Maps of Movies

Gangs of New York (2002)

Where Gangs of New York says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

Scorsese's 1860s Five Points was never shot in Manhattan: it was built from scratch in a Rome studio

Scenes and places

The 1846 brawl outside the Old Brewery (1846)

Priest Vallon's Dead Rabbits and Bill the Butcher's Natives fight their final turf war to decide who holds the Five Points. Bill kills Vallon, and the dead man's young son hides the knife that did it.

Set in Five Points, outside the Old Brewery — Two rival gangs fight for control of the Five Points slum outside the Old Brewery. Google Maps · Apple Maps

The Five Points was a slum in Lower Manhattan; the film rebuilds it from George Catlin's 1827 painting.

Filmed at Cinecittà Studios, Rome (Five Points set) (Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy) — The Five Points streets were rebuilt here as a set, not shot in Manhattan. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The orphanage on Blackwell's Island (1846)

Vallon's young son, still holding the secret of the knife, is taken away from the Five Points. He is sent to an orphanage on an island in the East River.

Set in Hellgate Orphanage, Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) — The boy is taken to an orphanage on an East River island. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Blackwell's Island is the old name of today's Roosevelt Island.

Amsterdam returns to the Five Points (1862)

Sixteen years on, Amsterdam comes back seeking revenge and digs up the knife while police clear the Irish out of the Old Brewery. An old acquaintance, Johnny Sirocco, explains who now pays tribute to Bill.

Set in Five Points streets and the Old Brewery — Police evict Irish residents from the Old Brewery as the grown Amsterdam returns. Google Maps · Apple Maps

By 1862 the Old Brewery area is run by Bill the Butcher's Natives.

Filmed at Cinecittà Studios, Rome (Five Points set) (Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy) — The same Rome set stands in for the 1862 Five Points. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

A burning house and a plundered ship (1862)

Amsterdam helps Sirocco loot a burning house, and Bill takes notice of them. Bill's first test for him is to loot a ship in the harbor, where the Daybreak Boys have already struck and killed everyone aboard.

Set in A burning house and the East River harbor — Amsterdam helps Sirocco loot a burning house, then a ship in the harbor that someone has already hit.

The harbor scenes use a section of the East River waterfront built for the film.

Filmed at Cinecittà Studios, Rome (East River waterfront set) (Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy) — The waterfront with two full-sized sailing ships was built here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Tweed and Tammany Hall (1862)

As Bill's protégé, Amsterdam is pulled into the business of Tammany Hall politician William M. Tweed. He keeps his real plan hidden.

Set in Tammany Hall — Amsterdam is drawn into the dealings of the corrupt politician William M. Tweed.

Tammany Hall was the political machine that ran New York's Democratic politics.

Filmed at Cinecittà Studios, Rome (Tammany Hall replica) (Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy) — Tammany Hall was recreated as a set. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The standoff at the church (1862)

Bill and the Natives march on a church and find Amsterdam waiting with the Dead Rabbits, new and old. No blow is struck, but Bill promises to come back.

Set in A church in the Five Points — Bill's Natives march on a church and face Amsterdam's Dead Rabbits.

The film does not name this church; the Wikipedia set list only says a church was rebuilt.

Filmed at Cinecittà Studios, Rome (church replica) (Cinecittà Studios, Rome, Italy) — A church was recreated as a set. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The dead rabbit in Paradise Square (1862)

Amsterdam announces his return by hanging a dead rabbit in front of the Irish gangs that once stood with the Dead Rabbits. Bill answers by sending a corrupt policeman to investigate.

Set in Paradise Square — Amsterdam hangs a dead rabbit in the square before the Irish gangs allied with the Dead Rabbits.

Paradise Square is the Five Points gathering place where the gangs settle their fights.

Characters

• Amsterdam Vallon — The son of a murdered gang leader who comes back to the Five Points seeking revenge.
• Bill the Butcher — William Cutting, the leader of the Natives, who controls the Five Points.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was the Five Points in Gangs of New York really filmed?
• Where was the harbor in Gangs of New York filmed?