Urban Studies

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Featured Video: “You Are About To Witness A New Dimension In Entertainment”

August 3, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

For those unlucky few who can’t make it over to B.B. King’s in NYC tonight to see Peter Lemongello in person (yes, he’s really booked there), I present you with this 1976 “moon rock experience.” It’s $8.98 if you want the 8-track tape version. Don’t delay–order today! Thanks to PCL Linkdump for posting it.

P.S. I recalled right after I added this post that Peter Lemongello had a cousin who was a mediocre baseball pitcher in the 1970s. His name was Mark Lemongello. What I didn’t know was that in 1982, Mark and another man kidnapped and robbed Peter and his brother, Mike, who was an ex-pro bowler. The criminals took a plea deal and were given seven years’ probation.

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Los Angeles Tries To Undo Its Endless Traffic Jam

August 3, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

Driving in Los Angeles is cruel and unusual punishment. (Image by Downtowngal.)

The Associated Press has a story about Los Angeles trying to undo the traffic mess it created for itself when it long ago destroyed its beautiful streetcar system. L.A. has temporarily raised taxes and is appealing for a federal loan to reinvent its mass transit system. An excerpt from an article by Daisy Nguyen:

“In the first half of the 20th century the Los Angeles region boasted an extensive system of streetcars and high-speed electric railways including the famed Red Cars. After World War II, Southern California began abandoning those systems in favor of personal automobiles and freeways, leaving mass transit to buses.

Now, with gridlock commonplace, the focus is back on high-capacity transit systems–light rail, interurban heavy rail, dedicated busways–to catch up with the transportation demands of millions of people.

But with federal and state transportation funds dwindling due to a reduction in gas tax revenue, experts say the time is right to test innovative ideas in transportation financing.

‘The national government should help cities that are helping themselves and take advantage of these bold plans to transform how these places operate and function,’ said Robert Puentes, a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.”



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Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

August 1, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

Marky Ramone: Looking more like Christiane Amanpour every day. (Image by David Shankbone.)

Marky Ramone Autographed Pokemon Card – $50 (Bushwick)

I met Marky Ramone in 2000 and had him autograph my Charmander Pokemon card. It’s in really good condition.

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Old Print Article: “Life Of An Old Time Clown,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1896)

July 31, 2010 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

"Grotesque appearance." (Image by Rinina25 & Twice25)

John Foster was an elderly clown passing through Brooklyn in 1896 when he was profiled by the local papers. Born into poverty in Pennsylvania and orphaned at a very early age, he made a place for himself in the itinerant circus world. An excerpt from an article about him in the July 19, 1896 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“A few weeks ago, in the outlying districts of Brooklyn, an old fashioned country circus was going about. Like all other small circus companies, they had an original tattooed lady, the wild men of Borneo, etc., but in their troupe was one man who is known from one end of the country to the other, that is, by theatrical or circus men. That man is John Foster, clown, Shakespearean jester and the last of the old school, i.e., those who depend on talking and singing rather than gesture and pantomime as the clowns of to-day do.

Mr. Foster is probably to-day the eldest clown in the business, over fifty-two years having passed since he first stepped into a circus ring.

Modern clown: I salute you, John Foster. (Image by Robert Lawton.)

He was born of poor parents, both of whom died in his infancy, in the little town of Chamberburg, Pennsylvania. Brought up in hardship and having had little opportunity for schooling, he early made up his mind to do something worth while in the world.

So one spring day in the year 1845, clad only in a large straw hat, check shirt and pantaloons, and with no shoes on, he applied for a job with the Robertson & Eldridge circus, which was then playing in Chambersburg.

His grotesque appearance, combined with his determination to carry his point, made a favorable impression on the managers, who hired him and put him to work washing the clothes and doing odd jobs about. His natural abilities showed itself, however, and before he had been six months with the company he had begun his professional career as a clown and ring performer.

In his time Mr. Foster has played with and known to every performer and circus man of note during the last half century, and has been with shows in every civilized country.

Mr. Foster is a short, thick set man, quite gray and wears a small mustache and goatee. He loves children, and when at home always has a lot of them about.”

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Featured Video: “Now This Is The Epitome Of English Swears. The Epitome.”

July 30, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

Via kottke.org comes this video of a Korean instructor teaching students how to curse in English. Remember: It’s “bitch,” not “beach.” What a potty mouth.

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Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

July 30, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

No visible stains. (Image by Tony Barton.)

LIPS couch. That’s a couch shaped like a huge pair of lips – $300 (Midtown)

Yes, it’s a couch shaped like lips. We’re selling it because we’ve downsized and we don’t really have room for it anymore. It looks cool and funky but the covering is showing it’s age a little bit – there’s a few holes in the fabric but nothing too noticeable.

Apparently this was first made for a Madonna video. We’ve examined it closely and can’t detect any traces of Madonna odors, stains or other ikky stuff, so I imagine it was thoroughly cleaned after she rubbed her girl bits on it. We’ve had it for years and had numerous clients sit on it over that time. Nobody has reported contracting anything gross or disgusting from it, so I think you’re pretty safe.

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Featured Video: Breakdancing In NYC In 1898

July 28, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

This video, which was made in 1898 by Thomas Edison’s film company, shows an Arab-American street urchin doing a proto-breakdance. He’s pretty great.

 

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Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

July 28, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

Not completely evil. More like mid-evil.

Mid evil sword 3 foot – $50 (NYC)

Comes with holster , 3 foot steel sword. No dents or scratches. very sharp.

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Old Print Article: “Did The Monkey Steal?” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1895)

July 28, 2010 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

I only steal what I need. (Image by Stougard.)

You think monkey-related theft is bad today? You should have been alive in 1895–that was the golden age of monkey robbers! I came across this article, which is subtitled “An Organ Grinder Accused of Teaching His Assistants Bad Habits,” in the April 19, 1895 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. An excerpt:

“Joseph Lavico, an Italian organ grinder, was sent to jail for twenty-five days by Justice Harriman in the Gates avenue police court this morning on a charge of exhibiting a monkey without a permit. This was the technical charge, but Officer Brockman who arrested Lavico expressed his belief that the monkey had been trained to steal by its owner. A number of people have complained to the police that after Lavico’s monkey had visited their apartments they have missed small articles of jewelry and never found them again. When sentence was pronounced Lavico wanted to compromise the case by giving the monkey to Justice Harriman, but without success.”

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    Featured Video: Polanski Weds Tate (1968)

    July 27, 2010 in Film, Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

    Sharon Tate in "Eye of the Devil."

    It was in 1968, though it seems a million lifetimes ago that Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate wed in London. He dressed in mod fashion and she in a wedding dress miniskirt. Michael Caine, Candice Bergen and Joan Collins were guests. It was the year before Tate was murdered in Los Angeles by the Manson family and about a decade before Polanski’s fall from grace. British Pathé was on the scene to make a newsreel about the nuptials. View it here.

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    The Bootlegger, Sherwood Anderson And The Brothel: How William Faulkner Became A Novelist

    July 27, 2010 in Books, Urban Studies | Permalink

    William Faulkner: "And the Madam had literary aspirations and the three of us would sit in the courtyard and she would supply the whiskey..." (Image by Carl Van Vechten.)

    In 1957-58, William Faulkner was the University of Virginia’s first writer-in-residence. The University has done a great thing by putting its many hours of Faulkner audio archives online. You can listen to entire lectures or search for pieces of audio by keyword. Once you start playing around with it, time slips away.

    In one segment, Faulkner describes the unusual events that led to his first novel being published. It seems like it could be partly a tall tale, but who knows? (Oddly, it’s not the first time this site has mentioned Faulkner and brothels in a post.) A transcript of his amusing story:

    “I was running a launch for a New Orleans bootlegger then down across Pontratrain down Industrial Canal into the Gulf to an island where we would pick up the sugar cane alcohol that came up from the Caribbean and bring that back to his kitchen and he would turn it  into scotch and gin and bourbon, whatever he wanted.

    Sherwood Anderson in Central Park in NYC in 1939. (Image by Carl Van Vechten.)

    I met Sherwood Anderson who lived in New Orleans at the time and I liked him very much just as you meet a man and you know that you’ll get along with him. We would meet in afternoons and sit in parks and he would talk and I would listen. We would meet again in the evening and go to a well-known, very elegant brothel then. And the Madam had literary aspirations and the three of us would sit in the courtyard and she would supply the whiskey and we would drink and he would talk and she would talk and I would listen. And the next morning I went to see him. He was in seclusion working.

    That would go on day after day, afternoons and evenings, he would sit over whiskey and talk and I would listen. I thought that if that was the life it took to be a writer that was the life for me. And so I wrote my first book and when I finished, Mr. Anderson said, ‘I’ll make a trade with you. If I don’t have to read it, I’ll tell my publisher to take it.’ So I said ‘done’ and he told his publisher to take it.”

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    Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

    July 26, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

    "I don't want to ruin 1500 lives." (Image by Elektromann.)

    1500 live ladybugs, accidently bought while drunk, feels bad. (park slope)

    So, after consuming pot brownies and getting a little too drunk on thanksgiving a friend and i decided to buy 1500 live ladybugs from amazon, which was a great idea until they came in the mail. Now they’re sitting on my windowsill and I have nothing to really do with them. If i set them free they’ll die in this weather, if I leave them on my windowsill they’ll die.

    So, if you have a greenhouse or some kind of animals to feed them to it’d be awesome. I don’t want to ruin 1500 lives.

    Email me and tell me what your’e gonna do with them, and if you can come pick them up. And they’re yours.

      Excerpted: “Terrorism Case Baffles Remote Alaska Town,” Los Angeles Times (2010)

      July 26, 2010 in Excerpts, Politics, Urban Studies | Permalink

      Floatplanes stand in the midst of King Salmon's natural beauty. (Image by Charlie Kindel.)

      Paul Rockwood Jr. and Nadia Rockwood were essential parts of their rural community in King Salmon, Alaska. He was the local weatherman and she was a stay-at-home mom who sang in the local choir and acted in community plays. They were beloved by their neighbors, who were crestfallen when the couple announced they and their four-year-old son were moving to her native England. But before the Rockwoods could leave the state, they were arrested by FBI agents. The pair had secretly been drafting a list of U.S. assassination targets, who they felt were enemies of Islam.

      Their neighbors who adored them were left stunned. The Rockwoods weren’t members of a sleeper cell, pretending to be well-adjusted Americans. They seemed to genuinely enjoy their small-town life but gradually grew a homicidal bent as Paul, who had converted to Islam in the early 2000s, came under the sway of extremist websites. The Los Angles Times has a story about the town in the aftermath of the arrests. An excerpt:

      “This week, Paul and Nadia Rockwood pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to one count of willfully making false statements to the FBI; in Paul Rockwood’s case, it was a statement about domestic terrorism.

      The plea agreements state that Rockwood, 35, had become an adherent of extremist Islam who had prepared a list of assassination targets, including U.S. service members. And, though no plot to carry out the killings was revealed, he had researched methods of execution, including guns and explosives, the agreements say.

      Federal charging papers said his wife, 36, who is five months pregnant with the couple’s second child, lied to investigators when she denied knowing that an envelope she took to Anchorage in April at her husband’s request contained a list of 15 intended targets. (None were in Alaska.) She told FBI agents that she thought the envelope contained a letter or a book. She gave it to an unidentified individual who her husband believed shared his radical beliefs, the FBI said.

      The plea agreements the couple signed said Paul Rockwood converted to Islam in late 2001 or early 2002 while living in Virginia and became a follower of radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar Awlaki, now believed to be living in Yemen.

      ‘This included a personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam,’ his agreement said.

      Here in King Salmon, where the biggest thing is the annual red salmon run–it happens to be the biggest one in the world — this has the air of a poorly written movie.

      ‘If all terrorists were this harmless, we’d all be living in a much less complicated world,’ said Rebecca Hamon, who lived in Camarillo before moving 12 years ago to King Salmon, on the Alaska Peninsula, 280 miles southwest of Anchorage.

      ‘We’ve all been in shock,’ said Mary Swain, who was friends with Nadia and baked the birthday cake for the Rockwoods’ son’s party last year. ‘I mean, kids would go over to her house all the time where she was teaching them ballet. She always went to library time, she went to story time…Her mom would come over here from England and stay with her for a month at a time, and people got to be friends with her too.'”

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      Old Print Article: “Inflated A Boy With Air,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1900)

      July 24, 2010 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

      Operating pneumatic drill with air tube.

      No one had a brain in his or her head in 1900. How else to explain the story of a Philadelphia boy who was killed after an older boy inflated him with air? In addition to this report of remarkably dumb and bizarre behavior, this story features the word “skylarking,” which long ago passed into disuse. It meant “to frolic.” There must have been a lot more than frolicking going on, however. An excerpt from an article titled “Inflated a Boy with Air,” which ran in the May 9, 1900 edition of Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

      “Jospeh Currier, aged 16 years, who worked in the Cramps’ shipyard under the name of John Frier, was to-day committed to prison on the charge of being partly responsible for the death of Christopher Donnegan, the 13 year old who was pumped full of wind on Monday afternoon. Currier said he was merely skylarking with Donnegan and had no vicious intent.

      Donnegan’s death was due to an unnatural inflation of the body caused by the inhalation of air through a tube attached to a pneumatic drill. Before his death the victim accused Currier and other boys at the shipyard of being the cause of his condition. The coroner is investigating.”

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      Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

      July 22, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

      Roast beef sandwich and curly fries. (Image by Lenin and McCarthy.)

      VINTAGE Large Orange Arby’s R NEON SIGN w/Transformer – $50 (Stone Ridge)

      This is an original vintage 1970s large orange lower case letter R from an ARBY’S sign. Letter has been wired to a transformer stand and is in excellent working condition. Letter measures approx. 21.5 inches tall X 9 inches wide X 4.5 inches deep. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions

      Arby’s was founded in Boardman, Ohio in 1964 by Forrest and Leroy Raffel, owners of a restaurant equipment business who believed there was a market opportunity for a fast food franchise based on a food other than hamburgers. The brothers wanted to call their restaurants “Big Tex,” but that name was being used by an Akron business. Instead, they chose the name “Arby’s,” based on R.B., the initials of Raffel Brothers (and the initials for “Roast Beef”).[7]

      The Raffel brothers opened the first new restaurant in Boardman, Ohio, just outside of Youngstown, on July 23, 1964. They initially served only roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and drinks. A year later, the first Arby’s licensee opened a restaurant in Akron, Ohio. The famous Arby’s “hat” was designed by the original signmakers, Peskin Sign Co.[8] (it continues to make signs for Wendy’s/Arby’s Group). Expansion to other states began in 1968, beginning in Pittsburgh (the closest large out-of-state market to Youngstown) and Detroit. The restaurants were initially designed to be more upscale than their hamburger competitors.

      During the 1970s, the expansion of Arby’s took place at a rate of 50 stores per year. During this time it created several menu items, including the Beef ‘n Cheddar, jamocha shakes, curly fries and two signature sauces: Arby’s BBQ sauce and horsey sauce. By 1981 it added chicken along with opening store number 1,000. It became the first restaurant in the fast food industry to offer a complete “lite” menu in 1991 with several sandwiches and salads under 300 calories and ninety four percent fat free.

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      Old Print Article: “The Evil Eye,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1900)

      July 21, 2010 in Misc., Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

      "...and whatever he wanted the jailer had to give to him, whether it was pie or liberty." (Image by Sugar Pond.)

      Today you need a high-priced lawyer to get out of jail, but back in 1900 you just had to know hypnosis. According to an asinine article I found in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a jailbreak in Indiana occurred with the help of hypnosis. And the practice was likely to spread from Hoosier State to everywhere else, so something needed to be done. An excerpt:

      “A prisoner in the jail at Geneva, Indiana, who had been locked up for murderous assault, was not there when the keeper went in to feed him. On the contrary, an assistant jailer was there, looking dazed and apparently trying to think. It appears that the prisoner had transfixed the keeper with his glittering eye, told him to unlock the door, and when his instruction had been obeyed he walked into the free air, in which ambient and exhilarant medium he has disported ever since.

      He was a hypnotist, the prisoner was. He had only to look hard at the jailer, make him believe that he was under an influence, and whatever he wanted the jailer had to give to him, whether it was pie or liberty. This may lead to changes in the penal practice. If a convict can not be trusted to keep his eyes off his bosses he will have to wear green spectacles, or the keys will have to be kept in the office and not allowed in the hands of too sensitive underlings, or the matter may be arranged by putting the keepers into blinders. They would look funny in blinders, to be sure, but if the evil eye could be averted by wearing them, they might be work.”

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      Urban Studies: “Teacher Loses Rabbit-Phobia Trial,” Spiegel (2010)

      July 21, 2010 in Science/Tech, Urban Studies | Permalink

      Bunny rabbit: Do not fear me. I am cuddly!

      I found this unusual article on the Spiegel website. It concerns a German high-school teacher who has an extreme fear of bunny rabbits–just the word “rabbit” sends her into hysterics and you should see what actual pictures of the animals do to her. The teacher, called Marion V. in the piece, sued a student for spreading rumors about her fear of the long-eared mammals. She says it isn’t true, but the courts ruled that it was in fact a real phobia.

      The interesting thing about phobias is that they really can take absolutely any form and it’s difficult to impossible to figure out their sources. An excerpt from the article:

      “A teacher in the northern German town of Vechta lost her case Tuesday that would have put to bed the rumor that she’s afraid of rabbits. Marion V., 60, a German and geography teacher, made headlines earlier this year by accusing a 16-year-old schoolgirl of defamation, alleging that the student maliciously gossiped that V. suffers from rabbit phobia.

      The defendant, named as Kim P., caused the stir by drawing a rabbit on the blackboard of V.’s classroom. Upon entering the room and seeing the drawing, V. reportedly fled from her classroom in tears.

      The court dismissed V.’s claims, saying through a court spokesperson that V.’s fear of rabbits is a fact, which the defendant proved in court. If Kim P. was found guilty, she would have faced a €5,000 fine for any further incidents of rabbit drawing in front of V.”

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      “I Like Guns…I Like Guns…I Like Guns”

      July 21, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

      I may not be the most observant person, but I do believe that Steve Lee likes guns. The Australian singer-songwriter recorded an album of 12 ditties about how much he goddamn loves firearms.

       

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      Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

      July 20, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

      Classy. (Image by Eberswalde Discothek Awerk.)

      I Want a Tattoo..and I can offer

      I’m an alt model (think suicidegirls) and a hypnotherapy student. If you ink me..I can hypnotize you. I will also link you on my websites so you get some site traffic.

      I’m here to help if its a fear or phobia or a nasty habit.

      I’m also a tarot reader and can offer readings for ink if you’d like…Have a nice day..

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      Featured Video: “There’s No Other Place In This Universe Like Hedonism II”

      July 19, 2010 in Urban Studies, Videos | Permalink

      This video will change your life but not for the better. I will never visit you, Jamaica. (Thanks Dangerous Minds.)


      Old Print Article: “Again Guldensuppe’s Head,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1897)

      July 18, 2010 in Misc., Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

      Don't throw me back into the creek.

      People had just as little common sense in Brooklyn at the end of the 19th-century as they do today, perhaps even less. I came across this odd article in the July 14, 1897 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. In the aftermath of a murder, two local men come into contact with what may be the disembodied head of the victim, and then handle their discovery with less than sheer brilliance. Despite the bungling, William Guldensuppe’s murderer was eventually captured and convicted; it was a barber named Martin Thorn, who had designs on his victim’s girlfriend and wanted him out of the picture. An excerpt:

      “James Ceter, an Italian rag picker, who says he lives somewhere on Purdy place, went to the Sixth Precinct Police Station this morning and told a story that may have important bearings on the Guldensuppe murder case.

      Ceter said that while he was working very early in the morning at the dump on Scott avenue, near Newtown Creek, he was approached by an unknown man, apparently a German, who held in his hand a human head. The Italian says that the head had a small black mustache and a gash on the left cheek.

      In accosting the Italian, the German said: ‘Look at this! I found it down at the creek.’ The two men talked together for a moment and came to the conclusion, so Ceter says, that the proper course would be to throw the head back into the creek. This, the Italian said, was done.

      Acting on the Italian’s story the police of the Sixth Precinct are engaged to-day in grappling in the waters of the creek. Ceter describes his chance acquaintance as a man of medium height and about 50 years of age. He had a reddish gray mustache and wore dark clothes and a jersey.

      The dredging of the creek was done by Detective Sergeant Baker and Officer Trenchard and Tracy, under the personal direction of Captain Lees. They were still at work when the Eagle went  to press. They were watched by a large and curious crowd.”

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      Thank You, Jeff From Arizona, For The Spam Email You Just Sent To The Afflictor Inbox

      July 18, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

      Actual before and after photos. (Image by Mariuszjbie.)

      REAL Doctors, REAL Science, REAL Results!

      I must admit, the penis is a man’s best friend. While I was in college, I did the typical guy thing. Went to bars, hung out with chicks; but getting them into bed was another story. When I was fortunate enough to finally score, it was guaranteed embarrassment. That’s what brought me to this site. Having a 4 inch penis can’t be the most popular thing among woman. Now that I’ve tried Dr MaxMan, pulling down my pants is no longer my biggest worry. Will she be able to handle this my monster python? That’s what I ask myself now. Thank You Dr MaxMan!–Jeff, Phoenix, AZ

      Ol' Sparky: I thought I was your best friend.

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      Urban Studies: The Many Ghost Towns Of China

      July 17, 2010 in Urban Studies | Permalink

      Not much doing at the Chenggong Railway Station. (Image by vegafish.)

      China might be the most fascinating place on Earth right now, but not only for good reasons. For instance: Pre-planned suburban sprawl has led to massive temporary ghost towns in which gorgeous architecture and spiffy new light rail systems lay unused while bureacratic issues are worked out. The government is hoping to ease the congestion of cities by building nearby suburban centers from scratch and relocating people there. I can’t imagine that artificially undoing population density is a good idea, but that’s the plan. It will definitely lead to a more wasteful use of resources.

      Holly Krambeck has written an intriguing piece of reportage on the subject (focusing on the insta-ghost town of Chenggong) for the World Bank site. (I think the excellent Marginal Revolution was the first to point me in the direction of this article, so thank you, you dismal scientists.)  An excerpt:

      “In Chenggong, there are more than a hundred-thousand new apartments with no occupants, lush tree-lined streets with no cars, enormous office buildings with no workers, and billboards advertising cold medicine and real estate services–with no one to see them.

      As my colleagues and I wandered, on–foot, down the center of Chenggong’s empty 8-lane boulevards and dedicated bus lanes, never seeing a single person, we marveled about the fiscal and political conditions that would have to exist to create something like this.

      development of a new light rail system. Upon learning that two stations had already been built in Chenggong, my colleagues and I just had to go see for ourselves–just what does a modern Chinese ghost town really look like? Well, here it is.”

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      Recently Posted On NYC’s Craigslist

      July 16, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

      The original Nathan's shop on Coney Island. (Image by J. Reed.)

      Nathan’s Hot Dog Items (Levittown/hicksville)

      We are having a “Nathan’s Hotdog” themed party for my son….Nathan obviously. The company will not sell me anything at all. I bought plates, hats, napkins and cups off the website but need more! I want everything….table clothes, ketchup packets, banners, balloons, anything and everything! If anyone knows a way I can get this stuff and/or has anything…..please contact me!

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      Old Print Article: “Reminscences Of The Three Card Monte Man,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1878)

      July 14, 2010 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

      An 1890 painting of three-card monte dealers.

      Edward Valentine, better known as the “Chow Chow Man,” was a colorful and controversial Coney Island three-card monte dealer in the latter part of the 19th-century. (He was apparently so nicknamed because he loved chow chow pickle relish.) A paunchy man with bright green spectacles, Valentine would take his cards and a board and set up the game in a heavily trafficked area of the beach and let the suckers come to him. Valentine was regularly arrested for gambling, so there were numerous articles published about him in the New York Times and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, which sternly labeled him a public nuisance. But editorial writers seemed to miss his larger-than-life quality the second the Brooklyn character died. An excerpt from an April 28, 1879 piece in the Eagle that recalled the amusing con man:

      “Poor old Chow Chow–by another and his own name, Edward Valentine–is dead. The police know it; a good many other people, with more money than brains, know it also. It is not often that a newspaper is called upon to record the demise of a man to whom the world owed so little, who owed himself the world so much, and yet, who was, in his daily life, so close on the line dividing the honest man from the criminal, technically, and who enjoyed such an immunity from legal persecution and prosecution as did the subject of this sketch.

      (Image by ZioDave.)

      Valentine was a man not intended by Mother Nature for a rascal. He had a large, generous nature, which regarded humanity either in distress or on a spree, as something to which he was necessarily to attach himself, either a as promoter of charity or of good feeling, wherever either might appeal to him. He differed from the ruffian type. Reddy the Blacksmith is recorded as holding the theory that, and as putting it habitually into practice, ‘that a sucker had no right to have any money under any circumstances,’ and it is alleged that no matter what the circumstances were, whether his victim were foe or circumstantial friend, he got his money if he could. That was not the style of Valentine.

      He would go to work and with his deft and light fingered art–and art it was, without question, would beat a sucker out of his money, and then if the man was in distress, would not only give it all back to him but go out of his way to do something to help the sufferer.

      Of his methods it is not necessary to say anything here. He was a master of the three card monte game. There was nothing in it that he did not possess. All of his points, fine and common, which the professors of the three card art possess were child’s play to him. And he was always willing to show those who knew him how he did it.

      A notable instance recurs to memory, when Chow Chow having been in bad luck, or worse, was aided to the extent of a few dollars by well known newspaper men, was asked to show his skill. He promptly responded by throwing his cards around, explaining how his tricks were done, and then ending up by winning drinks all around through an exercise of digital skill which he himself thoroughly delineated.”

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