 He first became known as an up-and-coming thug for hire from the Lower East Side and began frequenting "Big" Jack Zelig's club in Chatham Square around 1900.Lewis was also a regular at Barney Flynn's and Mike Salter's establishments as well as the "Chatham Club".He was nicknamed Spanish Louie by friends and associates to distinguish him from the many other East Side gangsters who shared that name.