arch-cove
– the head of a gang or mob; governor; president.
arch gonnof
– the head of a gang of thieves.
The use of “arch” to signify the leader or head of a gang is still in use today. Action-adventure movies or television shows often use the terms “arch enemy” or “arch villain.”
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Sources
- Matsell, George W. Vocabulum: Or, the Rogue’s Lexicon.
. New York: George W. Matsell, 1859.
- Partridge, Eric. A Dictionary of the Underworld. New York: Bonanza Books, 1961.
Note: See “Cant: The Language of the Underworld” to learn more about the background of the American Malefactor’s Dictionary.
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