Have You Heard of The Hole?

There’s a place on the Brooklyn/Queens border that looks more like a deserted town in Texas than something that belongs in NYC. A forgotten piece of the city, this literal hole of a neighborhood is under grade and not even part of the city’s sewer system - the few remaining residents all maintain individual cesspools. 

But what’s even more interesting than uncovering a seemingly desolate corner of this over-inhabited city is that the mafia has used The Hole as a mob dumping ground for over 200 bodies.

Stories point out that the area was thought to be the Gambino family’s burial site, and several members of the Bonnano family mob were all found buried at The Hole, at least one of them rolled up in a carpet.

Alongside all the bodies, The Hole is also home to some members of The Federation of Black Cowboys, who can still be seen tying up their horses to posts around the neighborhood, wide-brimmed cowboy hats and all. 

Photo credit: Nathan Kensinger