Brandy for Heroes

John Morrissey (1831-1878), also known as Old Smoke, was an Irish-born American who became a prominent figure of the 1850's. Raised in New York State, Morrissey moved to San Francisco at the time of the California Gold Rush in the early 1850's. There, he took up bare-knuckle boxing and, on his return to New York, challenged and defeated "Yankee Sullivan", then recognized as the American boxing champion. Following his boxing career, Morrissey later became a professional gambler, owning gambling h