Johnny Ringo sounds like a gunfighter…but…Having a catchy “gunfighter” name was almost a sure way to immortality. Henry McCarty might never have become famous as “Henry the Kid.” Nor would James Butler Hickok have done as well with a name like “Wild James.” Arguably, the greatest gunfighter moniker of them all was Johnny Ringo—his real name, of course. But the name and reputation weren’t indicative of his prowess. Ringo was involved in two killings, and in both cases the victim was unarmed.
True West September/October 2024