Billy Gallagher (businessman)
Billy Gallagher | |
|---|---|
| Born | William J. Gallagher c. 1869 |
| Died | March 5, 1934 (aged 64–65) |
| Occupations | Businessman and restaurant owner |
| Known for | Cabaret business |
| Children | 3, (including Walter Gallagher) |
William "Billy" J. Gallagher (c. 1869 – March 5, 1934) was an American businessman and restaurant owner, whose Times Square cabaret was known for its nightlife.
Early life
Gallagher was born in Camden, New Jersey, in about 1869.[1]
Career
He moved to New York in 1887, and worked in a restaurant. He was a part-owner of a restaurant on Carmine Street from 1894, and opened a restaurant named Broadway Gardens at 711 Seventh Avenue in 1911, which developed a reputation for good luck, based on the number of the address.[2] He also ran a restaurant in Times Square near 47th Street, where he introduced singing waiters,[2] a gimmick that had begun in the Bowery.[1]
He was well-known in the cabaret business, and was nicknamed "Little Billy".[1] The New York Times described his cabaret as one that opened after the sun set and picked up business when other establishments closed at midnight, remaining open until dawn with a mix of "reputable people" and those "who had practical reasons for circulating after dark".[1] After New York City passed a curfew law requiring establishments to close at 1:00 am, Gallagher had at first observed the letter of the law, but ultimately developed a workaround under which patrons would be escorted out when the curfew went into effect and then would be welcomed back in after 15 minutes to continue their partying.[3]
Patrons of his establishments and personal friends included Mayor of New York City Jimmy Walker and heavyweight boxers Jack Dempsey and Luis Ángel Firpo.[2] Singer Helen Morgan kicked off her professional career after being asked to sing at the piano while dining at one of Gallagher's restaurants.[2] During the Prohibition Era, Gallagher's establishments were among the first that were padlocked by U.S. Attorney Emory Buckner.[1]
Personal life and legacy
His son, Walter Gallagher, became chief of police in Hackensack, New Jersey;[2] he had two other sons, Bernard and Joseph.[2]
Gallagher died on March 5, 1934, in New York,[1] and was buried on March 8 in Calvary Cemetery in Camden.[4] He was known to be generous to people who asked him for money, particularly to those who had been his customers in the past.[2] Over his lifetime he had amassed a fortune estimated at $1 million (equivalent to $24 million in 2024), which he gave away to friends and to the needy.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Billy Gallagher, Café Owner, Dies: Was Among the First to Bring Singing Waiters to Night Life Along Broadway". The New York Times. p. 15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Young, Edgar L. (February 1, 1961). "Police Chief's Dad Was A Famous Restaurateur". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey.
- ^ "Revellers Deaf When Cabaret Curfew Tolls; Law's Bell Clangs at 1 A. M., but Places There Are Where Jangles Fall Unheard.", New-York Tribune, October 13, 1913. Accessed December 3, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Joel's 'Bohemian Refreshery,' No. 206 West 41st street, is the chief stronghold of the folk who are carrying on the guerilla warfare against the closing rule. "The Birthplace of the Cabaret" is the claim advanced in a sub-title, but here, undoubtedly, Billy Gallagher's, at No. 727 Seventh avenue, might take issue. At neither Joel's nor Gallagher's is the curfew absolutely disregarded, it is interpreted out of existence. As the rule is applied at Gallagher's the place must be closed at 1 o'clock, but need not remain in that state for more than a short period. Accordingly, the patrons of the place are taken to a hallway on an upper floor at 1 o'clock and compelled to wait for about fifteen minutes."
- ^ "Burial of Billy Gallagher". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. March 9, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved December 3, 2025.