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Ellis Alfred Swearengen (July 8, 1845 – November 15, 1904) was an American pimp and entertainment entrepreneur who ran the Gem Theater, a notorious brothel, in Deadwood, South Dakota, for 22 years during the late 19th century.
The man posing in his buggy outside the Gem saloon/theater/brothel in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, in this circa 1878 photo is believed to be its ignominious owner, Al Swearingen. (Deadwood History, Inc.)
Ellis Albert “Al” Swearengen was one of Deadwood’s most infamous and brutal citizens. He opened his “Gem Theater” in 1876 as one of the first entertainment venues in town. Swearengen lured desperate women from all around and then bullied and beat them into becoming his prostitutes.
Al Swearengen left Iowa around 1870 and settled in Deadwood with his first wife, Nettie, and his brother Winfield sometime afterward. By 1876 Swearengen had already separated from Nettie, who had accused him of abuse.
Swearengen is the deadly proprietor of the Gem Saloon and a pivotal figure in the town of Deadwood from its beginnings as a camp. Swearengen was known throughout the town both as a cunning, back-stabbing criminal, and as a wise, calculating figure who lost souls would turn to.
Deadwood's infamous Al Swearengen, played brilliantly by Ian McShane, was a real-life historical figure who met an untimely end.
The Gem was one of the longest continuously-operating entertainment venues in Deadwood; however, after its demise, the Gem was referred to in the press as the “everlasting shame of Deadwood,” “a vicious institution,” and a “defiler of youth and a destroyer of home ties.”
Al Swearengen captivated viewers of Deadwood and helped propel Ian McShane on to more major roles in John Wick and American Gods as well as a cameo in Game of Thrones. The character had a real historical basis but Deadwood changed many elements to make for a more compelling narrative.
Born in Iowa in 1845, he showed up in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1876. He opened the Gem Variety Theatre the next year, which featured entertainment, female companionship (for a price) and boxing matches. Al stayed on until 1899. At that point, he headed back to Iowa.
HBO’s Deadwood only lasted for three seasons, but it spawned one of the most memorable TV characters in history: Al Swearengen. The brothel boss was a brutal pimp, but also a shrewd...