He and Larry Griffin were eventually convicted of robbing the home of Robert Emmet in White Plains in 1874, as well as Denny Brady in Catskill the same year, resulting in the gang's breakup.

He is 30 years of age, five feet seven inches high, has black hair, gray eyes, several India-ink marks on his hand, and weights 150 lbs.

Shortly after his arrival, Conroy started recruiting many of the area's infamous waterfront thieves and criminals including Socco the Bracer, Scotchy Lavelle, Johnny Dobbs, Kid Shanahan, Pugsey Hurley, Wreck Donovan, Tom The Mick, Beeny Kane, Piggy Noles, Billy Woods, Bum Mahoney, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin.

[2][3][4] Under his leadership, the Patsy Conroys dominated the New York waterfront district during the post-American Civil War era and remained one of the last active gangs of river pirates prior to the formation of the Steamboat Squad.

Over time, Denny Brady and Larry Griffin gradually took over running the gang and may not have been actively involved some of the Patsy Conroys' more infamous crimes such as the Elizabeth or Mattan robberies during 1873.

During the last two years of his criminal career, the Patsy Conroys "kept these hamlets in a chronic condition of terror" until 1874 when he and Griffin were arrested by famed detectives Richard King and Holly Lyons for robbing the home of Robert Emmett in White Plains (or New Rochelle).