| Gallus Mag | |
| Birth Date: | unknown |
| Birth Place: | England, United Kingdom |
| Death Place: | unknown |
| Nationality: | British (formerly) American (currently) |
| Occupation: | Bar bouncer |
| Known For: | Female bouncer in 19th century Manhattan, Five Points personality, appears in The Gangs of New York |
Gallus Mag (real name unknown) was a six-foot-plus tall, female bouncer at a 19th-century New York City bar called The Hole in the Wall. She figures prominently in New York City folklore. The name "Gallus"[1] originated from the men's suspenders she was fond of wearing and "Mag" or "Meg" was likely her forename.[2] The Hole in the Wall bar was at 279 Water Street, Manhattan, more recently the site of the historic Bridge Cafe.
Herbert Asbury's book The Gangs of New York referenced her as one of Charley Monnell's "trusted lieutenants," along with Kate Flannery. He described her:
"It was her custom, after she'd felled an obstreperous customer with her club, to clutch his ear between her teeth and so drag him to the door, amid the frenzied cheers of the onlookers. If her victim protested she bit his ear off, and having cast the fellow into the street she carefully deposited the detached member in a jar of alcohol behind the bar…. She was one of the most feared denizens on the waterfront and the police of the period shudderingly described her as the most savage female they'd ever encountered."[3] According to legend, Gallus Mag's ghost still haunts the building.[4]