Wicked Victorian Boston

Victorian Boston was a battleground in the war between good and evil.

For much of the century this dismal neighborhood was the center of vice and crime.

Rat pits and crooked faro tables - hallmarks of Boston's gambling problem.

From the days of the puritans to the dawn of burlesque, Boston’s theatres were deemed immoral.

Obscene literature and pictures were a growing vexation to moral reformers.

Brothels thrived in Victorian Boston, often owned by respectable men.

Boston was a prime target for confidence men, with some high-profile marks.

Dogged by discrimination, some Irish immigrants turned to crime.

Boston’s Chinatown hid a secret world of gambling, opium, and extortion.

Reformers hoped Boston’s enthusiasm for sports would replace drinking and gambling. It did not.

Adultery and abuse scandals plagued the city’s elite.

Fraudulent mediums and quack doctors were prevalent in Boston.

His liquor, gambling, and prostitution enterprises earned Bose Cobb the title of “Wickedest Man.”

A murder-for-hire case was the highlight of detective John Bull’s shady career.

A murder-for-hire case was the highlight of detective John Bull’s shady career.