings to light the moral ambiguity of success. With vivid language, Marcus’s powerful narrative evokes a strong sense of time and place and tells an engrossing story of violence, sex, love, and comedy. In Marcus’s mind, Jack never really died. He, in many ways, personifies the American Dream. He embodies the rags-to-riches story, rising to the top by shooting his way to fame. More important, as Marcus sees it, Jack “Legs” Diamond is a prototype for modern urban gangsters and lives on as one of the founding fathers of criminality, whose legacy is sure to be felt for years to come. As Marcus says in his tribute to one of Albany’s most memorable bullies, “Why he was a pioneer, the founder of the first truly modern gang, the dauphin of the town for years.”
Bibliography
Dumbleton, Susanne. “William Kennedy: Telling the Truth the Best Way I Can.” In The Eye of the Reporter, edited by Bill Knight and Deckle McLean. Macomb: Western Illinois University Press, 1996.
Giamo, Benedict. The Homeless of “Ironweed”: Blossoms on the Crag. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1996.
Kennedy, Liam. “Memory and Hearsay: Ethnic Identity in Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game and Ironweed.” MELUS 18 (1993): 71-82.
Lynch, Vivian Valvano. Portraits of Artists: Warriors in the Novels of William Kennedy. San Francisco: International Scholars, 1999.
Michener, Christian. From Then into Now: William Kennedy’s Albany Novels. Scranton, Ill.: University of Scranton Press, 1998.
Reilly, Edward C. William Kennedy. Boston: Twayne, 1991.
Van Dover, J. K. Understanding William Kennedy. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1991.