Page "Johnny Spanish" Paragraph 4

However Spanish and Kaplan soon began fighting again as the gang split into two separate factions, as each attempted to gain dominance over the New York's " labor slugging " operations.

Johnny Spanish during this period became one of the biggest drug dealers in Manhattan, selling both cocaine and heroin.

He was assisted by his brother Joseph, appropriately nicknamed, " Joey Spanish ".

Yet there was too much bad blood between Spanish and the Dropper for either of them to relax.

Spanish was shot and killed while entering a Manhattan restaurant at 19 Second Avenue by three unidentified men on July 29, 1919.

Charges were brought against Kaplan, who had been identified at the scene, but were later dropped.

Kaplan was later shot and killed in August 1923.