Boston’s North End often had a propensity for seediness.

The proximity to the waterfront - with sailors and other short-term visitors staying only a few days before moving on - created a certain kind of above-the-law mentality in the neighborhood, particularly along North Street.

Brothels, gaming houses, and dance halls filled the streets and alleys. On a particularly naughty evening in April of 1851, 114 residents were arrested on a single night; over 100 of them were prostitutes.