Wicked Ulster County: Halloween Book Talk w/ A. J. Schenkman

Talk Highlights:

• Dive into tales from Wicked Ulster County: Tales of Desperadoes, Gangs & More and discover their ties to NYC with author A. J. Schenkman
• Learn about ghosts that terrorized residents of Kerhonkson in the 19th century, gaining the attention of newspapers of New York City
• See how one New York City’s most prominent underworld gang leaders and his
  followers sought refuge in Ulster County like so many later mobsters
• Meet some of the law enforcement who brought criminals to justice

About this Talk:

The New York Herald proclaimed in an 1870 edition of the paper that Ulster County, New York, was considered to be the “Ulcer County” of New York State. It pointed out that this was due to its “lawlessness and crime.” In the last “six months, “ the columnist wrote, “it has been the scene of no less than four cold-blooded and brutal murders, six suicides and four elopements.”

The New York Times during the same period, 1878, labeled Kerhonkson, in Ulster County, the paranormal center of New York State. When discussing the Rose ghost, the paper reported, “Ulster County seems to be a favored neighborhood for ghostly visitations, and other things of a marvelous nature.” However, there were other ghosts such as the violent MacDonald Ghost that was trying to tell the family it tormented a message. If there were a plethora of paranormal activities there was also numerous crimes that gripped the nation including Gyp the Blood, a brutal Jewish gangster, and the NYPD Lt. Becker who would ultimately become the only uniformed NYPD officer to be put to death by “Old Sparky,” the notorious electric chair in Sing-Sing Prison.

Join author A.J. Schenkman for a live virtual talk where he'll explore some of these stories from the pages of his book, Wicked Ulster County: Tales of Desperadoes, Gangs & More!

About the Author,

A.J. Schenkman is an award-winning New York author who has written several books and publications on various historical topics. His most recent publication is a children's book on Franklin Roosevelt. He has been seen on NBC Connecticut. He is a social studies teacher in New York State, as well as a former municipal historian. His most recent book is his first children’s book, Franklin’s Trees, about President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s love of trees. He has a forthcoming book about New York State due out in April 2026, A History Lover’s Guide to the Hudson Valley.