Below are some of the infamous characters discussed in "A Guide to Gangsters, Murderers and Weirdos of New York City's Lower East Side" -- and just a handful of the thousands of gangsters and criminals associated with the neighborhood.
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Birth Name: |
WILLIAM POOLE
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| AKA: |
"BILL THE BUTCHER" |
| Background: |
English, Protestant |
| Born: |
July 24, 1821 - Sussex County, New Jersey |
| Died: |
March 8, 1855 - Lower East Side, NYC - age 34 |
| Buried: |
Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Affiliations: |
Washington Street Gang, Bowery Boys |
| Arch Rival: |
John Morrisey |
| Fate: |
Shot by John Morrisey associate Lew Baker at the Stanwix
Bar on Broadway. Poole died of his wounds just days later in his home
on Christopher St. |
| Fast fact: |
The character William Cutting from the motion picture
Gangs Of New York was loosely based on William Poole. |
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Birth
Name: |
JOHN MORRISSEY |
| AKA: |
"OLD SMOKE" |
| Background: |
Irish, Catholic |
| Born: |
February 12, 1831 - Templemore, Ireland |
| Died: |
May 1, 1878 - Troy, NY - age 47 |
| Buried: |
St. Peter's Cemetery, Troy NY |
| Affiliations: |
Dead rabbits, State Senate, US Congress |
| Arch Rival: |
William Poole |
| Fate: |
After a successful stint in pro boxing and a long run
in politics, Morrissey died of pneumonia in his home in upstate New
York. |
| Fast fact: |
In 1853, Poole defeated bare-knuckle champion Yankee
Sullivan in a 37-round fight in upstate New York. |
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Birth
Name: |
SALVATORE
MARANZANO |
| AKA: |
N/A |
| Background: |
Sicilian, Catholic |
| Born: |
1868 - Sicily |
| Died: |
1936 - New York City - age 68 |
| Buried: |
St. John's Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Castallammarese Mafia, American Mafia Boss |
| Arch Rival: |
Joe Massaria |
| Fate: |
Shot and stabbed to death on Luciano's orders |
| Fast fact: |
Maranzano was highly educated, was trained as a priest,
and has owned several legitimate businesses. |
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Birth
Name: |
EDWARD OSTERMAN |
| AKA: |
MONK EASTMAN |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
1873 - Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
| Died: |
December 26, 1920 - Lower East Side - age 47 |
| Buried: |
Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Eastman Gang founder and leader |
| Arch Rival: |
Paul Kelly |
| Fate: |
Shot and killed by associate Jerry Bohan on 14th St
after a heated "business" dispute. |
| Fast fact: |
Eastman bravely volunteered and served in the 106th
Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 27th Division of the US Army fighting
in France during WWI. He was buried with full military honors.
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Birth
Name: |
CHARLES BECKER |
| AKA: |
N/A |
| Background: |
German-American |
| Born: |
July 26, 1873 - Sullivan County, NY |
| Died: |
July 30, 1915 - Sing Sing Prison - age 42 |
| Buried: |
Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, NY |
| Affiliations: |
NYPD |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Executed in electric chair. |
| Fast fact: |
Though not formally a "gangster", Becker
was a crooked police officer who was convicted of hiring Jack Zelig's
men to kill a local merchant who complained of Becker's harsh shake-downs.
This also led to Zelig's murder. |
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Birth
Name: |
PAOLO VACCARELLI |
| AKA: |
PAUL KELLY |
| Background: |
Sicilian, Catholic |
| Born: |
1876 - Sicily |
| Died: |
1936 - Location unknown - age 60 |
| Buried: |
Calvary Cemetery, Woodside Queens |
| Affiliations: |
Founder and leader of the Five Points Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Monk Eastman |
| Fate: |
Died of natural causes |
| Fast fact: |
Paul Kelly spoke English, Spanish, French, and Italian
fluently. |
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Birth
Name: |
MAX ZWERBACH |
| AKA: |
"KID TWIST" |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
c.1880 - Brooklyn, NY |
| Died: |
May 14, 1908 - Coney Island - age ? |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points Gang, Eastman Gang leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Gunned down along with Vach Lewis, by Louis Pioggi,
by order of Paul Kelly. |
| Fast fact: |
Zwerbach (along with Vach Lewis) was lured out of a Coney Island
bar to his death by a woman, arranged by the Five Pointers.
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Birth
Name: |
SAM TIETCH |
| AKA: |
VACH "CYCLONE LOUIS"
LEWIS |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
c.1880 - Brooklyn, NY |
| Died: |
May 14, 1908 - Coney Island - age ? |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Eastman Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Gunned down along with Zwerbach, by Louis Pioggi, by
order of Paul Kelly. |
| Fast fact: |
Cyclone Louis got his nickname, and earned his reputation,
as a strongman in the Coney Island Side Show before he was recruited
by Zwerbach. Legend has it that Louie would bend steel bars with his
teeth and around his neck during performances. |
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Birth
Name: |
RICHARD FITZPATRICK |
| AKA: |
"RITCHIE" FITZPATRICK |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
1880 - Brooklyn, NY? |
| Died: |
November 1, 1904 - Lower East Side - age 24 |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points Gang, Eastman Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Gunned down along by a Zwerbach associate in a saloon
on what used to be Sheriff St. |
| Fast fact: |
Fitzpatrick fought for control of the Eastman Gang
in 1904, but Zwerbach's associates ended up killing Fitzpatrick and
all of his supporters. |
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Birth
Name: |
ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN |
| AKA: |
"MR. BIG",
"THE FIXER" |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
January 17, 1882 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
November 4, 1928 - New York City - age 46 |
| Buried: |
Union Field Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Independent |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Rothstein was shot and killed by an unknown gunman,
in a mid-town hotel room. |
| Fast fact: |
Rothstein is arguably the father of modern day organized crime. He turned street crime into a multimillion dollar business,
run like any other legal corporation, and was one of the first to capitalize
on the bootlegging industry in the 1920s. |
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Birth
Name: |
GIOVANNI
TORRIO |
| AKA: |
JOHNNY "THE FOX"
TORRIO |
| Background: |
Italian, Catholic |
| Born: |
1882 - Irsina, Italy |
| Died: |
April 6, 1957 - New York City - age 75 |
| Buried: |
Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Affiliations: |
James street Gang, Five Points, The Chicago Outfit, National
Crime Syndicate, Genovese Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Died of a heart attack |
| Fast fact: |
Once a Lieutenant in Paul Kelly's Five Points Gang, Torrio
was young Al Capone's mentor on the Lower East Side and was eventually
responsible for luring Capone out to Chicago. |
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Birth
Name: |
JACK SIROCCO |
| AKA: |
N/A |
| Background: |
Italian-American |
| Born: |
1882 - ? |
| Died: |
April 6, 1957 - ? |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points Gang, Eastman Gang, Sirocco Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Benny Fein, Jack Zelig |
| Fate: |
? |
| Fast fact: |
Sirocco was Johnny Torrio's boss while a leader in
the Five Points gang. Sirocco survived an ambush by
the Benny Fein gang in 1914 on St. Marks Place. |
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Birth
Name: |
N/A |
| AKA: |
CHICK TRICKLER |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
c.1882 - ? |
| Died: |
? |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Eastman Gang leader |
| Arch Rival: |
Benny Fein, Jack Zelig |
| Fate: |
? |
| Fast fact: |
In 1911, Trickler and Sirocco tried to assume control
of the Eastman Gang by leaving leader Jack Zelig behind during a robbery,
and refusing to post bail. |
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Birth
Name: |
GIUSEPPE
MASSERIA |
| AKA: |
JOE "THE BOSS" |
| Background: |
Sicilian |
| Born: |
1887 - Sicily |
| Died: |
April 15, 1931 - Coney Island - age 44 |
| Buried: |
Calvary Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Affiliations: |
Morello Gang, Masseria Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
Sal Maranzano |
| Fate: |
Gunned down by Bugsy Siegel, Vito Genovese, and Joe
Adonis, as ordered by Luciano |
| Fast fact: |
In 1922, Masseria survived a brazen, point-blank-range
hit attempt in front of his home on 2nd Avenue. He escaped unharmed,
with two bullet holes through his straw hat -- but six bystanders were shot and two killed by the assasins in the ensuing getaway.
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Birth
Name: |
BENJAMIN
FEIN |
| AKA: |
"DOPEY" BENNY
FEIN |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
1887 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
1962 - Brooklyn, NY
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| Buried: |
Unknown |
| Affiliations: |
Eastman Gang, Benny Fein gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Jack Sirocco |
| Fate: |
Retired |
| Fast fact: |
Benny Fein was not "Dopey"; he had a medical
condition which made his eyes always appear drowsy. |
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Birth
Name: |
ZELIG HARRY LEFKOWITZ |
| AKA: |
"BIG" JACK ZELIG |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
May 13, 1888 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
October 5, 1912 - Lower East Side |
| Buried: |
Washington Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Crazy Butch Gang, Eastman Gang leader, Zelig Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Jack Sirocco |
| Fate: |
Shot behind the ear by Phil Davidson while riding a
trolley car on 2nd Ave and 13th St. |
| Fast fact: |
A notorious street fighter, Zelig was branded "Most
feared man in New York" by the news papers and local authorities.
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Birth
Name: |
LOIUS PIOGGI |
| AKA: |
LOIUE "THE LUMP" |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
1889 |
| Died: |
Unknown |
| Buried: |
Unknown |
| Affiliations: |
5 Points Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
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| Fate: |
Unknown |
| Fast fact: |
Pioggi, a Five Points Gang member, once datied a girl who
was also dating Max Zwerbach, arch rival Eastman Gang leader. This
led to Zwerbach's death, and a broken ankle for Pioggi. |
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Birth
Name: |
JOHN WEYLER |
| AKA: |
JOHNNY SPANISH |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
1891 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
July 29, 1919 - Lower East Side - age 28 |
| Buried: |
? |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points, Eastman Gang, Kaplan Gang, Johnny Spanish
Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Nathan Kaplan |
| Fate: |
Gunned down by rival (and former partner), Nathan Kaplan. |
| Fast fact: |
Johnny Spanish and his brother Joey Spanish ran their
headquarters out of the restaurant he was killed in front of, at 19
2nd Ave (now the site of a luxury apartment building) |
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Birth
Name: |
NATHAN CAPLIN |
| AKA: |
"KID DROPPER"
KAPLAN |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
1891 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
August 28, 1923 - Lower East Side - age 32 |
| Buried: |
Mount Hebron Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points gang, Eastman Gang, Johnny Spanish Gang,
Kaplan Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Johnny Spanish |
| Fate: |
While under police escort on Essex St., Kaplan was
gunned down while getting into a car, by a rival Jacob Orgen Gang
gunman. |
| Fast fact: |
For a short time, Nathan Kaplan was one of the most
powerful post WWI mobsters in NYC. |
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Birth
Name: |
FRANCESCO
CASTIGLIA |
| AKA: |
FRANK COSTELLO |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
January 26, 1891 - Italy |
| Died: |
February 18, 1973 - New York City - age 82 |
| Buried: |
St. Michael's Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Luciano Crime Family, Genovese Crime Family Boss |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Died of heart attack in a NYC hospital. |
| Fast fact: |
Marlon Brando's character, Vito Corleone, from the
Godfather series, was partially based on Frank Costello, who was known as "Prime
Minister of the Underworld". |
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Birth
Name: |
FRANCESCO
LOELE |
| AKA: |
FRANKIE YALE |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
1893 - Italy |
| Died: |
1928 - Brooklyn, NY - age 35 |
| Buried: |
New York |
| Affiliations: |
5 Points Gang, Brooklyn Mafia leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Gunned down on Al Capone's orders |
| Fast fact: |
A young Al Capone worked in Yales's night club in Coney
Island as a waiter. This was Capone's first job, and where he got
his famous scar during a fight with a patron. Al Capone ordered Frankie Yale's death many years later.
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Birth
Name: |
LOUIS BUCHALTER |
| AKA: |
"LEPKE" |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
February 12, 1897 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
March 4, 1944 - Sing Sing Prison - age 47 |
| Buried: |
Mount Hebron Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Murder Inc. leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Executed in electric chair |
| Fast fact: |
Buchalter remains the only major mob boss to ever have
been executed by state or federal authorities. |
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Birth
Name: |
SALVATORE
LUCANIA |
| AKA: |
CHARLES "LUCKY"
LUCIANO |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
November 24, 1897 - Sicily |
| Died: |
January 26, 1962 - Naples, Italy - age 65 |
| Buried: |
Saint John's Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Five Points Gang, Masseria Gang, Genovese Crime Family
leader, American Mafia Commission leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Heart Attack |
| Fast fact: |
As a child, Luciano survived a serious bout of small
pox which scarred his face for life. |
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Birth
Name: |
VITO GENOVESE |
| AKA: |
"DON VITONE" |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
November 27, 1897 - Naples, Italy |
| Died: |
February 14 1969 - Springfield, Missouri - age 72 |
| Buried: |
Saint John's Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Masseria Gang, Genovese Crime Family leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Suffered a fatal heart attack in prison |
| Fast fact: |
Luciano and Lansky set Genovese up on a drug deal,
which led to a 15 year prison term in 1959. |
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Birth
Name: |
ALPHONSE
GABRIEL CAPONE |
| AKA: |
"SCARFACE" |
| Background: |
Italian-American |
| Born: |
January 17, 1899 - Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
| Died: |
January 25, 1947 - Chicago - age 48 |
| Buried: |
Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois |
| Affiliations: |
Brooklyn Rippers, Forty Thieves Juniors, Five Points
Gang, The Chicago Outfit leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Suffered a stroke brought on by pneumonia and other
ailments. |
| Fast fact: |
Al Capone never made it past 6th grade. He was expelled
at 14 years old for punching a teacher at P.S. 133 in Brooklyn, and
he never returned. |
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Birth
Name: |
GAETANO LUCCHESE |
| AKA: |
THOMAS LUCCHESE |
| Background: |
Sicilian |
| Born: |
December 1, 1899 - Palermo, Sicily |
| Died: |
July 13, 1967 - Lido Beach, NY - age 67 |
| Buried: |
Calvary Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Masseria Gang, Luciano Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Suffered a brain tumor and died in his home in Long
island. |
| Fast fact: |
Lucchese gained the nickname "Three-Finger Brown"
in reference to his deformed hand, which was mangled in an industrial
accident as a teen. |
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Birth
Name: |
JACOB ORGEN |
| AKA: |
"LITTLE AUGIE" |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
c.1901 - New York City |
| Died: |
October 16, 1927 - New York City - age 28 |
| Buried: |
Mount Judah Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Dopey Fein Gang, Jacob Orgen Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
Nathan Kaplan |
| Fate: |
Gunned down by Louis Buchalter and Jacob Shapiro |
| Fast fact: |
Jacob's father, a strict Orthodox Jew, disowned Jacob
in 1919 after learning about his criminal activities. |
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Birth
Name: |
MAJER SCHOWLINSKI |
| AKA: |
MEYER LANSKY |
| Background: |
Polish-Jew |
| Born: |
July 4, 1902 - Grodno, Russia |
| Died: |
January 15, 1983 - New York City - age 83 |
| Buried: |
Mount Nebo Memorial Gardens, Miami, Florida |
| Affiliations: |
Bugs and Meyer Mob, Luciano Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Succumbed to lung cancer |
| Fast fact: |
Young Lansky met Lucky Luciano as classmates at PS 19.
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Birth
Name: |
UMBERTO ANASTASIO |
| AKA: |
ALBERT ANASTASIA |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
September 26, 1902 - Tropea, Italy |
| Died: |
October 25, 1957 - New York City - age 55 |
| Buried: |
Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Affiliations: |
Masseria Gang, Luciano Crime Family, Murder Inc. leader |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Shot to death by an unidentified gunman in a barbershop
in midtown. |
| Fast fact: |
At one time, Anastasia was the most powerful mobster in Brooklyn, and controled the profitable waterfront shipping yards. Eventually Lucky Luciano put Anastasia (along side Louis Buchalter)
in charge of the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicate,
Murder Inc. |
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Birth
Name: |
GIUSEPPE
ANTONIO DOTO |
| AKA: |
JOE ADONIS |
| Background: |
Italian |
| Born: |
November 22, 1902 - Italy |
| Died: |
November 26, 1971 - Springfield, Missouri - age 69 |
| Buried: |
Madonna Cemetery, Fort Lee, NJ |
| Affiliations: |
Frankie Yale Gang, Masseria Gang, Luciano Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Suffered a fatal heart attack while being questioned
by Italian police while in exile. |
| Fast fact: |
Joe Adonis and Al Capone worked together under Frankie
Yale. |
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Birth
Name: |
LOUIS KERZNER |
| AKA: |
LOIUS COHEN |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
January 1, 1904 - Lower East Side |
| Died: |
January 28, 1939 - New York City - age 38 |
| Buried: |
Mount Hebron Cemetery, Queens, NY |
| Affiliations: |
Jacob Orgen Gang |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Gunned down by orders of Louis Buchalter while on parole
for the murder of Nathan Kaplan. |
| Fast fact: |
Joe Adonis and Al Capone worked together under Frankie
Yale. |
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Birth
Name: |
BENJAMIN
SIEGEL |
| AKA: |
"BUGSY" SIEGEL |
| Background: |
Jewish-American |
| Born: |
February 28, 1906 - Brownsville, Brooklyn |
| Died: |
June 20, 1947 - Beverly Hills, CA - age 41 |
| Buried: |
Hollywood, California |
| Affiliations: |
Bugs and Lansky Mob, Luciano Crime Family |
| Arch Rival: |
n/a |
| Fate: |
Assasinated while reading a newspaper in the Beverly Hills home of his mistress. The murder has never been solved but most experts trace the hit back to Luciano and Lansky.
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| Fast fact: |
In 1937, the Luciano family sent Siegel out to Los
Angeles to develop relationships with local mobs, expanding their
criminal empire. |
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