The Dead Rabbits was a gang formed in the 1850’s with Irish American roots. The name itself means to be feared. They were known notoriously for being thugs and thieves. They were supported by Priest Vallon the leader of Irish immigrants. The Irish immigrants originally had no rights but were a little bit higher socially speaking than the blacks because of their skin color. The dead rabbits were known as a political machine, they helped the Irish immigrants get job offers.
Although the dead rabbits were a true story they were portrayed in a fictional way in the movie of Gangs Of New York. This gang may have done a lot of bad things but it helped the Irish immigrants support their family and obtain jobs.