One of the Peter Stuyvesant Little League’s junior teams has chosen its name based on where the majority of its players are from. (Photo by Tomoe Mattiello)
Whenever one of the Peter Stuyvesant Little League teams is asked to choose a name the usual inclination is to immediately choose Yankees or Mets before another team has a chance. This year one of the juniors teams wanted something different. With most of the players born and raised in Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town and with their little league years coming to a close, it was decided they wanted a name which would pay homage to their place of origin.
“Keith Kelly actually came up with the name,” stated Gashouse Gang Manager Tim McCann.“Keith is our resident historian and was aware of the properties’ history before these now iconic buildings were built to supply affordable housing for the returning G.I.s of World War Two.”
Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village was long known as the Gas House District as early as 1842. After the first gas tank was constructed, huge gas holding tanks soon followed and unfortunately occasionally leaked, making the area an undesirable place to live. To make matters worse, crime was high and it also just happened to be the home base of the Gashouse Gang, which committed a reported 30 holdups every night on East 20th Street alone around the turn of the century.
“I’m not quite sure if the team was aware of the notoriety of Gashouse Gang and the gang’s history but either way, the team is aptly named,” said McCann.
