2 20 232 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/92a08a9cd90929736ad4f294e47b9d45.mp4 d6948974f14a190126ee8ac0e9351910 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the <em>Rites of Passage Mentoring Program</em>. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college.<br /><br />As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award.<br /><br />In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges.<br /><br />As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director.<br /> <p><br />Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated^® was founded on well over 110 years ago.&nbsp; Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service.</p> <p>The five program targets for 2018–2022 are:</p> <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a><em>The Arts!</em></a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> <p>In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas:</p> <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:53:42 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Clement, Irma Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Irma Clement Subject The topic of the resource Clement, Irma Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Description An account of the resource Oral history of Irma Clement, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in July 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Clement, Irma Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.011 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/b2be62b77f8789eeba44677256b6b258.jpg 99b2d925083293df21a8a9b0e82a42a3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 3688x2452px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Ode to the Nuyorican" Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) "Ode to the Nuyorican" Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Description An account of the resource "Ode to the Nuyorican," the first published poem of Mariposa Fernández, published in <em>New York Newsday</em> on June 11, 1995, in a feature spread with poetry by other Puerto Rican poets. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available New York Newsday Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 11, 1995 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival document Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.BD002.001 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/8779f4f035d95e731ef4819583c27256.jpg 06a05f523c8ff81d126ecf9526789e6b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 5058x6532px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández self-photo Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text">Photograph of Mariposa Fernández taken by Mariposa for a photography class in high school.</div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980s Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The organization that has made the Item available reasonably believes that the Item is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.001.027.004 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/38c51bd404b874c49bd1049a40ba47fc.mp4 d2353adde9f98f36a1797169a3c89ffd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data VHS recording Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:03:55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Sings to Lolita Lebrón on Her Birthday Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Puerto Rican liberation Lebrón, Lolita Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text">Recording of Mariposa singing to famous Puerto Rican Nationalist Lolita Lebrón on the occasion of her birthday.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Urban Latino Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource n.d. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The organization that has made the Item available reasonably believes that the Item is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival video Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.001.034 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/06ca90975d33a7a8fe9ea6851eb7185d.pdf fb065a868dec6be9e37bd85321655112 PDF Text Text ′ ´ ‐ ‐ ヽ ● ヽ ｀ ヽ �Born Bronxena Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom it{ariposa Bronxefra Books Brom, New York Gover Design By mellesol I orlg nal Arlwork �Acknowledgeaents Much thanks to The Bronx Council on the Arts and The Bronx Writers' Center, especially Leslie Shipman, Laurie Palmieri and Bill Aguado. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement, and for all the hard work you do to make sure that art and culture continue to thrive in the Brpnx. I'd like to also acknowledge my beautiful family and a1l the poetic inspirations ir my Iile especially the late great Marc Crawford, melleSOl, Teresa Lynn Rivera, Deriree Rivera, Joseph Rivera, Esperanza Martell, Rev, Pedro Piehi, Carmen Pielri, Lois GriJfith, Pepe, Julio, Willie Perdomo, Sandra Maria Esteves, Jesus Papoleto Melendez, Stephanie Agosto, Suzana Cabaflas, Franl Perez, Sonia Gonazlez, Rosie Perez, Anita Rivera, Sandra Garcia Rivera, Welfare Poets, Erica & Melinda Gonzalez, Angel Rodriguez, Universes, Marlyn Malias, Danny Hoch, Satah Jones, Arthur Aviles, Charles Rice Gonzalez, Eddie Pagan, Sery Colon, Luki and all the rest. You know you are, I'm truiy biessed. There too many beautifuL peopie in my iife too list here. All Praises due to the Great Spiritl Bofl Bronxefia.Second Edihon. Mariposa @ 2001 Repruited with the permission of Sistahs Underground Publicatioru, Al1 rights reserved. Plinted in the Bron"rl No part of this book may be reproduced rn any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in Lhe case 0f brief quotations.embodied in critical arlicles and reviews. For hlormahon piease contact the Bronx Council on the Arts or Mariposa at hemenda@ frnai o lt1 �Bronxeia Books, a program ofThe Bronx Writers' Center and the Bronx Council on the Ars, publishes emerging uban writers in chapbook torm.. Brontefi Bookscurrently publishes the work of Van Li0r Fellows. The name Bronxefra is a gift to the Bronx Writer's Center from Mariposa. The Van Lier Literary Fellowshlp O Resiilency Program is an annual Fellowship that provides an This, opportunity for three literary artisb under the age of to receive a $7,000 grint to focus on their deveiopm as a writer, both piofessionally and'artistically. Previous recipients include Sarah Jones, Nelly Ros Angie Cruz, Suheir Hammad and Antirony DeMo my first chapbook is dedicated to the Poet in me still skuggling.to be free, to the Soul of the Bronx and to Mami & Daddy. This publiution is made possible by the799912000 Lier Literary Fellowship 0 Residency, fundedby th Edward and Sally Van Liei Fund of the New York Thank you. Community Trust. I love you. ′ ¨ ̀: �- My Mothe/s Eyes (for Mary FernAndez, mi fuerza, mi vida) "An artist's expression is fter] soul made apparent, [her] schooling, as well as [her] "cool" being exhibited. Behind every motion, the music of [her] soul is made visible. My mothels eyes tell a story of powa arid shength of skuggle and grief of a woman's joumey Otherwise, ftul drotion is empty Brown almond eyes set.in a brown oval face and erhpty motion E like an and a gaze soft and warm emiity word - no meaning," a gaze full of courage raging in the storm - Masbr Bruce Lee My mother's eyes speak to me of survival and secreb yet to be told of pain hidden away of sleepless nighb and lonely days My mothe/s eyes speak magic laughter andjoy and loving life Keeping me steady lvlaking me shong Passing on a legary Ia mujer Boricua rebom La mujer Boricua growing shong La mujer Boricua living on and on.., �Haikus for Daddy Ode to the DiaspoRican (pa' mi gente) You always taught me To think for myself and not be an idiot Mira a mi cara Puertoniquefia Mi pelo vivo Mis manos morenas Mira a mi coraz6n que se llma de orgullo Y di me que no soy Boricua H. Some people say that I'm not the real thing Strong silent mountain I ould alwiys count on you Your love was conshnt Boricua, that is cause I wasrft born on the endraned island cause I was born on the mainland nor8r ofSpanish Harlem m. cause I was bom in the Bronx.., some people think that [m not bonafide I am your daughter .cause my playground was a concrete jungle Uke you, a stong tough Bronx kid Determined to win. cause my Rio Grande de Loiza was dre Bronx River cause my Faiardo was Ci$ Island rny Luquillq Orchard Beach and summer nighe were filled with city noises instead of coquis and Puerto Rico was just some paradise that we only saw in pictures. What does it mean to Iive in betwem What does it take to reali'e that being Boricua is a shte of mind a shts of hea* a state of soul... lMira! �No nac{ en Puerto Rico Puerto Rico naclo en mi! Boricua Duttafly IAnthe Miraa面 caraPuerOrnqueia Meta-morpha+ized Mi pelo vivo Mis mnos mo nas Mira a面 ∞raz6n que se lem Ihe rebom The living phoenix orgulo I{ising up out of the ashes Y dilme que no soy 3oricua・ Ofmy conquued people Not the lost Puerto Rican soul in search of identity Not the tsagic Nuyorican in search Of the land of the palm ree Not fragm.ented but whole Not olonized but Free. ・ 一 鱗只 �Mi Abuelita preciosa gave us the same gift every year with laughter, tears, joy and pain ・ ・ 令 は ほ 鸞・ La Navidad con mi Abuela of all the people who came on Noche Buenal Iwish I ould be a litde girl again. I wish I could say La Bendici6n just one more time, the giltoflove to feel Abuela's dreek next to mine she gave from her soul to relive la Navidad con mi Abuela. the 6ift of love that she made with her arihritic hands, the hands of a garment worker who would not stop giving the love that is still living even drough she is gone. Remembeiing Wela and the best'pasteles in the Bronx... I remember the ritual that lasted weels that began with a trip to Simpson Sheet b buy las verduras. I wish I could watch her hands again grind the yautia, plahno verde y el guineo hmbien I wish I could sit in her kirchen again smell the aroma of sofrito listen to the alguinaldos de Ramito and hear her sing song voice scold me as I sneak pieces of carne y asetuna into my mouth I wish I could hand her el rollo de papel and lvlami y Titi fold and tie and stack dre precious gifc de mi Abuelih I wish I could remember all 0re faces remember all the names t0 It �Poem for My Grifa-Rican Sistah Or Broken Ends Broken Promises (para mi melliza, Melissa, who endured it with me) Braids trvist and tie ■● ■ ド ● ⁚ １一■・ onsuain baby naps never to be free braids twist and tie conain / hold in the shame of not havirt' long black silky stands to run my fingers through. The Puerto Rican Spirit Mofros y bobby piru Flies like a fiery phoenix Please forgive me for the sin twist and wrap Sounds like the bomba rhythms of a pasionate heartbeat Looks like the curly brown waves of my hair And smells lile sofrito. of not inheriting Papr"s "goo{ hair" moflos y bObby pins twist and wraii ' restrain kinky naps dying to beftee but not the pain of not having a long black silky mane to run my fingers drrough. Clips and ribbons to hold back and tie oppressing baby naps nerrer to be free dips andribbors to hold back and tie imprisoningbaby naps never b have the dignity to be, Chemical relaxers brokm enils / brokm promises activabr and cream 12 t3 �mixed in with bittemess mix well... the ritual of comb ng / parbng I sectioning the greasing of the scaip / the neck / I remember the view from / the ears the backseat window of my mother's red Nova / and then the burning / the burning How could I ever forget the cityscape the forehead the process 70's South Bronx Memories "lt hurts to be beautiful" on the southbound Bronx River Parkway? my mother tells me "Pero mami me PICA!" Flying at filty five miles per hour, and then the running / the rururing to water of The Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens to salvation /to neuhalizer passing the mysterious tsees lining the oulskirts / to broken ends and broken promises... The sky would open up and you'd see the Bronx stretch its buildings endlessly. Parkchester and Soundview to the left and on the right, Graduating from Carefree Curl the cream colored towers of the a Hun-8Oth Sheet hain Io Kitry curl / to Revlon / to super duper labulaxer different boxes offering us broken ends and broken station where the 2 and 5 snaked their way to Manhathn with all ils silver skyscrapers looming on the southern skyline. promises. How could I forget the sky? "We've come a long way since Dixie Peach." my mother tells me as I sit at the kitchen table' Chemical relaxers to melt away the shame until new growth reminds us that it is time once again for the ritual and the fear of scalp burru and hair loss It was always lined with clouds of dark purple smoke And the air smelled of burning wood and rubber. I remember visiting Abuelo on Bryant Avenue in Hun(s Point. His was the only building left standing on that block Where he stood selling piraguas Surrounded by lob of piled brick and garbage. "lt looks like there was a war here Mami." Together we had seen fire late late show and the welcoming World War il movie with Sophia Loren of broken ends Fighting to stay alive in worn torn Italy. and broken Mami said that she was a litde girl at that time. Promises. In El Barrio, where she grew up in the 1940's They'd have air raids and all the little kids Had to hide under their desks at school. "Mami, is there a war going on here?" I remember standing close to her 14 15 �Licking my cherry piragua Wondering if rab Iurked beneati The mountains of charred brick. The New Downtown Bronx or Headline Bronx News They Forgot to Tell Us About I don't ever remember her Answering my question. The Bronx Borough President declares All I remember is the the South Bronx will hereby be known Sad look of her forever as the New Downtown Bronx, Silence. as The New YorkTimes praises 0re borough as the best "lnner" city in America, as the bohemian young professional offspring of Baby Boomers continue to roll into town seeking to change their lives h the city that never sleeps, as renb continue to go up, as blood continues to stain our streeb as poor people become poorer, as schools fail our children, as prisons overflow, as we ask ourselves, where will we go? as gentilication ttuives in our land as we continue to wihess dre devastation and the perpetuation of 500 years of eviction notices. r6 17 �Subversive? Somewhere deep irside she lives, I am a single poet But no lonier can she see by the dawn s early [ght Not a word What so proudly she once hailed In the land where nothlng is free. That can be erased From existence, Look into my soul and /ou will see Noramlawoman Who can be Who I really am. Dehumanized By a single word; Just a thtd gmeration Puerto Rican Bronx born, I am not a label, The daughter of a bodegueto, Nor a loca, Nor a fanatical The gnnddaugher of a phaguero, Descended from los cariduros de FaTardo. Touch my hands and you will know Radica[. You may see a wanior princes Standing before you but I am just a Puerto Rican girl from the Broru Who one day learned against hu fragile will That het people were not free. Somewhere deep inside she lives. The girl who believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny As she saluted the American flag, Whb cheered on John Wayne and the [.one Ranger Believing it was the Indiaru who were bad. Sourewhere deep inside she lives. The girl who read the Scripture atmass, The girl who prided herself for being obedienf 18 ．・ 一 離 ｔ ●甕 ●厳 融 ■●輻麟 ・︱ 粛 国 ●新機 ●■ ｒ ・． ● ●︐■一 ︲ ヽ総 ＝ ■■ ●ｔ ︱． いおい ●´＾ ︱ ︐ ︐ ︐ ヽ ● ■■ Who sat silently in the back of the class. That I too sometimes An afraid and can only pray For the courage I lack To shnd skong and not sway. Understand That as I write this poem In the hopes that you will see the real me Vieques is scorche4 the land 'ivhere Star-spangled rockeb' red glare Where a fishermerfs living dies in the sea Where mothers and their children Die of cancer, in despair Crying out for our help,. For anyone who cares As NAVY bombs bursting Conhminate the air. A subversive? I am just a Puerto Rican woman who dares t9 �To be free. YourWayWithWords A Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx Who.loves IiIe and humanity. A Puerto Rican woman with vision Your words come to me Who can seem all dre possibilities. entering my pores A Puerto Rican woman like bolb of lightening Who loves her people and her culture, from dishnt ancient skies. Who believes in God and Divine Justice And freedom for Your words vibrate with All people and familiar understandings, Who like her Puerto Rican foremothers show me the way to the unknown, Cannot conceive the idea of ever turning back. bathe me in mystical moonlighf out of the darkness to look me in the eye, remind me we are never alone. Pa'lante! Fuera la Marina de Vieques! Your words teach me bravery, Ni una bomba mas! naked huth shimmering in dre rain, dearuing me of fear, leaving me forever changed. Your words are an open horizon, a landscape I have never seen, rainbows bursting fantastic colors of secret untold dreams. Your words walk hand in hand with my thoughh. Your words echo in my mind. Your words make their presence known through the power of the sublime. Your words spin me around in cirdes. irspire bombazo rhythms in my heart guide me on the dance floor of your imagination, captivating me from the stalt. 20 �Comin'Down (Freedom Poem for me and all my people) Your words are like precious jewels adorning my poetic mird Have you ever,seen a Boricua crawl up on the ceiling? fiiling me with passion, sparkling and divine. janmirf without rhythm bouncin' to a pathological tune swayin' to the sound of Your words are gifts oppression that greet me in the morning, comin down as it breeds comin' down as it breeds sing me lullabies at night, caress and embrace me, entice me to surrender and not fight psychosis this wonderful feeling of white feet holdin' me down delight. holdin' down my neck oppression cornin' down man hands holdin' me down holdin down my neck ″ ′ oppression. comin' down as it breeds comin' down as it breeds psychosis ヽ′ now will you excuse me while i have this newous breakdown ヽ´ please excuse me while i scream as i watch gry brgken aBerican dream turn into shit excuse me while i play with my own �they lied to us to make sure i'm still alive excuse me while i arswer these voices told us success is the 2.5 drildten family while they cut and tied in clinics and factories these voices jammin' in my head drivin' many a Boricua woman to insanity jammin' without rhythm they lied to us bouncin' to a pathological tune swayin' to dre sound of oppression comin' down opened our veiru to pour as it breeds Iifeless firrehead on cold tile floor ttrey seduced us with white lady the stench oI deattr in back alleys comin' down as it breeds no longer needing bullets psychosis ropes and white hooded raids we feed ourselves their poisons you see watch our babies die of AIDS they stole our grandmothers raped them they lied to us ripped out their tongues , forced them to swallow religious bile you see watched them dry heave down on their 'knees .hedefiled my hairless vulva fondled my unlormed breasb you see told me to say ten Hail Mary's they took our iand and sent me on my way sold our baby girls and boys cashated our men y el otro slit open black bellies robbed the fiuit of my innocence at the ripe age of nineteen they lied to us smiled and iaughed as he defecated on my girlhood dreams showed us a Norman Rockwell painting said, "This too can be yours." and you then let us drown in the misery of poverry ' you skip me with your eyes 21 �turn my poetry into somethin' obscene turn my tib and ass into entrees food for your fantasies my songs of fteddom bouncin' off white walls locked in the quiet room singing songs of freedom and you as you feed me white pills you scribble out my salvation on two pieces of paper no pillow to rest my head on one piece four fee no human touch on the other the word lithium all alone 1200 milligrams to silence me no human voice but my own to make my mind sleep no sPace see me now can't even piss and shit in peace a ghost plunge into the abyss of sleepless nighe watch me now see how i [o insane no Peace no sunlight no air no air no sunlight whiセ PlL only despair Whitt Pills witt two refib white hands holdin' my head back white fingers pinchin' my nose white halls white pills fallinl down my tluoat walkin' up and down to silence me white halls to make my mind sleep walkin' up and down nothin' but white walls and white gowns and white pills to silence me to make my mind sleep so now...now that ya done fucked with my head drove me into the mania of the oppressed ya gonna try.and mentally incarcerate me 8a8 me label me but i haven't slept in weeks skip me of my identity andifall,ifall bury me alive deeper into psychosis the stigma of mental illness tJre stigma of oppression 26 27 �that breeds psychosis mis muertos comin' down that breeds bppression chains breakin' well the mental health/prison iomplex indusby can kiss my black pderto riLan asi because you can'tjail theispirit though i done lost my mind butnot my faith you done raped and beatme, hied to kill me Iocked me up and threw away 0re k'ey but my soul is an ancient bufterfly born to be fee breakin' chairs white walls prison walls comin'down comin' down comin'down. see these tears cominl down baby giri tears comin' down lke rain comir/ down ' tears of lightening cominl down tears of thunder comirt' down tears of fire comin' down OYA comin' down because what goes aroirnd the wind blows around and the time is comin' down for me and all my people tq be free the time is comirt' down for white walls to fall the time is comirt' down to snuff out self hate and brown on brown rape the time is comin' down to see colonialiim in its gravb mis muertos comin' down that's right, my ancestors comin' down mis muertos comin' down 28 29 �Creating policies of hypocrisy CORPORATE TEVIATHAN (for the innocenb / born and unborn) And while the rich and privileged Nameless smiling faces live large in safe and clean places Why must there be so much disparity? And with such abundance Why must our children go thirsty? The clock ticks as they sit packed in and conlined How will they iearn how to thinl critically to quesiion authority? Not taught but trained to follow orders Pledge allegiance to a Republic more concerned With building prisons than schools More concerned with producing weapors Radicals of the Sixties / now the caretakers of Aristocracy Itt the philosophy that i(s "Okay'' to oppress So long as you "claim' to be fighting for social justice. In the CORPORATE LEVIATHAN of this New Age The Dawn of a whole people enslaved If we do nothing. In the CORPORATE LEVIATHAN of this New Age The Dawn of a race of CHILD SLAVES In prison grays / in prison grays MADEINTHEUSA iI fie do nothing. Than books of knowledge Less that one percent of us makes it past college lVhat conspiracy theory? This IS realiiy It ain't no secret thatTHEY / want to lock up our children And throw away the key / Feei the irrgency In public policy / seems that schools are a liabilig But prisons a thriving industry Our children are not just FAILED but JAILED Systematically quite ruthlessiy By a society motivated by greed and money Creating monopolies of resources along class and color lines Education to make the masses biind Schooling to assimilate not liberate Progressive masks to disguise the race and class hate Smiling wide as they annihilate ∞ 31 �too well to this madness Boomerang so you turn away dorit want to face the pain today oppression on the outside oppression externalized dort't worry baby the oppression you were forced to internalize / will externa[ze let me paint a pichre some how / some way of me with my eyes half closed and when it does and you / so far away i'll be there won't you come be with me? to stand as midwife care to co-depend today? as you rebirth yourselJ come dance with me cuz going insane is a collective process the me who I used to be and isolation is counter revolutionary come dance the hilf-closed-eye madness need not be a solitary journey crazy black girl shuIlle in fact / we need to externalize this wretched internalized oppression oppression on the outside as a co'mmunity oppression externalized if we're gonna be the libertory force mood swinging to ideation of suicide we need to be / a force that is lethal can't take this pain no more not individually but as a people going insane once more and the Spirit world is the only world to respond when I implore cuz it seems I'm alone in this even though going insane is a.collecfive process but you don't want to see yourself in me you seek pleasure / not sadness dort't want to admit / you relate we need io be gciing crdzy cuz madness is the road to revolutionary consciousness word is bond litr<e Assata Shakur said it's the shong ones who are crazy the weak ones iust go along like Albizu said when the sazy ones are ready to die for their freedom' �on my Mothe/s face it will mean they have regained their reason and capitalism ain't the way if we go the road of materialist individualism we'll be selling our souls like Faust like sister Audre Lorde said the master's tools will never desboy the master's house let me paint a piciure of as she helplessly watched her baby go crazy let me paint a picture severed flesh / shredded skin bleeding puss encrusted / enllamed internalized rage / externalized and you can't deny that you're no different than me oppression on the outside cuz we're all a part of this dysfunctional human family you can't hide internalized oppression wi'Jr Hillfiger and of oppression extbrnalized Versace me dead skin you ain't no dilferent than me falling off my body in flakes hair matted eyes crus ty hands shaking ass rusty cuz you didn't hatch out of an egg / and just be just cuz you go around suriling / laughing / lookiag beautiful don't mean drat you're happy how can you be when you ain't fiee? iime for us all to face our demons Now just how in the he1l was I supposed to color coordinate? that's what oppression looks like on tle outside when it hangs / yes hangs on the outside cuz my soul got lost in the routine in trying to achieve the American dream and this abshact thing / like a boil bursting suddenly / was all over the place externalized oppression reflected in the look of terror 34 temove oul masks i(s a mafter of survival time for us all to confront our seU hate self desbuction and denial before it's too late cuz while we continue to feign pretending everything is alright those in power will continue to reign so you might as well just let it hang lest it continue to drain you of your essence x5 �sulrender to self love and the knowledge that the universe will support our complete liberation and independence and the annihiiation of our enemy's power over us generation upon generation breeding manilesh tion upon manileStation producing an oppressive reality barbwire lining our horizoru,.. soru and daughters of Zion cuz captivity is conhary to nature in the universe there ain't no boundaries every child was born to be free now let me explain to you Fanon's theory as my tongue refuses to go weary too much truth to tell so let me teilit well and so we perfect the.art of going insane and we furn.on each other like rats in a laboratory elperiment gone Right now hold tight cuz just as the oppressed is about to self-destouct Boomerang it gets thrown to us by the massa / the oppressoi subjector of all this madness perpehator of crimes agairut humanity assassinator / weaver of poverty just when you thought allwas lost ' Boomerang turns back on the oppressor heads straightfor the source the Ruling classes Boomerang it hits us and we internaiize all the pain which manifests into shime . the erulavers of the masses 'till we loose our minds So Revolution needs to.be about forgefting our own names collective action and Boomerang collective madness it hie us wrapping chain upon chain and tha(s why we need to be going 'round our minds and we intemaiize we inhale all the lies sazy So go crazy. 36 37 �A Nο たね Fみ ιR Tears of the Tiger5 ′′ ″ (For Tio, Te quiero mucho...) The term " Marine Tiger" or "Marintirya" refers to the derogatory name given to Puerto Ricans who came to the United States in the late 40's and early 50's on the SS Marine Tiger, a US Naval warship which was used as a hansport for Puerto Ricans after WWIL These Puerto Ricans constituted what is known as the Great Wave; when migration to the mainland was at ib peak under the direction Governor Luis Munoz Marin's "Operation Bootshap. Operation Boobhap was ah economic boom and depopulation plan for the island, the main objective being the strategic removal of thousands of unemployed Puerto Ricans, This was achieved by sterilazion of Puerto Rican women (see the documentary "La Operaci6n) and the forced removal of Puerto Ricans who in turn came to the United States (see the documentary "Operation Bootshap), Shamefully, the already established Puerto Ricans lidiculed the newly anived, calling them jibaros and "Marintayas". This poem is attempts to tell a part of our history. of The song incorporated into the poem, "Marintaya" was by written by Pachito Riset and recorded in 1946. This poem is dedicated to my beloved uncle Felix Rosario. Descanse en Paz. I'd here the song again and again in my mind haunting sad like the cold winds of change blowing reminding me that we are in the dead of winter the ground fiozen our past buried but I'd hear the song and it would remind me remind me to write the poem which I kept forgetting Iorgetting to write the poein I knew I must write before the spirit of song escaped my memory before I'd forget ifs melancholy story But I'd hear the song again and again haunting me reminding me of the past buried deep within tie ice cold earth 38 3S �but living looking foi sense of home and brotherhood like the seed Iives to birth itself in the spring but instead they were greeted by the cruel laughter of los que llevan muchos afros aqui like the caterpillar lives in the cocoon to one day manifest glorious butterfly wings y toditos se ien de mi But it is deep pain looking for bro therhood that I feel as Tio sings but finding cold stares of a cold story on Barrio corners deep seeded in shame where they stood alive in the vital mind of el viejito negrito having already made each chord coated in pain thqfrightening hip from the waterfront downtown Maintaya Marintaya Up from Puerto Rico Up fiom the harbor Mis lvrmanos me llaman asi to cold Nueva York sheeh the dark story of thd many thousands They came. who came They came every 14 days Tio said Me uen pobre like cattle they came. looking for dreams Me uen lriste All year 'round they came. And in winter they wore nothing but wom guayaberas, thin shawls, Panama hab and white shoes they were told they would find streeb of gold They came young and old but found only the cold and poverty like lost flocks of birds but finding misery to shiver in the cold y toditos se ien fumi on cold banio corners 40 1l �Born Bronxefla where the children of the unfeeling Puerto Ricans . the assimilated - the established threw rocks and called them names Jibaro! Marintaya! Oye Marintaya! My lile has been a series of endless circles Understanding born out of pain into consciousness Rainbow wings never shielded my heart fiom muted tears My life has been a series of endless circles Where I have spiraled backward and forward From deep dark abysses of ancient feals into stalbulsts My life has bem a series of endless circles The tears of the Tigers are now fiozm like their bones in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx or Calvary in Queens where graves were offered cheap to the lost children of La Isla Borinquen. Understanding born out of pain into consciousness ., Born Bronxeia I had no choice But to learn How to survive. And I learned That even in the The tears of the lost Tigers still fall like the falling lgst aguaceros Darkest times, of lost dreams You will find it. like the lost story of our forced hagic Exodus lost [ke their names lost to aruresia the amnesia of shame . . . .Malintaya, Marintaya And that the rays Of most majestic Mis hermanos me llaman asi And pmehate Me ven pobre, Me ven histe The darkest of sewers. If you look for the Sun Rainbows Rain down To reach y toditos se rien de mi lNo me importa que me llaman asi! lPuerto Rico no time bandera! ;Ay, Bendito! iQue serd de mi? iPuerto Rico no tiene bandera! 1Ay Borinquen! ;Que seri de ti? 42 43 �Never Fear the Skies Bronx native, Mariposa (born Maria Teresa FernAndez de Rosario) is a performance artist, free-lance wdter, educator and Never fear the skies human righb activisl Known for her confrontational style, she For God gave us these wings has rocked audiences with her brand of spoken word poetsy We were born to fly so since 1989 in such venues as the Nuyorican Poets Ca(€, Tramps, Never fear the skies instead reach high and shetch tle canvas of your mind Beyond the possibilities that lay on the horizon Never fear the skies The Joseph Papp Public Theater, The Cotton Club, Irving Plaza and C.B.G.B.'s in NYC. El Instituto de Cultula Puertoriquena en Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico and over 100 colleges and universities tfuoughout the United States. Mariposa's poeEy is For God gave us these wings featured in Americanos: Latino Life ir.r the U.S., a docunentary produced by Edward James Olmos (Olmos Productions) and Time Wamer which. premiered on HBO in May 2000 and fehtuies the likes of Carlos Sanhna, Tito Puente, Amigos de la Plena, The Taco Poeb and EI Vez. Mariposa has written articles tor Urban,Iatino Magazirc and has had her poetry published in New York Newsday.i El.Nucoo Dia, Hunt's Point Aliw! Vieques 'The Tines, AIIA! Hispanic Arls News, Rtsislanu in Paradise, Drum Voices Vol. 23 and What's lJp Magazine. Mariposa is a Poet-in- Residence at Thg Bronx Writerc Center, Teachers & Writers Collaborahve, The Caribbean CulturaI Center, Poets. & Writers and Poets House. She's led poefy workshops in elementary schools, public high schools, libraries, prisons and senior citizen centers throughout NYC. An accourp[shed scholar, she has a B.A. in Womyn's Studies and a M.A. in Special Education from New York University: la 79W she was granted "Lo Mejor de Nuesba Comunidad" award by The Puerto Rican Herihge Planning Committee in NfC for her poem "0de to the DiaspoRican." In 1999 she was iwarded The Van Lier Fellowship for her poetry by tle Bronx Council on the ArLs, Mariposa is a 2nd degree Reiki practitioner. She resides in her Patria...The Bronx. 44 46 �The Bronx Writers' Center, a program of the Bronx Council on the futs, is devoted to the Professional and artistic development of Bronx writers, and to expanding audiences for literature in the Bronx. Housed at the Westchester Square Branch of the New York Public Libmry, the Centei.serves as a quiet space for writers in all gerues to work, research, attend workshops and readings, and sby connected to the literary In addition, both conimunity while developing thet established.and emerging writers are engaged in creating new programs that serve the community'at-large, as well as aid in cnfl the development of tleir own careers. The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA), a private, non'profit membership organization, is the officially desiSnated cultural agency of Broru Coun$, providing cultural services and arb piograms to a multi-cultural constituency. The mjssion of BCA !o .n outug. and provide the ureans to increase the Communi$'s awareness and participation in the Arb; nurture i, professional development of perfoming, visual and literary artisg and arLs organizations; and generate suPPo and participation from all funding sources, including business, government and individuals Sね :′ r″ d by ttt N′ The Bronx Writers' Gnter is su ″ο "brκ Council on tlu Arls' Lileratute lrogtan, tlx National Endowment ロr l ,1 : ο 聯 ! r Ih̀ A r t, !旋 Nω York C il y De ν r C● I ̀ ̀ ̀α Yὸ漱 f″ Ǹ″ ly Deoelgpflt 4 Yo 1カ θ Go ″ 1 α 71 ! D′ ′ ̀ げ α : y Bο a r d ヴE 敵 ca 1 t0 ,1 リ ′tt′ ″′α I usti鴫 E げ￨ υ′れ : N υγO/k Cο ′ S: " υ!υ IS: 0 , り T′ s :′ げB il " ν al E山 S′ ! ! y Vα :: 04 u S Lセ γF " "′ ●:″ ′ Foundati 0 L G″ ′ " ′げ物 B″ ′rs B oο ks ̀ 汁 A r:た γ M B た勲 y Founda ″り■ N ′ γο 仙 C " "′ a"′ 0ル rre4 19 ′BOrO 」 P″ siル !ル α ■ ′ "山 ̀6 Gο "v Fο li"′ S. BCA A々 。 L● ″ z Prω !"ο a4Mα ル o 勲 " !α :υ ! ̀ "レ "α 46 �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Archival Folder Folder from an archival collection. Series If a new series of a periodical, note here. Series 2: Writings by Mariposa Box # Box number for archival folder. 1 Folder/Item # Folder/item # 23 Text Any textual data included in the document ~ ́ ‐ ′ ‐ ヽ ● ヽ`ヽ Born Bronxena Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom it{ariposa Bronxefra Books Brom, New York Gover Design I orlg nal Arlwork By mellesol Acknowledgeaents Much thanks to The Bronx Council on the Arts and The Bronx Writers' Center, especially Leslie Shipman, Laurie Palmieri and Bill Aguado. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement, and for all the hard work you do to make sure that art and culture continue to thrive in the Brpnx. I'd like to also acknowledge my beautiful family and a1l the poetic inspirations ir my Iile especially the late great Marc Crawford, melleSOl, Teresa Lynn Rivera, Deriree Rivera, Joseph Rivera, Esperanza Martell, Rev, Pedro Piehi, Carmen Pielri, Lois GriJfith, Pepe, Julio, Willie Perdomo, Sandra Maria Esteves, Jesus Papoleto Melendez, Stephanie Agosto, Suzana Cabaflas, Franl Perez, Sonia Gonazlez, Rosie Perez, Anita Rivera, Sandra Garcia Rivera, Welfare Poets, Erica & Melinda Gonzalez, Angel Rodriguez, Universes, Marlyn Malias, Danny Hoch, Satah Jones, Arthur Aviles, Charles Rice Gonzalez, Eddie Pagan, Sery Colon, Luki and all the rest. You know you are, I'm truiy biessed. There too many beautifuL peopie in my iife too list here. All Praises due to the Great Spiritl Bofl Bronxefia.Second Edihon. Mariposa @ 2001 Repruited with the permission of Sistahs Underground Publicatioru, Al1 rights reserved. Plinted in the Bron"rl No part of this book may be reproduced rn any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in Lhe case 0f brief quotations.embodied in critical arlicles and reviews. For hlormahon piease contact the Bronx Council on the Arts or Mariposa at hemenda@ frnai o lt1 Bronxeia Books, a program ofThe Bronx Writers' Center and the Bronx Council on the Ars, publishes emerging uban writers in chapbook torm.. Brontefi Bookscurrently publishes the work of Van Li0r Fellows. The name Bronxefra is a gift to the Bronx Writer's Center from Mariposa. The Van Lier Literary Fellowshlp O Resiilency Program is an annual Fellowship that provides an opportunity for three literary artisb under the age of to receive a $7,000 grint to focus on their deveiopm as a writer, both piofessionally and'artistically. Previous recipients include Sarah Jones, Nelly Ros Angie Cruz, Suheir Hammad and Antirony DeMo This publiution is made possible by the799912000 Lier Literary Fellowship 0 Residency, fundedby th Edward and Sally Van Liei Fund of the New York Community Trust. ′ ̈`: This, my first chapbook is dedicated to the Poet in me still skuggling.to be free, to the Soul of the Bronx and to Mami & Daddy. Thank you. I love you. "An artist's expression is fter] soul made apparent, [her] schooling, as well as [her] "cool" being exhibited. Behind every motion, the music of [her] soul is made visible. Otherwise, ftul drotion is empty and erhpty motion E like an emiity word - no meaning," - Masbr Bruce Lee My Mothe/s Eyes - (for Mary FernAndez, mi fuerza, mi vida) My mothels eyes tell a story of powa arid shength of skuggle and grief of a woman's joumey Brown almond eyes set.in a brown oval face and a gaze soft and warm a gaze full of courage raging in the storm My mother's eyes speak to me of survival and secreb yet to be told of pain hidden away of sleepless nighb and lonely days My mothe/s eyes speak magic laughter andjoy and loving life Keeping me steady lvlaking me shong Passing on a legary Ia mujer Boricua rebom La mujer Boricua growing shong La mujer Boricua living on and on.., Haikus for Daddy You always taught me To think for myself and not be an idiot H. Strong silent mountain I ould alwiys count on you Your love was conshnt m. I am your daughter Uke you, a stong tough Bronx kid Determined to win. Ode to the DiaspoRican (pa' mi gente) Mira a mi cara Puertoniquefia Mi pelo vivo Mis manos morenas Mira a mi coraz6n que se llma de orgullo Y di me que no soy Boricua Some people say that I'm not the real thing Boricua, that is cause I wasrft born on the endraned island cause I was born on the mainland nor8r ofSpanish Harlem cause I was bom in the Bronx.., some people think that [m not bonafide .cause my playground was a concrete jungle cause my Rio Grande de Loiza was dre Bronx River cause my Faiardo was Ci$ Island rny Luquillq Orchard Beach and summer nighe were filled with city noises instead of coquis and Puerto Rico was just some paradise that we only saw in pictures. What does it mean to Iive in betwem What does it take to reali'e that being Boricua is a shte of mind a shts of hea* a state of soul... lMira! No nac{ en Puerto Rico Puerto Rico naclo en mi! Miraa面 caraPuerOrnqueia Mi pelo vivo Mis mnos mo“ nas Mira a面 ∞raz6n que se lem“ orgulo Y dilme que no soy 3oricua・ Boricua Duttafly IAnthe Meta-morpha+ized Ihe rebom The living phoenix I{ising up out of the ashes Ofmy conquued people Not the lost Puerto Rican soul in search of identity Not the tsagic Nuyorican in search Of the land of the palm ree Not fragm.ented but whole Not olonized but Free. 一・鱗只 La Navidad con mi Abuela Mi Abuelita preciosa gave us the same gift every year with laughter, tears, joy and pain the giltoflove she gave from her soul the 6ift of love that she made with her arihritic hands, the hands of a garment worker who would not stop giving the love that is still living even drough she is gone. Remembeiing Wela and the best'pasteles in the Bronx... I remember the ritual that lasted weels that began with a trip to Simpson Sheet b buy las verduras. I wish I could watch her hands again grind the yautia, plahno verde y el guineo hmbien I wish I could sit in her kirchen again smell the aroma of sofrito listen to the alguinaldos de Ramito and hear her sing song voice scold me as I sneak pieces of carne y asetuna into my mouth I wish I could hand her el rollo de papel and lvlami y Titi fold and tie and stack dre precious gifc de mi Abuelih I wish I could remember all 0re faces remember all the names of all the people who came on Noche Buenal Iwish I ould be a litde girl again. I wish I could say La Bendici6n just one more time, to feel Abuela's dreek next to mine to relive la Navidad con mi Abuela. t0 It 令はほ鸞・ The Puerto Rican Spirit Flies like a fiery phoenix Sounds like the bomba rhythms of a pasionate heartbeat Looks like the curly brown waves of my hair And smells lile sofrito. Poem for My Grifa-Rican Sistah Or Broken Ends Broken Promises (para mi melliza, Melissa, who endured it with me) Braids trvist and tie onsuain baby naps never to be free braids twist and tie conain / hold in the shame of not havirt' long black silky stands to run my fingers through. Mofros y bobby piru twist and wrap Please forgive me for the sin of not inheriting Papr"s "goo{ hair" moflos y bObby pins twist and wraii ' restrain kinky naps dying to beftee but not the pain of not having a long black silky mane to run my fingers drrough. Clips and ribbons to hold back and tie oppressing baby naps nerrer to be free dips andribbors to hold back and tie imprisoningbaby naps never b have the dignity to be, Chemical relaxers brokm enils / brokm promises activabr and cream 12 t3 ■●■ド● ..1一■・ mixed in with bittemess mix well... the ritual of comb ng / parbng I sectioning the greasing of the scaip / the neck / the forehead / the ears the process / and then the burning / the burning "lt hurts to be beautiful" my mother tells me "Pero mami me PICA!" and then the running / the rururing to water to salvation /to neuhalizer / to broken ends and broken promises... Graduating from Carefree Curl Io Kitry curl / to Revlon / to super duper labulaxer different boxes offering us broken ends and broken promises. "We've come a long way since Dixie Peach." my mother tells me as I sit at the kitchen table' Chemical relaxers to melt away the shame until new growth reminds us that it is time once again for the ritual and the fear of 70's South Bronx Memories I remember the view from the backseat window of my mother's red Nova How could I ever forget the cityscape on the southbound Bronx River Parkway? Flying at filty five miles per hour, passing the mysterious tsees lining the oulskirts of The Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens The sky would open up and you'd see the Bronx stretch its buildings endlessly. Parkchester and Soundview to the left and on the right, the cream colored towers of the a Hun-8Oth Sheet hain station where the 2 and 5 snaked their way to Manhathn with all ils silver skyscrapers looming on the southern skyline. How could I forget the sky? It was always lined with clouds of dark purple smoke And the air smelled of burning wood and rubber. I remember visiting Abuelo on Bryant Avenue in Hun(s Point. His was the only building left standing on that block Where he stood selling piraguas Surrounded by lob of piled brick and garbage. "lt looks like there was a war here Mami." Together we had seen fire late late show World War il movie with Sophia Loren Fighting to stay alive in worn torn Italy. Mami said that she was a litde girl at that time. In El Barrio, where she grew up in the 1940's They'd have air raids and all the little kids Had to hide under their desks at school. "Mami, is there a war going on here?" I remember standing close to her 15 scalp burru and hair loss and the welcoming of broken ends and broken Promises. 14 Licking my cherry piragua Wondering if rab Iurked beneati The mountains of charred brick. I don't ever remember her Answering my question. All I remember is the Sad look of her Silence. The New Downtown Bronx or Headline Bronx News They Forgot to Tell Us About The Bronx Borough President declares the South Bronx will hereby be known forever as the New Downtown Bronx, as The New YorkTimes praises 0re borough as the best "lnner" city in America, as the bohemian young professional offspring of Baby Boomers continue to roll into town seeking to change their lives h the city that never sleeps, as renb continue to go up, as blood continues to stain our streeb as poor people become poorer, as schools fail our children, as prisons overflow, as we ask ourselves, where will we go? as gentilication ttuives in our land as we continue to wihess dre devastation and the perpetuation of 500 years of eviction notices. r6 17 Subversive? I am a single poet Not a word That can be erased From existence, Noramlawoman Who can be Dehumanized By a single word; I am not a label, Nor a loca, Nor a fanatical Radica[. You may see a wanior princes Standing before you but I am just a Puerto Rican girl from the Broru Who one day learned against hu fragile will That het people were not free. Somewhere deep inside she lives. The girl who believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny As she saluted the American flag, Whb cheered on John Wayne and the [.one Ranger Believing it was the Indiaru who were bad. Sourewhere deep inside she lives. The girl who read the Scripture atmass, The girl who prided herself for being obedienf Who sat silently in the back of the class. Somewhere deep irside she lives, But no lonier can she see by the dawn s early [ght What so proudly she once hailed In the land where nothlng is free. Look into my soul and /ou will see Who I really am. Just a thtd gmeration Puerto Rican Bronx born, The daughter of a bodegueto, The gnnddaugher of a phaguero, Descended from los cariduros de FaTardo. Touch my hands and you will know That I too sometimes An afraid and can only pray For the courage I lack To shnd skong and not sway. Understand That as I write this poem In the hopes that you will see the real me Vieques is scorche4 the land 'ivhere Star-spangled rockeb' red glare Where a fishermerfs living dies in the sea Where mothers and their children Die of cancer, in despair Crying out for our help,. For anyone who cares As NAVY bombs bursting Conhminate the air. A subversive? I am just a Puerto Rican woman who dares 18 t9 .・ 粛 国 ●新機 r ・ .● ● ， ■ 一ヽ 総 = t ―‐ ■■●， .，いおい ●■■ ヽ ● ́^ ●■ 一離 t●甕 ●厳融 ・■●輻麟 ― ― ， To be free. YourWayWithWords A Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx Who.loves IiIe and humanity. A Puerto Rican woman with vision Who can seem all dre possibilities. A Puerto Rican woman Who loves her people and her culture, Who believes in God and Divine Justice And freedom for All people and Who like her Puerto Rican foremothers Cannot conceive the idea of ever turning back. Pa'lante! Fuera la Marina de Vieques! Ni una bomba mas! Your words come to me out of the darkness to look me in the eye, entering my pores like bolb of lightening from dishnt ancient skies. Your words vibrate with familiar understandings, show me the way to the unknown, bathe me in mystical moonlighf remind me we are never alone. Your words teach me bravery, naked huth shimmering in dre rain, dearuing me of fear, leaving me forever changed. Your words are an open horizon, a landscape I have never seen, rainbows bursting fantastic colors of secret untold dreams. Your words walk hand in hand with my thoughh. Your words echo in my mind. Your words make their presence known through the power of the sublime. Your words spin me around in cirdes. irspire bombazo rhythms in my heart guide me on the dance floor of your imagination, captivating me from the stalt. 20 Your words are like precious jewels adorning my poetic mird fiiling me with passion, sparkling and divine. Your words are gifts that greet me in the morning, sing me lullabies at night, caress and embrace me, entice me to surrender and not fight this wonderful feeling of delight. ′′′ Comin'Down (Freedom Poem for me and all my people) Have you ever,seen a Boricua crawl up on the ceiling? janmirf without rhythm bouncin' to a pathological tune swayin' to the sound of oppression comin down as it breeds comin' down as it breeds psychosis white feet holdin' me down holdin' down my neck oppression cornin' down man hands holdin' me down holdin down my neck oppression. comin' down as it breeds comin' down as it breeds psychosis now will you excuse me while i have this newous breakdown please excuse me while i scream as i watch gry brgken aBerican dream turn into shit excuse me while i play with my own ヽ′ ヽ ́ to make sure i'm still alive excuse me while i arswer these voices these voices jammin' in my head jammin' without rhythm bouncin' to a pathological tune swayin' to dre sound of oppression comin' down as it breeds comin' down as it breeds psychosis you see they stole our grandmothers raped them ripped out their tongues , forced them to swallow religious bile watched them dry heave down on their 'knees you see they took our iand sold our baby girls and boys cashated our men slit open black bellies they lied to us showed us a Norman Rockwell painting said, "This too can be yours." then let us drown in the misery of poverry ' told us success is the 2.5 drildten family while they cut and tied in clinics and factories drivin' many a Boricua woman to insanity they lied to us ttrey seduced us with white lady opened our veiru to pour the stench oI deattr in back alleys Iifeless firrehead on cold tile floor no longer needing bullets ropes and white hooded raids we feed ourselves their poisons watch our babies die of AIDS they lied to us you see .hedefiled my hairless vulva fondled my unlormed breasb told me to say ten Hail Mary's and sent me on my way y el otro robbed the fiuit of my innocence at the ripe age of nineteen smiled and iaughed as he defecated on my girlhood dreams and you you skip me with your eyes 21 they lied to us turn my poetry into somethin' obscene turn my tib and ass into entrees food for your fantasies and you you scribble out my salvation on two pieces of paper on one piece four fee on the other the word lithium 1200 milligrams to silence me to make my mind sleep see me now a ghost plunge into the abyss of sleepless nighe watch me now see how i [o insane whiセ PlL Whitt Pills witt two refib white halls walkin' up and down white halls walkin' up and down nothin' but white walls and white gowns and white pills to silence me to make my mind sleep but i haven't slept in weeks andifall,ifall deeper into psychosis my songs of fteddom bouncin' off white walls locked in the quiet room singing songs of freedom as you feed me white pills no pillow to rest my head no human touch all alone no human voice but my own no sPace can't even piss and shit in peace no Peace no sunlight no air no air no sunlight only despair white hands holdin' my head back white fingers pinchin' my nose white pills fallinl down my tluoat to silence me to make my mind sleep so now...now that ya done fucked with my head drove me into the mania of the oppressed ya gonna try.and mentally incarcerate me 8a8 me label me skip me of my identity bury me alive the stigma of mental illness tJre stigma of oppression 26 27 that breeds psychosis that breeds bppression well the mental health/prison iomplex indusby can kiss my black pderto riLan asi because you can'tjail theispirit though i done lost my mind butnot my faith you done raped and beatme, hied to kill me Iocked me up and threw away 0re k'ey but my soul is an ancient bufterfly born to be fee see these tears cominl down baby giri tears comin' down lke rain comir/ down ' tears of lightening cominl down tears of thunder comirt' down tears of fire comin' down OYA comin' down because what goes aroirnd the wind blows around and the time is comin' down for me and all my people tq be free the time is comirt' down for white walls to fall the time is comirt' down to snuff out self hate and brown on brown rape the time is comin' down to see colonialiim in its gravb mis muertos comin' down that's right, my ancestors comin' down mis muertos comin' down mis muertos comin' down chains breakin' breakin' chairs white walls prison walls comin'down comin' down comin'down. 28 29 CORPORATE TEVIATHAN (for the innocenb / born and unborn) And while the rich and privileged Nameless smiling faces live large in safe and clean places Why must there be so much disparity? And with such abundance Why must our children go thirsty? The clock ticks as they sit packed in and conlined How will they iearn how to thinl critically to quesiion authority? Not taught but trained to follow orders Pledge allegiance to a Republic more concerned With building prisons than schools More concerned with producing weapors Than books of knowledge Less that one percent of us makes it past college lVhat conspiracy theory? This IS realiiy It ain't no secret thatTHEY / want to lock up our children And throw away the key / Feei the irrgency In public policy / seems that schools are a liabilig But prisons a thriving industry Our children are not just FAILED but JAILED Systematically quite ruthlessiy By a society motivated by greed and money Creating monopolies of resources along class and color lines Education to make the masses biind Schooling to assimilate not liberate Progressive masks to disguise the race and class hate Smiling wide as they annihilate Creating policies of hypocrisy Radicals of the Sixties / now the caretakers of Aristocracy Itt the philosophy that i(s "Okay'' to oppress So long as you "claim' to be fighting for social justice. In the CORPORATE LEVIATHAN of this New Age The Dawn of a whole people enslaved If we do nothing. In the CORPORATE LEVIATHAN of this New Age The Dawn of a race of CHILD SLAVES In prison grays / in prison grays MADEINTHEUSA iI fie do nothing. ∞ 31 Boomerang oppression on the outside oppression externalized let me paint a pichre of me with my eyes half closed and you / so far away won't you come be with me? care to co-depend today? come dance with me the me who I used to be come dance the hilf-closed-eye crazy black girl shuIlle oppression on the outside oppression externalized mood swinging to ideation of suicide can't take this pain no more going insane once more and the Spirit world is the only world to respond when I implore cuz it seems I'm alone in this even though going insane is a.collecfive process but you don't want to see yourself in me you seek pleasure / not sadness dort't want to admit / you relate too well to this madness so you turn away dorit want to face the pain today dort't worry baby the oppression you were forced to internalize / will externa[ze some how / some way and when it does i'll be there to stand as midwife as you rebirth yourselJ cuz going insane is a collective process and isolation is counter revolutionary madness need not be a solitary journey in fact / we need to externalize this wretched internalized oppression as a co'mmunity if we're gonna be the libertory force we need to be / a force that is lethal we need io be gciing crdzy not individually but as a people cuz madness is the road to revolutionary consciousness word is bond litr<e Assata Shakur said it's the shong ones who are crazy the weak ones iust go along like Albizu said when the sazy ones are ready to die for their freedom' it will mean they have regained their reason and capitalism ain't the way if we go the road of materialist individualism we'll be selling our souls like Faust like sister Audre Lorde said the master's tools will never desboy the master's house let me paint a piciure of oppression on the outside of oppression extbrnalized me dead skin falling off my body in flakes hair matted eyes crus ty hands shaking ass rusty Now just how in the he1l was I supposed to color coordinate? that's what oppression looks like on tle outside when it hangs / yes hangs on the outside cuz my soul got lost in the routine in trying to achieve the American dream and this abshact thing / like a boil bursting suddenly / was all over the place externalized oppression reflected in the look of terror on my Mothe/s face as she helplessly watched her baby go crazy let me paint a picture severed flesh / shredded skin bleeding puss encrusted / enllamed internalized rage / externalized and you can't deny that you're no different than me cuz we're all a part of this dysfunctional human family you can't hide internalized oppression wi'Jr Hillfiger and Versace you ain't no dilferent than me cuz you didn't hatch out of an egg / and just be just cuz you go around suriling / laughing / lookiag beautiful don't mean drat you're happy how can you be when you ain't fiee? iime for us all to face our demons temove oul masks i(s a mafter of survival time for us all to confront our seU hate self desbuction and denial before it's too late cuz while we continue to feign pretending everything is alright those in power will continue to reign so you might as well just let it hang lest it continue to drain you of your essence 34 x5 sulrender to self love and the knowledge that the universe will support our complete liberation and independence and the annihiiation of our enemy's power over us cuz captivity is conhary to nature in the universe there ain't no boundaries every child was born to be free now let me explain to you Fanon's theory as my tongue refuses to go weary too much truth to tell so let me teilit well Boomerang it gets thrown to us by the massa / the oppressoi subjector of all this madness perpehator of crimes agairut humanity assassinator / weaver of poverty Boomerang it hits us and we internaiize all the pain which manifests into shime 'till we loose our minds forgefting our own names Boomerang it hie us wrapping chain upon chain 'round our minds and we intemaiize we inhale all the lies generation upon generation breeding manilesh tion upon manileStation producing an oppressive reality barbwire lining our horizoru,.. soru and daughters of Zion and so we perfect the.art of going insane and we furn.on each other like rats in a laboratory elperiment gone Right now hold tight cuz just as the oppressed is about to self-destouct just when you thought allwas lost ' Boomerang turns back on the oppressor heads straightfor the source the Ruling classes . the erulavers of the masses So Revolution needs to.be about collective action and collective madness and tha(s why we need to be going sazy So go crazy. 36 37 A NοたねFみιR“′′′′ The term " Marine Tiger" or "Marintirya" refers to the derogatory name given to Puerto Ricans who came to the United States in the late 40's and early 50's on the SS Marine Tiger, a US Naval warship which was used as a hansport for Puerto Ricans after WWIL These Puerto Ricans constituted what is known as the Great Wave; when migration to the mainland was at ib peak under the direction of Governor Luis Munoz Marin's "Operation Bootshap. Operation Boobhap was ah economic boom and depopulation plan for the island, the main objective being the strategic removal of thousands of unemployed Puerto Ricans, This was achieved by sterilazion of Puerto Rican women (see the documentary "La Operaci6n) and the forced removal of Puerto Ricans who in turn came to the United States (see the documentary "Operation Bootshap), Shamefully, the already established Puerto Ricans lidiculed the newly anived, calling them jibaros and "Marintayas". This poem is attempts to tell a part of our history. The song incorporated into the poem, "Marintaya" was by written by Pachito Riset and recorded in 1946. This poem is dedicated to my beloved uncle Felix Rosario. Descanse en Paz. Tears of the Tiger5 (For Tio, Te quiero mucho...) I'd here the song again and again in my mind haunting sad like the cold winds of change blowing reminding me that we are in the dead of winter the ground fiozen our past buried but I'd hear the song and it would remind me remind me to write the poem which I kept forgetting Iorgetting to write the poein I knew I must write before the spirit of song escaped my memory before I'd forget ifs melancholy story But I'd hear the song again and again haunting me reminding me of the past buried deep within tie ice cold earth 38 3S but living like the seed Iives to birth itself in the spring like the caterpillar lives in the cocoon to one day manifest glorious butterfly wings But it is deep pain that I feel as Tio sings of a cold story deep seeded in shame alive in the vital mind of el viejito negrito each chord coated in pain Maintaya Marintaya Mis lvrmanos me llaman asi the dark story of thd many thousands who came Me uen pobre looking for dreams but finding misery Me uen lriste they were told they would find streeb of gold but found only the cold and poverty y toditos se ien fumi looking foi sense of home and brotherhood but instead they were greeted by the cruel laughter of los que llevan muchos afros aqui y toditos se ien de mi looking for bro therhood but finding cold stares on Barrio corners where they stood having already made thqfrightening hip from the waterfront downtown Up from Puerto Rico Up fiom the harbor to cold Nueva York sheeh They came. They came every 14 days Tio said like cattle they came. All year 'round they came. And in winter they wore nothing but wom guayaberas, thin shawls, Panama hab and white shoes They came young and old like lost flocks of birds to shiver in the cold 40 1l on cold banio corners where the children of the unfeeling Puerto Ricans . - the assimilated the established threw rocks and called them names Jibaro! Marintaya! Oye Marintaya! The tears of the Tigers are now fiozm like their bones in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx or Calvary in Queens where graves were offered cheap to the lost children of La Isla Borinquen. The tears of the lost Tigers still fall like the falling lgst aguaceros of lost dreams like the lost story of our forced hagic Exodus lost [ke their names lost to aruresia the amnesia of shame . . . .Malintaya, Marintaya Mis hermanos me llaman asi Me ven pobre, Me ven histe y toditos se rien de mi lNo me importa que me llaman asi! lPuerto Rico no time bandera! ;Ay, Bendito! iQue serd de mi? iPuerto Rico no tiene bandera! 1Ay Borinquen! ;Que seri de ti? 42 Born Bronxefla My lile has been a series of endless circles Understanding born out of pain into consciousness Rainbow wings never shielded my heart fiom muted tears My life has been a series of endless circles Where I have spiraled backward and forward From deep dark abysses of ancient feals into stalbulsts My life has bem a series of endless circles Understanding born out of pain into consciousness ., Born Bronxeia I had no choice But to learn How to survive. And I learned That even in the Darkest times, If you look for the Sun You will find it. And that the rays Of most majestic Rainbows Rain down To reach And pmehate The darkest of sewers. 43 Never Fear the Skies Never fear the skies For God gave us these wings We were born to fly so Never fear the skies instead reach high and shetch tle canvas of your mind Beyond the possibilities that lay on the horizon Never fear the skies For God gave us these wings Bronx native, Mariposa (born Maria Teresa FernAndez de Rosario) is a performance artist, free-lance wdter, educator and human righb activisl Known for her confrontational style, she has rocked audiences with her brand of spoken word poetsy since 1989 in such venues as the Nuyorican Poets Ca(€, Tramps, The Joseph Papp Public Theater, The Cotton Club, Irving Plaza and C.B.G.B.'s in NYC. El Instituto de Cultula Puertoriquena en Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico and over 100 colleges and universities tfuoughout the United States. Mariposa's poeEy is featured in Americanos: Latino Life ir.r the U.S., a docunentary produced by Edward James Olmos (Olmos Productions) and Time Wamer which. premiered on HBO in May 2000 and fehtuies the likes of Carlos Sanhna, Tito Puente, Amigos de la Plena, The Taco Poeb and EI Vez. Mariposa has written articles tor Urban,Iatino Magazirc and has had her poetry published in 44 New York Newsday.i El.Nucoo Dia, Hunt's Point Aliw! Vieques Tines, AIIA! Hispanic Arls News, Rtsislanu in Paradise, Drum Voices Vol. 23 and What's lJp Magazine. Mariposa is a Poet-in- Residence at Thg Bronx Writerc Center, Teachers & Writers Collaborahve, The Caribbean CulturaI Center, Poets. & Writers and Poets House. She's led poefy workshops in elementary schools, public high schools, libraries, prisons and senior citizen centers throughout NYC. An accourp[shed scholar, she has a B.A. in Womyn's Studies and a M.A. in Special Education from New York University: la 79W she was granted "Lo Mejor de Nuesba Comunidad" award by The Puerto Rican Herihge Planning Committee in NfC for her poem "0de to the DiaspoRican." In 1999 she was iwarded The Van Lier Fellowship for her poetry by tle Bronx Council on the ArLs, Mariposa is a 2nd degree Reiki practitioner. She resides in her Patria...The Bronx. 46 'The The Bronx Writers' Center, a program of the Bronx Council on the futs, is devoted to the Professional and artistic development of Bronx writers, and to expanding audiences for literature in the Bronx. Housed at the Westchester Square Branch of the New York Public Libmry, the Centei.serves as a quiet space for writers in all gerues to work, research, attend workshops and readings, and sby connected to the literary conimunity while developing thet cnfl In addition, both established.and emerging writers are engaged in creating new programs that serve the community'at-large, as well as aid in the development of tleir own careers. The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA), a private, non'profit membership organization, is the officially desiSnated cultural agency of Broru Coun$, providing cultural services and arb piograms to a multi-cultural constituency. The mjssion of BCA i, !o .n outug. and provide the ureans to increase the Communi$'s awareness and participation in the Arb; nurture professional development of perfoming, visual and literary artisg and arLs organizations; and generate suPPo and participation from all funding sources, including business, government and individuals The Bronx Writers' Gnter is su′′οr′′d by ttt N′ "brκ Sね:′ Council on tlu Arls' Lileratute lrogtan, tlx National Endowment rIh`Art,!旋NωYorkCilyDeνロrl“,1:οrC●I ! 聯! 1カ θ Go“′′ D′′α71“ 1 げ " ` `“`α ` ly Deoelgpflt 4 f′′ N`′′ Yο漱 04 uS yVα LセγF“ ′げ物 Yo α`“ヴ“ “:: y Bοard E敵ca1t0,1 υ!υIS:0“ げBil νal E山 " : リ げ| υ′れ: “ γο汁 "′ " “ “ !ル a"′0ルrre4 `6 Gο "v Fο "山 “ ル“ N“υ“γO/k Cο G′′ L ′ 仙S:C勲A r:た γ た勲 。L●′′BCA A々 “ Iusti鴫 E′tt′′′′α S′!! “ "′ " " りT′ s “"““ “B , :′ !α ■ ′α 19“′BOrO“ 」 P`′′siル “ !"ο a4Mα o“ “ "レ li"′ Prω z“ "α“ ““ S. M ` y Founda′′り■ N′:υ 46 ′●:′′′Foundati0 B′′′rsBoοks ! Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Description An account of the resource <div class="item-description">Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Survival, Love &amp; Freedom, a chapbook of poems written by Mariposa Fernández</div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Bronxeña Books Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Chapbook Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival document Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.001.023 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/adf27308f13b2bf67bd83c0d8fbd02e5.jpg 41c50af820fcf8f22903988ec3668ed8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 5859x4570px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández artistic rendering Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="item-description">Photograph, artistically rendered, of Mariposa Fernández reciting poetry.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource n.d. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The organization that has made the Item available reasonably believes that the Item is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.001.027.007 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/57955bd1ed0163b827a729d880ec09cd.pdf 2f329a2268aa67ad31e0c0b468b757a4 PDF Text Text Chm Kiss s ,caィ 。Rを 、, 却W嘔こど "′ 欝囀 DO鋼 $ -L utxra �ヽ ヽ ・ ン づ ′ｐ メ＼ ′ lC' C・ ″ ＼粂 ヽ / C,ヽ ) ⌒ ′ 1≡ う / D / こ× ´/ /ヽ , ̀´ ヽ ´ ク ・ ,′ ー �'-rarllnr) i I lil i . 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document That Kiss s“ ,caィ。Rを 、,“ "′ W嘔 却 こど 欝囀 DO鋼 $ -L utxra ヽ ヽ ′ lC' C・ ′⌒)~D \粂 1≡う / ヽ C,ヽ / / ヽ ́ ,・′ ` ́ ーク こ× ́/ /ヽ , ・ ′′ ンづ ′p メ\ V■ XIW . ,, ,'., 'J'1r,, , ., ' t,lt L,' ,,'l l,r'.'IL,1. .1 '-rarllnr) i l i l i . i ., r i r , r r , l : ril rrr,,.r / []tttll.t.t ttt tt,'tsittttt.',1 lttotill tr IllJ ,j,.,-1.,,1.r..111,.1p tilrr.,rrri :,1 ,,1 1.y'i..r,,r11 Lirrptrl.'rrr ''rrr,.'rl Arri' /iq r,,rrrr,,] /irrt,tll.1,."rf,,,,1.'r-r,l lil,lr{ rr,'r1r)'r,rrlJ rrrp,l,' 1rr''i "1r, rrn r',dLrLlil)l\r rrr :ll,rlll .1 h-r..11,1ir, I rr rry'rlo-' i.'r1','.'li t.'r.'r (iar.o, _(N, :l i..( il.rN, -, \y, Uallllri\.'-r .)(;l r ',^lll;:li:l;;1,i 1,..,1131,'.1 ilrllirr IJH .(raa )\rrrL)I, 1y'1111'1,4,1 rrl')i'11 /.,.,,...',','i,,r.,',.1 ,.\r ''' I'),',J.I'..'.'.'. 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sandra Garcia Rivera, <em>That Kiss</em> Subject The topic of the resource Garcia Rivera, Sandra Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) That Kiss Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"><em>That Kiss</em>, a chapbook of a poem written by Bronx-based award-winning poet Sandra Garcia Rivera, friend of Mariposa Fernández.</div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival document Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.BD003.001 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Garcia Rivera, Sandra Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project Description An account of the resource The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project is a collaboration between Kurt Boone, veteran documentarian of urban culture in New York City, and Dr. Steven Payne, librarian and archivist at The Bronx County Historical Society. The project aims to document the early years of the graffiti arts movement in The Bronx through recording oral histories and collecting tags from surviving Bronx pioneers of the art form. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boone, Kurt BUTCH 2 Crespo, Pastor, Jr. Payne, Steven Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource CC-BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons) Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-BAADP Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 11:06 Compression Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4) MPEG-4 Media Embedded media file for non-oral history recorded sound and moving images. <br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KLO7_5Ro6_E?si=xxLSxRlYKbE-ncNh" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource On the Tracks: Graffiti in NYC (Community Notes) Subject The topic of the resource Graffiti Bronx (New York, N.Y.) Graffiti artists--women Description An account of the resource Video produced by Shekinah Green for the Community Notes section of this repository, inspired by The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Green, Shekinah Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the individual or organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-BAADP.2022.11.18 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/828bc49d10c1908505575443b5f28aab.mp4 bd717eebaf3c837487368c5fbd5bea3a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the <em>Rites of Passage Mentoring Program</em>. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college.<br /><br />As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award.<br /><br />In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges.<br /><br />As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director.<br /> <p><br />Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated^® was founded on well over 110 years ago.&nbsp; Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service.</p> <p>The five program targets for 2018–2022 are:</p> <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a><em>The Arts!</em></a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> <p>In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas:</p> <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:37:52 Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Naison, Mark Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Interview Format Audio or Video Video Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers Subject The topic of the resource Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Bronx African American History Project Description An account of the resource Oral history of Sheila Jackson and Anne Myers, members of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jackson, Sheila Myers, Anne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.014 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/f912ff4396b6eacb5fc2b81e5739ac4b.pdf 8481502504ae06b4574ec0334cd6530e PDF Text Text The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LXI Spring/Fall 2024 �G 75 Y N I T A R EA B E RS L E C Cover image: Daniel Hauben, Burnside Park, 2016, courtesy of artist. �������������������������������������������������������������������������THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation New York State Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Humanities The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx County Historical Society Journal Description An account of the resource The repository for digital editions of the full run of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1962–present, the premier publication on Bronx history and culture. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx County Historical Society Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1966–present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource © The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR Periodical Text Any textual data included in the document The Bro;lx.r Cdunt§ Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LXT Spring/Fall 2024 do\g,?: & Py QATING 75 ¥, LANGSAM PROPERTY SERVICES CORP., AMO® Langsam Property Services Corp. is a Bronx-based real estate management company. The company is responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of approximately 250 buildings containing over 8000 dwelling units and 300 commercial units. These buildings are located in The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and lower Westchester County. Langsam is designated as an Accredited Management Organization (AMO), a standard of excellence in management conferred by the Chicago-based In- stitute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Langsam is one of only two AMOs in al of New York State and has four Certified Property Managers directing its property management teams. Both the CEO and President, Mark and Matt Engel, hold the prestigious des- ignation of Certified Property Manager and Licensed Real Estate Broker and Insurance Broker. Mike Engel is also a Certified Public Accountant. All of Langsam’s managing agents are either License Associate Real Estate Brokers or Sales Associates. Several are experienced in construction and design. Other professional staff have over 50 years combined property management and support experience. Its Director of Operations holds a CPM designation and other staff hold advanced degrees in public finance and urban dwelling. Staff also have held high-level positions In New York City government. Mark Engel, CEO Matt Engel, President Certified Property Manager Certified Property Manager I[BRONX-MANHATT]AN| 1601eBronxdale Avenue I -518- =SS Fax(718)518-8585 Cover image: Daniel Hauben, Buvnside Park, 2016, courtesy of artist. The Bronx County Historical Society Volume LXT G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines JOURNAL Spring/Fall 2024 EDITORIAL BOARD © 2024 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical SocietyJournal ispublished by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. Al correspondence should be addressed to 30 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host rescarch databases and on our website. ISSN 0007-2249 The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. www.bronxhistovicalsociety.ong THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Steve Baktidy, Trustee Mei Sci Fong, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee Hon. Eric Adams Mayor ofNew York City Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Parks & Recreation Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chicf Administrative Officer Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian/Archivist Zachary Elliott, Museum Educator Anthony Morante, Vice President Gil Walton, Secretary Robert Esnard, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee Ex-OFrICcIo Hon. Vanessa Gibson The Bronx Borough President Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Cultural STAFF Affairs Roger McCormack, Director ofEducation Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Ethan Pagin, Muscum Educator Eleanor Smith, Museum Educator Maribelle Vazquez, Museum Educator Kathleen A. McAuley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant i Volume LXT Spring/Fall 2024 CONTENTS ARTICLES Healing from Hate: Southeast Asians in The Bronx.. By Catherine Kien The William Spain Seismic Observatory.. By Benjamin Crooker The History of the Oyster: City Island and the East Bronx. By Roger McCormack St. John’s College, HURRAH!. By Robert R. Grimes, S.]. The Houlihans: A Bronx Family. By Joe Houlihan Practicing Urban Photography in The Bronx... By Robert Kornhaber Scientific and Other Wonders.. By G. Hermalyn About the Author: " " " " 57 REVIEWS Creamer, Baseball and Other Matters in 1941 (1991). By G. Hermalyn DuVal, Native Nations (2024)... By Steven Payne iii LEAVE A LEGACY Many generous members and friends choose to give to The Bronx County Historical Socicty through bequests and life income gifts. Their donations represent an important source of support for the future of The Society. Charitable gift annuities and individual charitable trusts are merely two of the ways you can support your Society. Bequests Bequests may be stipulated at the time a new will is executed or may be added as a codicil to an existing wil. Bequests to The Society are exempt from federal estate taxes and may be unrestricted or for a specific purpose. Charitable Gift Annuities Charitable gift annuities are a simple way to provide both a gift to The Society and an annuity for the donor. Some of the benefits include guaranteed lifetime income, a federal income tax deduction for a portion of the gift, partially tax-cxempt income, and most importantly, the satisfaction of making a significant gift to The Society. Individual Charitable Trusts A charitable remainder trust is an excellent way to make a generous gift to The Bronx County Historical Society today and still retain the use of the income from your capital, stock, or other assets. Donors also enjoy current tax benefits. Charitable remainder trusts can be designed to accomplish a variety of goals depending upon your needs. For move information on making a bequest or life income gift, please contact Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA, Treasurer Emeritus, 718-881- 8900, or write to our main office. HEALING FROM HATE SOUTHEAST ASIANS IN THE BRONX, FROM RESETTLEMENT THROUGH COVID BY CATHERINE KIEN 1. Introduction My mother came to the United States as a refugee when she was a teenager, and she and my grandmother settled in the north- west Bronx when they first arrived. Like other Vietnamese re- fugees who fled their homes due to the turmoil and violence of the wars in the region during the 1960s-1990s, my family experi- enced deep poverty and psychological trauma when they arrived in The Bronx. Although every day got casier, and my mother eventually acclimated to her new life, she still looks back on these moments as stressful and terrifying. The fear and trauma that Southeast Asians of The Bronx such as my mother experienced in carlier decades from war, genocide, and displacement resurfaced as they faced anti-Asian dis- crimination and harassment in the age of Covid-19. In addition to facing financial constraints and family losses, our commu- nities experienced incidents of harm tied to the scapegoating of China as the cause of the deadly virus! For Southeast Asians, these were painful reminders of past experiences of discri- mination, as Vietnamese and Cambodian resettlement in The Healing From Hate 1 Bronx during the 1980s and 1990s was distressing and painful* Refugees were resettled primarily in the most disinvested neigh- borhoods of The Bronx and were forced to contend with pover- ty, neighborhood violence, and even threats of deportation? Feeling unwelcome in their homes is thus not a novel experience for Southeast Asian refugees in The Bronx, and the hate crimes that targeted Asians in New York City during the Covid-i9 pandemic triggered traumas they had hoped to forget. In this article, relying on ecleven interviews I conducted with Vietnamese and Cambodian Bronxites in 2023, Iwill shed some light on the historical experiences of these often-invisible communities, from their time of resettlement in The Bronx through the Covid-19 era.* 1I. The Bronx: Southeast Asians New Home In the mid-twenticth century, Southeast Asia was in a state of disarray, as war and genocide tore apart entire states and families’ Beginning in the late 1970s, refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries in the region were resettled in places like Australia, Canada, and France, and many who landed in the United States would call The Bronx their new home® Despite the U.S’s promises of security and prosperity, refugees were often met with disinvestment, violence, and consequently, retraumatization. During the core period of this resettlement in the 1980s, The Bronx experienced widespread displacement, severe poverty, and destructive “workfare” policies” In the years following resettlement, Southeast Asian organizers in our borough fought against such discriminatory welfare and housing policies and other acts that targeted their communities to bring dignity and justice to their families and future generations® Building off this earlier work, in 2012 Mckong NYC formed to serve the Vietnamese and Cambodian commu- 2 CATHERINE KIEN nities in The Bronx through movement-building, promoting arts and culture, and providing direct services.® These efforts have resulted in great strides for our community, as local activists fight for a safety net for Vietnamese and Cambodian families while resisting deportation efforts. Such struggles are ongoing, evolving to fit the needs of our community through changes and crises. Still, due to the lingering psychological and physical effects of war and genocide and ongoing cases of deportations, a great deal of trauma and fear persists among Southeast Asians in The Bronx.” Unfortunately, our commu- nities were retraumatized in 2020, as our borough, city, country, and world were hit by one of the worst health disasters in re- cent decades: the Covid-19 pandemic. II1. The Covid Nigltmare in The Bronx The beginning of 2020 was a period of uncertainty and fear as an unknown, deadly virus was spreading rapidly. Our commu- nities grieved as people suffered from the virus and died, with the CDC reporting 1,127,928 Covid-related deaths in the U.S. as of May 2023 and some of the highest infection and death rates in The Bronx." Southeast Asians in The Bronx often lost their jobs, belonged to welfare-dependent housecholds, or were essential workers forced to take huge daily risks. Many Vietnamese and Cambodian community members were retraumatized during this period as violent anti-Asian hate crimes saw a dramatic uptick throughout New York City* However, the targeting of Southeast Asians in The Bronx was largely ignored by the media, with Asian communities in boroughs like Queens and Manhattan receiving more coverage.® This speaks to the persistent invisibility of Vietnamese and Cambodian communities in The Bronx, going back to the Healing From Hate 3 period of resettlement.+ The next section of this article presents the main themes that emerged in the interviews I conducted with eleven Vietnamese and Cambodian adults—the harm expe- rienced during the pandemic and longer, more persistent struggles with threats of deportation and severe poverty, as well as hope and resilience through it al. IV. Southeast Asian Stovies Before presenting the main themes that emerged in these interviews, Iwill briefly discuss my methodology. With the help of Dr. Mark Naison from Fordham University, I created a series of questions that focused on interviewees’ experiences living in The Bronx, life during the pandemic, experiences of anti-Asian hate, and views on community safety.S Several participants were friends or acquaintances. With translation and recruitment help from Ny Nguyen from Mckong NYC, I interviewed the orga- nization’s staff and youth fellows as well as elder community members® All interviewees are assigned pseudonyms in this article to preserve their privacy. 1. Participants weve glad they could shave their stovies and struggles through this project. Interviewees were happy that they finally had a space to share their experiences and have their voices heard. This sentiment spoke volumes about the invisibility Vietnamese and Cam- bodian people from The Bronx have felt, not only during the pandemic, but also since the beginning of their families® resettlement to the borough. Tiffany Tran (30) expressed the importance of making sure Vietnamese and Cambodian voices were heard: “'m glad that you are carrying out a project that is 4 CATHERINE KIEN really relevant, and even though Covid scems to be getting better, we are still picking up the pieces.TM Similarly, Michelle Nguyen (19) hoped that social justice-oriented research con- cerning the pandemic and Southeast Asians would help neigh- bors understand them better.® Steve Nguyen (86) also thanked me at the end of our interview “for raising the problem regarding Asian hate.” He said he appreciated it because he is “old and concerned about [his] safety.” 2. Even though it’s not perfect, The Bronx is their home. Most participants shared that they viewed The Bronx as ge- nerally safe, and although it has its flaws, it was their home. Senior community members like Steve even preferred living in The Bronx to living in Vietnam: “I feel safe here in The Bronx compared to when I was in Vietnam. It’s so chaotic in Vietnam right now, too, because in that society, those who are poor [have little choice], and a lot of the time they make a living by stealing or things like that.”° Steve, who resettled in The Bronx in 1995 as a refugee, is alluding to income inequality in Vietnam, suggesting that life in the U.S. is more stable—even though his socioeconomic status and income are low. Respondents also shared that they sometimes felt isolated in their communities, being part of a minority group in their predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Jackie Le (21) reflected on her time in the northwest Bronx with nuance and nostalgia: There weren’t a lot of Asians that lived in Kings- bridge—it was a heavily Dominican and Mexican co- mmunity. So there was a lot of teasing related to my race because there was not a lot of people that looked like me that much. Even though there were Healing From Hate 5 negatives . . . like bullying, there was a lot of beau- tiful stuff I loved, like learning about different cultures from my Dominican neighbor, who became my best friend.* 3. Every participant belonged to the working class, and the pandemic exacerbated their financial struggles. Despite the stereotype that Asians in the U.S. have prestigious, high-paying jobs, Southeast Asians have high poverty rates and are often reliant on welfare. The “model minority” is a racist myth that characterizes Asians as hardworking, quiet, intelli- gent, and wealthy. This stereotype makes the needs of Southeast Asian communities invisible, since our challenges and disparities become eclipsed by the perceived successes of our East Asian neighbors.>? Every person I interviewed belonged to a working- class family and faced considerable challenges because of their socioeconomic status. Southeast Asians are often food service workers, nail techni- cians, or factory workers. Michelle Nguyen discussed her family’s experiences with financial struggles, describing the challenges of trying to find stable work since her parents sold smoothies as street vendors. She shared that her family had to move to San Diego from The Bronx, because during the pandemic, “no one was out on the streets, and that was [their] income.” Unfortunately, there “was no other income [they] could rely on.”* Christopher Kim (19) also shared his family’s experiences of working to make ends meet: I live with eight other people in my apartment who are my extended family, and we rely on my dad and 6 CATHERINE KIEN uncle’s income. My dad works in a factory, and he makes about $35,000 a year. ... My mom does nails too, but even after Covid hit, nail salons were declining ... it>s not nearly as much money as it was pre-pandemic.2+ Living commonplace for Southeast Asians in The Bronx. Nuon, Bora, and Kenny Ahir all lived with their four other siblings and both parents in a small apartment in The Bronx before they moved upstate. Kenny reflected on how poorly many Vietnamese and Cambodian community members fared in The Bronx: When they got sick, they couldn’t quarantine because there was like no space [in their apartments]. We lost so many community members to Covid. They couldn’t even take care of themselves in those conditions, and a lot of them were so old. We lost a lot of their generation. ... It was really sad for all of us? 4. People often lump all Asian identities together when evaluating ouv community needs and cultural identities. Although we often share a physical resemblance to East Asians, the Southeast Asian experience in the U.S. is very distinct and unique, and participants communicated that our ethnic and national groups often fight for different causes. Nuon Ahir describes this idea effectively: East Asians fight for more media representation, while us Southeast Asians fight for more clemency and less poverty and deportation! ... How important is another Asian Disney princess when our people are getting deported after serving their time [over misdemeanors]?* with several family members in crowded apartments is Healing From Hate 7 Nuon’s frustration is the result of the overshadowing of Southeast Asian struggles, especially since our communities’ fights for justice can mean life or death. Our fight to keep our community members home and safe from deportation is especially important, since some people might require urgent medical attention that would not be available in their home countries, and others might belong to marginalized and persecuted ethnic or national groups. Bora describes a recent incident where aCambodian community member was deported: When [ ] was doing a sudden ICE check-in, that would be the last time his family saw him.>? [ICE] basically told him to lie to his family over the phone and say that he was fine and safe, but next thing you know .. they sent him back to Cambodia. It makes no sense. He came here when he was only 12, what is he gonna do in Cambodia? And now he is missing his [neuropsychology] appointment, which was literally scheduled for the day after they deported him. ICE and the police—they don’t care, they don’t care about our community, what we have to go through.2 Jackie highlights that our community needs more than surface- level representation by reflecting on her family’s financial hardships and experiences as working-class nail technicians: When I think of all the nail salons ’ve been to, a lot of them are owned by Vietnamese people. It’s crazy that they’re spending so much time in these small spaces inhaling these toxic fumes and we don’t even make that much [money]. .. There’s a lot of issues that we need to focus on, and ALL Asians need to be included in conversations of poverty and workers’ rights.>® 8 CATHERINE KIEN 5. Anti-Asian hate heavily impacted everyone, and the pandemic veminded them of past incidents of discrimination and violence. Participants talked about the pandemic as terrifying and shameful, and many experienced the anti-Asian hate stirred up by it firsthand. Some were reminded of past incidents of anti- Asian violence and harm, while others’ friends and families were directly impacted. Almost all participants shared an experience of being avoided in public spaces, which Tiffany describes: People look at me weird and sometimes don’t sit next to me on the train and they just keep away from me. . .People sometimes say racist jokes, like calling me “yellow” or “chinky eyes.” ... I did try to correct them and stand up for myself but at the same time I cannot do that forever® Our elder community members were unfortunately targeted as well, being harassed in their own Bronx neighborhoods. Chris- topher shared an incident that his mother experienced in 2021 Apparently, she was waiting for a bus, and this random dude came up to her and started screaming at her face, “This is your Chinese people’s fault!” and left, but who does that? . . . Shes such a small, defenseless woman who was alone. . . . It’s not just how they treat us that we were scared ofj it is also the fear of the potential of how much they can hurt us? When I asked Steve how he felt about this anti-Asian hate, his voice raised in frustration as he answered: 1 thought, “I should be careful and not go to the areas that were reported to have Asian hate crimes.” Healing From Hate 9 As far as I know, they usually attack the seniors, at least 50 years old. .. I think those people were out of their minds. I think it’s crazy how they attack people who are older or weaker than them. 'm 86, so I was scared, but at the same time I knew I should be cautious? For others, this period brought about traumatizing memories of childhood bullying and more recent incidents of harassment. Kenny shared that this period of hate reminded him of how he got into a lot of fights when he was younger because of his identity: I dropped out of high school because I got jumped in the staircase, and no one ever found out who it was. I got into a lot of fights because I was Asian. . People thought I knew martial arts, and I’d get my ass beat a couple times. In middle school and ele- mentary school, I got jumped in the backyard. Yeah, there was a lot of violence. Oh, and people used to call me “Jeremy Lin” when playing ball. I took that as a compliment, though.» Kenny grew up knowing that because of his marginalized racial identity, he would have to learn how to defend himself—a reality for a great deal of Southeast Asian boys. Women and girls, on the other hand, often contended with gender-based sexual harm, as seen through the experiences of Bora when she was younger: T was sexualized more than anything. It’s nasty, I was seen as “exotic” to them, just because I was Asian. People made disgusting comments about my body. I was uncomfortable going to night school because the night school coordinator would look at me weird. . It was so uncomfortable3+ Bora’s experiences are directly related to the objectification of Southeast Asian women, as their supposed exoticism is heavily 10 CATHERINE KIEN fetishized. To make matters worse, she indicates that these incidents often took place when she was still underage. 6. Southeast Asians stayed strong during the pandemic, defending and protecting ouvselves with the help of community support. Southeast Asians remained courageous and hopeful during the pandemic, an approach we learned from our persistent refugee parents and grandparents. Many shared how they were able to rely on community organizations like Meckong NYC for emo- tional, mental, and even financial support during the pandemic. Kenny described his limited knowledge and dedication to social justice for Southeast Asians prior to his involvement in Mekong, recounting that “things changed” for him after learning more about movement-building and organizing: When you get older, you think about your Asian identity and what that means to you. For me, it came through Mckong, and my parents always said it. . As you get older, you want to be more culturcd and connect to your roots .. .you want to keep tradition alive because you see how our older generation is dying and aging and we need to make sure our culture lives on® Bora added that some community organizations really “stepped it up” to support Southeast Asians during this time, sharing that Meckong supported several families with mutual aid and emergency funds when the pandemic began. She describes how thankful she was that Mekong stepped in and supported her family: It was so hard to find water and toilet paper, remember that? . . . Thankfully, Mckong started Healing From Hate 11 doing Covid emergency funds, so everyone had money to buy stuff for the house. We also bought groceries for community members, and we were able to take some home too, along with youth fellows and staff. I don’t know how we made it, but we did it These experiences were common among Southeast Asians who were burdened with financial hardships prior to the pandemic, but through community support, we were able to survive yet again. Participants stressed that in order for us to uplift our communities and prevent this type of widespread hate from happening again, we must educate one another, share resources, and understand attacks on other targeted groups as attacks on our own. To many, justice meant safety and a greater under- standing of one another’s struggles, especially during times of uncertainty and misunderstanding. V. Conclusion Throughout my research, I saw my community’s activism, courage, and love for one another. Hearing interviewees’ stories reinforced my knowledge about our struggles, but it also taught me how we uplift each other while supporting other groups who might come under attack next. Cambodians and Viet- namese Bronxites are actively working toward community hea- ling and maintaining the unwavering hope that got us through wars in Southeast Asia, Bronx disinvestment, and now, the Co- vid-19 pandemic. By becoming an organizer at Mekong NYC, I have also been able to learn and address more of the needs of our Southeast Asian community members through direct services and cam- paign organizing, advocating for them in local, state, and na- 12 CATHERINE KIEN tional spaces. Witnessing the strength and persistence of our Southeast Asian communities has been inspiring, and our vic- tories motivate me to continue building. Most importantly, I learned that it is essential to remember that we are not just tough and resilient: we are receptive, feeling, and hopeful, and we need time, and each other, to heal. NOTES - On the connection between blaming China for Covid-i9 and anti-Asian hate, see Zhipeng Gao, “Sinophobia during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Iden- tity, Belonging, and International Politics,” Integrative Psychological & Be- havioral Science s6/2 (2022): 472-490; and Brendan Lantz and Marin R. Wenger, “Anti-Asian Xenophobia, Hate Crime Victimization, and Fear of Victimization During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 38 (2023): 1088-1116. . On the history of Vietnamese and Cambodian resettlement to the U.S, see Linda W. Gordon, “Southeast Asian Refugee Migration to the United States, Center for Migration Studics Special Isues 5/3 (1987): 153-173, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), SEAA Journeys (2024), https//searac.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SEA A-Journeys_final.pdf. -Sce Eric Tang. “How the Refugees Stopped the Bronx from Burning,” Race and Clas 5/4 (2013): 48-66 and Eric Tang, Unsettled: Cambodian Refugees in NYC Hyperghetto (Philadelphia: Temple University Pres, 2015). ~ This article is adapted and condensed from Catherine Kien, “A Pandemic of Hate: The Asian Bronxite Experience” (unpublished thesis, Fordham University, 2024). .Among the many sources available on this history, se Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS), University of Minnesota, “Cambodia,” accessed November 30, 2023, https//claumn.edu/chgs/ holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/cambodia; Michael -Clod- felter, Vietnam in Military Statistics: AHistory ofthe Indochina Wars, 1772~ 191 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 105); David Walbert, “The Vietnam War: A Timeline,” Anchor, A North Carolina History Online Resource, https;/ wwwicpedia.org/anchor/vietnam-war-timeline; “US. Involvement in the Vietnam War: The Gulf of Tonkin and Escalation, 1964,” U.S. State Department Office of the Historian, https/historystategov/milestones/ Healing From Hate 13 1961-1968/gulf-of-tonkin; “The Southeast Asia War: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia,” National Museum of the United States Air Force, httpsy/ wwwnationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/ Article/105050/the-southeast-asia-war-vietnam-laos-and-cambodia/; Gary So- lis, “The Victnam War on Trial: The My Lai Massacre and the Court- Martial of Licutenant Calley (review),” Journal of Military History 67/2 (203): 634-35; and Edward Miguel and Gerard Roland, “The Long-Run Impact of Bombing Vietnam,” Journal of Development Economics 96/t (201): 1-15. Gordon, “Southeast Asian Refugee Migration.” Se Tang, “How the Refugees”; Tang, Unsetled; and Stuart White, “What's Wrong with Workfare?” Journal ofApplied Philosophy 21/3 (2004 271-84. Eating Welfare: Asians and Welfare in New York City, produced by CAAAV Youth Leadership Project (201; Youth Leadership Project); Tang, Unsetled. “Our Story,” Mckong NYC, accessed October 30, 2023, https//mekong nyc.org/our-story. 10. P. G. Fox et al, “Southeast Asian Refugee Children: Violence Experience and Depression,” International Journal of Psychiatric Nusing Research 5/2 (19): $89-600; and Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Veterans and Agent Ovange: Health Efects ofHerbicides Used in Vietnam (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1994), https;//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/ NBK236347/. -COVID Data Tracker, Centers for Discase Control and Prevention, https/ covid.cdegov/covid-data-tracker/“datatracker-home; “COVID-19 Data: Neighborhood Data Profiles,” NYC Health, https//wwwaycgovsite/doh/ covid/covid-o-data-neighborhoopadgse. 12. “Hate Crimes,” NYPD, https//wwwnycgov/site/nypd/stats/reports-analysis/ hate-crimes.page. -For example, Ed Shanahan, “Man Hit Woman in the Head 125 Times Because She Was Asian, Officials Say,” New York Times, March 14, 2022, hetps//wwwaytimes.com/2022/0314/nyregion/yonkers-hate-crime-anti- asian-attack heml. Se also the interesting discussions related to this topic in C. W et al, “Anti-Asian Discrimination and the Asian-White Mental Health Gap during COVID-19, Ethnic and Racial Studies 44/s (2021): 819~ 835 and Janelle Wong and Rossina Zamora Liu, “Between Empirical Data and Anti-Blackness: A Critical Perspective on Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents,” Journal ofAsian American Studies 25/3(202): 387-410. 14- Se the discussion of this phenomenon in Tang, Unsetled. 15. Sce appendix in Kien, “Pandemic of Hate,” for this list of questions. 14 CATHERINE KIEN ©Bo .Beyond this work, Mckong NYC Youth Fellows are currently working on publishing their own Storytelling Project, which wil highlight the stories of their Vietnamese and Cambodian parents, grandparents, and ncighbors who have survived the war in Southcast Asia. Through this project, we aim to keep our family history and culrures alive. .Tiffany Tran, personal interview, 2023. .Michelle Nguyen, personal interview, 2023. .Steve Nguyen, personal interview, 2023, .Steve Nguyen, personal interview. .Jackie Le, personal interview, 2023. .Sce the discussion of this in Tang, Unsetled. .Michelle Nguyen, personal interview: .Christopher Kim, personal interview, 2023. .Kenny Ahir, personal interview, 2023, .Nuon Ahir, personal interview, 2023. .Name redacted to protect his privacy and that of his family. .Bora Ahir, personal interview, 2023 .Le, personal interview. .Tran, personal interview: .Kim, personal interview: .Steve Nguyen, personal interview. .Kenny Ahir, personal interview. .Bora Ahir, personal interview: .Kenny Ahir, personal interview. . Bora Ahir, personal interview. Healing From Hate 15 351 Powers Avenue, Bronx NY IW LemlesWolff COMPANIES Development +Construction «Property Management «Maintenance 5925 Broadway, Bronx. NY 10463 «(718) 884-7676 «www.lemlewolff.com THE WILLIAM SPAIN SEISMIC OBSERVATORY BY BENJAMIN CROOKER The William Spain Seismic Observatory, located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University, has a long and distin- guished history monitoring seismic activity both locally and across the world. The first seismograph was installed in the base- ment of the Administration Building (now Cunniffe House) on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in 1910 by Father Edward D. Tivnan, SJ., Instructor of Chemistry and later Rector and President of the University. This project to establish seismic observatories at ten Jesuit colleges across the U.S. and Canada was spearheaded by Father Frederick L. Odenbach, S.J., Director of the Astronomical and Metrological Observatory at John Carroll University and a founding member of the Seismological Society of America. In 1920, Father Tivnan directed a young Jesuit, Father Joseph J. Lynch, SJ., to manage the Fordham Seismic Station. For the next so years, Father Lynch would supervise the growth of the Seismic Station into a world-class facility, routinely being the first to report major seismic events happening anywhere in the world to the City and beyond through the New York Times and other media outlets. Father Lynch and other researchers would frequently consult on a variety of topics of interest to New William Spain Seismic Observatory 17 York City, such as subway vibrations and earthquake planning, and of wider interest—using secismology, for instance, to locate possible tombs under the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. A major upgrade occurred in 1924 with the construction of a dedicated building through the generous donation of William Spain in memory of his son William, a Fordham sophomore at the time of his death in 1922. At the opening ceremony, the new building was blessed by Bishop John Collins, SJ., and a bronze plaque of St. Emidio, the Patron Saint of Seismologists, was pre- sented as a personal gift from Pope Pius XI. Over the years, the William Spain Seismic Observatory would be moved across the Fordham campus twice to make way for new academic buil- dings before reaching its current location next to Freeman Hall in 1931. With the advent of the internet and massive computing power beginning in the 1970s, seismology gradually transitioned from the realm of individual seismic stations to big data. By com- bining data from hundreds of stations, it became possible to develop detailed images of the interior structure of the earth, much as a CAT scan produces detailed images of the human body. Thanks to a generous donation from an alumnus in 2001, the William Spain Seismic Observatory joined this trend, in- stalling its first digital seismometer capable of sending real-time data over the Internet to the USGS data repository in Boulder, Colorado, where it is combined with data from other stations to provide near real-time information on major seismic events from around the world. The archived data is also available to re- searchers from across the U.S., who use it to explore fascinating questions about the interior structure of the earth. The Fordham Observatory is amember of the regional Lamont Cooperative Seismic Network, consisting of 21 broadband 18 BENJAMIN CROCKER seismic stations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Penn- sylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Data from the local network has deepened our understanding of the structures and faults underlying the city and the region. The William Spain Seismic Observatory also houses a strong motion detector under a USGS program to assess carthquake risk remediation in large metro- politan centers. This ruggedized detector is designed to con- tinue taking data through a major seismic event in the city. Like the “black box” in an airplane, we hope it will never be used; however, data from such a device could be crucial in understanding and minimizing future risk from earthquakes. Above: Front door of William Spain Seismic Observatory, Fordham University, April 13, 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 40 International License, https//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/ 4ofdecd.en. William Spain Seismic Observatory 19 BASEBALL - isTHE NEW YORK GAME [T e HOW THE NATIONAL PASTIME PARALLELED US HISTORY “Tony Morante illustrates how baseball became the background music of America.” — Ed Randall FOREWORD BY*MICHAEL KAY YANKEE PLAY-8Y.PLAY TV COMMENTATOR 4 A B wADISHOWT & ? Available on Amazon }ket — L THE HISTORY OF THE OYSTER CITY ISLAND AND THE EAST BRONX BY ROGER MCCORMACK The Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit group focused on repairing marine biodiversity and the ecology of New York Harbor, whose goal is to revive the once flourishing oyster beds of New York Harbor by 2035 In its heyday, New York sold about half of the world’s oysters for consumption, and The Bronx loomed large in the bygone oyster trade as well, with City Island and the East Bronx tracts along the East River and Long Island Sound playing a fundamental role in the oyster- farming boom of the nineteenth century. The oyster is as American as apple pie and a true New York icon. Archaeological work in middens—archaeologically significant rubbish heaps—prove that the oyster was a critical component of the Native American diet, with indigenous peoples making spe- cial trips to City Island, Throggs Neck, and the Long Island Sound to fish. (A large oyster midden was once found near Wall Street, lending Pearl Street in lower Manhattan its name.) European colonization heralded a shift in the attitude toward the oyster. Still prized as a dietary staple, farmers and fisherman began to realize the vast profits the oyster trade offered, with City Island contributing to a major shift in oyster harvesting in the 1830s. History of the Oyster 21 The area adjoining City Island in the northeastern Bronx was renowned in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for its fertile soil and abundant marine life. Situated along the Long Island Sound, the flat marshy soil of the East Bronx was ideal for farming, which explains why the area remained agricultural well into the nineteenth century. (The great Bronx historian John McNamara’s family had a bungalow in Throggs Neck, and he described seeing cows there still in the twentieth century,) The annexation by New York City in 1895 of the area from The Bronx River to the Long Island Sound brought in its wake urbanization and the end of The Bronx’s agricultural economy. City Island was settled by Europeans in the seventeenth century and exemplified the rich agricultural and maritime heritage of the area. Early efforts to turn the island into a port to rival New York Harbor were pioneered by Benjamin Palmer, who had pur- chased the island in 1761. These efforts were thwarted by the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. British troops soon occupied the island, hindering Palmer’s grand plans for the island’s development. Economic activity in eighteenth-century City Island consisted almost solely of farming and fishing. Opystering in the nineteenth century built on this nautical tra- dition while achieving a lucrativeness unknown to eighteenth- century fishermen and farmers. The evolution of the oyster mirrored population changes in the area: for the Lenape, the oyster was utilized as a food source and to make wampum—white shell beads used for a variety of culturally significant purposes—though the Lenape did trade in oysters with Dutch settlers. The Dutch and British used oysters for food as well as for lime in construction, emphasizing the wide range of the oyster’s use. When Henry Hudson sailed into 22 ROGER MCCORMACK New York Harbor and around the area of today’s Bronx in 1609, there were 220,000 acres of oyster beds below New York Harbor.! The enormous potential of the oyster beds was re- latively unexploited though, a fact that would change in the nineteenth century. City Island, The Bronx’s great maritime site, loomed large in this robust oyster trade. According to Barbara Dolensek of the City Island Maritime Museum, a City Island resident named Orrin Fordham pio- neered the practice of artificial oyster harvesting? This practice contrasted with the older one of raking oysters from the na- turally rich oyster beds of New York and entailed lining the water with shells that attracted baby oysters. Artificial oystering created an enormous increase in oyster propagation and turned the fledgling industry into a multi-million-dollar business by the mid-nineteenth century. The City Island Opyster Reef, a nonprofit group, notes: By the middle of the 19th century, thanks to this practice of “planting” oyster shells, massive oyster reefs dominated the waters in western Long Island Sound, where the edges of the marshes, buoys, and wharf pilings were covered with oyster larvae that had attached themselves to existing shells3 The vast profits brought contention, with oystermen raiding other oyster reefs and contributing to a rise in oyster “piracy” in Boos City Island—reminiscent of fishing boundary disputes between lobster fishermen in Maine and Canada today. Property disputes were common, as were midnight raids on a rival’s oyster beds, with many cases involving contesting appeals to ownership of oyster beds. The City Island Nautical Museum notes the prosperity the oyster brought to residents: “Oysters were the most popular seafood in the second half of the nine- teenth century, and nearly 100 City Island families carned a History of the Oyster 23 considerable living harvesting them.”* By the twentieth century, industrialization, pollution of water- ways, and the rise of ports, wharves, and a robust maritime in- dustry in New York City spelled the end of the once-lucrative oyster industry. Efforts at conservation during this time also largely failed—overfishing, pollution, and failures at the muni- cipal and borough level to dispose of waste properly doomed the once-prolific oyster. Raw sewage was dumped into water- ways like New York Harbor and The Bronx River by municipal authorities, often as late as the 1970s. Waterborne diseases like typhus were spread through oyster consumption from these po- lluted waterways. Most of the oyster beds in New York were closed by 1916, while the final beds lasted until 1927. The wealthy oystermen of City Island turned to shipbuilding, ma- king the island a major shipbuilding and yachting center in the twentieth centurys Today, the Billion Oyster Project is committed to repopulating New York’s waters with oysters, not for their commercial and gustatory value but to improve the ecological health and quality of waterways, as oysters are key components in water filtration, naturally making sediment and nitrogen less harmful to marine ecosystems. Oysters can filter up to so gallons of water per day, an extraordinarily effective natural tool for keeping waterways in New York and The Bronx healthy. Another benefit of oyster reefs in the age of rapid climate change is their ability to miti- gate storm surges and combat flooding. Groups like the non- profit City Island Oyster Reef assist the Billion Oyster Project in making oyster repopulation a reality, with work underway not only in New York Harbor but also in The Bronx, with the project centering around the Soundview Reefs at the end of The Bronx River. 24 ROGER MCCORMACK The Bronx River, the only fresh-water river in New York City, begins, ironically enough, at Valhalla—the Kensico Dam—and spans 23 miles to the Soundview section of The Bronx, where it flows into the East River. The history of the river highlights the same challenges that beset the oyster in The Bronx and New York City. Bucolic until the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- turies, The Bronx River was a vital resource for indigenous peoples of the area. In the nineteenth century, it became a site of pilgrimage for New Yorkers longing to escape the bustling metropolis of Manhattan, including Edgar Allan Poe during his time as a forlorn resident of Fordham village. Industry and manufacturing in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries con- tributed to the ecological devastation of the river. Snuff and grist mills, for example, were installed along The Bronx River in the 1800s, the most notable being the Lorillard snuff mill, which still stands in the New York Botanical Garden. By the middle of the twentieth century, large portions of The Bronx River were ecologically devastated, with severely decreased biodiversity and water flow. The resilient oyster, however, managed to survive through it all, albeit in a vastly reduced fashion. In the 1970s, oysters were occasionally found on car tires that had been thrown into The Bronx River, a sad symbol of the once prolific mollusk. Today, the Billion Oyster Project has built five acres of oyster reefs at the end of The Bronx River, working in tandem with community groups like The Bronx River Alliance and Rocking the Boat, which have focused their ecological efforts on re- storing the river, a hopeful sign for the future of the oyster and its positive ecological impact on The Bronx.® History of the Oyster 25 NOTES .Thomas Hynes, “Aw Shucks: The Tragic History of New York City Opysters,” Untapped New York, August 2022, https;//www.untappedcities.com /history-new-york-oysters/. 2. Barbara Dolensck, “City Island, Oysters and Pirates: A Curious History,” The Island Current, July-August 2022, 2. “The Oyster Industry on City Island.” City Island Oyster Reef, accessed 30 October 2024, https//www.cioysterreef.org/history/. 4. “City Island History,” City Island Nautical Museum, accessed 30 October 2024, httpsy/wwwcityislandmuseum.org/copy-of city-island-childhood-2. -Dolensck, “City Island,” 5. .Billion Oyster Project, “Soundview Reefs,” accessed 30 October 2024, hetps//wwwhbillionoysterprojectorg/soundview-reefs. 26 ROGER MCCORMACK o- ST.JOHN’S COLLEGE, HURRAH! By ROBERT R. GRIMES, S.J. It might be entirely coincidental that Fordham University’s first football team was formed in 1881, when the University was known as St. John’s College, and that in the same year, a new song was sung: “St. John’s Fordham, Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!” With original music composed by long-time professor of music at St. John’s, Felix Simon, and words written by a student, according to a report in the New York Herald, the song was sung “with a great deal of enthusiasm by the boys” during that year’s Commencement ceremonies.’ The event must have been tinged with melancholy for Simon, as he was retiring after 22 years on Rose Hill. He would also be departing from friends and colleagues of many years, Jesuit Brother Macé and Professor Urso—the quite amazing music faculty of St. John’s College at that time. Looking back, he must have had many memories through the years, some reaching back to his homeland in France. How close the Fordham connection was to France! The windows in the chapel were a gift from Louis Phillippe, King of the French. The Jesuits who moved into Fordham in 1846 were members of the Parisian Province of their Order. In the 1870s, they connected to the French-Canadian mission of the St. John’s College 27 Jesuits. Only in 1881 did they join with the entirely U.S-based Maryland Province. Brother Julius Macé was born in Nantes, France in 1822. He demonstrated musical talent from an early age and was sent to study at the Paris Conservatory where he attracted the attention of the great piano pedagogue Henri Bertini and befriended fellow student Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Well on his way to becoming a concert pianist, quite suddenly at age 24 he left the conservatory and entered the Jesuit novitiate as a brother. After a year, his religious superiors sent him to New York and St. John’s College, where he spent the rest of his life. Felix Simon was also born in Nantes, France, a dozen years before Macé. Simon attended the Paris Conservatory as well, starting in 1829, studying under the great violinist, Charles de Bériot. He returned to Nantes as chapel master at the cathedral, where it is likely he knew Macé. Simon was also concertmaster in the orchestra of the Théitre Graslin in Nantes. By 1852, Simon had arrived in the United States and appears to have taught music in Cincinnati, Ohio for most of that decade. By 1859, Simon was a professor of music at St. John’s College Fordham where he worked until 1882. Salvatore Urso was born in Sicily. By 1840, he was organist at PEglise Ste-Croix in Nantes and first flautist in that city’s Théatre Graslin, where he befriended Simon. Urso’s daughter, Camille, was attracted to the violin as a young girl, an instrument not considered “feminine” in the mid-nineteenth century, and Simon became the first violin teacher of a young woman who would soon become a world-famous virtuoso. In 1852, father and daughter traveled to the United States where Camille began a successful tour of the country along with the 28 ROBERT R. GRIMES, S.J. acclaimed soprano Henriette Sontag. Camille married in 1856, and Salvatore settled in New York City. Likely through his old friendship with Felix Simon, Urso began teaching at St. John’s College Fordham in 1867. All three of these tremendously ta- lented musicians focused on making music. Macé taught piano, Simon taught violin, piano, and singing, and Urso taught piano and flute. Macé also played the organ in the college chapel and the parish church. Simon directed the college choir and orchestra. Three stories about Brother Macé point to his prowess as a musician. When Macé attended a concert in the City by the fa- mous pianist and composer Gottschalk, the virtuoso was tipped off that Macé was in the audience. Gottschalk brought him on stage and had him perform for the amazed crowd. The second story concerns his narcolepsy, or “sleeping sickness.” A student was always beside him at the organ to ensure he was imme- diately awoken—and that he did not miss a beat. Third, when he died, found among his music was an autograph copy of a Beethoven piano sonata, inscribed to him by Bertini. The fate of that manuscript is unfortunately unknown. Camille Urso was not Felix Simon’s only pupil to become famous; he was Achille Rivarde’s first violin teacher before the young American went to France and took the Paris Conser- vatory by storm, winning first prize when he graduated at age 14. Rivarde later wrote to Simon: “Whatever success I have had in the past or may have in the future I owe principally to you, and believe me, I can never forget it.”> Another tribute to Simon was from Camille Urso, who included his composition “Un Reve (A Dream)” in her concerts throughout her career. In addition, Simon’s daughter, Henriette Corradi, was a noted soprano in both opera and concert, including appearances with St. John’s College 29 the New York Philharmonic. In an 1871 concert at Rose Hill, the three faculty members came together in the performance of an unnamed trio, presumably for piano, violin, and flute, which must have been a musical cevent. It was Italian opera that was the most popular music of the day, however. During Commencement of that year, Rossini’s “Overture to Semiramis” was performed (probably by piano four-hands with some additional instruments) and “Norma Cometh,” the Druid chorus from Act I of Bellini’s Norma, was sung by the college chorus, both conducted by Felix Simon. This was nothing new. An alumnus recalled that in the early 1850s, “it was not considered anything of a feat to prepare and give, on short notice, a chorus from the Italian opera.TM At Commencement of 1853, students performed the chorus “Belo si celebri” from Rossini’s opera Semiramide, a chorus in praise of the pagan god Baal. In 1859, the first year Macé and Simon worked together at St. John’s, the College Chorus sang the opening chorus from Auber’s Fra Diavolo: “As good soldiers, let’s drink full glasses,” a song that might not make it past Stu- dent Affairs censors today. At the 1861 Commencement cere- mony, as the Civil War unfolded, the chorus sang the finale to Rossini’s opera Mosé in Egitto under the title “Our Land is Free:” Our land is free, all nations see Her starry banners proudly rise; Loudly to God, to freedom’s God Triumphal praises sing; Waken to grateful song your voice, With joyous trumpets ring! As Professor Simon reached his 7oth birthday, a “testimonial concert” in his honor was arranged for the April 27, 1880 in Chickering Hall, one of the foremost concert halls in the country, seating 1500 people, and located on Fifth Avenue and 30 ROBERT R. GRIMES, S.J. Bth Street. Included among the performers was soprano Henriette Corradi, Simon’s daughter, his student violinist Achille Rivarde, and Felix Simon himself as conductor. —4f HRPECTFULLY INSEAIBEDTo *QOCKELNS,.J. (. ENTOFST.UONS CoLEcr,FoRDAM, .Y S Ty oY EGr song anDd O8O PROF. FELIX SIMON. FOR SALEATSTJOKN'S COLEGE FOROHAM NY 3¢ Above: Front cover, Felix Simon, “Saint John’s Fordham” (Fordham, N.Y: St. John’s College, 1881), notated music, https;//www.loc.gov/item/ 2023840038/. St.Johm’sCollege 31 According to the New York Herald, a “large number of the friends and old pupils of the venerated tutor” were expected.* Also, around 1880, modern-rules American football emerged in men’s colleges around the country, including St. John’s Ford- ham. Along with the new game came the need for cheers and songs, and Fordham was no exception. As Simon was preparing to retire, he gave one last gift to St. John’s Fordham: a song that could serve as both a fight song and an alma mater. Commence- ment on June 22, 1881 began with the overture from Verdi’s Nabucco but concluded with the “new college song, St. John’s College, Hurrah! Hurrah!” Cheerily lift we unto the sky, A strain that suits the parting day. Cheerily, tenderly, ere we hie To distant scenes away! Hurrah! Alma Mater, Bless her name, Hurrah! And be evergreen her fame, hurrah! While the cheer of her sons is heard with glee. St. John’s Fordham! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! O’er the hill of Roses floating free! St. John’s Fordham! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah¥ That same year the song was professionally published as sheet music with a cover that reproduced the well-known lithograph of the 1846 college campus drawn by William Rodrigue, a copy of which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. The song was dedicated to the college president, the Reverend E. William Gockeln, SJ. During Father Gockeln’s tenure as president, in addition to football being introduced and a song composed to cheer the students on, another innovation came to be. The school’s color was changed from magenta, a color now famous from computer printers, to maroon. Since the song was submitted for copyright, the Library of 32 ROBERT R. GRIMES, S.J. Congress has a copy that it has subsequently digitized. The complete sheet music can be found on their website.® St. John’s Fordham! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! NOTES . “St. John’s College,” The New York Herald, June 23, 1881, 5. 2. “Musical and Dramatic Notes,” New York Herald, 25 April 180, 8. .“St. John’s Thirty Years Ago,” The Fordbam Monthly, January 185, s8. 4. “Musical and Dramatic Notes,” New York Herald, April 18,180, 9. Eelix Simon, “Saint John’s Fordham” (Fordham, N.Y: St. John’s College, 181), notated music, httpsy/wwwloc.gov/item/2023840038/. To access the full PDF of “Saint John’s Fordham” from the Library of Congress, visit https//hdllocgov/loc.music/smissi-pdf.ogs79. St. John’s College 33 B THE GOUVERNEUR MORRIS VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM The Bronx County Historical Society names a visiting scholar annu- ally in honor of Gouverneur Morris, signer and penman of the U.S. Constitution. 2024 Roger McCormack 2006 “Edgar Allan PoeTM 2022 Pastor Crespo, Jr. 2005 “Bronx Veterans” Jim Wunsch “Bronx Radio History” Brian Purnell “The Bronx isa Bomb, and It Is Ready to Explode” Evelyn Gonzalez “The South BronxTM Mark Naison “From Doo Wop to Hip Hop” Joseph Cunningham “New York Power” Elizabeth Beirne “The Good Life in the 19th Century BronxTM Allan S.Gilbert “Archacology inThe Bronx’ Roger Wines “The Bronx River Parkway” Peter Derrick “Centennial of The BronxTM Edward Schneider “Newspapers of The Bronx” Gary Hermalyn “Morris High School” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Morris and the Constitution” Thomas A. King “soth Anniversary of the Normany Invasion” George Lankevich “Creation of the U.S. Supreme Court” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Moris Through Word and Speech” Dominic Massaro “Gouverneur MorrisTM 2021 Steven Payne “Bronx Latino History Project” 2004 2020 Roger McCormack “Poc Cottage” 2003 209 Lloyd Ultan “Bronx ParksTM 2002 208 Coline Jenkins “Elizabeth Cady Stanton” 2001 2016 Vivian E. Davis “Celebrating 175 Years of St. Ann’s ChurchTM 2000 2015 Edward Schneider “Abraham Lincoln” 1999 2014 Gary Hermalyn “The Erie Canal” 1998 2013 ‘Tony Morante “Baseball” 1997 2012 Daniel Hauben “The Bronx Through the Eyes 1996 of an Artist” 20m Gary Hermalyn 1995 “Bronx Homemakers Club of Danicl, Wyoming” 2010 Angel Hernindez 1994, “Bronx Latinos” 2009 Russell Currie “The Cask of Amontillado, An 1993 Opera” 2008 Gary Hermalyn “Edgar Allan Poe at FordhamTM 1992 2007 Lloyd Rogler “The Story of the Hispanic Rescarch Center” 1991 THE HOULIHANS A BRONX FAMILY By JOoE HOULIHAN Adapted from a speech given by Joe Houliban on September 18, 2024 at the The Bronx County Histovical Society 23vd Annual Golf Tournament and Dinner at Pelbam Split Rock Golf Course. We are here tonight to honor our beloved Bronx. There are a million Bronx stories, and tonight I would like to share one of them with you. Daniel and Margaret Houlihan are our great grandparents. Daniel Houlihan arrived in the U.S. in 1874 from his native Ireland. He was 15 years old. A similarly aged young woman named Margaret Lynch made the same trip right around the same time. They did not know each other even though their families lived within five miles of each other back home. They both lacked any advanced education and money, but they were both equipped with three integral traits: guts, ambition, and faith. Dan and Margaret both entered the US. via New York City. Daniel first went to Scranton, Pennsylvania because he had a relative there that offered to teach him the carpentry trade. Margaret was a domestic worker in the New Haven area but had relatives in Scranton, and that is how they met. They married in Scranton in 1884, and soon after, their first son, Joe, my grand- The Houlibans 35 father, was born. Around this time, Dan got word of a possible job in New York City. Their plan was for Dan to go to the city, get settled, and send for Margaret in 9o days. On the 88th day, Margaret received a telegram from Dan: “No job—stay in Above: Family patriarch Daniel Houlihan, who in 1801 founded Daniel J. Houlihan Corporation, now Houlihan-Parnes Realtors LLC, cour- tesy of the Houlihan family. 36 JOE HOULIHAN Scranton.” Margaret ignored the telegram and got on the train to New York City with her son Joe. Margaret had ambition in spades. Above: Map showing the stretch of East 199th Street between Bainbridge and Briggs Avenues in The Bronx where the Houlihans built their first apartment complex, a series of seven five-floor walk-up apartment buildings, the Mosholu Arms, courtesy of the Houlihan family. The Houlihans 37 The rest is history. The Houlihans got a job and a place to live at a resident hotel in Harlem at 300 East 123rd Street. The residents received meals with their rooms so there was always plenty of work to do. From there, they had additional children, but they started taking what they called “Sunday drives” along the newly planned subway lines in upper Manhattan and The Bronx. They desperately wanted to buy land, something they could not do back in Ireland because of their Catholic faith. They were ultimately able to buy some building lots and to then trade them for a profit. They went on to have twelve chil- dren, nine of whom lived to adulthood. There were six boys and three girls. They moved to the Bedford Park neighborhood in The Bronx and built a family homestead at 2867 Bainbridge Ave- nue. They became active members of St. Philip Neri parish, where there is a stained-glass window in the church in their memory that remains to this day. Most of the Houlihan men went to Manhattan Prep and Manhattan College. The Houlihan women were educated by the Ursuline sisters across the street from the home on Bain- bridge Avenue. In 1907, Joe, the oldest, graduated from Man- hattan College with a degree in civil engineering. The next year, the Houlihans filed plans with the City for an apartment com- plex called the Mosholu Arms. This was a somewhat daring plan because these were to be the first apartment buildings built north of Fordham Road. Much of the neighborhood was stil farmland. The Mosholu Arms are still standing today. They are comprised of seven five-story walk-up apartment buildings on the south side of East 199th Street from Bainbridge to Briggs Avenues. The buildings were known in the neighborhood as the Hou- 38 JOE HOULIHAN lihan flats. They were a big success and a feather in the Houlihan cap. Three sons joined their father in the business: Joe, Jim, and Dan. The Houlihans were responsible for the development of a significant portion of the Wakefield section of The Bronx. The Houlihan office was in a two-story commercial building that they built at the northeast corner of East 233rd Street and White Plains Road. The Houlihans went on to build several five-story apartment buildings on East 233rd and East 234th Streets. They also built several “taxpayers”—one-story retail buildings—as well as a movie theater on White Plains Road. In addition, they constructed several one-family homes in the Woodlawn neighborhood of The Bronx. In the mid-1g50s, our father Dan and our cousin Jim’s father J.G. joined the firm and became the third generation of Houlihans. When Dan and J.G. wanted to expand the business, they brought in a partner, Howard Parnes, who started with the Houlihans on St. Patrick’s Day 1967. Before Jim Jr.’s graduation from Fordham University in 1974, he joined Houlihan-Parnes and today is its Managing Partner. I think most are aware of Houlihan-Parnes and its place in New York as a highly successful, well-respected real estate firm. In the early 1980s, my brother Dan worked for a family friend, Jim O’Malley, who operated a real estate appraisal firm in Bronxville. Dan bought the practice from Mr. O’Malley in 1984 and offered me the opportunity to join him at Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate. Over the years, our firm has evolved to include Commer- cial and Residential brokerage services, management, and pri- vate financing in addition to appraisal services. The Houlihans 39 Today, Dan and T are the owners of Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate in Bronxville. Our sister Liz Genovese, her son Nick, and our brother Gerry Houlihan work with us. Jim Houlihan is the owner of Houlihan-Parnes Realtors in White Plains. Houlihan- Parnes is the successor entity of the original Danicl Houlihan Corporation, incorporated in 189r. Jim’s brother-in-law, Jim Coleman, has worked with Jim for over 40 years, and his daughter Kara recently joined the firm. Jerry (Jeremiah) Hou- lihan, our cousin, has also worked at Houlihan-Parnes for se- veral decades. Jim Houlihans son Bryan works at Houlihan- Parnes, and at different times, Jack Houlihan—Jim’s brother—as well as Christie and Kelly Houlihan and Meghan McEvoy, Jim’s children, have worked at Houlihan-Parnes. As you can see, the fifth generation has been well represented. Today, Houlihan-Parnes and Houlihan & O’Malley own some properties together, and we constantly confer with each other on the ever-changing real estate business. Our family has been able to give back to The Bronx by supporting with time and treasure several important Bronx institutions, including Manhattan College, Fordham University, Mount St. Ursula, Mount St. Michael, St. Catherine’s Academy, Calvary Hospital, and The Bronx County Historical Society. 40 JOE HOULIHAN PRACTICING URBAN PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE BRONX BY ROBERT KORNHABER For far too long my interest in photography had been dormant. But in 2015 I received an intriguing offer: serve as the staff photographer for a nonprofit heading to Ghana for a site visit. Although photography had long since moved into the digital age and I had not, I accepted the challenge. After lots of rea- ding, the purchase of a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex), camera and too little practice, off I went. To my great relief, all went well, and the photographs turned out to be a great success. Having accumulated a bit of confidence, I decided to address a longstanding chip on my shoulder: the way the media has traditionally either ignored or maligned my hometown, The Bronx. Consequently, for most outsiders, including many New Yorkers, their image of the borough has remained a black-and- white picture of burned-out buildings somewhere in the South Bronx, circa the 1970s. So why not spend some time photo- graphing The Bronx in all its glory? How long could it take> A lot longer than I expected. Practicing Urban Photography 41 1. Urban Photogvaphy, Then and Now Although urban photography has been with us since the camera’s inception—check out the work of Eugéne Atget in Paris or Berenice Abbott in New York City—by the 1920s, what we now refer to as street photography was coming into its own. Unlike urban photography, where the emphasis is on the various structures—manmade and natural—that make up our cities, street photography is primarily interested in candid shots of unsuspecting pedestrians. Led by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and Hungarian-born photographer Brassai this approach quickly grew in popularity. Today, street photography as well as the ever-popular landscape photography dominate the field and are pervasive on the internet. But when it comes to urban photography, there is a dearth of interest. So much so that “urban” is not even among the 80 topics listed by fstoppers.com, a prominent photography website. As a result of these trends, the neighborhoods where the majority of New Yorkers reside are rarely the focus of attention for professional photographers, book publishers, or the media in general. Along with this disinterest in urban photography comes a shortage of useful advice for navigating New York streets in pursuit of great photos. And there is a lot to learn. So, to get you started and not to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm, there won’t be an overload of technical shop talk in this article. Instead, the emphasis on practical advice will get you out the door and documenting urban neighborhoods sooner than later. 42 ROBERT KORNHABER 1I1. Getting the Gear To begin with, you should have a camera, such as a DSLR or one of the newer mirrorless cameras, that accepts various size lenses (or at least has a zoom lens). Otherwise, you will quickly notice that you are either too close or too far from almost everything you’re trying to shoot. And if you do go with a DSLR (they’re a little large), do consider a second smaller and less expensive compact camera—or smart phone if you must—as a backup. Despite the fact that everyone can and does use their phone for picture-taking, a more professional-looking camera can sometimes raise suspicions of security personnel. A more modest camera will often be overlooked, and their smaller lens is useful for shooting through those chain link fences that the City has been putting on bridges and overpasses. In addition, please keep your gear in a no-frills backpack until needed. It will probably be ignored. And don’t walk around with a camera bag. 1t’s a red flag for everyone. II1. Finding Great Destinations Although you can always Google places to shoot, there are some great books that will quickly enlighten you as your quest begins. For an overview of all five boroughs, my favorite book, and the first one I encountered, is Kevin Walsh, Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis(New York: HarperCollins, 2006). Along with his ongoing website, Walsh’s book catalogues many of the historic sights, impressive buildings, and little-known monu- ments in the city. Less chatty but more encyclopedic is Norval White, Elliot Willensky, and Fran Leadon, AIA Guide to New York City, sth edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), a block-by-block compendium of architectural structures in the Practicing Urban Photography 43 Top: Loew’s Paradise Theatre, at the time functioning as the World Changers Church-New York, located at 2403 Grand Concourse in The Bronx, courtesy of the author. Bottom: Flagship structure of The Bronx Terminal Market, located at the intersection of River Avenue and Exterior and East 149th Streets, now rented by Hostos Community College, courtesy of the author. 44 ROBERT KORNHABER o, Above: Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, located in Poe Park at 2640 Grand Concourse and operated by The Bronx County Historical Society as a historic house museum, covered with a light dusting of snow, courtesy of the author. Practicing Urban Photography 45 Big Apple. And if you’re heading to The Bronx make sure you pick up Lloyd Ultan and Shelley Olson, The Bronx: The Ultimate Guide to New York City’s Beautiful Borough (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2015), a unique and detailed guide to the borough. If that’s not enough, you can also find out about New York’s 42 islands—Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller, The Other Islands of New York City(Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2011)—or discover the little-known waterways around the city in Sergey Kadinsky, Hidden Waters of New York City: A History and Guide to 101 Forgotten Lakes, Ponds, Creeks, and Streams in the Five Boroughs (New York: Countryman Press, 2016). And for nature lovers, pick up Edward Barnard, New York City Trees: A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002); or Leslic Day, Field Guide to the Street Trees of New York City (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 201). Next, if you have a passion for subway stations and their art, you can satisfy it by getting Oscar Israclowitz, Secrets of the New York City Subways (Brooklyn: Israclowitz Publishing, 2016). (And when you visit elevated stations, remember that many offer a panoramic view of the surrounding neighborhood.) Finally, don’t forget that the city still has daily and weekly newspapers— print and/or online—that give attention to the outer boroughs. For detailed news about The Bronx, I turn to the online edition of the Bronx Times. Not enough? Let me assure you that traveling around the city will help you discover even more. And to maintain your perspective, add a street map to your shopping list. If you’re embarrassed, keep it in your new backpack. 46 ROBERT KORNHABER IV. Welcome to Urban Photography 101 Since creating urban photographs that are both interesting and attractive can be challenging, here are strategies to help you achieve that goal. 1. True Confessions Although taking pictures can be very rewarding, there is another reality that cannot be ignored: rightly or wrongly, urban areas like The Bronx are often associated with an element of danger and crime. (What the media hasn’t drilled into you, your imagination can sometimes supplement.) And while everyone needs to assess their safety concerns and use their best judgement, the word “uneventful” best describes my experience photographing The Bronx over the last ten years. So, despite carrying an expensive camera and going almost everywhere, I generally got ignored, exactly what any photographer would want. 2. Finding Sunshine If you want upbeat pictures, there is nothing like a sunny day. But in crowded urban areas, taking sun-filled photos free of excessive shadows is not always casy. Unless you’re shooting in open spaces like parks and beaches, getting those shots can be a challenge. Fortunately, it’s achievable if you have a street map, not forgetting that the sun moves from east to west and following some simple rules. As history and street maps make clear, in 1811, New York adopted Practicing Urban Photography 47 a street grid design that required Manhattan avenues to run north-south and streets to run east-west, more or less. (And The Bronx mostly followed suit.) As a result, in both boroughs, from late Spring to early Fall, streets on the west side, and facing east, are bathed with sun until early afternoon. And after about 2rm, it’s the east side’s turn to brighten up. Even better, streets on the north side, and facing south, get sunshine most of the day. And although the south side, which faces north, sees little direct sun most of the time, in much of June and July, from midmorning to early afternoon sunshine makes an appearance on these streets. (Unfortunately, the street design in the other outer boroughs varies greatly from the 1811 plan.) Of course, any discussion of sunshine is incomplete if photo- graphy’s most revered time of day, the golden hour, is not mentioned. For the uninitiated, that’s the brief period after sunrise or before sunset when the sun is low on the horizon and photographers can catch a softer and warmer light for their photos. While very useful in landscape photography, tall urban buildings often block the sun at these times and keep many lo- cations in shadow. So, to get shots in these places, you may need to rely on a midday sun. While offering a harsher light, your pictures will be free of excessive shadows. It’s a tradeoff. 3. Coping with Vehicles Let’s face it: a lineup of parked vehicles will do nothing for your photos. Of course, to keep cars and trucks out of your shot, a nearby hydrant, a lengthy bus stop, or a “No Standing” or “No Parking” sign would be helpful. But all of these are a roll of the dice. Fortunately, what car owners hate, you can now appreciate: street cleaning regulations, or alternate side parking. Since most 48 ROBERT KORNHABER residential streets need to be cleared of cars once or twice per week, typically for 9o minutes, that gives you more than enough time and space to get off some shots without parked vehicles to work around. When photographing on metered streets, here’s another stra- tegy: try to get there before the meters start getting fed, usually between 8AM and 9aM. Since parking is often not permitted for 30 or 60 minutes before then, there will be an opportunity for unobstructed photos. And finally, the website nycdotsigns.net can help you sort out all the parking rules ahead of your arrival. (Needless to say, most of the rules go by the wayside on Sunday and holidays.) Regrettably, when shooting from a distance, traffic can also be a challenge and interfere with that great shot. The solution is obvious: patiently waiting for those inevitable breaks in the congestion. When that moment arrives, start taking lots of pic- tures. For this, a camera with a continuous shooting mode will come in handy. And lastly, don’t forget that sometimes the hubbub of the city can actually work to your advantage, especially in the evening when the glow of headlights and brake lights can add pizazz and excitement to a picture. 4. Dealing with Other Urban Realities This category includes features of city streets that are going nowhere, such as stoplights, traffic signs, telephone poles, streetlights, hydrants, overhead wires, and outdoor dining struc- tures (though these have diminished in number in recent years). While you may be able to keep a few of these items out of your viewfinder, learn to work with them since they are part of the Practicing Urban Photography 49 urban landscape. And when it comes to moveable objects such as garbage bags, traffic cones, and traffic drums, I generally relocate them until I finish my shoot. (I don’t touch police barriers since that might be pushing one’s luck.) Finally, when it comes to the scourge of urban photography, “temporary” over- hangs (scaffolds, or sidewalk sheds), I generally skip the location and move on. 5. Shoot Quick, Shoot Fast Things can change on city streets without warning. So, when you arrive at an interesting location, take a few shots as soon as possible. Otherwise, lots of stuff can go wrong: a truck parks illegally in front of a monument, people who weren’t around a moment ago are running all over the place, or the security guard you evaded is now approaching. You get the idea: shoot quickly, improve on it later. (And while street art probably won’t vanish while you’re standing there, on any future date it can be de- stroyed, defaced, or replaced by another artist’s vision. Get it while you can.) Conversely, unexpected events can sometimes work in your favor. For example, maybe a colorful truck barrels into your shot from nowhere. To take advantage of that moment, keep your camera at a fast shutter speed, one that allows you to cap- ture the scene and avoid an unwanted blur. (Higher speeds also prevent uninvited birds from looking like blotches in that pretty blue sky.) 50 ROBERT KORNHABER 6. This Land is Their Land Although most of the public and private institutions I visited were unconcerned about my very visible camera as I entered their grounds, private residential communities were not so acco- mmodating and had unattractive signs telling me to keep out. But since most have streets and sidewalks that are unobstructed and allow for easy acc I took my chances until notified otherwise. At no point, however, was I ever challenged or questioned. Keep in mind: this might be different for different folks. Use common sense and intuition. 7. Maximizing Seasons When it comes to photography, a different season can rescue a dull shot or enhance an interesting one. Although summer is ty- pically the get-out-and-take-picture time, summer greenery can get a little monotonous, and overgrown foliage can obscure an historic home or obstruct a distant shot. On these occasions, plan to return when there is more colorful foliage or less of it. One or the other always seems to show up. Which brings us to Fall, when colorful leaves can jazz up street trees and those in local parks. But remember that different species change colors at various times in a season. So do drop by your favorite spots more than once. And as Fall ends in December, late afternoon can be ideal for shooting classic neon signs and catching the early nighttime excitement of commercial shopping areas. And if you feel safer when the streets are busy and stores are still open, shooting later in the evening may not be your thing. Practicing Urban Photography st In Winter, snow is the big attraction. But since snowstorms can be infrequent, pick your destinations carefully, and once the storm passes, get out there even if the weather is not perfect. Try to arrive ahead of other visitors if you don’t want their foot- prints in your pristine shots. Lastly, although a light dusting of snow can make the city seem magical, it is often short lived and will only be a memory if you don’t hurry out. By Spring, trees and plants bring color and beauty to your photos. But before that begins in earnest, use late March or early April to shoot landmarks that were hard to capture when the summer foliage was overgrown. Of course, once nature does start to bloom, parks are great places to visit during those gol- den hours. And for the horticulturally impaired, remember that cherry trees only stay in bloom for a week or two. Please don’t delay that opportunity. 8. Safety First I had originally planned to describe some risky ways to get more challenging shots. But I came to my senses. Putting oneself or others in danger for the kind of photography discussed here is not worth it. So don’t be stupid and shoot when you’re between moving subway cars, while driving, or when you’re standing in the middle of traffic. 9.Some Parting Shots If yow’re inspired to persevere and doggedly pursue your craft, you may end up with an interesting collection of photos. But if you edit your shots on your laptop with a photo editing 52 ROBERT KORNHABER program, spring for a larger monitor. It will make for much better pictures. And if you choose to share them with friends, or even the whole world, don’t fall in love with too many of your shots. An overload of pictures—or worse, redundancy—will lead even your admirers to glaze over them, which inevitably results in a mood-killing sigh, followed by, “Are we done yet?” If you get really good, some of your photos might get re- cognition outside your immediate circle of friends. That’s great but remember that while you can take pictures of almost anything for personal use, shots of street art including graffiti, no matter where you find it, are subject to copyright law and cannot be used for commercial purposes—not even selling them at a street fair—without permission. If you ever get to that juncture, consult with a lawyer familiar with these issues. Better safe than sued! At this point my tutorial is coming to an end. And while fame or fortune are probably not in your future, The Bronx County Historical Society or your local equivalent will appreciate your work, since you’re documenting places that may otherwise be ignored or even forgotten in the near or distant future. While that may not seem important now, someday your urban photography could be a link to a world other people didn’t even know existed. In fact, your photos might be as fascinating as those old black-and-white pictures that we now treasure, even the ones with a lineup of old automobiles. Practicing Urban Photography s3 ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2024 In Levittown’s Shadow, 2012 Tim Keogh, University of Chicago Pres 2023 Geagraphy ofThe Brons, G. 201 Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society 2022 Annotated Primary Source 2010 Documents, vol. 2,Roger McCormack, The Bronx 2000 County Historical Society 2021 BASEBALL The New York 2008 Game, Anthony Morante 2020 Hudson’s River, Gary Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The Bronx County Historical 2007 Society 2019 Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige and Sidney Horenstein, 2006 University of California Press 2018 Digging The Bronx, Alan Gilbert, The Bronx County 2005 The Impeachment of Governor Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, SUNY Press Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers Band of Union, Gerard T. Koppel, Da Capa Press Manabatta, Exic W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx isBurning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones Historical Society 2017 The New York Botanical 2004 Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2016 The Bronx Artist Documentary — 2003 Project, Judith C. Lane and Daniel Hauben 2002 2015 An Irvepressible Conflict, JenniferA.Lemak etal,SUNY 2001 Press 2014 Supreme City, Donald Miller, Simon & Schuster 2000 2013 Humans ofNew York, Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's 1999 Press SCIENTIFIC AND OTHER WONDERS BY G. HERMALYN Recently perusing The Encyclopedia Brittanica of 1929 1 came across a most interesting category: “the Seven Scientific Wonders of the World.” It got me thinking of how we might address this subject in 2024. The old list consists of the telegraph and telephone; wireless telegraph and radio; the airplane; x-rays; radium; anesthesia, antiseptics, and antitoxins; and spectroscopy (chemical compo- sition). Now, while this is some list, it is missing very basic items we now take for granted, like refrigeration and television. How- ever, a small list will always miss important wonders. The use of seven in a series has quite a long tradition. We have seven days of the week, seven wonders of the ancient world, seven natural wonders, seven wonders of the industrial world, and so on. In the Bible, for example, series of seven occur hun- dreds of times: in the Book of Revelation alone there are seven angels, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven crowns, and more. For some cultures, seven represents complete- ness and perhaps perfection. So, listings of seven have been around for thousands of years. Therefore, it was only fitting that in my latest book, Geography Scientific and Other Wonders s of The Bronx (The Bronx, N.Y.: The Bronx County Historical Society, 2023), I listed seven natural wonders and seven man- made wonders of The Bronx. The natural wonders list was put together by Dr. Eric Sanderson, noted author of Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2009), which discusses the natural history of the area. Goose Island Hunter Island North and South Brother Islands Spuyten Duyvill Hill Thain Family Forest (formerly the Hemlock Forest in the New York Botanical Gardens) The Bronx River Gorge Van Cortlandt Park Preserve T am responsible for the listing of the seven Bronx wonders: Highbridge Aqueduct Bridge Kingsbridge Armory Morris High School Auditorium, with the finest acoustics in The Bronx New York Botanical Garden Conservatory Orchard Beach The Grand Concourse and Boulevard The Parks and Parkway System As to the seven scientific wonders of the world in 2024, see if you agree with the following list: The internet and world-wide connectivity Space flight MRI machines Vaccines Webb telescope Clean water Gene editing (CRISPR) If you have any suggestions for our lists please feel free to contact the Society at education@bronxhistoricalsociety.org. 56 G. HERMALYN ABOUT THE AUTHORS CATHERINE KIEN is a graduate from Fordham University and a Vietnamese Community Organizer at Mekong NYC, a non- profit community-based organization that serves Southeast Asian community members of The Bronx. BENJAMIN CROOKER is Associate Professor of Physics and Engincerings Physics (retired) at Fordham University and served as Director of the William Spain Seismic Observatory from 1996 until 2012. ROGER MCCORMACK 1is Director of Education at The Bronx County Historical Society and holds degrees in History from Monmouth University and Merrimack College. ROBERT R. GRIMES, SJ., is Dean Emeritus of Fordham College at Lincoln Center with expertise in ethnomusicology. JoE HOULIHAN is a graduate of Iona College and Broker/Owner at Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate. ROBERT KORNHABER is a clinical psychologist and native Bronx- ite who has been photographing The Bronx for the past ten years. He can be reached at rkornhaber@aol.com. G. HERMALYN is CEO of The Bronx County Historical Society, a historian, Poe scholar, author of over 30 published works, and editor of 176 books for The Bronx County Historical Society Dress. BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2024 Houlihan Family 2023 Joseph Mawad, Tekniverse, Inc. 2022 Ram Gupta, Chatam Management Co,, Inc. 2020 Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 1999 2019 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad Group 1998 208 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo 2017 James H. Alston, McCalls 1997 Bronxwood Funeral Home 2016 Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1996 Shop. 1995 2015 Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services 1994 2014 Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group 1993 205 Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan 2012 Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson 1992 Metro Center 1991 2om Adam Green, Rocking the Boat 2010 Anthony Mormile, Hudson 1990 Valley Bank 2009 Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of 1989 Commerce 2008 Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs 2007 Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real Estate 2006 Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s 2005 Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce 1987 2004 Dart Westphal, Norwood News 2003 James J.Houlihan, Houlihan- Parnes 2002 David Greco, Mikes Deli & Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzotto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuiiez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises Caterers REVIEWS Creamer, Robert W. Baseball and Other Matters in 1941. Reprint. Originally published in 1991 Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebrasa Press, 2000. 330 pp. ISBN: 9780803263564 $21.95. Here is a book about baseball, especially the author’s beloved New York Yankees and individual players in the 1941 season. The New York Yankee immortal Joe DiMaggio had as6-game hitting streak followed by another 16-game streak, hitting safely in 72 of 73 games—an unbelievable record that people across the country followed. Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers was considered the best ballplayer in the majors, and he was from The Bronx. Pete Reiser of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a great ballplayer who was the fastest man in the sport, who unfortunately ran into concrete walls. And then there was Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, who hit an extraordinary .406 for the entire year and remains the last man to do so going on 82 years now. All this in 1941 This is also the year that Hitler and Nazi Germany ruled over Europe and conquered Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Crete, and Egypt, endangering access to the Suez Canal and the oil fields of the region. German U-Boats were sinking Allied shipping with huge losses of life and materials. The United Kingdom had been expecting the Germans to invade their country for two years and were regularly having their cities, Reviews 59 towns, hospitals, and factories bombed. They lost 50,000 of their people to the indiscriminate attacks. What country can have its people under constant threat of bombings and later rockets? This was the low point for the UK. during the war. Then, Hitler invaded the USSR., and while wildly successful initially, the Soviet army did not break and eventual stopped retreating and began its advance. And then on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Har- bor on the island of Oahu. The U.S. lost much of its Pacific fleet. I recall my father telling me that no one knew where Pearl Harbor was but that the United States was attacked, and so he joined the Marine Corps and was overseas for over three and a half years. The industrial might of the U.S. was unleashed, and eventually it proved to be the winning combination in destroying Ger- many and Japan and ending WWII while introducing the atomic age. Yes, Creamer has written some book. 1941 was truly a year that is indelibly marked on all of us. G. Hermalyn The Bronx, New York 60 Reviews DuVal, Kathleen. Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. New York: Random House, 2024. 752 pp. ISBN: 9780525511038. $38.00. With Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, Kathleen DuVal, professor of history at the University of North Caro- lina, has produced a magisterial and accessible synthesis of the last few decades of work in the fields of indigenous studies and history. Her story starts a millennium ago, when diverse Native nations were building large cities throughout North America, in places corresponding to modern-day Arizona, Illinois, and Alabama, for instance. DuVal then discusses theories as to why these large urban settlements fell out of favor across the con- tinent after a few hundred years. Environmental factors no doubt had some part to play in this, but DuVal draws on a variety of oral traditions, other historical sources, and a grow- ing body of scholarship to argue that some indigenous peoples chose to move away from centralized urban settlements in order to create more equitable, sustainable societies on a smaller scale. According to DuVal, contrary to the opinion of carly European settlers in North America, indigenous peoples were not “pri- mitive” because they lacked large cities and rigidly hierarchical societies. Instead, some Native nations had clearly experimented with these social organizations in previous centuries and found them lacking, choosing to develop alternative ways to order their societies. Indeed, one of the most successful aspects of the book is its re- centering of the history of our continent on the more than soo Native nations that occupied it long before European arrival and continue to do so to this day. Athough comparisons with European history are sometimes drawn—for example, DuVal Reviews 61 points out similar timelines for large-scale urban development in both European and North American societies—the focus remains on indigenous groups and individuals. Even after Euro- peans finally enter the scene—more than 100 pages in—, DuVal makes sure that Native nations remain as the leads of their own stories. For instance, DuVal correctly highlights the great political, economic, and military might that the Mohawk and other members of the Haudenosaunce Confederacy exercised over the Dutch, British, and French colonists for hundreds of years after European arrival. For the better part of 200 years, a casual observer would have been hard-pressed to have predicted that the balance of power would eventually shift against the Haudenosaunce. The same is the case, DuVal contends, for other Native nations for centuries after European contact. Whether with the Shawnees, the Cherokees, the Quapaws, the Kiowas, or others, DuVal consistently draws out the significant degree of autonomy, agency, and sovereignty that indigenous commu- nities, individuals, and nations continued to maintain in their dealings with European and U.S. governments well into the nineteenth century. DuVal does not downplay the great loss of livelihoods, land, population, culture, language, and sovereignty that many Native nations experienced during the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, even when narrating these traumatic develop- ments, DuVal keeps the focus on indigenous agency and resi- lience. In keeping with this focus, DuVal chooses to end the book with a discussion of the great revival in culture, language, national pride, and, in some cases, land and sovereignty that various Native nations have attained in the second part of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first centuries. This is certainly a book worth adding to your personal or 62 Reviews institutional collections. For those acquainted with more recent work in indigenous studies and history, it will be a helpful summary of scholarship that presents newer arguments in inno- vative and memorable ways. For those unfamiliar with the scholarship, it will be nothing short of a revelation. Steven Payne The Bronx, New York Reviews 63 THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993~ Robert R. Hall, 1986-1993 Raymond E Crapo, 1976-1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971-1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969-1971 Roger Arcara 1967-1969 Thomas J.Mullins, 19641967 George J. Fluhr, 1963-1964. Ray D. Kelly, 1063 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960-1963 Joseph DuffYy, 1958-1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955-1958 Steve Baktidy Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumengarten Adolfo Carrion, Jr. Thomas X. Casey Sam Chernin James Conroy John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Robert Abrams Jorge L.Batista Hon. Michael Benedetto William Castro Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Nino DeSimone Hector Diaz Rubén Diaz, Jr. Hon. Jeffrey Dinowitz Dr.Joseph A.Fernandez Fernando Ferrer Robert Fox LirE MEMBERS Katherine Gleeson Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr.Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Cecil P.Joseph Marc Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May Kathleen A. McAuley HONORARY MEMBERS Hon. Carl E.Heastic Hon. Robert T.Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jef Klein Michael Max Knobbe G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Michael M. Lippman Anthony Paolercio James J.Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Roberto Ramirez Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Gil Walton Jac Zadrima Hon. Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera José Rivera José E.Serrano Stanley Simon SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Socicty at 309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Sevies Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609-1900 $30 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: 1890-1925 $25 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronzx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935-1965 $25 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920~-1950 $25 Life in The Brons, four-volume set $90 History ofThe Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History ofMorris Pavk Racecourse S0 Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx G. Hermalyn, Geography ofThe Bronx G. Hermalyn, Steven Payne, A Historical Sketch of The Bronx G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Cascy, Bronx Views G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923-2008 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition $30 John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx $20 Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club $20 Michael Miller, Theatres ofThe Bronx Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx:A Documentary History Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Eva Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government History ofNew York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centenninl $20 Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future $20 G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System George Lankevich, New York City:A Short History $20 History ofNew York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River $20 Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River $20 Douglas Lazarus et al., Re-inspired: The Evie Canal $20 Roots of the Republic Sevies George Lankevich, ChiefJustices ofthe U.S. Supreme Court $20 George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and the Bill of Rights $20 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States $20 Edward Quinn, The Signers oftheDeclavation ofIndependence $20 Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States $20 Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States $20 Roots ofthe Republic Series, six-volume set Educational Material Roger McCormack, The Bronx Geography Workbook Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 $20 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 $34 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $15 Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America $15 G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History $20 Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide $15 Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book s5 The Brons County Histovical SocictyJournal Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963-2022, are available for purchase for Sis per issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx $15 G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Medin of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 S5 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print $10 G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx $20 G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx $10 Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives $20 Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx $20 Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection ofThe Bronx County Historical Society $20 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Since 1898 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society 10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection ofThe Bronx County Historical Socicty s10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $10 $15 Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, adocumentary on DVD $20 Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales ofEdgar Allan Poe at Fordbam $20 Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $15 Special Intevest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook $1s Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2024 Gifis The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" The Bronx River Parkway, c.1915,poster, 205" X295" Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" X 12" The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Coolbook, The Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation New York State Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Humanities The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation Award-winning TV programs that keep you in touch with the civic and cultural life of the borough Workshops, equipment and studios that allow you to produce your own TV program Hands-on internships and media career prep for high school & college students REACH MEDIA AUDIENCES AROUND THEBRONX AND THE WORLD Watch us on TV, follow us on social media, and register for outstanding online workshops. Optimum67 70 Fios 2133 2136 bronxnet.tv W £} © @bronxnettv Volume/Issue Volume and Issue of a periodical. 61/1–2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, vol. 61, nos. 1–2, 2024 Subject The topic of the resource Vietnamese community (The Bronx, N.Y.) Cambodian community (The Bronx, N.Y.) Covid 19 Racism Anti-Asian hate crimes Mekong N.Y.C. William Spain Seismic Observatory (The Bronx, N.Y.) Fordham University Oyster industry (The Bronx, N.Y.) City Island (The Bronx, N.Y.) Pollution (The Bronx, N.Y.) Environmental activism (The Bronx, N.Y.) School anthems Houlihan family (The Bronx, N.Y.) Urban photography Scientific wonders Description An account of the resource Vol. 61, nos. 1–2 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, published 2024. Contents: — Catherine Kien, "Healing from Hate," p. 1 — Benjamin Crooker, "The William Spain Seismic Observatory," p. 17 — Roger McCormack, "The History of the Oyster," p. 21 — Robert R. Grimes, "St. John's College, HURRAH!," p. 27 — Joe Houlihan, "The Houlihans," p. 35 — Robert Kornhaber, "Practicing Urban Photography in The Bronx," p. 41 — G. Hermalyn, "Scientific and Other Wonder," p. 55 — G. Hermalyn, Review of Creamer, Baseball and Other Matters in 1941 (1991), p. 59 — Steven Payne, Review of DuVal, Native Nations (2024), p. 61 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kien, Catherine Crooker, Benjamin McCormack, Roger Grimes, Robert R. Houlihan, Joe Kornhaber, Robert Hermalyn, G. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource ©2024, The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR.2024 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/95f51c37b7f0c50c5dfff682db841f25.jpg 40de1bc54f8272003f9fbfef369bd8b4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 3038x3840px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ntozake Shange as a boxer Subject The topic of the resource Shange, Ntozake Fernández, Mariposa Maldonado, Adál Perez, Rosie Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="item-description">Photograph of Ntozake Shange as a boxer, photographed by Adál Maldonado in 1993 and dedicated to Mariposa Fernández on the occasion of her wedding to herself on August 11, 2001. Among attendees was actress Rosie Perez. Retouched digitally to mitigate water damage caused by humidity buildup in frame.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ-BD004.001 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Maldonado, Adál https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/45f11522a00936479a720c6a2fc35e11.pdf 69a2c678714ac802688c54152882d479 PDF Text Text ヽ ‐ ��UNIverses a by AnthonY Morales Edited bY Lisa Hsu A Couaeat Prrb].ication Cover photo bY Yaqub ProweJ')' ��Table Of CO聖 基≦≧≧塁旦 Introduction, bY Yagub Prowel-L Searching for what was in mY face Don Jlbaro Logo Pancy "No rnatter how much loot I qet"'" Rest my dear citY One two three in the morning The Weed Encounter AnniversarY Blues Poem on a bar naPkin tost #5 Bus Love Teacher Please Teach Me 3 5 7 9 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 �Snerica' s Online (Vergion litilleniun) Junkie's Reality (inspired by Flaco y Miky Pirlero) Ode to the Hunts Point Hookers )a Quien SoY Yo 37 Acknowledgeloents 40 2 31 2( �poets Like the qucstions that Rhythn is thc key word hcre' and thc do I obtaj.n it? vlhere do I frnc are' "Hox ti;elves author of this volume asL do I transPosc it with written exPEession?" ;;;--;", this young rnan folJ'ows Thus it transpirei ttrat ttre style of writing the essence of tre denote that a struglle to-u*ptt"" the rhyth'ns of life - in this case' walk "..rg."--itoi iroraiiay tfr.t p.t"rob,:Iate ttre Poets aPPficable Lrliters countless of continurm a on founa the Bronx' This Poet's stap"'"tt Toni Morrison' Piri Ttromas ' Anlri Baraka' who cane before - n.rpu Jiii"o"' rn the l{illie perdomo - iust to name a few' that Pablo Neruda, The Last ;;;";rs a face what- is in his face' tradition of these eraer-"-ie "c"rches for a for sealches He eig wirly the dearer' one with that of por, ,riu.io-"il that couple the of "young Dassion that encorpas"."- "t'l- is enconipassed by that Poi:r: the lonerv men ne.eotiat:ne with the3 Hunts .; ;;;T;-;1..t", il;:;-.";' Marca1 3 by a ot' t''-btr his and a love Poem Hookers, the ba! iropp"t iiiii"g whose by him' and the oLd Puerto Rican manway f.af-"itti"g the fine -Jfor Napkin rn the and i"'Jrt]tiot' ' His observations truth is told j.n ti,e cJitl"people the of and a Decorajngr which his words refleJi Uott' a depiction Siddhartha' young ulban very a portrayed liken hirn to to musically syncoPate the This volume contains a young poet's struggle fo' an create to 11"" Bronx streets which he calls home' the interval€ -effective -1t-t-:l"Ot cons-crousness between his the one called Te!j-. and to count off themes within a familiar debaEes internally and his passion as ire duality' s et f-emPowerment philosophicaL context --- "t'pt iti titf''iy' ' economic Eactfu]1y author The exploitation' revotution' leLigion, addiction, Love. ji;; the Junkie' the Hooker' and the Ghetto itself' of in th" song finds the 3 �newest melody of the conflicc he Hc kecps his ninct oPen in order to hear the of the dialectics within those whc secs evcryday. xe consi]te"ily t"tt" note cmbodied by the figule ironically and run a hard lifc, thcir antithlsis often of his people ' In his the congucst of remnant .i- ,1"""- it*i"t, . t"rigious this tinted light on a different man sheds young depiction of these "at'l!t"", uPon the Poet and the ot ineuirii alrowins his r€ader to saze ;i:- ";;;; irr" *ty th;t simurtaneously embraces and shattels Ehe ;.a;"*i;;it.tior"' stereotlryes of urban Anerica ' thc hono! of introducing to I Possess furthe! --;;;;"":ado' ntl-l:i^r'"T-1"!,1'-:..t:: o;';' you a talent birthcd :;:":,,::I"":: -the war,L or Lne \-r11 uavr,e !'v---projecls", Hence reader, witiiut train greetinq its comutels in the South Bronx - Anthony Morales' Yaqub P!oweIl May 1998 �scalctdtrg fo= rhrt ras j.n ry face in C&C territory Thc writcr hunts for bis pley an idea for a poem On his way Ant-boogie hits the stleets searching for a thought He lralks thlough the concrete suburb and first comes to a bodega that smells fulL of old ideas Maybe an ice cold Malta will be the remedy Ant goes to thc back of the bodega peruses the ALpo and Goya product aisle to find his salvation but lrhen he cracks open the chest he discovers no Malta Goya or Vitarroz that would stimulate his rr.ind Even more frustlated he starts to walk forever it seems towards his abuelita's house he passes by sinilar stleet colnels and hears ]a mtsica deL Blonx Iively saLsa and merengire beats being blasted from ta Mega mixed with the hardest hip hop from Hot 97 fused with the classic souL of Kiss all of which can't compete wiEh Ehe guiet husrfer's prece that Big Willies kick in a fiend's ear on every corne-! What' chu Lrant kid Blue caps red caps Just as sclid as my naps Nicke1 Dime Gualanteed to mess you up in t).me Snow b I oi.J What you wanna know Yeah I got some crack Five-O coRir' betca watch yo' back By now a.l-l Ant wants is �his abuclita's arroz con gandules not these hoes offelinq things that even Big AJrt lrants to reject for prices he can't lefuse He recognizes the stringY one in the Pom-Pom shorts and dirty haltser toP she was in his homeroont Her eyes ca!!Y a lot of luggage and nany geal sod^Eu rrf9'rg' Damn Ant says as he hears the rattle of the #2 train above him where are the gardens of 'fohn Adams He reaches abuelita' s Projects for his arloz con gandules In the lobby the jibaro's eYes cal] him to hear his lamentos His eyes contain Ehe sadness of a whiPPed dog and his i.Eir&Ied skin ard ttrick firgers reveal manY days en e1 camPo 6 Jibalo grunbles some SPanish unknown to lIl! Tt sabe guien es Albizu CanPos ' libertad o Muerte Am6rica es un gruPo de maricones viva Puerto Rico Y la revoluci6n It shakes Art because !inaIIy the tluth had been told IIa F:lra. rri. r-,:u ,!n the stalls ard doesn't stoP to notice the custo[rBr]'es ?he hieroglyphics on the r'rall the pi.Ie of UUy c" G on the f floor tE ]rq-rng c+]e tlat trE](es o.Jt crt tlE 56 fl@! (he heard she's due soon) The burnt hallway of the 6'h floor and now finally the sweet smell of the r)-ce and Peas quretLy sitting in the Pot and the j ourney for the idea is over The poem wrote its eL f �Don Jibalo The brown soul of the island slavas cn e1 ca4>o day afte! day sunrise to sunsct he tends to the field making iE his life His pain is shown by thc 9 platano fingers of his soft lock hands and the rlvers calved along his face providing channels for the bodi.es of sHeat He ncver washes away thc stain and the Pain of the past 506 years on his spalse attire tligueio sk.in and tattered soul Soy j lbaro Soy Puerto Rico en coraz6n Y alma y tu tambi6n te siJerrtly gxults to his j.rwjsi-b1e jjbaritD sdl because he wears his stain Proudl-!' Looking at the box upon the box with sullen eyes he watches highlights of the 2"d sunday in June pondering the diffelence fron 18 68 seeing the blind inteLligence unchanneled emotion and unjus! satisfaction of the 2 trl.illion portogringos Lets him know that it's cime contra ignorance contra assirdlation conEra prop 187 contla english only contra AneliKKKa Don Jibaro peers into the red-anber sunset of eI jibarito eyes in eI Bronx and tells him silentfy E! segudo glito es necesario ahora para salvar Ia gence puertorligueia y tu tambi6n �Lr tutur. Gttl .n tu. Ernot siJo Alt.! bl'! Dttlg. b !t E !t hf, q,fi,r!.tY aI( lodd'q cbrt labeler hoPc eichrlcr h!. f.rt gr.bt hlr Erchct. lar rDd rsrltr 8 �Ipgo E ne? (fo! tbc Drterialistic oncs ) l.ty nrcd to look Jiggy is unqucstioned Tomy tlill Nautica Gianni versace and Donna xarcn all knol, lty namc My style is siryle Rugby (collar up of coulse) ny carpentcr j cans and the construction Titns The outcr gcar aPParel is strictly North Face for the sub-zcro New York nights sulc I gotta pay a hundlcd o! molc for a shirt but so what? Yeah I know Mom Dukcs is on welfarc and my baby nceds diaPers so what she'I1 pull thlough like shc a.Iways has so what if I gots no fifc? I didn't cve! go to school to learn anyway tlhen I roLl uP in the Party �ev.!y chick is uP oD lt As soon as thosa glccnish eyes of a hon.y-dip secs ?o@y Hil,figcr cEblazoned across my bony chcat all ls folgottcn about ny aPPcaEance Iloney slowly apploachcs switching hcr PoIo hlps and showing that f1y NautLca chest and I flash rnv decked out superflcial snile lliss bcttcr come colrcct I wants a girl with DK and Dicsel and thc bigger thc patch that RalPh Laurcn puts on hcr ass thc morc it looks applc shaped our mltching Polo sport flagrances clash and out lips alc togethe! in unsubstantiated happinGss Uh-oh lrhat th. deal with money in thc Avirex lcathe! that shit nust have cost 150 bones it' s on I said to myself as I slowly followcd hin on hj.s way to see his mothcr at the old folks' 10 home �Fron bGhind the ca! I Jurycd out and said e-yo Eimc yo' shit I t ant tttc lcath'! oh you got a link too Eiutc it Can you bcllevc that hc tried to run? SoDctbiDg in t[C just snaPPed grabb.d nY Piecc in BY Pents and I ncased uP:oY nci, jackct r{ith a bullct in ihc lecX of the chief's head Euck it I sold the holy leathc! to buy a new Pai! of jordans NoH thcm cats-both the fcllaz and ladiez in school wiU be uP on it with my new shinY bloodY kicks and th] real crulified Jcsus piece across my neck 11. �trNo toatte! hor Br:dr 1oot I Eet I,t! staying in ttrc projects folevc!,, Havoc of Mobb Deep osurvival of the Fittest" lnrgine that a brothe! could makc $100 Gs a year (at l.ast) push a bccmer and come home to the love1y coDclcte gardens of CLason Point and live under the authority of Ncrr York city ltoEing is that this mentality is a false philosophy A.5 soon as this cat makes his rap and gets the contract I'd like to sec him looking at his Rolex 24R goLd shining in the light while Eiding the *2 train back to his decked out crib Thc reality r2 in t}Ic oqperirEntal sr:bsidized houslng Els ne!, S180 Air FoarPosite Pemy sneaks sure feel good those clean soles stepping on a sanitized blood and piss floor His ncw 5350 Avirex leathe! jasket sure looks good lrhen contlasted rrith the cirlL IletalLic shine of a tagged rP e.Le\/ato! -rrre urisp scrr.srd o! cire cerrjalu.us r**...i*,y in his pocket sure sounds good over the cracklttg fi-re irl the ga:irage can The glitter of his oakleys under an oranga hue streetLight strikes the needing eyes of his boys on the corner That the deal papa what's up with ou! demo I thought you was gonna put us on You loi]cer r€ represent and keep it real, my nigga �sonchow hc wants to hGlP lrhile forgetting his childhood of food starps public transPortation ling in his cars with disPlaced relalives Rcalness starts to run run scared but thc Hords of his lawyer f lott staten Island Now lookce here we're gonna make You scttE cres!tr You not ]rEUr Iltr3 dr t]c coEtel L&! no ciJclllgtances can ]'ou bcfP thsn Along wlth Your Promisc and aParunents overclowded runnj,ng scared and confused while ;eciting his hardrock rhYmes over his oxYmoron life to stay in thc Projccts forevcr ncrr you m.rst l€3Eda! that ltou tlBke r6tey icu aE bdtlr t}):n ttDse 6ldeE dr tlE @rEr A.I!ight toy nigge! so he rralks array strolls Past his 2 gradc houde whose definition in life is that hc knows a lapstar and ignores the Pleas of his gill for rroney for lhe diaPers of his son Mr FeaLness Erblaces the fake sec1]lity of the whilc rrorld of dol1ar biUs Lexuses and exucutive offices 13 �Rest t!}t dear city Before the norning dew wilL settle upon the front LaHas of the Projects Thc city that nevcr sleePs needs to wind dor.rn The old men in thc bodega nrr] I all.twTl thc aates of plotection colored by tags while hcaring the sgueaking crying and comPlaining of the local lat residents The pairs of New Balanccs and Reebok cf ass i cs Ereaks come out at. night- this night malked by the orange hue streetlight blood lcd ltLite bluc police qa! silen rays fi.re and sun bulbs of the rnterno a1l nrirrored in the flowinq Pool collected next to Paco and the hol"e in his head -a bad drug deal, gone wlong Shiny ,,exus ES 3OO's and Benzo's hanging from the lines of comunication sway in the Hindy lecesses and twirl around each other wiih the posh execut.ive ownels cruise Ehe EDR along with the dusty Impala's and do1lar cabs making their overnlght getaway flom these irtsomniac streets The women line up heow and bark vrith freedom pointing to the life of the tor.{n 14 along the Point to hustlc thcir chocha and teta merchandise for ncgotiable Pri ces for the loneIy rnen whose wives are doing lhe sane Stray cats and dogs �and stroll thc night of thc sidewalks in thc shadoH3 so thcir olPhaned or.ners and the ASPCA won't crash thcir Party in thc aLlcys A loncly front page of thc Daily News flies across thc stlcct like tbc spirits of the obituarics whosc tine passed ard ilrr, irto tha orshion of thc conclete The hurn of the underground 6 lrain Lcts those arrakc know the city has had its sleeP but it t,as only a quick naP bccause here comcs the punk tax collcctor to cop Jesus Pendants ].oot and I Love NY sweatels 15 �Splish Splash the pain in their eyes is no longe! about the water gr.rn fight they lost and as they sip the Henny to drink it a1l away I hear Marvin Gaye sing about how ooh d:.iLd ttrirgs ain' t gonna get easier l.take a dive into on the next ripple One two tlrree in the aornirrg Dalkness is broken by orange stleetlights reflected in the pool of 40 oz memolies fizzLnq and bubbling like fresh urine in a toilet and look at one wave The wail of the cPR having police rushes to the Pox 5 news scene as a mother' s cry crescendoes in a lamento Bolincano bolero I flash glances at the baby men standing in the crowd awaiting their turn 'round the chalk mark 15 a oi!1 sits alone on a park bench leliving a mental chess match how the black queen was checlsrated by the king He! tears rivering streaks of Revlon down her ashy please don't ask me cheeks She tries Eo measule her sadness agalrtst the dead neon green ]ightbulb clouds but can not The cool sheet on a sunmer night wind rocks her back to that time when �sh. was thc only boo Ln his l1fe ad turth to a GfiEIIIlE bt I €l lotE 1rr bel*er Bcnt!1ity Tragcdy lroD't cotne shc lasofvcs Hith hc! inhalations naking olang. chclly stEectlights Thc 24 hour strect pharmrcy is opcn for business trallcd ny peoplc So now doing a dead man's float fui a tributaly swig of St Ides on the floor rEdeEteath the everl€tdlleul stoic stleetlight I j urp out of despair gaspin' for rny turn to roII c lo for the ghctto cvs don't makc this tlPe of cash flov, Bop n cop niggas know snow n blow the time red cap on thc blue cap ba* on the 2 of breath BIad( MilG got his r.:ig FsH fo! frontin he carnc short be the moEto for life of the wannabc pitlps pushels and playas 1l �'lltre tlced A solitarfr rced stan& ljr a &scrtcd land waiting for a neighbor too nuch broken glass too much galbage too much Ncw York Icaves hiB alone 50 lolre.ly r. r.e hc watches flom his cornc! tlro youths kissing passionsatelY deeplY sad he could not be the girl's hand toucbing the rose caressing the velvcty lose Nobody knows the trouble he' s seen Nobody goes co this dilaPidatcd scene 18 llis grcen skinnY bodY srays to and fro in a foul south Bronx wind mixed with desPerate exhalations boodah smoke fricd brain cells and life can't get wolse and the source of his anger isn't the dog Piss that sPlashes on him one more trme or the junkie' s nervous stomP in his I'd smoke rny own dick if it could give me lhe fix two steP one day Mother Natule answered those playeEs and seeds got PLanted inplanted Lras hoPe But nah hell nah wouLd they survive his conversation was deadLy �so d.ath fricnd.ly hc becane thosc scQds wi'thelcd died and guietly dissolved into the tonb-likc soil lrhcla undelneath so EanY souls havc btock ParEies for the new visitor The vreed's last victi-Er was the rose he sought to be touched as they moved toward each other They rli sgoveled they trere of the sarE roots sane walk o! Iife she puckered he! Petals and gave him the kiss from the lose He hel,d hcr in hj's alms and s creamed so loud so loud so loud only no one heard hirn ! Now the weed stands reliving the plot in his lot of deach playing solitaire wich clacked glass sPades fake gold Pfated diamonds ultra violent billY clubs and one コust on kェ ng of hrs deadly healt Kisseg neve! grow they only kil,l Your sPirit here The rosc feI1 over and its petals uent flaccid Iooking down at the weed's roots 19 �Encourrta! ADniveEsary Blues Hey you sholty tlpc of a woman glowin' like a din light bulb floatin' on the air looki.n' like lcvitation o! maybe it's eLevation to heaven rrhen you xalk .Uay I tall( Eo you for just a couple of hours softly devouling and nibbling on your perception of me and then nr.ine of you but there' s no Deed to guestion the authority on the notion that you are the beauty lotion drop that is motj.on beyond the waves lipples and shill[ner of the ocean 20 beyond the vrhip appeaL potion somc can say you have on me beyond the iragination of rore lIEtaphols that attempt to define your existence You moistulize me in a suave way to say you complete me wouJ.d be an understatement because 2 halves rnake a whole and I'm more than that man would kick that false rap to you who is a whole Iot of lroman so you see mathematically we overcomPensate each other But emotional nurbers don't always equal a relationship equacion �Our convcrsation is only in its filst hour .nd f already thc land that is called EAkc-bclirve daydrcatn us rcaidj.ng in But it can be conceivcd s1lcnt and tnootb fc.lin' ltkc nlght turnLn' to day and day back to night ahd night to dly and day to night atrd then right there ne'Il ask rhetolical. questions like what tlpc of light shincd upon us to be hele whcrcver 1t is whcncvcr i! i3 9le both know it was love justicc caring about just us and thcn we'Il laugh and end 1t with a kl'ss 2t �Po6 on . b.t n Phin llhy rlc You butta Pccan Petitc wastin' Your breath on this cat who' s teekin' du.urb deaf and blind to what You reallY necd .nba <r.rFatbeads that f or3 on my undelams show as crcscent shaPed scas of ruy shaare from rny lack of gamc Damn I think homcboY's larne to come at You with that oDe two hey boo line You with You so fine and You a dime 22 I see the real you that's cookin' J.ike pollo guisa'o stew The tlue uonan I seek would sEep lrgm tnLs duqie whose gane is doo doo The do You rock ■s lnvュ tin′ but I'm fightin' thru the grease He could at ]cast offer you a drink hold up he owns is that cent pseudo gold-Plat.d J.sus link how could I even think he would do somelhing othcr than ０ Ｓ give You mY timc ■ike you arc my muse that fuses the Pen and the PaPer 工'■ ■ Pussy ｔ ｌ ｕ ■ ５ ａ ２ Ｂ flattelin' You parsonify a poem that's Puttin' You on a Pedestal and preaches to your PersonalitY and not your �raducc lnd scducc whilc I'n ju3t tryin' to inducc and Ploduc' ad.lc that ccs frdr t}l' helrt si.riljistl'c tlr staltin' light now I'I1 look at You and nayb. beby approach You attcrrptin' to not boast to You aboui your qualitics that swallow urc At thc sam! tiloc I'n cli$in' th. heights of this 3 bY 3 marcal naPkin runnin' out of sPace fo! nY try to gct You at mY Place so I'11 sIiP this iD Your bag dorn around Your saist My name is Ant I hope this wasn't a waste Plcase lct me know My nunber is 71E 893 4510 23 �L08t15 Bus Love Future essences of love captured !try sight of the #5 bus I see the project plj.ncess step on to the scene with he! blonze wavy hai! and crystal spalklin' eyes Deer into mv fantasv we slowly approach cach other through furtive intentional glances carryin' ou! young and unfillcd lives together to the schoolyard I see mys eIf ruuin' up to her tEart F.!IpjI' ard nen es d!!Llin' to the bcoe Hey you girl l like you you like me Baby gi!1 sayin' 24 ycah I like you boyfriend givin' De that accepted feeling of puppy love in motion while holdin' my hand dancin' a hop skip and j urnp to the rhyttun of the double flutte! heartbeat happiness takin' us to that dream house she' s the moruny I'm che daddy pullin' into the driveway cookin' me that dinne! then lre listenin' to each other's sighs and laments about our Parents they just don' t understand l,aughin' and l"ovin' movin' our bodies co movie scenes we seell over some firepLaces cracklin' and popprn' �ale our dlcans goin' up in that 3Bok. GoDC in thc south Bronx wind tc llsrrin' tn!o.$r ciE shfuy A::.a ri$to*rca just passin' by dark surroundings bccausa we in lovc we arc beautiful Pray for our seguel Ain't no matte! we'II always havc ou! atoELica] transpoltation a ffai r tomorrow I hop. he! inner sunshinc lightin' up life now it's all Eood But whiLe splintin' thlough those tncadows she coEes to a stoP and the end of Ey adventurous heart Baby baby pl.asc don't Press stoP and go I wasn't done with my daydrcam love for you just eve! We=she-BC startin' to cry over our one moment in tiDe together 25 �Ecach€r Please Teach Me Tiny tots Lrith their eYes all aglow don't cven know about the Lack of time care and money sPent by the city Thc situation is gritty shitty kinda like the sPit You see on the ground AJ.l alound EbeY gaEner sittin' on the dull cold floo! askin' Miss Rachcl l.lis s Rachcl will you read us a story? Alright boYs and girls Little said "...ana chicken the sky j.s fal].in' the sky is fallin"' But this ain't no fable The paint chips asbestOS and non― accreditatiOn are ca■ ■in′ 26 fron the South B=onx to chェ town from East St. Louis to LaWrence This warrants a grito louder than the gavef knockin' flom East St. Louis to Lalrlence Th■ s warrants a grit。 l:ll:::Fぃ ,h31^iり :̲7avil´ ■n ー レ h′ 1963 ■S nOW dead BrOwn vs. BOard of Ed. sorry to say but an ofay they'■ ■ be okay attitude aェ n′ t exact■ y prOducin′ braェ n food The mood becomes rude str=ppin′ kェ ds to nude p■ ctures of inte■ lect sO that they can′ t detect the defects critical re flecti on creatin' connections between tshe 3r' s �bccotocs crlzy hrrd whcn You got a ttc(rative Hcadstalt Beinq smart don't got nothing to do with it Whcn a 3Pirit becones detachcd from a body ccrlailr things start to haPPcn slang fl.PPin' cun cIaPPin' women slapPin' mentality snaPPin' pcople who we ca}} Iowlifca are Ploducts of this system it.i ip"ti" molc on them in jail than in school Shit' s not cool when your homeroom is the bathroom ifh.n kids fight it' s fo! space to brcathe and conceivc and not gricve ifr"t tn.y lratch more TV than they lead supposedfy we are Dlantin' the secds s leadcrs tor tornorrow' But we are j.nbreeding a vicious cycle of dePendencY on AEDC and wlc The air is as thick as uscd tires and when You search fo! the look of desile in a child's eyes all you san do is sigh and wonder whY this is hapPcnin' in Anerica sta1l or hall o! dvm slim Is ilre budget thatjust Plain din or our govtrnment as opposed to bright う４ �lmrica't onlina (velsion Miucnir8) Anelica's online for tbis new nilleni.um of rrars radiation nuclea! destluction ghetto rcconst!uction thcre's a certain tlPe of abduction of souls from the leduction of welfare what's fair comes in terns of nu:nbers while the Prez Practices inflation tt4)e inhal-ations of his lungs causin' me persPiration cuz I'm livin' j,n a fast Paced nation in between tlLinority frustlation and Anglo donination hearin' black rnen's lamentations and white men' s exhalations of fear and it's a1l here in the Rythic mcltin' pot where my rice gets cooked in a (Linute .rd dtrEr is senrd as a rD fElIIs mlclcr^Eve EEal Ghetto tested nobody's aPProved the covert use of narcotics on avenues streets and boulevards where it's become kinda hald to see what is really a Porty Reecan o! a Mexican or a Cuban or a bLack man o! woman o! a EIan cod damn f thought I l,as Amer I can But haybe not because when the block gets hot from 5-0's suspicion it's me they're wishin' did the crime There's no tijrE that could rehabilitate the damage done to mY mind internalized and ecernalized fa! a Iot of years �ｉ ｌ but you scc ヽ I can't count becausc whiLc leccivin' what thc statc ca11cd cducation the teachers did suffocation of Ey spilit and id.as By then I was introduccd to those -isms far rcre &entally handicapping than the dlug My f,uture was alrcadY dug out into the toold of Puerto Rican rnale wild as fuck don't givc a fuck Iikes to fuck and all By Iife being racisn irq)erialism colonialism forced rne to go to isolationism nBkin' tae vrant to go to the tnoon o! another planet but da8eit Ameri,ca's there too So I ask myself lrhat to do can't wait for a rainy day cuz it' s fuckin' pourin' watchin' reruns and leruns of blacks and broms on cops has becorne kinda borin' Problens probably stcm from my last name acccnt and mentality hald and grey like cement but thc jack hanrners of the -isms And I'm wonderin' where can I tuln whele it won't Look like my ski-n is burned where it won't Iook like every cop is Mark Fuh!/nan capitalism yearnin' fuckcd over by the 29 �fo! that siq)1e institution caJ,l,ed dcmoclacy Hypoclisy's bccn tIlockin' me and ny intellig.ncc Thelc's no t!T)c of rcvclcncc cuz wc live in tha tcncnents But fuck tb.t it' 3 not peEllAnent I lras heavcn scnt hclc to tarE doxn thc lrallg of conscnt that' 3 Eenufactulcd and oblitcratc those fracturcs that are thc cololizcd borders beyond thc map cousl'n you buggin' if you think dis-sclvicc is gonna stop This is thc upgrad. lrnelica' s onlinc velsion trIi].].cnium 2 yeals abcad of tine so cop this softrrale beforc your hardvralc becomcs outdated 30 �Jurtki.' t B.sIitY bE Elaco Y uiky Piiero) f i"tpi".a Son 1et mc schoo] You to the facts about Ehis crack freebase shi'E I shoot like a l,hitc boy's J all day aLl night Dy man on tshe outsidc for thc 3 the 2 the 1 It' s only fun when the homies can't lrave none and I, the ,runkie king of ttre south Bronx rcign like a bad triP suPleme ove! those other so-callcd junkies with 2 or 3 recovery Plogr.rm failures under deY belt My funky hustle bunPs up and down. the Point slarctrin with a 1OOO yard cross 3 blocks stare for ttli.S ].ittLe DqrliJri6t 16 1er old nigya with rny shit My shit Ia's just that shit that can't be exPlaineci through met a 4 o! see me lee no you can't see me giving it a warm bubble bath underneath mY trickling flame Yeah babr who's Yo daddY cornbine with thc sPirits of Ia meladona gue esta cabr6na brother solidify into a tight juieY ball of conclntrated 3OO proof fuckeduPness and here it is You! highness you enter mY vein I hold mY brain in my ashY hands Iike a sPonge and squeeze blood and thought from it I just want that dirty gutter dirty colo! dirty mothe! it' s dirty brocher there is no othe! Iove suPreme Love suPreme Get the fuck outs of rnY ndnd clean �I allcady fccl about as clcan as thc acid washed jeans Mr. Clean rrould pirE) rrit afro sheen know rrhat I mean gene mcaning la metadona gue csta cab!6na mc trae a 1a otla zona whele thc voices of junkie' s heaven dance around the niggas beinq lyndred hrho laugh at ore mdssa irer-ause ar.luge,.i.i-rr is es,lr.i-rrg if it ain't alleady hele christnas eve jingle bells mo crack sells I'm fucked up what can I say and into this mcntal gue ahora esta cabr6na Oyc ant qva pasa Pana? you must think you are a man right? 7he hai.r the nixry grixxy rct so ],letly stuff on your chest is nothing 32 Your iasignifi cant high is nothjDg You think you are t}]e jun}ie king of the Sronx Private Mora.l es you are a rrorth-less pile of Jrolseshi t tj:at .3rElls so bd tlc l,jes rqr't a,=r: .6.d< ra.th 1a-r ?tlat perso, in the IIaEor sazirg at ]qr r.dt] srpty eyes 1u: a sun.ker face ar;d a recding hair-lire is you f .rernelnber you urEftaid ard ,r,or7g reEy to dqJer the l.l2r-ld Ldt-h .j,io y.e..y >iri u But you smoked injected drank and fucked it aL7 away b you re€).ize that the draggjng ard hearrir,ess in your .brain and veins are not supposed to .be there or m)b tlBt shit (s) ias iea-r rr yqlr sgra:,',t, W for so long you don't even remetTlber .RemeIllbet shi t I'd b satid i-f yot e,st :glelber 1a:r 6-ust ki-ss who whax where when and wily vho are yoD? what are you ? �erh?.re .Ee you? why ate You th.re? vllg.n aIc u qoinE to- TcIl you to shut thc fuck uP close tllc door to thc nidlidtt of tny rElDries I don't want to know thc filst tj-trE I gave my arms a hlryoderrtic scar Discovering thc fog and dus! of my raind Hhen it tries to opcn nakes ne shut it because I arn aLlergic What kind of heavcn is this shit? My heaven lays !l batEen a bed of ccrrcEte ard llfeElo There snoke fifls the loom and ny tD.ind is f ree to exprcss my junkie's reality to the fine woman who care not for my intellect but for my glass dick they love to smoke No worries about censorshj.P this isn't a nick at nite faIrlily show Thesc people need to knor", that life ain't a drcam it' s pornographic nightmare that I've bccn jacking off to on my street where the capitalists are the Freddy Xnregers slicing my veins ir hal'f ard naking rny mi-rd fuzzy to the point of ghetto paradise Day turns to night riots of scranblilg flcrn the police and the dqrpr:s Lifc's a bitch and then you die that's vhy I gct high yoD never knov tthen Ya gonna go to the market Para esa metadona que esta cabr6na my only girl in this worLd of qutte! butter blood flow through my clean body overflow ove rthrot, ove!Load my system to the point of oh my qod danger My body' s talking my body' s talking 33 �ny body is talkinE to nc what at. u a vitqin Pussy? Sioot so&c mo of tiat shit into Yout bTood highvaY but apparently thcle j.s a traffic jam and:ry livcr and heart can't takc the pain and the strain causas me to choke on the bubbly fizz of the 40 Fox 5 tlaffic coPte! swj-rls with fLashlights ove! my skin r.,,riaa uhta atnroadtino the PoiJtt. tlrere seems to be a iwkie fyrg out in thc middle of tllc stleet I've become tshe junkie's jesfs cristo being cruficied with tubcs and scatE toxic blood plasEa through mY veins Now I vratch my life beep before my eyes beep f've comrLitted every sin known to man beep There's no turning back to Purity beep Fathe! folgive rne for I havc sinned IYs 6rdd rp to lslch, that yrr are d6est to Bin when you are about to die beep It's also a cabr6n ldErr the onLy tinE l,lJu see your loved ones is at You! funeral beeeeeeeeeaecce eeeeeee e ee e eP Nort you are mine my son �| *. to t}rt Br:trts PoiRt EooLGE3 Oh ycah oh yeah DecP and hard so dccP and hard i" tt.- grorld's oldest Profession to genitals are performed. il"iii"io"t drperdilg crr tle trid< ;;; 'r^11:r' or less "=r=y gane TonqTucs flick Iike HcY baby $,ant a date She's now sctlin of the set[i-Precious gem m.skcd bY stiletto heels spandex and Pounds of makeuP The stlut rcninds me of a mutt Lady loet the traEP and had a baby Ieft her on the sidewalk tso become a Kinda the sarnc stract corner dvreller seller of the Peach that Daddy neve! wanted to eaten seekin Mr. Right who'IL undelstand that it's a1I one elaborate PIan tshat cotrEnands no fear and the abitity to fuck and suck timc But in their velsion of the mean ass the off auctioning Pure's l,tr. eoffy for thc cash whi eh last ti} the next hand and blow Jobs are hard to cum bY Iike those decent men who insulate not forcin the folnication of the naive female sPirit stuck by invasive fingers and pimls Preachin a gosPel to know a Place You never knelr It' s not his bizness or any othe! bi znes s because the no bizness of hoes IS fo sho bi znes s Pimpin ain' t eas Y 1ir" trr.* wtrolesotrE hoes cryin and saying tshey wanna wait a while befole theY go too fas! 35 �but nclthc! is boclng Not knowinE whcthc! thc no.t tlick wl.LL be Joc Scb[oc or sone ricko so].lcltlnE razor bLadca and bubcd xilc thr nigbt bccomcs lo3t bctwccn thc hiEhs and thighs Dividcd Miss Guldcd flous through thc ncan tilc of the Polnt scarchln fo! thc point outsidc of thc joint life has b.cn Now she erosscs hcr violatcd body with the sbapc of th. crucifix wondclin 1f it's all, bccn one big sin 35 �Quicn soy Yo Yo soy the language You hear while exPeriencing a South Bronx avenue thr Language in b.tlreen a piragua and an icie la lengua jibaros use to desclibe Amcri ca Ibe eternal syllables that bounce through the cornels of your rlind sayin' everything you think bcfore you bli.nk $atch out because aqui y alIi yo estoy I be the boy sittin across from you on the 6 train listenin' to Coltrane insanely spittin' the plofane words you perceive me to be 1. But I be coastin. while others be roast.in, thelnselves to look like my rrord My word is bond is me I be NY Boricua Iearnt a lengua beyond a slmtax coDvention an invention of a nixture colonizer and colonized revitalized y internalized for my being to surprise the ignorant masses It got me guestionin' who rea1ly be che dulrlb asses so why be we in the speciaL ed classes I be the sadress en un lamento gue un viejo sings after being fired I be tired of restlictions constrictions a f f1i ctions to one diction that be ordinary diction oldinaly diction oldinary 3l �diction ordinaly can't bc but thc dlctionary the standard cause thcn I be danaged but I be ravaqcd bv confusion I be usin' soul fusion to crcatc thc i'llusion that I bc losin' but I bG winnin' gEingos orinnin' at these .-* ^ -i.ro in Lex 5 0s "a"aa "rra be causc Ibc what they }Iish they never could see But they could never bc Iivin' in mY tclritory whi ch they creatcd ffr. U"it"a States of the Ghctto oh hol" I would be chillin' 38 if I had a dime for cvery time I seen the bloody butchery of language which be me which be flowin' free into these streets which cried too many tears fo! tiberty and democracY democracY democracY dem I crah see dem mockin' me dem mockin' we iJ"ti. r"ttg'r.gc of the emPowered ;J'i"ki;' L.at tttrrt the nectars of 2 floters day our showers be gray on a sunny bonito ;;; ;; rainbowi aiter be tan where the soflito be sizzlin' that be $rhele I be what arloz con PoIIo �tut. llL thrt bG rtrrt I b. hor cold bul,lctr lltc thru th. .it th.t bG how I be wbcn le dtLc. d.f B.tslo blarat o! a ruurr dry th.t bc rh.n I b. Q,ulrn roy yo? r,ho b. ruthcntlcity y Ecguluity rrlth ri&ilrllty to no otba! thrt ba rrho f b. ｆ ｌ ｌ 一 ｒｉ ｌ 39 ｒ ｌ ｌ �AclnorlGdqtcd.nts Helc it gocs crazy Yous and gracias - thank my back thus far"' to Papl Dios upltairs fo! having(my true Peeps know. e'ho-chey a-!e 6 corne: my who's in to evlryone how much love r gots for thelo in this colaz6n of taine (Ehe 3" Leg fo! those othcls ) ) . to Lisa 6 the rest of the chaPbook team' This was a dream and 3 you it haPPen. - guys - io rnade Kate fo! puiiring me to keep on kcePin' on' to Craig for having contrdence rn my worK wnen -L ctlcln L rlcve r'L' to Lou 6. for expoiing me to how many things haPPen behind the sccnes in this rness of a dernocracy we call America (and Phillips Acadcmy). io Ceci fo! sponsoling mc at open nri cs and lettin' me know that someone else has Passion out there. the finally to ihc foundels of what I try to do, the Poets-and Pietli, Pedro piii Algarin, [iguel Piiero, !4iguel tto^"t, writeri Perdomo, Martin Tiio laviera, Julia de Buigos. Pablo Neluda, willie EsDada, The Last Poets, AIILili Baraka, the list goes on and on - you sh^owed'me the ult.imate form of exPression and fighting back - with words . Pa' fante siemPle Pa' lante nrL Pana -Ant 40 ��� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document ヽ‐ UNIverses by AnthonY Morales a Edited bY Lisa Hsu A Couaeat Prrb].ication Cover photo bY Yaqub ProweJ')' Table Of CO聖基≦≧≧塁旦 Introduction, bY Yagub Prowel-L Searching for what was in mY face Don Jlbaro Logo Pancy "No rnatter how much loot I qet"'" Rest my dear citY One two three in the morning The Weed Encounter AnniversarY Blues Poem on a bar naPkin tost #5 Bus Love Teacher Please Teach Me 3 5 7 9 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 )a Junkie's Reality (inspired by Flaco y Miky Pirlero) 31 Snerica' s Online (Vergion litilleniun) 2 Ode to the Hunts Point Hookers Quien SoY Yo Acknowledgeloents 2( 37 40 Rhythn is thc key word hcre' and thc qucstions that poets Like the author of this volume asL ti;elves are' "Hox do I obtaj.n it? vlhere do I frnc ;;;--;", do I transPosc it with written exPEession?" Thus it transpirei ttrat ttre style of writing this young rnan folJ'ows a struglle to-u*ptt"" the rhyth'ns that denote the essence of tre "..rg."--itoi p.t"rob,:Iate ttre Poets aPPficable walk of life - in this case' iroraiiay tfr.t founa on a continurm of countless Lrliters the Bronx' This Poet's stap"'"tt who cane before - n.rpu Jiii"o"' Toni Morrison' Piri Ttromas ' Anlri Baraka' Pablo Neruda, The Last ;;;";- l{illie perdomo - iust to name a few' rn the for what- is in his face' a face that rs tradition of these eraer-"-ie one with that of por, ,riu.io-"il eig wirly the Dassion that encorpas"."- is enconipassed by that of the "young il;:;-.";' .; ;;;T;-;1..t", "t'l- the lonerv men ne.eotiat:ne with the Hunts Poi:r: Hookers, the ba! iropp"t iiiii"g Napkin for the fine f.af-"itti"-gJ- truth is told j.n ti,e cJitl"- and his passion as ire internally debaEes familiar philosophicaL context --- themes within a "t'pt leLigion, addiction, Love. exploitation' "c"rches dearer' He sealches for a couple that a love Poem and his t''-btr ot' a 3 by 3 Marca1 by him' and the oLd Puerto Rican man whose i"'Jrt]tiot' ' His observations and the way rn which his words refleJi Uott' a depiction and a Decorajngr of the people portrayed liken hirn to a very young ulban Siddhartha' syncoPate the This volume contains a young poet's struggle to musically fo' Bronx streets which he calls home' to create an -effective 11"" the one called Te!j-. and to count off the interval€ between his c-1ont-st--c:rlo"uOstness economic duality' revotution' The author Eactfu]1y s et f-emPowerment iti titf''iy' ' finds the song in th" ji;; of the Junkie' the Hooker' and the Ghetto itself' 3 Hc kecps his ninct oPen in order to hear the newest melody of the conflicc he secs evcryday. xe consi]te"ily t"tt" note of the dialectics within those whc run a hard lifc, thcir antithlsis often and ironically cmbodied by the figule .i- ,1"""- it*i"t, . t"rigious remnant of the congucst of his people ' In his depiction of these this young man sheds a different tinted light on ;i:- ;.a;"*i;;it.tior"' irr" *ty th;t simurtaneously embraces and shattels Ehe ";;;; "at'l!t"", ot ineuirii alrowins his r€ader to uPon the Poet and the saze stereotlryes of urban Anerica ' ado' I Possess thc hono! of introducing to witiiut furthe! Hence reader, --;;;;"": ntl-l:i^r'"T-1"!,1'-:..t:: you a talent birthcd o;';' :;:":,,::I"":: train greetinq its comutels in the South Bronx - Anthony Morales' projecls", -the war,L or Lne \-r11 uavr,e !'v---- Yaqub P!oweIl May 1998 scalctdtrg fo= rhrt ras j.n ry face Thc writcr hunts for bis pley an idea for a poem Ant-boogie hits the stleets searching for a thought He lralks thlough the concrete suburb and first comes to a bodega that smells fulL of old ideas Maybe an ice cold Malta will be the remedy Ant goes to thc back of the bodega peruses the ALpo and Goya product aisle to find his salvation but lrhen he cracks open the chest he discovers no Malta Goya or Vitarroz that would stimulate his rr.ind Even more frustlated he starts to walk forever it seems towards his abuelita's house in C&C territory On his way he passes by sinilar stleet colnels and hears ]a mtsica deL Blonx Iively saLsa and merengire beats being blasted from ta Mega mixed with the hardest hip hop from Hot 97 fused with the classic souL of Kiss all of which can't compete wiEh Ehe guiet husrfer's prece that Big Willies kick in a fiend's ear on every corne-! What' chu Lrant kid Blue caps red caps Just as sclid as my naps Nicke1 Dime Gualanteed to mess you up in t).me Snow b I oi.J What you wanna know Yeah I got some crack Five-O coRir' betca watch yo' back By a.l-l Ant wants is now his abuclita's arroz con gandules not these hoes offelinq things that even Big AJrt lrants to reject for prices he can't lefuse He recognizes the stringY one in the Pom-Pom shorts and dirty haltser toP she was in his homeroont Her eyes ca!!Y a lot of luggage and nany geal sod^Eu rrf9'rg' Damn Ant says as he hears the rattle of the #2 train above him where are the gardens of 'fohn Adams He reaches abuelita' s Projects for his arloz con gandules In the lobby the jibaro's eYes cal] him to hear his lamentos His eyes contain Ehe sadness of a whiPPed dog and his i.Eir&Ied skin ard ttrick firgers reveal manY days en e1 camPo 6 Jibalo grunbles some SPanish unknown to lIl! Tt sabe guien es Albizu CanPos libertad o Muerte Am6rica es un gruPo de maricones viva Puerto Rico Y la revoluci6n It shakes Art because !inaIIy the tluth had been told IIa F:lra. rri. r-,:u ,!n the stalls ard doesn't stoP to notice the custo[rBr]'es ?he hieroglyphics on the r'rall the pi.Ie of UUy c" G on the f floor tE c+]e tlat trE](es o.Jt crt tlE 56 fl@! ]rq-rng (he heard she's due soon) The burnt hallway of the 6'h floor and now finally the sweet smell of the r)-ce and Peas quretLy sitting in the Pot and the j ourney for the idea is over The poem wrote its eL f ' Don Jibalo The brown soul of the island slavas cn e1 ca4>o day afte! day sunrise to sunsct he tends to the field making iE his life His pain is shown by thc 9 platano fingers of his soft lock hands and the rlvers calved along his face providing channels for the bodi.es of sHeat He ncver washes away thc stain and the Pain of the past 506 years on his spalse attire tligueio sk.in and tattered soul Soy j lbaro Soy Puerto Rico en coraz6n Y alma y tu tambi6n te siJerrtly gxults to his j.rwjsi-b1e jjbaritD sdl because he wears his stain Proudl-!' Looking at the box upon the box with sullen eyes he watches highlights of the 2"d sunday in June pondering the diffelence fron 18 68 seeing the blind inteLligence unchanneled emotion and unjus! satisfaction of the 2 trl.illion portogringos Lets him know that it's cime contra ignorance contra assirdlation conEra prop 187 contla english only contra AneliKKKa Don Jibaro peers into the red-anber sunset of eI jibarito eyes in eI Bronx and tells him silentfy E! segudo glito es necesario ahora para salvar Ia gence puertorligueia y tu tambi6n Lr tutur. Gttl .n tu. Ernot siJo Alt.! bl'! Dttlg. b !t E !t hf, q,fi,r!.tY aI( lodd'q cbrt labeler hoPc eichrlcr h!. f.rt gr.bt hlr Erchct. lar rDd rsrltr 8 Ipgo E ne? (fo! tbc Drterialistic oncs ) l.ty nrcd to look Jiggy is unqucstioned Tomy tlill Nautica Gianni versace and Donna xarcn all knol, lty namc My style is siryle Rugby (collar up of coulse) ny carpentcr j cans and the construction Titns The outcr gcar aPParel is strictly North Face for the sub-zcro New York nights sulc I gotta pay a hundlcd o! molc for a shirt but so what? Yeah I know Mom Dukcs is on welfarc and my baby nceds diaPers so what she'I1 pull thlough like shc a.Iways has so what if I gots no fifc? I didn't cve! go to school to learn anyway tlhen I roLl uP in the Party ev.!y chick is uP oD lt As soon as thosa glccnish eyes of a hon.y-dip secs ?o@y Hil,figcr cEblazoned across my bony chcat all ls folgottcn about ny aPPcaEance Iloney slowly apploachcs switching hcr PoIo hlps and showing that f1y NautLca chest and I flash rnv decked out superflcial snile lliss bcttcr come colrcct I wants a girl with DK and Dicsel and thc bigger thc patch that RalPh Laurcn puts on hcr ass thc morc it looks applc shaped our mltching Polo sport flagrances clash and out lips alc togethe! in unsubstantiated happinGss Uh-oh lrhat th. deal with money in thc Avirex lcathe! that shit nust have cost 150 bones it' s on I said to myself as I slowly followcd hin on hj.s way to see his mothcr at the old folks' home 10 Fron bGhind the ca! I Jurycd out and said e-yo Eimc yo' shit I t ant tttc lcath'! oh you got a link too Eiutc it Can you bcllevc that hc tried to run? SoDctbiDg in t[C just snaPPed grabb.d nY Piecc in BY Pents and I ncased uP:oY nci, jackct r{ith a bullct in ihc lecX of the chief's head Euck it I sold the holy leathc! to buy a new Pai! of NoH thcm cats-both the fcllaz and ladiez in school wiU be uP on it jordans with my new shinY bloodY kicks and th] real crulified Jcsus piece across my neck 11. trNo toatte! hor Br:dr 1oot I Eet I,t! staying in ttrc projects folevc!,, Havoc of Mobb Deep osurvival of the Fittest" lnrgine that a brothe! could makc $100 Gs a year (at l.ast) push a bccmer and come home to the love1y coDclcte gardens of CLason Point and live under the authority of Ncrr York city ltoEing Thc reality is that this mentality is a false philosophy A.5 soon as this cat makes his rap and gets the contract I'd like to sec him looking at his Rolex 24R goLd shining in the light while Eiding the *2 train back to his decked out crib r2 in t}Ic oqperirEntal sr:bsidized houslng Els ne!, S180 Air FoarPosite Pemy sneaks sure feel good those clean soles stepping on a sanitized blood and piss floor His ncw 5350 Avirex leathe! jasket sure looks good lrhen contlasted rrith the cirlL IletalLic shine of a tagged rP e.Le\/ato! -rrre urisp scrr.srd o! cire cerrjalu.us r**...i*,y in his pocket sure sounds good over the cracklttg fi-re irl the ga:irage can The glitter of his oakleys under an oranga hue streetLight strikes the needing eyes of his boys on the corner That the deal papa what's up with ou! demo I thought you was gonna put us on You loi]cer r€ represent and keep it real, my nigga sonchow hc wants to hGlP but thc Hords of his lawyer f lott staten Island ling in his cars Now lookce here we're gonna make You scttE cres!tr You not ]rEUr Iltr3 dr t]c coEtel L&! no ciJclllgtances can ]'ou bcfP thsn Along wlth Your Promisc to stay in thc Projccts forevcr you m.rst l€3Eda! that ltou tlBke r6tey ncrr icu aE bdtlr t}):n ttDse 6ldeE dr tlE @rEr A.I!ight toy nigge! so he rralks array strolls Past his 2 gradc houde whose definition in life is that hc knows a lapstar and ignores the Pleas of his gill for rroney for lhe diaPers of his son Mr FeaLness Erblaces the fake sec1]lity of the whilc rrorld of dol1ar biUs Lexuses and exucutive offices lrhile forgetting his childhood of food starps public transPortation and aParunents overclowded with disPlaced relalives Rcalness starts to run run scared runnj,ng scared and confused while ;eciting his hardrock rhYmes over his oxYmoron life 13 Rest t!}t dear city Before the norning dew wilL settle upon the front LaHas of the Projects Thc city that nevcr sleePs needs to wind dor.rn The old men in thc bodega nrr] I all.twTl thc aates of plotection colored by tags while hcaring the sgueaking crying and comPlaining of the local lat residents The pairs of New Balanccs and Reebok cf ass i cs hanging from the lines of comunication sway in the Hindy lecesses and twirl around each other pointing to the life of the tor.{n The women line up 14 along the Point to hustlc thcir chocha and teta merchandise for ncgotiable Pri ces for the loneIy rnen whose wives are doing lhe sane Ereaks come out at. night- this night malked by the orange hue streetlight blood lcd ltLite bluc police qa! silen rays fi.re and sun bulbs of the rnterno a1l nrirrored in the flowinq Pool collected next to Paco and the hol"e in his head -a bad drug deal, gone wlong Shiny ,,exus ES 3OO's and Benzo's wiih the posh execut.ive ownels cruise Ehe EDR along with the dusty Impala's and do1lar cabs making their overnlght getaway flom these irtsomniac streets Stray cats and dogs heow and bark vrith freedom and stroll thc night of thc sidewalks in thc shadoH3 so thcir olPhaned or.ners and the ASPCA won't crash thcir Party in thc aLlcys A loncly front page of thc Daily News flies across thc stlcct like tbc spirits of the obituarics whosc tine passed ard ilrr, irto tha orshion of thc conclete The hurn of the underground 6 lrain Lcts those arrakc know the city has had its sleeP but it t,as only a quick naP bccause here comcs the punk tax collcctor to cop Jesus Pendants ].oot and I Love NY sweatels 15 One two tlrree in the aornirrg Dalkness is broken by orange stleetlights reflected in the pool of 40 oz memolies Splish Splash l.take a dive into fizzLnq and bubbling like fresh urine in a toilet and look at one wave The wail of the cPR having police rushes to the Pox 5 news scene as a mother' s cry crescendoes in a lamento Bolincano bolero I flash glances at the baby men standing in the crowd awaiting their turn 'round the chalk mark 15 the pain in their eyes is no longe! about the water gr.rn fight they lost and as they sip the Henny to drink it a1l away I hear Marvin Gaye sing about how ooh d:.iLd ttrirgs ain' t gonna get easier on the next ripple a oi!1 sits alone on a park bench leliving a mental chess match how the black queen was checlsrated by the king He! tears rivering streaks of Revlon down her ashy please don't ask me cheeks She tries Eo measule her sadness agalrtst the dead neon green ]ightbulb clouds but can not The cool sheet on a sunmer night wind rocks her back to that time when sh. was thc only boo Ln his l1fe ad turth to a GfiEIIIlE bt I €l lotE 1rr bel*er Bcnt!1ity Tragcdy lroD't cotne shc lasofvcs Hith hc! inhalations naking olang. chclly stEectlights Thc 24 hour strect pharmrcy is opcn for business cvs don't makc this tlPe of cash flov, trallcd ny peoplc So now doing a dead man's float fui a tributaly swig of St Ides on the floor rEdeEteath the everl€tdlleul stoic stleetlight I j urp out of despair gaspin' for rny turn to roII c lo for the ghctto Bop n cop niggas know snow n blow the time on thc blue cap red cap BIad( MilG got his r.:ig FsH ba* fo! frontin he carnc short be the moEto for life of the wannabc pitlps pushels and playas on the 2 of breath 1l 'lltre tlced llis grcen skinnY bodY srays to and fro in a foul south Bronx wind mixed with desPerate exhalations boodah smoke fricd brain cells and life can't get wolse and the source of his anger isn't the dog Piss that sPlashes on him one more trme or the junkie' s nervous stomP in his rced stan& ljr a &scrtcd land waiting for a neighbor too nuch broken glass too much galbage too much Ncw York Icaves hiB alone 50 lolre.ly r. r.e hc watches flom his cornc! tlro youths kissing passionsatelY deeplY sad he A solitarfr could not be the girl's hand toucbing the rose caressing the velvcty lose Nobody knows the trouble he' s seen Nobody goes co this dilaPidatcd scene 18 smoke rny own dick if it could give me lhe fix two steP one day Mother Natule answered those playeEs and seeds got PLanted inplanted Lras hoPe But nah hell nah wouLd they survive his conversation was deadLy I'd so d.ath fricnd.ly hc becane thosc scQds wi'thelcd died and guietly dissolved into the tonb-likc soil lrhcla undelneath so EanY souls havc btock ParEies for the new visitor The vreed's last victi-Er was the rose he sought to be touched as they moved toward each other They rli sgoveled they trere of the sarE roots sane walk o! Iife she puckered he! Petals and gave him the kiss from the lose Kisseg neve! grow they only kil,l Your sPirit here The rosc feI1 over and its petals uent flaccid Iooking down at the weed's roots He hel,d hcr in hj's alms and s creamed so loud so loud so loud ! only no one heard hirn Now the weed stands reliving the plot in his lot of deach playing solitaire wich clacked glass sPades fake gold Pfated diamonds ultra violent billY clubs and one コust on kェ ng of hrs deadly healt 19 20 Encourrta! ADniveEsary Blues Hey you sholty tlpc of a woman glowin' like a din light bulb floatin' on the air looki.n' like lcvitation o! maybe it's eLevation to heaven rrhen you xalk .Uay I tall( Eo you for just a couple of hours softly devouling and nibbling on your perception of me and then nr.ine of you but there' s no Deed to guestion the authority on the notion that you are the beauty lotion drop that is motj.on beyond the waves lipples and shill[ner of the ocean beyond the vrhip appeaL potion somc can say you have on me beyond the iragination of rore lIEtaphols that attempt to define your existence You moistulize me in a suave way to say you complete me wouJ.d be an understatement because 2 halves rnake a whole and I'm more than that man would kick that false rap to you who is a whole Iot of lroman so you see mathematically we overcomPensate each other But emotional nurbers don't always equal a relationship equacion Our convcrsation is only in its filst hour .nd f already daydrcatn us rcaidj.ng in thc land that is called EAkc-bclirve But it can be conceivcd s1lcnt and tnootb fc.lin' ltkc nlght turnLn' to day and day back to night ahd night to dly and day to night atrd then right there ne'Il ask rhetolical. questions like what tlpc of light shincd upon us to be hele whcrcver 1t is whcncvcr i! i3 9le both know it was love justicc caring about just us and thcn we'Il laugh and end 1t with a kl'ss 2t Po6 on . b.t n Phin You parsonify a poem that's Puttin' You on a Pedestal and preaches to your PersonalitY and not your Pussy I see the real you that's cookin' J.ike pollo guisa'o stew The tlue uonan I seek would sEep lrgm tnLs duqie whose gane is The do You rock ■s lnvュtin′ but I'm fightin' thru the grease He could at ]cast offer you a drink hold up he owns is that cent pseudo gold-Plat.d J.sus link how could I even think he would do somelhing othcr than llhy rlc You Petitc on this cat who' s teekin' du.urb deaf and blind to what You reallY necd .nba <r.rFatbeads that f or3 butta Pccan wastin' Your breath on my undelams show as crcscent shaPed scas of ruy shaare from rny lack of gamc Damn I think homcboY's larne to come at You with that doo doo flattelin' oDe two hey boo line You with You so fine and You a dime 工'■■ give You mY timc ■ike you arc my muse that fuses the Pen and the PaPer 22 tl u■50 Ba2S raducc lnd scducc whilc I'n ju3t tryin' to inducc and Ploduc' tlr si.riljistl'c ad.lc that ccs frdr t}l' helrt light now staltin' I'I1 look at You and nayb. beby approach You attcrrptin' to not boast to You aboui your qualitics that swallow urc At thc sam! tiloc I'n cli$in' th. heights of this 3 bY 3 marcal naPkin runnin' out of sPace fo! nY try to gct You at mY Place so I'11 sIiP this iD Your bag dorn around Your saist My name is Ant I hope this wasn't a waste Plcase lct me know My nunber is 71E 893 4510 23 24 L08t15 Bus Love Future essences of love captured !try sight of the #5 bus I see the project plj.ncess step on to the scene with he! blonze wavy hai! and crystal spalklin' eyes Deer into mv fantasv we slowly approach cach other through furtive intentional glances carryin' ou! young and unfillcd lives together to the schoolyard I see mys eIf ruuin' up to her tEart F.!IpjI' ard nen es d!!Llin' to the bcoe Hey you girl l like you you like me Baby gi!1 sayin' ycah I like you boyfriend givin' De that accepted feeling of puppy love in motion while holdin' my hand dancin' a hop skip and j urnp to the rhyttun of the double flutte! heartbeat happiness takin' us to that dream house she' s the moruny I'm che daddy pullin' into the driveway cookin' me that dinne! then lre listenin' to each other's sighs and laments about our Parents they just don' t understand l,aughin' and l"ovin' movin' our bodies co movie scenes we seell over some firepLaces cracklin' and popprn' ale our dlcans goin' up in that 3Bok. GoDC in thc south Bronx wind tc llsrrin' tn!o.$r ciE shfuy A::.a ri$to*rca just passin' by dark surroundings Pray for our seguel Ain't no matte! we'II always havc ou! atoELica] transpoltation a ffai r tomorrow I hop. bccausa we in lovc we arc beautiful he! inner sunshinc lightin' now it's all Eood up life But whiLe splintin' thlough those tncadows she coEes to a stoP and the end of Ey adventurous heart Baby baby pl.asc don't Press stoP and go I wasn't done with my daydrcam love for you just eve! We=she-BC startin' to cry over our one moment in tiDe together 25 Ecach€r Please Teach Me fron the South B=onx to chェtown from East St. Louis to LaWrence This warrants a grito louder than the gavef knockin' flom East St. Louis to Lalrlence Th■ s warrants a grit。 ー l:ll:::Fぃ ,h31^iり :_7avil ́ レ Tiny tots Lrith their eYes all aglow don't cven know about the Lack of time care and money sPent by the city Thc situation is shitty kinda like the sPit You see on the ground AJ.l alound EbeY gaEner sittin' on the dull cold floo! askin' Miss Rachcl l.lis s Rachcl will you read us a story? Alright boYs and girls "...ana chicken Little said the sky j.s fal].in' the sky is fallin"' But this ain't no fable The paint chips asbestOS and non―accreditatiOn are ca■ ■in′ 26 gritty ■n 1963 BrOwn vs. BOard of Ed. sorry to say but an ofay they'■ ■ be okay attitude aェ n′ t exact■ y prOducin′ braェ n food The mood becomes rude str=ppin′ kェ ds to nude p■ of inte■ lect sO that they can′ t detect the defects critical re flecti on creatin' connections between tshe 3r' s ctures h′ ■S nOW dead bccotocs crlzy hrrd whcn You got a ttc(rative Hcadstalt Beinq smart don't got nothing to do with it Whcn a 3Pirit becones detachcd from a body ccrlailr things start to haPPcn slang fl.PPin' cun cIaPPin' women slapPin' mentality snaPPin' pcople who we ca}} Iowlifca are Ploducts of this system it.i ip"ti" molc on them in jail than in school Shit' s not cool when your homeroom is the bathroom sta1l or hall o! dvm Is ilre budget that slim or our govtrnment just Plain din as opposed to bright ifh.n kids fight it' s fo! space to brcathe and conceivc and not gricve ifr"t tn.y lratch more TV than they lead supposedfy we are Dlantin' the secds tor tornorrow' s leadcrs But we are j.nbreeding a vicious cycle of dePendencY on AEDC and wlc The air is as thick as uscd tires and when You search fo! the look of desile in a child's eyes all you san do is sigh and wonder whY this is hapPcnin' in Anerica う4 lmrica't onlina (velsion Miucnir8) Anelica's online for tbis new nilleni.um of rrars radiation nuclea! destluction ghetto rcconst!uction thcre's a certain tlPe of abduction of souls from the leduction of welfare what's fair comes in terns of nu:nbers while the Prez Practices inflation tt4)e inhal-ations of his lungs causin' me persPiration of fear and it's a1l here in the Rythic mcltin' pot where my rice gets cooked in a (Linute .rd dtrEr is senrd as a rD fElIIs mlclcr^Eve EEal Ghetto tested nobody's aPProved the covert use of narcotics on avenues streets and boulevards where it's become kinda hald to see what is really a Porty Reecan o! a Mexican or a Cuban or a bLack man o! woman o! a EIan cod damn f thought I l,as Amer I can But haybe not because when the block gets hot from 5-0's suspicion it's me they're wishin' did the crime There's no tijrE that could rehabilitate the damage done to mY mind internalized and ecernalized fa! a Iot of years cuz I'm livin' in between tlLinority frustlation and Anglo donination hearin' black rnen's lamentations and white men' s exhalations j,n a fast Paced nation but you scc I can't count becausc whiLc leccivin' what thc statc ca11cd cducation the teachers did suffocation of Ey spilit and id.as By then I was introduccd to those -isms far rcre &entally handicapping than the dlug My f,uture was alrcadY dug out into the toold of Puerto Rican rnale wild as fuck don't givc a fuck Iikes to fuck and all By Iife being fuckcd over by the Problens probably stcm from my last name acccnt and mentality hald and grey like cement but thc jack hanrners of the -isms capitalism racisn irq)erialism colonialism forced rne to go to isolationism nBkin' tae vrant to go to the tnoon o! another planet but da8eit Ameri,ca's there too So I ask myself lrhat to do can't wait for a rainy day cuz it' s fuckin' pourin' watchin' reruns and leruns of blacks and broms on cops has becorne kinda borin' And I'm wonderin' where can I tuln whele it won't Look like my ski-n is burned where it won't Iook like every cop is Mark Fuh!/nan yearnin' 29 ヽ il fo! that siq)1e institution caJ,l,ed dcmoclacy Hypoclisy's bccn tIlockin' me and ny intellig.ncc Thelc's no t!T)c of rcvclcncc cuz wc live in tha tcncnents But fuck tb.t it' 3 not peEllAnent I lras heavcn scnt hclc to tarE doxn thc lrallg of conscnt that' 3 Eenufactulcd and oblitcratc those fracturcs that are thc cololizcd borders beyond thc map cousl'n you buggin' if you think dis-sclvicc is gonna stop This is thc upgrad. lrnelica' s onlinc velsion trIi].].cnium 2 yeals abcad of tine so cop this softrrale beforc your hardvralc becomcs outdated 30 Jurtki.' f i"tpi".a bE Elaco Y uiky Piiero) t B.sIitY My shit Ia's just that shit that can't be exPlaineci through met a 4 o! see me lee no you can't see me giving it a warm bubble bath underneath mY trickling flame Yeah babr who's Yo daddY cornbine with thc sPirits of Ia meladona gue esta cabr6na brother solidify into a tight juieY ball of conclntrated 3OO proof fuckeduPness and here it is You! highness you enter mY vein I hold mY brain in my ashY hands Iike a sPonge and squeeze blood and thought from it I just want that dirty gutter dirty colo! dirty mothe! it' s dirty brocher there is no othe! Iove suPreme Love suPreme Get the fuck outs of rnY ndnd clean Son 1et mc schoo] You about Ehis crack freebase shi'E I shoot like a l,hitc boy's J all day aLl night Dy man on tshe outsidc for thc 3 the 2 the 1 It' s only fun when the homies can't lrave none and I, the ,runkie king of ttre south Bronx rcign like a bad triP suPleme ove! those other so-callcd junkies with 2 or 3 recovery Plogr.rm failures under deY belt My funky hustle bunPs up and down. the Point slarctrin with a 1OOO yard cross 3 blocks stare for ttli.S ].ittLe DqrliJri6t 16 1er old nigya with rny shit to the facts 32 I allcady fccl about as clcan as thc acid washed jeans Mr. Clean rrould pirE) rrit afro sheen know rrhat I mean gene mcaning la metadona gue csta cab!6na mc trae a 1a otla zona whele thc voices of junkie' s heaven dance around Your iasignifi cant high is nothjDg You think you are t}]e jun}ie king of the Sronx Private Mora.l es you are a rrorth-less pile of Jrolseshi t tj:at .3rElls so bd tlc l,jes rqr't a,=r: .6.d< ra.th 1a-r ?tlat perso, 1u: - in the IIaEor sazirg at ]qr r.dt] srpty eyes a sun.ker face ar;d a recding hair-lire is you f .rernelnber you urEftaid ard ,r,or7g reEy to dqJer the l.l2r-ld Ldt-h .j,io y.e..y >iri u But you smoked injected drank and fucked it aL7 away b you re€).ize that the draggjng ard hearrir,ess in your .brain and veins are not supposed to .be there or m)b tlBt shit (s) ias iea-r rr yqlr sgra:,',t, W for so long you don't even remetTlber .RemeIllbet shi t I'd b satid i-f yot e,st :glelber 1a:r 6-ust ki-ss who whax where when and wily vho are yoD? what are you ? the niggas beinq lyndred hrho laugh at ore mdssa irer-ause ar.luge,.i.i-rr is es,lr.i-rrg if it ain't alleady hele christnas eve jingle bells mo crack sells I'm fucked up what can I say and into this mcntal gue ahora esta cabr6na Oyc ant qva pasa Pana? you must think you are a man right? 7he hai.r the nixry grixxy rct so ],letly stuff on your chest is nothing erh?.re .Ee you? why ate You th.re? vllg.n aIc u qoinE to- it' s pornographic nightmare that I've bccn jacking off to on my street where the capitalists are the Freddy Xnregers slicing my veins ir hal'f ard naking rny mi-rd fuzzy to the point of ghetto paradise Day turns to night riots of scranblilg flcrn the police and the dqrpr:s Lifc's a bitch and then you die that's vhy I gct high yoD never knov tthen Ya gonna go to the market Para esa metadona que esta cabr6na my only girl in this worLd of qutte! butter blood flow through my clean body overflow ove rthrot, ove!Load my system to the point of oh my qod danger My body' s talking my body' s talking TcIl you to shut thc fuck uP close tllc door to thc nidlidtt of tny rElDries I don't want to know thc filst tj-trE I gave my arms a hlryoderrtic scar Discovering thc fog and dus! of my raind Hhen it tries to opcn nakes ne shut it because I arn aLlergic What kind of heavcn is this shit? My heaven lays !l batEen a bed of ccrrcEte ard llfeElo There snoke fifls the loom and ny tD.ind is f ree to exprcss my junkie's reality to the fine woman who care not for my intellect my glass dick they love to smoke No worries about censorshj.P this isn't a nick at nite faIrlily show Thesc people need to knor", that life ain't a drcam but for 33 ny body is talkinE to nc what at. u a vitqin Pussy? Sioot so&c mo of tiat shit into Yout bTood highvaY but apparently thcle j.s a traffic jam and:ry livcr and heart can't takc the pain and the strain causas me to choke on the bubbly fizz of the 40 Fox 5 tlaffic coPte! swj-rls with fLashlights ove! my skin r.,,riaa uhta atnroadtino the PoiJtt. tlrere seems to be a iwkie fyrg out in thc middle of tllc stleet I've become tshe junkie's jesfs cristo being cruficied with tubcs and scatE toxic blood plasEa through mY veins Now I vratch my life beep before my eyes beep f've comrLitted every sin known to man beep There's no turning back to Purity beep Fathe! folgive rne for I havc sinned IYs 6rdd rp to lslch, that yrr are d6est to Bin when you are about to die beep It's also a cabr6n ldErr the onLy tinE l,lJu see your loved ones is at You! funeral beeeeeeeeeaecce eeeeeee e ee e eP Nort you are mine my son | *. to t}rt Br:trts PoiRt EooLGE3 She's now sctlin of the set[i-Precious gem m.skcd bY stiletto heels spandex and Pounds of makeuP The stlut rcninds me of a mutt Lady loet the traEP and had a baby Ieft her on the sidewalk tso become a stract corner dvreller seller of the Peach that Daddy neve! wanted to eaten seekin Mr. Right who'IL undelstand that it's a1I one elaborate PIan tshat cotrEnands no fear and the abitity to fuck and suck stuck by invasive fingers a gosPel and pimls Preachin never knelr to know a Place You It' s not his bizness or any othe! bi znes s because the no bizness of hoes IS fo sho bi znes s Pimpin ain' t eas Y Oh ycah oh yeah DecP and hard so dccP and hard i" tt.- grorld's oldest Profession il"iii"io"t to genitals are performed. or less drperdilg crr tle trid< ;;; "=r=y 'r^11:r'gane TonqTucs flick Iike HcY baby $,ant a date Kinda the sarnc 1ir" trr.* wtrolesotrE hoes cryin and saying tshey wanna wait a while befole theY go too fas! But in their velsion of the mean timc l,tr. eoffy Pure's auctioning off the ass for thc cash whi eh last ti} the next hand and blow Jobs are hard to cum bY Iike those decent men who insulate not forcin the folnication of the naive female sPirit 35 35 but nclthc! is boclng Not knowinE whcthc! thc no.t tlick wl.LL be Joc Scb[oc or sone ricko so].lcltlnE razor bLadca and bubcd xilc thr nigbt bccomcs lo3t bctwccn thc hiEhs and thighs Dividcd Miss Guldcd flous through thc ncan tilc of the Polnt scarchln fo! thc point outsidc of thc joint life has b.cn Now she erosscs hcr violatcd body with the sbapc of th. crucifix wondclin 1f it's all, bccn one big sin Quicn soy Yo Yo soy the language You hear while exPeriencing a South Bronx avenue thr Language in b.tlreen a piragua and an icie la lengua jibaros use to desclibe Amcri ca Ibe eternal syllables that bounce through the cornels of your rlind sayin' everything you think bcfore you bli.nk $atch out because aqui y alIi yo estoy But I be coastin. while others be roast.in, thelnselves to look like my rrord My word is bond is me I be NY Boricua Iearnt a lengua beyond a slmtax coDvention an invention of a nixture colonizer and colonized revitalized y internalized for my being to surprise the ignorant masses It got me guestionin' who rea1ly be che dulrlb asses so why be we in the speciaL ed classes I be the sadress en un lamento gue un viejo sings after being fired I be tired of restlictions constrictions a f f1i ctions to one diction that be ordinary diction oldinaly diction oldinary I be the boy sittin across from you on the 6 train listenin' insanely spittin' the plofane words you perceive me to be 1. to Coltrane 3l ordinaly but thc dlctionary if I had a dime for cvery time I seen the bloody butchery of language which be me which be flowin' free into these streets which cried too many tears fo! tiberty and democracY democracY democracY dem I crah see dem mockin' me dem mockin' we iJ"ti. r"ttg'r.gc of the emPowered ;J'i"ki;' L.at tttrrt the nectars of 2 floters our showers be gray on a sunny day ;;; ;; rainbowi aiter be tan bonito where the soflito be sizzlin' that be $rhele I be what arloz con PoIIo diction can't bc the standard cause thcn I be danaged but I be ravaqcd bv confusion I be usin' soul fusion to crcatc thc i'llusion that I bc losin' but I bG winnin' orinnin' at these gEingos .-* ^ -i.ro in Lex 5 0s "rra "a"aa be causc Ibc what they }Iish they never could see But they could never bc Iivin' in mY tclritory whi ch they creatcd ffr. U"it"a States of the Ghctto oh hol" I would be chillin' 38 tut. llL thrt bG rtrrt I b. hor cold bul,lctr lltc thru th. .it th.t bG how I be wbcn le dtLc. d.f B.tslo blarat o! a ruurr dry th.t bc rh.n I b. Q,ulrn roy yo? r,ho b. ruthcntlcity y Ecguluity rrlth ri&ilrllty to no otba! thrt ba rrho f b. 39 f l l 一r i l r l l 40 AclnorlGdqtcd.nts Helc it gocs 3 crazy thank Yous and gracias - to Papl Dios upltairs fo! having my back thus far"' to evlryone who's in my corne: (my true Peeps know. e'ho-chey a-!e 6 how much love r gots for thelo in this colaz6n of taine (Ehe 3" Leg fo! those othcls ) ) . to Lisa 6 the rest of the chaPbook team' This was a dream and you guys rnade it haPPen. - - io Kate fo! puiiring me to keep on kcePin' on' to Craig for having contrdence rn my worK wnen -L ctlcln L rlcve r'L' to Lou 6. for expoiing me to how many things haPPen behind the sccnes in this rness of a dernocracy we call America (and Phillips Academy). io Ceci fo! sponsoling mc at open nri cs and lettin' me know that someone else has Passion out there. finally to ihc foundels of what I try to do, the Poets-and the writeri - piii tto^"t, !4iguel Piiero, [iguel Algarin, Pedro Pietli, Tiio laviera, Julia de Buigos. Pablo Neluda, willie Perdomo, Martin EsDada, The Last Poets, AIILili Baraka, the list goes on and on - you sh^owed'me the ult.imate form of exPression and fighting back - with words . Pa' fante siemPle Pa' lante nrL Pana -Ant Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Anthony Morales, UNIverses. Subject The topic of the resource Morales, Anthony Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) UNIverses. Ethnic groups and nationalities -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"><em></em> <div class="item-description"><em>UNIverses.</em>, a chapbook of poetry written by Bronx-based poet Anthony Morales</div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Morales, Anthony Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available A Courant Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1998 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival document Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.BD003.002 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mariposa Fernández Papers Description An account of the resource Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens. Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fernández, Mariposa Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978–2020 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed-media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data VHS recording Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:02:44 Compression Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4) MPEG-4 OHMS Object Embedded OHMS XML file https://oralhistory.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/viewer.php?cachefile=MS-FERNANDEZ.001.035.xml OHMS Content Content of OHMS Index/Transcript for searching (Hidden) 5.4 Poetas Pa' Vieques MS-FERNANDEZ.001.035 01:02:39 MS-FERNANDEZ Mariposa Fernández Papers Bronx Oral History Center bxoralhistory MP4 MS-FERNANDEZ.001.035-poetas-pa-vieques-2000.mp4 0 https://youtu.be/_IX5VMe47zM YouTube video English; Spanish 0 Willie Perdomo's Performance Mariposa: Vieques, so please if you will just come up and [inaudible]. I forgot to introduce my, my co-host and mi hermana de verdad. She's my twin sister. Please give all your love to Melissa, MelleSoul, Fernández. MelleSoul: I asked Mariposa if I could introduce the next poet. I actually met him about ten years ago. I was standing, I was looking for this meeting that I supposed to be going to. And I had just come from the library where I had picked up a book of poetry by Lolita Lebrón. And I was waiting, I was in the wrong place, and I ended up standing around. I put my book down, and left. [inaudible] And when I came back, he had the book in his hand, and it ended up that we were going to the same meeting. And ever since then he has been one of the most inspiring Boricua poets that I have ever had the honor of meeting and knowing. And he's very special to me, and so I know that he inspires many people. So it's my honor and pleasure to introduce to you a poet that's been called [inaudible]. Please give it up, I wanna see how loud we can get up in this tonight, for Willie Perdomo . . . 10 lb draw;bonchinche;Brixton;conga;dark-faces;dime bag;drugs;El Barrio;London;marijuana;monkey on the back;Nuyorican;Ponce;salsa;salsero;tecato;troubadour;weed Fania All Stars;Fernández, Mariposa;Fernández, MelleSoul;Heroin abuse;Lavoe, Héctor, 1946-1993;Marijuana;Perdomo, Willie;The Crazy Bunch;The Day Hector Lavoe Died;Vieques Island (P.R.) 0 780 Flaco Navaja's Performance Mariposa: Y el proximo is a poet from the Boogie Down. Blessed with a voice, with a voice from the divine in my opinion. Please give it up for Flaco Navaja! artistic schizophrenia;El Barrio;Lower East Side;Nuyorican;Salsa;Spanglish;telenovela;the Boogie Down Algarin, Miguel;Esteves, Sandra Maria, 1948-;Lavoe, Héctor, 1946-1993;Navaja, Flaco;Pietri, Pedro;Piniero, Mikey;Puerto Rican Obituary;Vega, Eddie 0 1374 Raul "Gallego" Gonzalez's Performance Mariposa: We are blessed to have three poets from Puerto Rico here tonight. So we're gonna give them their time now. Unidentified Audience Member: Gallego! Mariposa: Relax. Relax [inaudible] take it easy. Give him the [inaudible] that he deserves. Entonces el proximo, vino de Puerto Rico para la parada and he's here all the way from Santurce. Un fuerte aplauso para Raul "Gallego." chamacos de la esquina;conga;conga de pierda;el negro;Galician;Gallego;Isla de goma;la negrita;la parada;negrito;Puertoriqueno;Santurce;tambores;Vietnam War corner boys;Gonzalez, Raúl "Gallego";Loiza;Nueva York;police abuse;political corruption;Santurce 0 1977 Claribel Rosa's Performance Mariposa: This next poet is a sista who was born in the Bronx, at Lincoln. Raised in Brooklyn and moved to Puerto Rico. All the way from Viejo San Juan. She came for the parade. We did a whole bunch of activities as part of Poetas Pa' Vieques. It started on Friday with "Stop the Bombs", a Hip Hop dance concert. On Saturday, we went to see [inaudible]. We went to the 116th Street Festival. We marched. [inaudible] did you get that? We worked on the floats. She made the float [inaudible]. And also, I want to acknowledge the visitors also. Cause we cannot forget, faltan faith alright. We cannot forget our brothers and sisters that are still in prison. The things on that float. On some of it was a four foot replica of the head of the Statue of Liberty with her eyes covered con la bandera Boricua. Una corona de machetes, seven machetes. Each of the prisoners names was written on six of them and then on one was for Don Pedro Albizu Campos. This next poet, she's the one that [inaudible] that one and I have a lot of love for her. Please give it up from Viejo San Juan, Miss Claribel Rosa. Boricuas;broken home;equality;poverty;the system;welfare assimilation;Migration;Old San Juan;Pietri, Pedro, 1944-2004;Rosa, Claribel;The Question Mark;Viejo San Juan 0 2762 MelleSoul's Performance MelleSoul: Especially, especially dedicated to my sister, Marisposa, Esperanza Martel, [inaudible] Cabanas and all the other women who had the forefront. I'm gonna sing this song that Mariposa sings around the house. Boricua;burden;caged bird;Mariposa Fernandez, Melissa "MelleSoul";freedom 0 2922 Raul "Gorras" Moris's Performance Mariposa: El proximo, the next poet, is a brother, also from Puerto Rico, from Viejo San Juan, born in The Bronx, and he's done his share of traveling. Has done poetry in San Francisco, Chicago, Puerto Rico. He is, he is the co-director and the host of a poetry series down in Viejo San Juan, every other Wednesday, in Plaza de las Armas . . . revolucionario Fernández, Mariposa;Moris, Raúl "Gorras";Vieques Island (P.R.) 0 3093 Mariposa's Performance Mariposa: Y la revolutionaria: ¿A donde esta? classism;colonialism;heterosexism;imperialism;mujeres;racism;revolucionaria;sexism Fernández, Mariposa;Lebron, Lolita;Morales, Iris;Pagán, Dylcia 0 3292 Jesús Papoleto Meléndez's Performance Jesús: I know that I was on demand on this day. Thank you. Espe gave me this, this, this pin. I'm gonna pass it on . . . who's gonna be 50 next week? I'm gonna share a poem . . . Hey Yo! Yo Soy! Martell, Esperanza;Meléndez, Jesús Papoleto;Nuyoricans--Identity;Spanglish 0 3555 Hector Luis Rivera's Performance Hector: . . . anyways, that experience was a lot to me. I was only in, in a . . . ah, man, my face is like pins and needles on my hand because I stopped smoking weed . . . AIDS;American Dream;asthma;capitalism;colonizers;ghettos;I feel ya;infanticide;pollution;rapists;survivors;territorial invasion;torture;uraniam;Vieques Bronx (New York, N.Y.);Dominicans;Hunts Point (The Bronx, New York, NY);López Rivera, Oscar, 1943-;Puerto Rican liberation;Puerto Ricans;Rivera, Hector Luis;U.S. imperialism;Vieques Island (P.R.);Welfare Poets 0 A recording of Poetas Pa' Vieques, an event held on June 13, 2000, organized by Bronx poets Mariposa and her twin sister MelleSoul and held at Café Largo, 3387 Broadway. The event was in support of the liberation struggles of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques and featured many of the most prominent poets in the Nuyorican movement. CC-BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons) video Content may be utilized only for non-commercial purposes so long as equal sharing privileges are preserved and the following attribution is included: "Courtesy of the Mariposa Fernández papers, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library." 0 https://oralhistory.bchslibrary.org/render.php?cachefile= Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Poetas Pa' Vieques Subject The topic of the resource Fernández, Mariposa Poets and performance artists (The Bronx, New York) Vieques, Puero Rico Puerto Rican liberation Nuyorican Movement Perdomo, Willie MelleSOL (MelleSoul) Navaja, Flaco Gonzalez, Raúl "Gallego" Rosa, Claribel Moris, Raúl "Gorras" Meléndez, Jesús Papoleto Rivera, Hector Luis Welfare Poets Description An account of the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text">Recording of Poetas Pa' Vieques, an event held on June 13, 2000, organized by Bronx poets Mariposa and her twin sister MelleSoul and held at Café Largo, 3387 Broadway. The event was in support of the liberation struggles of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques and featured many of the most prominent poets in the Nuyorican movement.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Moris, Raul Gorras Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Spanish Type The nature or genre of the resource Archival video Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-FERNANDEZ.001.035 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/20be87ef3a6584d00a2c0975142d6956.jpg 9021f16e5546bc753675788fdfac0040 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter Records Subject The topic of the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Bronx Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Wheeler, Wilson & Johnson Community Projects, Inc. Description An account of the resource Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® was chartered on May 23, 1964, by twelve members. The chapter celebrates a rich history of service, philanthropy, and scholarship for the Bronx community. From its inception, programs of service were launched to enhance the quality of life for residents of The Bronx. Specific emphasis was placed on engaging youth, working with developmentally disabled children, and providing services to the elderly.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® provides volunteer services to vulnerable and underserved communities. One of the first programs started by the chapter was a garden project at the Southeast Neighborhood Center for developmentally disabled adults. Since then, the chapter has initiated several other service projects, including Impact Days, Earth Day and Akarosa Adopt A Highway beautification initiatives, financial literacy workshops, Alzheimer's awareness projects, mental health support projects, and healthy heart initiatives. The chapter also spearheads the MLK Day of Service project, various toy drives, collaborative Global Impact Day with South Africa and St, Croix members as well as a host of other programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the Bronx community. In addition to serving the community, members also participate in weekly prayer calls, leadership enrichment opportunities, membership and sisterly relations activities that are intergenerational, like book, movie, exercise, and travel clubs. Eta Omega Omega chartered Xi Xi chapter, an undergraduate chapter at Lehman College on June 25, 1983, and members of that chapter have participated in many of the projects.<br /><br />Eta Omega Omega chapter's signature program is the <em>Rites of Passage Mentoring Program</em>. This program provides high school girls with year-long intensive workshops on personal development, ancestral history, interpersonal relations, etiquette, and goal setting. Since 1991 this program has guided young girls towards their transition into womanhood by fostering a sense of responsibility, sisterhood, and self-pride. The chapter will continue the Rites of Passage Program in collaboration with ((#CAP℠), the current administration’s College Admissions Process program ((#CAP℠), designed to assist students in their efforts to enter college.<br /><br />As a result of the work that Eta Omega Omega has done, the chapter has earned many national and international accolades and awards. Some awards earned were Small and Medium Chapter of the Year, the Spirit Award, Membership, Connection, and Star Award for Outstanding Programs. On a regional level, several chapter members have been recognized for their outstanding service in leadership. Members were honored as Basileus of the year, Silver Star of the year, Graduate Advisor of the year, and the Idell Pugh Angel Award.<br /><br />In 1994, the Chapter established a not-for-profit corporation and later changed the name of this corporation to Wheeler, Wilson and Johnson Community Projects, Inc. The corporation was organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within Bronx County. Through the foundation the chapter hosts an annual holiday toy drive, leads peace walks, and donates dorm baskets to students leaving for college. In addition, the Chapter annually gives over $10,000 in scholarships to support youth attending two-year, four year, and HBCU colleges.<br /><br />As a large-sized chapter, with 129 members, Eta Omega Omega is one of seventeen exceptional graduate chapters in Cluster III of the Notable North Atlantic Region. Many members have moved up in leadership. Eta Omega Omega members have served as Cluster and Regional Committee Chairman and Cluster Co-Coordinators. Chapter member Soror Joy Elaine Daley has served previously as the North Atlantic Regional Director and currently serves as the International Regional Director.<br /> <p><br />Eta Omega Omega Members continue to exemplify the ideals that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated^® was founded on well over 110 years ago.&nbsp; Through the direction of our 30th International President, Dr. Glenda Glover, the Chapter has implemented the 2018–2022 International Program under the theme, "Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service." The International Program includes five program targets designed to advance the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha with excellence and underscore a commitment to sustainable service.</p> <p>The five program targets for 2018–2022 are:</p> <ol> <li><a>HBCU for Life: A Call to Action</a></li> <li><a>Women's Healthcare and Wellness</a></li> <li><a>Building Your Economic Legacy</a></li> <li><a><em>The Arts!</em></a></li> <li><a>Global Impact</a></li> </ol> <p>In addition, Eta Omega Omega members implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization's collective impact in program target areas:</p> <ul> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January)</li> <li>Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February)</li> <li>AKA Global Impact Day (April)</li> <li>AKA International Day of Prayer (August)</li> <li>AKA HBCU Day (September)</li> <li>Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October)</li> <li>AKA Caregivers' Day (November)</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, Donna Joseph, President, Saudah Muhammad, Chapter Historian Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964–present Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Mixed media collection Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data JPG Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 1241x354px Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Reflection by Dr. Mark Naison of Fordham University on Bronx African American History Project Oral History with Dr. Candice Scott Subject The topic of the resource Scott, Dr. Candice Bronx African American History Project Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Naison, Mark Description An account of the resource Screenshot of email by Dr. Mark Naison of Fordham University reflecting on oral history with Dr. Candice Scott, member of Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recorded for the Bronx African American History Project in 2020. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Naison, Mark Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MS-AKAHOO.BD.018 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/742641dc08bde54deb6e1b0e48cd099d.pdf 9adf2c29c44ac3aa6c81d2578a348931 PDF Text Text �The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LX Spring/Fall 2023 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2023 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website. ISSN 0007-2249 The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Anthony Morante, Vice President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Gil Walton, Secretary Steve Baktidy, Trustee Robert Esnard, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Parks & Recreation Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Cultural Affairs STAFF Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian/Archivistn Danise Infante, Museum Educator Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Kathleen A. McAuley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant ii �Volume LX Spring/Fall 2023 CONTENTS ARTICLES Bronx Soundscape..............................................................................................................1 By Mark Naison Prohibition in The Bronx..........................................................................................15 By Ed Beller A Horseshoer on Webster Avenue......................................................................37 By Mark Glander Villa Maria Academy....................................................................................................43 By Janice Mastropietro About the Authors.......................................................................................................47 REVIEWS Garn, New York Art Deco (2022)...........................................................................49 By Lloyd Ultan Helmreich, The Bronx Nobody Knows (2023)...................................................51 By Lloyd Ultan Hermalyn, Geography of The Bronx (2023).......................................................53 By Douglas Lazarus Jonnes, South Bronx Rising, 3rd ed. (2022)......................................................55 By Roger McCormack iii �LEAVE A LEGACY Many generous members and friends choose to give to The Bronx County Historical Society through bequests and life income gifts. Their donations represent an important source of support for the future of The Society. Charitable gift annuities and individual charitable trusts are merely two of the ways you can support your Society. Bequests Bequests may be stipulated at the time a new will is executed or may be added as a codicil to an existing will. Bequests to The Society are exempt from federal estate taxes and may be unrestricted for a specific purpose. Charitable Gift Annuities Charitable gift annuities are a simple way to provide both a gift to The Society and an annuity for the donor. Some of the benefits include guaranteed lifetime income, a federal income tax deduction for a portion of the gift, partially tax-exempt income, and most importantly, the satisfaction of making a significant gift to The Society. Individual Charitable Trusts A charitable remainder trust is an excellent way to make a generous gift to The Bronx County Historical Society today and still retain the use of the income from your capital, stock, or other assets. Donors also enjoy current tax benefits. Charitable remainder trusts can be designed to accomplish a variety of goals depending upon your needs. For more information on making a bequest or life income gift, please contact Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA, Treasurer Emeritus, 718-881-8900, or write to our main office. �BRONX SOUNDSCAPE: REFLECTIONS ON THE MULTICULTURAL ROOTS OF HIP HOP IN BRONX NEIGHBORHOODS BY MARK NAISON Editor’s Note: This article stems from a presentation at the Metropolitan Studies Conference in Berlin, Germany, May 24–26, 2007. It was originally published as Mark Naison, “Bronx Soundscape: Reflections on the Multi‐ cultural Roots of Hip Hop in Bronx Neighborhoods,” Fordham Research Commons, accessed December 19, 2023, https://fordham.bepress.com/baahp _essays/9. It is being reprinted in commemoration of 50 years of Hip Hop in The Bronx and has been lightly edited for clarity and style. The Patterson Houses at night were alive with activity and alive with sound. . . . Music was everywhere, coming out of people’s apartments and on project benches. On one side of the street, you would have people who brought out portable turntables with the two big speakers . . . and on the other side of the street you could hear some brother singing a Frankie Lymon song, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” But the one constant, every night without fail, was the sound of Puerto Ricans playing their bongos in local parks and playgrounds. The steady beat of those drums [“Bomm, Bamm, Bom Bamm, Bamm Boom”] was background music to my living reality.1 1. Allen Jones, The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir (New York: Fordham University Press, 2009), 19. Bronx Soundscape 1 �I will say this. Wherever we were, the Puerto Ricans was there. I don’t like to get into when we call them Puerto Ricans. They are Africans just like we are. . . . We got to remember that our Puerto Rican brothers are the ones that kept Africa alive. They are the Africans that kept the drum. They kept the Gods of Santeria alive. In the Sixties, Blacks and Puerto Ricans were always playing the Conga. Always had the rhythms.2 Well after I got to play the conga drums . . . I had a bunch of friends that were all interested in playing the congas, the Puerto Rican kids in my area. . . . We started to jam on the roof. It was like every Saturday and every Sunday. Everybody would go to the roof with their conga drums and we would be playing all kinds of rhythms . . . it was like a big party with the drums. But meanwhile, down in the bottom, down on the street, we had these black people or whites and they were into doo wop. . . . You know, the Caribbean, they never took our drum away. The black folk here, they took their drums away . . . so they had to invent something and they invented that doo wop stuff. . . . They were doo wopping and we were rhythm. African rhythms, we were playing them because thank God they never took our drum away.3 Hip hop today is international music. Thanks to global commerce and communication, you can hear MCs rhyming over beats in Dakar, Paris, Berlin, Dacca, and Johannesberg as much 2. Afrika Bambaataa, as interviewed by James Spady in James G. Spady, Samy Alim, and Samir Meghelli, The Global Cipha: Hip Hop Culture and Consciousness (Philadelphia: Black History Museum Press, 2006), 265. 3. “Oral History of Ray Mantilla,” January 24, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison and Maxine Gordon, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 2 MARK NAISON �as you can in Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, or The Bronx, and the words used and melodies sampled reflect a dizzying array of languages and cultural traditions. But the young people who created hip hop in The Bronx in the 1970s, and the neighborhoods they held the first jams in, were hardly monocultural. Descendants of families who came to The Bronx from Puerto Rico and the Anglophone Caribbean as well as the American South, they grew up with a wide variety of languages, accents, dialects, and musical traditions, all of which, to use one writer’s phrase, became part of the “Sound Track of Their Lives.” From the mid 1940s on, when African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Anglophone Caribbeans began moving from Harlem and East Harlem into Bronx neighborhoods and housing projects, public spaces in the South Bronx became places where different musical traditions clashed, fused, and became transformed by people trying to reinvent their identities in settings different than any their families had ever lived in. Hip hop emerged among young people who had experienced a level of sonic diversity unmatched in any neighborhood in the U.S. and possibly the world. Not only did residents of The Bronx bring musical traditions from many portions of the African diaspora. They used those musical forms on a daily basis to worship, to mark territory, to celebrate, to evoke memories of ancestral homelands, to bring in needed income, to escape the pressures of poverty and scarcity, and to show their defiance to forces rendering them powerless and invisible. And they did so, both intentionally and unintentionally, in public space, turning Bronx neighborhoods into a giant, sometimes melodious, sometimes cacophonous soundstage. When we began doing interviews for The Bronx African American History Project in 2002, we were struck at how many of our informants mentioned being exposed to different Bronx Soundscape 3 �musical traditions when walking down the street, sitting by their apartment window, or trying to escape the summer heat by sitting on a fire escape, hanging out on their stoop, going up to their tenement roof, or sitting on a project bench. In communities where the overwhelming majority of people lived in five-story tenements and high-rise public housing, and where air conditioning was unaffordable, people tended to do much of their socializing in public spaces, and whatever music they used to build community among friends and family inevitably was heard by the entire neighborhood. But even when people gathered indoors, whether in apartments, community centers, churches, or clubs, the music they played was often overheard, especially in summer months, because they kept doors and windows open to combat the heat. Gene Norman, whose Afro-Caribbean family moved from Harlem to the South Bronx in the early 1940s, recalled how the sounds of Latin music captured his imagination when he sat on the fire escape of his apartment on Kelly Street off Westchester Avenue, the same block Colin Powell grew up on: There was this nightclub on Westchester Avenue not far from us called the Tropicana Club . . . named after the Tropicana Club in Havana Cuba. I remember as a kid twelve years old or so, on a summer night, hearing the trumpet riffs of the mambo band floating through the air like a pied piper’s tale . . . as the neighborhood became more and more Hispanic, music took on a greater and more engulfing place in your life. Music seemed to be everywhere.4 4. “Oral History of Gene Norman,” July 12, 2004, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 4 MARK NAISON �Norman, an architect who served as Landmarks Commissioner of the City of New York, said his lifelong love of Latin music grew out of that experience. He ended up marrying a Puerto Rican woman he met in his neighborhood. Arthur Jenkins, an African-American pianist and composer who spent most of his career playing Latin music, also attributed his immersion in Latin music to the sounds of ensembles playing in a neighborhood club around the corner from his house in the Morrisania section of The Bronx, less than a mile from where Norman lived: When I was five years old, we moved to Union Avenue in the Bronx. . . . We lived around the corner from what was known as the Royal Mansion Ballroom. And during the summer time, when the window was open, we would hear this music coming out of the road. . . . Machito was one of the main bands that played there.5 Jenkins spoke of his little corner of the Morrisania community, which produced a large number of successful musicians— including the singing group The Chords, pianist Valerie Capers and her brother, saxophonist Bobby Capers, who played for eight years with Mongo Santamaria—as a place where live music from many traditions could be heard in the streets. I’ll tell you another thing that’s interesting. On the corner, you had Boston Road, and Union Avenue kind of curved into it. You had Jennings Street that ended there . . . the corner of Boston Road and Union Avenue on the side where I lived . . . usually had a fundamentalist church where a lot of music was played. I used to stop and listen to it. They had 5. “Oral History of Arthur Jenkins,” December 14, 2005, interviewed by Mark Naison, Maxine Gordon, and Brian Purnell, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. Bronx Soundscape 5 �trombone players. You know, it was sort of like church music, but with a New Orleans type flavor. So, there was a lot of music going on in that area.6 During his high school years, Jenkins honed his skills in playing Latin jazz in jam sessions at his apartment and later became a fixture in neighborhood clubs on Boston Road like Freddie’s and the Blue Morrocco, where he backed up singers like Irene Reid and Sir Harvel and performed with African-American ensembles who played Latin music. The experiences that Norman and Jenkins described, which took place in the late ’40s and early ’50s, were repeated when the first public housing projects opened in The Bronx in the early and middle 1950s. People who grew up in the Patterson Houses, a huge public housing complex that opened in 1950, describe an extraordinary profusion of sounds coming out of apartments, hallways, schoolyards, and on project grounds that united Patterson’s Black and Latino residents as much as it marked their cultural differences. Victoria Archibald, a social worker who grew up in the Patterson houses in the 1950s and 1960s, described how Latin music became a powerful force in the life of her Black friends and neighbors: Frankie Lymon was one of my favorites. But I loved all kinds of music, including Latin music. It was in sixth grade when I was first introduced to Latin music. Before then, I’d heard it because there were a lot of Latinos in the building, but I didn’t really dance to it. But as I got older, I began to notice more and more Black people dancing to Latin music, and they were good! They used to dance semiprofessionally at the Palladium and places like that. And we watched these folks who also lived in Patterson, who were maybe high school age, and we 6. “Oral History of Arthur Jenkins.” 6 MARK NAISON �just fell in love with the music.7 To emphasize The Bronx’s uniqueness as a site of Black–Latino sociability and cultural exhange, Archibald asked the interviewer “whether [he had] ever heard the term ‘Bootarican,’” and told the following story: My husband Harry, when he and I first met, would hear my friends and I talk about the “Bootaricans in the Bronx,” and he’d say, “Now what is a Bootarican?” And I said “You can’t have lived in New York and be Black and not know what a Bootarican is!” . . . But he lived in a neighborhood where . . . there was hardly any cultural diversity. . . . Now I don’t know where the term comes from, but it describes somebody who is both Black and Puerto Rican. So, we’d be somewhere, and we’d hear somebody speaking Spanish, somebody who looks just like us and we’d say, “A Bootarican.” Harry and I just recently went to a dance where Eddie Palmieri was playing. I love him, and I’ll go wherever he is performing. And there was a woman singer there named “La India.” . . . And when she said, “And all you Bootaricans out there,” Harry turned to me and said, “You weren’t lying.” I said “Why do you think I would lie? This may not be in the dictionary, but there is such a word.”8 Nathan Dukes, an African-American teacher and social worker who grew up in the same project building as Archibald, had equally powerful memories of events where African-American and Latin music traditions mingled, from “grind ’em up parties,” where songs by the Temptations and the Four Tops 7. Mark Naison, “‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’: Growing Up in the Patterson Houses in the 1950s and Early 1960s, An Interview with Victoria Archibald-Good,” The Bronx County Historical Society Journal 40 (2003): 11. 8. Naison, “It Takes a Village,” 11–12. Bronx Soundscape 7 �alternated with songs by Joe Bataan and Eddie Palmieri, to the annual outdoor concert organized by Clark J.H.S. music teacher and jazz pianist Eddie Bonamere, which featured timbale player Willie Bobo. Dukes lovingly recalled impromptu musical performances by local “doo wop groups” on project benches: You had Bobo Johnson and James Johnson. They had their doo wop groups. . . . When they were doing their little doo wops in the hallway, or in the summertime, especially in the summertime, they would always get a big crowd because they would do . . . Little Anthony tunes and would also do Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers tunes.9 But his most intriguing commentary was reserved for Puerto Rican conga players, whose pounding beats captured the imagination of African-American youngsters, and in Dukes’s eyes, reconnected them with their African origins: You had Hector. He would be across the street from the Patterson; he would be across the street with his conga drums. He would start at 5 PM and wouldn’t finish till maybe 2:30 in the morning. As I got older, I realized what he was doing was basically just giving signals, letting people know that all was well in the village. That’s what the conga drums were for, to let people know that all was well.10 To be sure, not everyone living in Bronx neighborhoods interpreted late-night conga playing as a sign of social health. Renee Scroggins, one of four African-American sisters who formed the women’s funk/punk band ESG, recalled how some of her neighbors in the Moore Houses threw eggs at the Latin 9. “Oral History of Nathan Dukes,” April 25, 2003, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 10. “Oral History of Nathan Dukes.” 8 MARK NAISON �percussionists who played till wee hours of the morning: We lived in the projects. . . . Behind us there was a park, St. Mary’s Park. And every summer in St. Mary’s Park . . . you would have some Latin gentlemen in the park with some coke bottles, a cow bell and a set of congas playing the same thing—“boom boom boom, tata ta boom, boom boom”—you know, and it was our summer sound. Plus they were singing. . . . You would go to sleep by it, okay . . . and be it one or two o’clock in the morning, you’re still hearing this roll. . . . Eggs started going out the window.11 But there is no question that many Bronx residents who lived in high-rise housing projects and crowded tenements used music to help humanize their environment and put their personal stamp on public space. Often, they were quite creative in how they did this. Well before Bronx hip hop DJs started hooking up their sound systems to panels at the bottom of light poles, small Puerto Rican bands called “Kikirikis”— in imitation of the sound of roosters—were doing the same thing with their amplifiers when they played in parks in Hunts Point.12 But not only Puerto Ricans brought amplified music to the streets. From the early ’60s on, it was extremely common for African-American as well as Latino Bronx residents to bring their portable record players outside and dance on sidewalks and 11. “Oral History of Renee Scroggins,” February 3, 2006, interviewed by Andrew Tiedt, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 12. “Oral History of Angel Rodriguez,” May 8, 2007, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. Bronx Soundscape 9 �stoops during hot summer nights. Talibah Roberts, a Bronx school teacher whose father was African American and whose mother was Puerto Rican, recalls how people entertained themselves outside her apartment building on Crotona Park East during summer months: In my building . . . it was a norm for people to bring their equipment outside . . . whoever would have the best equipment or a good stereo, they would bring their radio right from the living room and bring it outside and play it. Or sometimes, people would put their speakers in the window, with the DJ working the system, and we’re standing outside in front of the building, and we would dance.13 Given experiences like this, it is not surprising that the outdoor jams held in schoolyards, parks, and public housing projects by DJs like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa seemed more familiar than revolutionary to Bronx residents. While the use of two turntables and mixing equipment might have been new, the pounding percussive rhythms and use of powerful amplification had been fixtures of music on the streets of The Bronx for more than 20 years. So was the fusion of Latin music with soul and funk. When Grandmaster Flash would mix Jimmy Castor’s “It’s Only Just Begun” into James Brown’s “Give It Up and Turn It Loose” and the Incre-dible Bongo Band’s “Apache,” he was affirming a multicultural, multinational sonic community that gave Bronx neighborhoods a distinctive flavor, inspiring his audiences to celebrate who they were at a time when most of the outside world had written them off as gang-ridden, drug-ridden predators. 13. “Oral History of Talibah Roberts,” March 15, 2005, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 10 MARK NAISON �The following description of outdoor musical activities in the Mill Brook Houses in the late ’70s captures the air of excitement those gatherings generated. Matthew Swain, who was only 11 at the time his family moved to the Mill Brook Houses from a neighborhood devastated by fires, remembers thinking: This is so cool, man. Right there on my block and they just played. It was a live DJ out there and they would set up two metal garbage cans. They turned them upside down and put this big board to set the turn tables on, run the watts to somebody’s secondstory apartment straight through, and it was just on. It would go all night and it was just a cool thing. . . . They had two turntables, giant speakers . . . Pioneer and Kenwood mixers. . . . It was a lot of freestyle rappers . . . the crowd was just galvanized by this one MC. He’s just rapping. He had the whole crowd going.14 But the MCs and the DJs did not have project airspace entirely to themselves. Even though Puerto Rican adolescents were an important part of the crowd at the hip hop jams, older Puerto Ricans in the community made sure the music they listened to was played loud enough for everyone to hear. Swain recalled: We had a lot of Spanish people around then. Especially summertime, they would have a stage set up right there off 137th Street, right in front of the bodega. A little stand at night. They’d have their live jam session from the bongos and playing music, have a mike, and go out there singing.15 Swain, like many other people who grew up in Bronx 14. “Oral History of Matthew Swain,” February 2, 2006, interviewed by Natasha Lightfood, Mark Naison, and Laura Kelly, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 15. “Oral History of Matthew Swain.” Bronx Soundscape 11 �neighborhoods and housing projects from the mid ’40s through the late ’70s, remembers the melodies and rhythms that surrounded them in their daily lives with extraordinary vividness and fondness. Whether it was doo wop or mambo, funk or salsa, Motown or the scratching of early hip hop DJs, they saw appropriation of diverse musical traditions as something that gave their life added joy and made their upbringing rich and distinctive. If hip hop was in some measure a gesture of defiance in the face of arson, disinvestment, and the closing of public services, it was also an affirmation of an extraordinarily rich and diverse set of musical traditions that had found a home in Bronx neighborhoods for more than 30 years. If hip hop DJs were, in the words of Afrika Bambaataa, “looking for the perfect beat,” they were also, to paraphrase Nathan Dukes, “letting people know that all was well in the village.” 12 MARK NAISON ��ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Geography of The Bronx, G. 2011 Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society Annotated Primary Source 2010 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack, The Bronx County 2009 Historical Society BASEBALL The New York 2008 Game, Anthony Morante Hudson’s River, Gary Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The Bronx County Historical 2007 Society Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige and Sidney Horenstein, 2006 University of California Press Digging The Bronx, Alan Gilbert, The Bronx County 2005 Historical Society The New York Botanical 2004 Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books The Bronx Artist Documentary 2003 Project, Judith C. Lane and Daniel Hauben 2002 An Irrepressible Conflict, Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY 2001 Press Supreme City, Donald Miller, Simon & Schuster 2000 Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's 1999 Press The Impeachment of Governor Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, 1998 SUNY Press Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers Band of Union, Gerard T. Koppel, Da Capa Press Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press �PROHIBITION IN THE BRONX: A ROUSING BRONX CHEER BY EDWARD BELLER I. Introduction In The Bronx, national Prohibition (1920–1932) met with sometimes violent street-level resistance and lack of support from the borough’s political and economic establishment. This essay will trace the contours of this resistance and lack of support. Clearly, this was an ill-advised—no matter how wellintentioned—social experiment that failed miserably in The Bronx, because the policy had no roots in an immigrant, firstor second-generation, working-to-middle-class community. A comparative study of similar communities is beyond the scope of this essay but it is probable that the experience of The Bronx was very typical. We will begin with a discussion of enforcement efforts and the corruption of law enforcement officials in the city as a whole before zeroing in on The Bronx and including sections on the Dutch Schultz gang, Bronx speakeasies, and Bronx methods of enforcement avoidance via the art of disguise. II. The Arrival of Prohibition When national Prohibition arrived in 1920, The Bronx was no Prohibition in The Bronx 15 �longer a quiet, semi-rural, agricultural suburb of small settlements with now familiar names like Kingsbridge, Tremont, Highbridge, Fordham, Morrisania, and Hunts Point, surrounded by farmland, forest, and the estates of the wealthy perched on the banks of the Harlem and Hudson Rivers and Long Island Sound.1 Urbanization of the borough was helped along by the elevated (“El”) trains that reached The Bronx in 1904 and the arrival of Jews, Italians, Irish, Poles, and Germans from Harlem, the Lower East Side, and other parts of Manhattan, who saw The Bronx with its “parks, tree-lined boulevards, and open land” as a step up. By 1920, there was, except for the northernmost sections, a developing urban landscape with apartment houses, shops, paved streets, and densely populated neighborhoods. By 1925, with a population of over one million, The Bronx would have been the sixth largest city in the United States.2 These new Bronx citizens were mostly immigrants and first- or second-generation Americans who reflected the ethnic profile of the city as a whole.3 Our main focus is Prohibition in The Bronx but to begin, we will place the legislation in the context of the big city. 1. Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Bronx Accent: A Literary and Pictorial History of the Borough (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rivergate Books, 2006), 2–4. 2. Ultan and Unger, Bronx Accent, 46, 48, 61, 78; and “List of Most Populous Cities in the United States by Decade,” Wikipedia, November 30, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_populous_cities_in_the_Unit ed_States_by_decade. 3. “The Bronx Was Brewing: A Digital Resource of a Lost Industry,” CUNY Academic Commons, accessed December 21, 2023, https://brewingbronx. commons.gc.cuny.edu/; Esad Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York,” History of New York City, accessed December 21, 2023, https://blogs.shu.edu/ nyc-history/prohibition-era-new-york/; and Ultan and Unger, Bronx Accent, 33, 35, 61. 16 ED BELLER �III. Enforcement in New York City Women who had been involved in the Suffrage Movement were prominent in the Anti-Saloon League and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, two organizations that played a major role in the campaign to pass the 18th Amendment (1919), which ushered in national Prohibition. There is logical coherence to this association, since temperance was seen as a women’s issue and excessive drinking as the cause of familial problems like domestic violence, marital discord, family breakups, and abused, disturbed, and unhappy children.4 Most religious and civic leaders agreed that drinking was a social evil, among them Black leaders who saw alcohol historically as a means to control Blacks and render them incapable of insurrection or protest and as a contemporary source of much pathology in the Black community.5 Soon, it became clear that Prohibition was impossible to enforce in a city of immigrants and immigrants’ children, from countries that accepted the tavern and the bottle in the cupboard at home as integral parts of community and family life. In fact, as the United States entered World War I in 1918, anti-immigrant feeling was embedded in the Prohibition movement, directed against Germans who dominated the brewery industry. (The Bronx was home to several large German-owned breweries.)6 4. Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York”; and David Okrent, “Prohibition: Speakeasies, Loopholes and Politics,” Fresh Air, National Public Radio, New York: WNYC, June 10, 2010. 5. Charles M. Blow, “Abortion Like Prohibition, Has A Clear Racial Dimension,” New York Times, July 4, 2022. 6. “The Bronx Was Brewing”; Michael A. Lerner, Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007), 101; Erich Marks, “How Bronxites Quenched Their Thirst,” The Bronx County Historical Society Journal 3 (1966): 36; Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York”; Okrent, “Prohi-bition”; David Rosen, Prohibition in New York City (Charleston, South Carolina; History Press, 2020), 15, 102; and Stephanie Simon, “Dry January? 100 Years Ago It Was Law,” Spectrum News, New York: NY1, January 17, 2020. Prohibition in The Bronx 17 �On the other side of the social divide, New York was a convention center (federal Prohibition agents routinely canvassed upscale hotels when a convention was in town), a tourist attraction, and a playground of the idle rich, celebrities, and celebrities’ acolytes. It was also dominated by a wealthy, native elite unwilling to accept limitations on its accustomed leisure style.7 Police officials and judges were not sanguine about enforcement. In August 1921, a Brooklyn magistrate called Prohibition “a joke.” The New York Times commented, “If he meant that liquor is being sold all over the city, and of better quality than offered some months ago, he had made no assertion that is new to the prohibition enforcement agents.” However, the same magistrate made clear that not all the wares that bootleggers and saloon owners sold was better quality when he added that Prohibition “has deprived the poor working man of his beer and it has flooded the country with rat poison.”8 Judge Leopold Prince of the 8th District Municipal Court thought so little of Prohibition that in the same month and year he announced his intention to publicly defy the law. “I defy the police to interfere with me when I am drinking a glass of wine whether it’s in a restaurant or any other place. If they did I have a method which I don’t wish to disclose but which would stop them very quickly.”9 In January 1922, after he sentenced James Grotty, the owner of a saloon on Willis Avenue 7. Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 16, 19, 25, 26, 33, 34, and 93; and “7 Cases of Whiskey Seized at Waldorf,” New York Times, June 22, 1924. 8. “Prohibition A Joke, Dale Says On Bench,” New York Times, August 12, 1920. 9. “Governor to Blame Enright Tells Jury,” New York Times, September 17, 1921. 18 ED BELLER �in The Bronx to pay a $100 fine or spend 30 days in the workhouse, Judge Louis D. Gibbs said, “The attempt to enforce the liquor law in New York City is both ludicrous and disgraceful. . . . This law is in contempt and is bringing other laws into contempt.”10 In his 1923 annual report to the Mayor, Police Commissioner Robert Enright wrote, “The Federal Prohibition laws have neither the support or the respect of the public and efforts of the Police Department to enforce them were met with obstruction on every hand.”11 In 1926, President of the Board of Aldermen and future Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia noted, “Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of the American people do not want it to be enforced and are resisting enforcement.”12 IV. Prohibition and Police/Agent Corruption Commissioner Enright did not mention that the “Efforts of the Police Department” were not always focused on enforcement. It is an ages-old, unfortunate fact that when governments attempt to prohibit a commodity, service, or activity for which there is a large market with huge untaxed profits—from alcohol and drugs to prostitution and gambling—not only is the attempt usually a dismal failure but some fraction of law enforcement is corrupted. Bribes for non or lax enforcement and advance notice of raids were common, and it soon became obvious that official 10. “Judge Terms Dry Efforts Ludicrous,” New York Times, January 18, 1922. 11. Stuart Marques, “Prohibition,” NYC Department of Records & Information Services, March 11, 2019, https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2019/3/8/ prohibition. 12. Marques, “Prohibition.” Prohibition in The Bronx 19 �corruption was enhanced by the investment of legitimate businesses and wealthy individuals in the lucrative liquor trade (sound similar to contemporary drug trafficking?).13 Police and federal agents were known to “liberate” confiscated goods to sell to bootleggers or imbibe—off-duty police officers were not above getting arrested for public drunkenness.14 In 1922, when obliged to return four barrels of wine to a grocery store on East 112th Street because the wine was produced before Prohibition took effect and the grand jury had dismissed the complaint, the police refused.15 In October 1922, police and Prohibition agents acting on their own unofficial behalf, along with about thirty others, invaded a federal repository in a warehouse on West 34th Street and made off with 5,100 cases of whiskey.16 In January 1926, the shrinkage of liquor being transported by federal agents to an army base in Brooklyn “increased alarmingly,” and several Prohibition agents were indicted for selling confiscated “denatured” (poisonous) alcohol to bootleggers.17 (The alcohol may have been poisoned by Prohibition officials, who sometimes tried to discourage consumers by poisoning the industrial-use alcohol that bootleggers had made quasidrinkable and selling it back to them. This practice resulted in about 10,000 deaths.)18 Just before the 22nd Amendment ended Prohibition in 1933, an off-duty police officer and an accomplice 13. “Indictment of Rum Runner May Be Sought as Walsh Is Linked to Liquor Plot,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1929; “Officers Say Bronx Man Taken in Rum Raid, Owns Harlem Murder Car,” Bronx Home News, September 27, 1925; and “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies,” TopView, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.topviewnyc.com/passes/attractionpasses/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nyc-speakeasies. 14. “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due,” Bronx Home News, January 29, 1926. 15. “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery,” New York Times, October 27, 1922. 16. “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery.” 17. “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due,” New York Times, January 24, 1926. 18. Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 144. 20 ED BELLER �staged a fake raid on the Belvedere Roof Club, a “penthouse club” on Central Park South, seized about 20 bottles, told the proprietor he was under arrest, and threatened to smash all the furniture if they were not paid a substantial sum. They were apprehended in the act of kidnapping, “arresting” him.19 These examples give only a hint of the scale of official corruption. V. The Bronx and the Dutch Schultz Gang Another unintended result of banning a commodity for which there is a profitable market is the spawning of extensive, often international, criminal gangs and cartels that engage in deadly turf wars, corrupting or violently attacking law enforcement personnel. (Predictably, prohibition of alcohol was a windfall to the criminal gangs that were already making goodly profits selling narcotic drugs.) The Prohibition-era gangs in The Bronx mirrored its ethnic make-up: Irish, Jewish, Italian, Polish, and German.20 The most prominent gang was headed by a German immigrant, Dutch Schultz, born Arthur Flegenheimer. Its headquarters was the 19. “Seized In Fake Dry Raid,” New York Times, August 11, 1932; “2 Fake Raiders Convicted,” New York Times, September 16, 1932. 20. “Andrews Postpones Shake-up of Dry Agents; Finds Businessmen Averse to $6,000 Job,” Bronx Home News, September 26, 1925; “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery”; “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due”; “Dry Raiders Stoned From Bronx Roofs,” New York Times, October 26, 1922; “Grand Jury Calls Enright to Explain,” New York Times, September 10, 1921; “Officers Say Bronx Man, Taken in Rum Raid, Owns Harlem Murder Car”; “Young Ocean of Booze, Seized in Drug Raid, Under Heavy Uniformed Guard in Police Station,” Bronx Home News, March 4, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 21 �bullet-proof, steel-lined fourth floor of the Terminal Building on East 149th Street.21 Prohibition agents were fair game when they crossed paths with this group. On October 31, 1931, at the Majestic Garage on Westchester Avenue, eight agents seized three truckloads of beer belonging to the Schultz gang—but not before they were attacked. The glass paneling above a “massive door” was broken with a rock, and a powerful bomb whose explosion shattered the windows of a nearby apartment building was thrown through it. The agents barely escaped.22 Needless to say, Prohibition agents and police officers were not welcome at moments when they forcibly interrupted what most people considered innocent fun (and had for centuries). In August 1931, four Prohibition agents visited Braacker’s Inn, a “roadhouse” on City Island Avenue. The agents encountered a desperate scene. “An orchestra was playing a fox trot when the agents entered and a score of couples was on the dancefloor.” Two agents searched the dining room while two went to the bar, bought drinks, announced they were Prohibition agents, and made arrests. As soon as they did, several men at the bar became abusive, and one of them “whipped out a pistol” and shot an agent in the left thigh. The agents were followed by a crowd with hostile intent as they drove off in two vans with confiscated goods, their wounded colleague, and prisoners. Subsequently, City Island became the scene of intense agent activity, and the next week eight places were raided and 41 arrests made. At one, two vans transporting prisoners and liquor 21. “4 Dry Agents Fail to Pick Assailant,” New York Times, July 13, 1932; “Held in Dry Raid Shooting,” New York Times, October 23, 1931, 20; NYPD 8926a, NYPD Collection, New York City Municipal Archives, in Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 102; “Stevens and Ahearn, ‘Dutch Schultz Aides, Indicted in Dry Agent Shooting,’” Bronx Home News, April 24, 1932. 22. “Gang Hurls Bomb Among Bronx Dry Raiders Who Escape Blast After Seizing Schultz Beer,” New York Times, October 31, 1931. 22 ED BELLER �were pursued by incensed customers. (In fact, a “big booze raid” often attracted an angry crowd.)23 It turned out that the bar patron who shot the agent, Thomas Ahearn, was a lieutenant in the Schultz organization. About two weeks later, the agents, who had beaten Ahearn and pinned him to a wall before he broke away and escaped, were strangely unable to identify him. However, the proprietor John Braacker was sure he was the man.24 In June 1931, a Bronx man, Abraham Rosenberg, who said he was engaged in the scale-making business but in reality manufactured and sold liquor and owned a large warehouse in The Bronx, was found murdered in Queens somewhere between Flushing and Bayside. It was not definitely proven that the Schultz gang was responsible but the police were convinced that Rosenberg was a victim of a feud between liquor traffickers.25 In The Bronx, that meant there was a good chance that the Schultz gang was involved. There is no evidence that the Schultz gang took part in the following Bronx incident but it is nevertheless interesting as an example of a bootlegging operation so large and elaborately planned that the presence of an extensive organization is implied. The Bronx with its ample shoreline on Long Island Sound, Eastchester Bay, and surrounded by the Harlem, 23. “Dry Agent Is Shot In City Island Raid,” New York Times, August 31, 1931; “Dry Agents Seize 41 In City Island Raids,” New York Times, September 6, 1931; “Four Men, 15 Empty Cans and Lone Pint of Alcohol Seized A Block From Police Station,” Bronx Home News, February 22, 1920; “Larmon Admits Violating Volstead Law But Is Acquitted of Larceny of Gerken Auto,” Bronx Home News, July 4, 1920; “$20,000 In Liquors Seized; 13 Arrested, Detectives Buy Drinks,” New York Times, August 8, 1920. 24. “4 Dry Agents Fail to Pick Assailant.” 25. “Man Is Found Slain on Queens Bypath,” New York Times, June 17, 1931; “Slaying Linked to Liquor,” New York Times, June 18, 1931. Prohibition in The Bronx 23 �Hudson, and East Rivers was a favorite bootlegger disembarkation spot. In 1923, a luxury yacht, The Mirage, was “almost awash from the weight of the seven hundred cases of choice brands of whiskey” it carried. Speeding cars along Pelham Parkway aroused suspicion and led police to a dancehall in Throggs Neck, where the cargo, valued at $125,000—about $2,234,000 today—was confiscated and 24 arrests were made.26 Another unintended result of Prohibition—this one redounded to the benefit of bootleggers—was the scarcity of whiskey as a palliative. In 1920, an influenza epidemic struck the city and The Bronx. Whiskey was considered an effective antidote but druggists found it very difficult to navigate the complicated, lengthy procedure needed to procure a state license, and as one article reported, “unlicensed druggists are refusing to fill prescriptions that may mean life or death to the victims of the dreaded disease.” Fordham Hospital officials “admitted with reluctance” that the hospital was without whiskey for several days. But it is a stretch to think that the ill could not find whiskey in the very wet Bronx.27 VI. The Speakeasies New York City was the nation’s largest liquor market, and the Anti-Saloon League saw victory in the intensely resistant 26. “Seize 6 Autos, Boat, Liquor and 24 Men,” New York Times, October 17, 1922. 27. “Urgent Call For Nurses to Fight ‘Flu’ Epidemic; Lack of Whiskey a Handicap,” Bronx Home News, January 27, 1920; “Druggists Wait Vainly For Government Action; Seeking Licenses to Fill ‘Flu’ Prescriptions,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1920; Okrent, “Prohibition Speakeasies.” 24 ED BELLER �cultural, media, and financial capital of the United States as a coveted trophy. But the terrain was unmanageably crowded, with 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasies. (It is estimated that for every legitimate bar that was forced to close, six speakeasies opened.) On one side of the spectrum, these included elegant nightclubs for the upper class, called “Blind Tigers,” with fine dining, tasteful décor, jazz combos, and dancing (the most famous of them, The Stork Club, flourished until 1965). On the other side, “Blind Pigs” were for the lower classes, selling a “cheap and inferior product”—sometimes providing it gratis as a promotion and sometimes featuring animal attractions—with “cheap furniture, peeling paints, well-worn pool tables, and hodgepodge collections of liquor bottles.” “Speaks” were also gambling dens and “disorderly resorts”—brothels.28 In 1923, Enright called them “resorts, dives, brothels and bawdy houses of every description . . . the rendezvous of the criminal and vicious elements of the city.”29 They are also described as “the underbelly of that era, the seamy down-market clubs that served up deadly fights, murders, scams, and robberies.”30 A 1926 photograph in the NYPD collection at the New York City Municipal Archives, for example, shows a well-dressed male 28. “Anti-Saloon League Head Says Yonkers Is Disorderly City,” Bronx Home News, August 8, 1920; Lerner, Dry Manhattan, 4; Marques, “Prohibition”; NYPD 8926a, in Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 102; Now on view —“Padlocked”: New York’s Prohibition Years | New-York Historical Society, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/now-on-viewpadlocked-new-yorks-prohibition-years; “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies”; “Voice Through the Door, In Midnight Raid Causes Allen To Be Held For Gambling,” Bronx Home News, July 11, 1920; Ralph Blumenthal, Stork Club: America's Most Famous Nightspot and the Lost World of Café Society (New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2000). 29. Marques, “Prohibition.” 30. Marques, “Prohibition.” Prohibition in The Bronx 25 �corpse—a recent homicide—sprawled across a chair at a speakeasy at 474 Brook Avenue in The Bronx.31 At The Bronx Theatrical and Social Club on East 149th Street—which was not a theatrical and social club but a cover for a speakeasy—a fight broke out and a shot fired in a “luxuriously furnished room with valuable tapestries on the wall,” which left it in a “state of wild confusion.” Bronx District Attorney McGeehan said, “These clubs are nests of criminals where crime is hatched. They are havens of refuge for known crooks. Such nightclubs which are must be wiped out.”32 At both extremes there was protection money for gangsters and “see no evil” money for police. VII. Bronx Enforcement It is probably safe to say that the illegal venues in The Bronx, given its working-class, middle-class, low-crime environment (“conspicuous by its absence,” according to the February 1921 Bronx grand jury) did not usually touch on either extreme.33 However, that did not abrogate the likelihood of resistance. Enforcement ran into obstacles within the legal system itself. Bronx courts were critical when it came to the legal right of police, Internal Revenue, Secret Service, or Prohibition agents to enter and search premises, going so far as to condone physical resistance if no warrant was produced. In September 1921, out of 31. NYPD 8926a. 32. “Smash Iron Doors in Bronx Club Raid,” New York Times, March 10, 1926. 33. “Bronx Jury Lauds Glennon,” New York Times, March 5, 1921. 26 ED BELLER �40 Prohibition violation complaints, The Bronx grand jury threw out 38 and subpoenaed Police Commissioner Enright to explain “the unlawful tactics employed by Bronx policemen in connection with alleged violations of prohibition law.” It seems that the grand jury, as well as future Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, were of the opinion that the police were ignoring the city’s corporation counsel and searching premises, automobiles, and bags without a warrant. In fact, in New York City, thousands of gallons of wine, whiskey, and beer were illegally confiscated Above: “Policeman Francis O. Rice (left) and William Ornstein (right) doing Guard Duty besides the Green River (Booze) and Real Lager Beer awaiting Governmental Disposition in the W. 152nd St., Police Station. The Wet Goods were found in an automobile near the Police Station by Policeman Rice and the arrest of three men followed.” Bronx Home News, March 4, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 27 �and then sold to bootleggers or imbibed at Police Department frolics.34 The following interesting comment in the Bronx Home News implies that a little “poaching” by police was not shocking. In 1920, at the 152nd Street Station some recently confiscated whiskey was “hidden from public view probably because of the consideration Commander Day has for the policemen who do the late tour on stormy nights.”35 The relationship between the Bronx grand jury and the Bronx legal system deteriorated to the point that in January 1930 the jury declared its lack of confidence in the District Attorney’s Office and recommended that enforcement be transferred to federal authorities. But federal Prohibition agents were not popular either and were sometimes accused of overly aggressive, even brutal tactics. For example, in September 1922, agents entered a Bronx café as ordinary customers. One claimed to be sick and asked for brandy. When told that the café sold only a non-alcoholic substitute, the agents rushed behind the bar. One of the proprietors objected, and “an example of the methods used by some prohibition agents and revenue men in securing ‘evidence’ was revealed Saturday when two agents entered the café of Becker Bros., 143rd Street and Third Avenue, and while one of the men held Lawrence Becker, one of the proprietors, the other pummeled him into semi-consciousness.” No liquor was found.36 34. “Governor to Blame Enright Tells Jury”; “Grand Jury Calls Enright to Explain”; “Haskell Scores Police,” New York Times, August 25, 1921; and “U.S. Court Holds Revenue Agents Had No Right to Search Bars of Bronx Saloons,” Bronx Home News, March 9, 1920. (n.b.: The last time I had jury duty at the 161st Street Supreme Court building I encountered the D.A.’s prosecutor at the Yankee Tavern—the case had been decided—, and she told me it was always a tough struggle to get a conviction from a Bronx jury. She didn’t get one from the jury I was on.) 35. “Young Ocean of Booze, Seized in Raid.” 36. “Saloon Owner Badly Beaten By Two Prohibition Agents,” Bronx Home News, September 2, 1920; “Sees Lax Handling of Volstead Cases,” New York Times, February 1, 1930. 28 ED BELLER �At the level of electoral politics, Prohibitionists could not expect much help from the dominant Bronx Democratic Party. In 1920, the Democratic primary opponents of a candidate for District Leader in the 8th Assembly District could not hurl a more damaging insult at him than he was a Prohibitionist. Candidate Barney Lipshay called “the latest move of his opponent which tries to make a prohibitionist of him the most cruel act yet perpetrated.”37 VIII. Bronx Resistance Irish, Italian, Polish, German, and Jewish neighborhoods—The Bronx at the time in a nutshell—were noted for their often angry reactions to the presence of Federal agents and local police in their homes, speakeasies, and saloons. (Saloon owners were particularly hostile since not only were their establishments closed down but because selling liquor was a Federal offense, they were not eligible for bail and did jail time for “maintaining nuisances.”) Shortly after Prohibition began (1920), a saloon owner on Webster Avenue “knowingly used a dangerous weapon,” “two Great Dane dogs growling ferociously,” when a Federal agent went behind the bar to inspect. The proprietor Angelo Delia employed what appears to have been a common Bronx tactic and broke a pitcher containing whiskey on the floor thus destroying the evidence.38 37. “Hot Session in Board of Elections Offices When Lipshay Learns He Is a Prohibitionist,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1920. 38. “Bronx Men and Women Face Federal Courts Accused of Selling Whiskey to Revenue Men,” Bronx Home News, February 19, 1920; “The Bronx Was Brewing”; “5 Uptown Oases Among 28 Raided in Dry Cleanup,” Bronx Home News, April 26, 1932; “Saloon Keepers Pin Hopes on Fight Before Judge Hand in U.S. Court, Many Close Bars,” Bronx Home News, November 2, 1919; “Whalen’s Raiders Close 60 Places,” New York Times, January 4, 1929. Prohibition in The Bronx 29 �In September 1922, when Chief New York City Federal Enforcement Agent Christopher J. Fortman learned that The Bronx was “pretty wet,” ten places were raided. At one, a saloon on East 136th Street, a canine anti-federal agent “weapon” was again front and center when the owner turned his large Newfoundland dog loose on the agents and they were confronted by angry patrons.39 In June 1922, Sunday worshippers were offended: “Churchgoers of the Bronx while on their way to and from services recently have encountered to [sic] many intoxicated persons falling out of saloons that hundreds of complaints have been lodged with the Federal Prohibition Department.” In response, agents posing as longshoremen and dockworkers mounted a Sunday operation. After they bought a few rounds at a saloon on East 136th Street, the owner James Smith—perhaps the same 136th Street saloon and the same owner with the big dog—caught on and employed The Bronx “knock the evidence out of the agents’ hands” tactic. But there was enough left on the floor to collect and arrest Smith.40 (All church worshippers’ complaints should be taken with at least two grains of salt. Wine was permitted for “sacramental” purposes but also tended to appear, as did whiskey, for “little parties” at Bronx churches and synagogues and at fraternal organizations like the Elks Club.)41 39. “Try To Sell Water At $27,000 To Drys,” New York Times, September 17, 1922. 40. “Church Time Picked For Bronx Rum Raid,” New York Times, June 12, 1922. 41. “Elks Club Porter Is Arrested For Theft Of Quantity Of Booze,” Bronx Home News, January 22, 1920; “Four Men Accused Of Sale Of Wood Alcohol As Booze,” Bronx Home News, December 11, 1919; “Rabbi Blind From Drinking Wood Alcohol Tells Pitiable Story In Court,” Bronx Home News, January 8, 1920. 30 ED BELLER �In May 1922, the owner of a saloon on Brook Avenue objected to a search by federal Prohibition agents. “Schmidt at once manifested his disapproval of prohibition agents and is said to have gone at them with both fists.” Schmidt was subdued with blackjacks.42 In October 1922, when Federal agents raided a winery in the Italian section on East 149th Street, a crowd of about 500 gathered and in an effort to retrieve the wine attacked and damaged the truck the agents were using to cart it away. “The agents were being hooted and jeered and even threatened.” When the police arrived, the crowd retreated to the roofs of nearby buildings and showered them and the agents with rocks. Police managed to get to the roofs and disperse the crowd.43 “Far in the Bronx” a more passive style of resistance when speakeasies and restaurants were raided and closed was to take the libations outside and “have their ‘whoopee’ in the open.”44 IX. Disguises Of course, the “name of the game” was to avoid the inconvenience of enforcement via the art of disguise. Bronx speakeasies did not operate as openly as some of the elegant haunts of Manhattan’s wealthy. They were “hidden in such out of the way places and restricted to such small areas” that the beautiful old bars of pre-Prohibition glory days ended up as firewood or as counters in restaurants and the spacious saloons were converted to bakeries. When hiding the evidence, 42. “Saloon Man Tamed With A Black Jack,” New York Times, May 31, 1922. 43. “Dry Raiders Stoned From Bronx Roofs.” 44. “Police In New Year Raids On Inns And Speakeasies As City Celebrates,” New York Times, January 1, 1929. Prohibition in The Bronx 31 �Bronx bartenders performed “feats of legerdemain that would have daunted Houdini.” One Bronx speakeasy was an insurance office, another was a junk dealership, another a political club, another an athletic club, another a “luxuriously furnished” headquarters of an association of actors and theater producers, another a “lonely, deserted” farmhouse at the intersection of Eastchester and Gun Hill Roads with an “elaborately furnished reception room” for customers. Private Bronx residences (“apartment clubs”) were common covers as were upscale restaurants. Private residences also often hid state-of-the-art distilleries as did garages.45 Some business venues with ostensibly other commercial goals sold liquor: grocery stores, laundries, shoe repair shops, soda fountains, and more. Bronx “bookies” supplemented their betting gains. The enterprising owners of small stores that sold cheap whiskey placed printed lists of prices in neighborhood mailboxes.46 The product was also disguised—for example, as barrels marked “sugar” shipped from Philadelphia and destined for a warehouse 45. “Big Stills Raided In A Bronx House,” New York Times, March 13, 1928; “Club Halts Trial To Accept Padlock,” New York Times, March 18, 1926; “Federal Agents Raid Moonshine Still In 135th St.; Second Illicit Apparatus Taken,” Bronx Home News, November 4, 1919; “Impressive Pre-Volsteadian Bars Pass From Extinct Bronx Saloons To Serve New Uses,” Bronx Home News, April 7, 1929; “Oil Burning Stills Deluxe Are Seized In A $200,000 Liquor Raid In The Bronx,” New York Times, January 16, 1926; “Operator Of Still In Bronx Garage Given Six Days,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1932; “Police In New Year Raids On Inns And Speakeasies”; “The Speakeasies of the 1920s,” Prohibition, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// prohibition.the mobmuseum.org/the-history/the-prohibition-underworld/ the-speakeasies-of-the-1920s/; “Ruins In Wake Of Still Blast,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1933; “Smash Iron Doors In Bronx Club Raid”; “30 Taken in Bronx Raid,” New York Times, January 4, 1930; “To Turn Former Saloons in This City Into Mince Pie Bakeries,” Bronx Home News, November 11, 1919; “Whalen’s Raiders Close 60 Places.” “50 Cents Gin and $2 Whiskey Sold In Bronx, Dry Raiders Report,” New 46. York Times, February 6, 1932; “Raid Nets Two Stills, Whiskey, and 3 Men,” New York Times, June 1, 1924; “30 Taken In Bronx Raid.” 32 ED BELLER �on Intervale Avenue, or as “apples” headed to a speakeasy on Concord Avenue.47 Agents and police became adept at disguise, approaching the bar as casual patrons, having a drink or two (or three), and proceeding to make arrests. They posed as longshoremen and laborers (“to get into the lower type of speakeasy”), icemen and salespersons.48 In 1920, two agents posed as golfers, played a round at the Van Cortlandt Park course, and “followed the crowd” to the “Nineteenth Hole,” also known as the Van Cortlandt Inn, to have a few drinks and make arrests.49 On a Saturday night in June 1922, a drunk woman bought drinks at a saloon on Willis Avenue in The Bronx, and immediately Messrs. O’Toole and Reardon, who sold to this “drunk” policewoman, were arrested. Her next victim was a street vendor on Third Avenue who smashed the bottles on the pavement. But enough was collected to arrest him. To add to the confusion, Bronx criminals sometimes presented themselves as Prohibition agents and “shook down” unwary drinkers.50 X. Prohibition’s Demise The demise of Prohibition with the passage of the 22nd Amendment in February 1933 was the result of a vigorous political counterattack—in The Bronx there was an active chapter of the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition 47. “Arrest Two More For Liquor Fraud,” New York Times, January 30, 1921; “Seize 500 Barrels Of Beer In The Bronx,” New York Times, January 29, 1921; “Trail ‘Apple’ Load and Seize Alcohol,” New York Times, February 3, 1926. 48. “Speakeasies Wary But Police Press War,” New York Times., January 12, 1929. 49. “Prohibition A Joke, Dale Says On Bench.” 50. “Church Time Picked For Bronx Rum Raid”; “Shot Down in Crowd of 50; — No One Saw It,” New York Times, August 16, 1921. Prohibition in The Bronx 33 �Reform—that cited the brutality and violence of the underworld that controlled the trade and the corruption it engendered. Furthermore, the wets claimed that unregulated sales by criminal gangs and the lure of the forbidden had actually increased drunkenness.51 The Depression brought severe demands on government and magnified the significance of the loss of tax revenue. Before Prohibition, 75% of state aid funds received by New York City came from liquor and beer taxes, and the chair of The Bronx anti-prohibition women’s organization made the very salient point that the unprecedented hard times disproved the dry claim that Prohibition fostered self-discipline, frugality, and hence prosperity. Also, basic common sense expressed in countless editorials and politicians’ public statements was critical of an unenforceable law at odds with ages-old customs. Finally, there was strong lobbying from the businesses not connected to underworld criminal networks. The Hotel, Restaurant, Club, and Allied Industries Association advocated for legitimate brewers, distillers, and distributors and the hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs that were engaged in a losing competition with speakeasies. A spokesperson for the Association said, “Sixty percent of the restaurants and hotels are ‘broke’ today and the rest are broke and don’t know it.”52 51. “Bronx Leader Of Women’s Anti-Dry Group Called To Conference Of Advisory Group,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1932. 52. “Bronx Leader Of Women’s Anti-Dry Group”; “Hotel Association Urges Fight for Dry Law Repeal,” Bronx Home News, March 1, 1932; “Many Phases of Prohibition Are Discussed by Rotarians in Five Ten Minute Speeches,” Bronx Home News, March 3, 1932; “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies”; Grace Notarstefano et al., “Today in NYC History: How Prohibition Affected New York City,” Untapped New York, January 16, 2014, https://untappedcities.com/2014/01/16/today-in-nyc-history-how-prohi bition-affected-new-york-city/ 34 ED BELLER �It never worked in The Bronx anyway, and it is doubtful that The Bronx was any less wet during Prohibition than it was before or after. Maybe it was wetter. One Bronx landlord, annoyed at the suggestion that landlords should contribute more to Depression unemployment relief, was of the opinion that all the gin bottles collected from rent-deadbeat, abandoned Bronx apartments “should bring the relief fund a lot of money.”53 The recent history of laws against mind- and mood-altering substances is a not quite parallel story. Marijuana has followed the trajectory of alcohol. But there is a panoply of narcotic drugs too damaging and dangerous to be permitted open sale. Whether it is possible to effectively prohibit and/or regulate them is an unresolved question. My guess is it is not. 53. Benjamin Freeman, “Landlord’s View On Relief,” Bronx Home News, February 3, 1932; “Never So Much Drunkenness In Bronx; Booze Crazed Men Start Disturbance; Fight Police,” Bronx Home News, September 28, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 35 �THE GOUVERNEUR MORRIS VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM The Bronx County Historical Society names a visiting scholar annually in honor of Gouverneur Morris, signer and penman of the U.S. Constitution. 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Pastor Crespo, Jr. “Bronx Veterans” Steven Payne “Bronx Latino History Project” Roger McCormack “Poe Cottage” Lloyd Ultan “Bronx Parks” Coline Jenkins “Elizabeth Cady Stanton” Vivian E. Davis “Celebrating 175 Years of St. Ann’s Church” Edward Schneider “Abraham Lincoln” Gary Hermalyn “The Erie Canal” Tony Morante “Baseball” Daniel Hauben “The Bronx Through the Eyes of an Artist” Gary Hermalyn “Bronx Homemakers Club of Daniel, Wyoming” Angel Hernández “Bronx Latinos” Russell Currie “The Cask of Amontillado, An Opera” Gary Hermalyn “Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham” Lloyd Rogler “The Story of the Hispanic Research Center” Jim Wunsch “Bronx Radio History” 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 Brian Purnell “The Bronx is a Bomb, and It Is Ready to Explode” Evelyn Gonzalez “The South Bronx” Mark Naison “From Doo Wop to Hip Hop” Joseph Cunningham “New York Power” Elizabeth Beirne “The Good Life in the 19th Century Bronx” Allan S. Gilbert “Archaeology in The Bronx” Roger Wines “The Bronx River Parkway” Peter Derrick “Centennial of The Bronx” Edward Schneider “Newspapers of The Bronx” Gary Hermalyn “Morris High School” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Morris and the Constitution” Thomas A. King “50th Anniversary of the Normany Invasion” George Lankevich “Creation of the U.S. Supreme Court” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Morris Through Word and Speech” Dominic Massaro “Gouverneur Morris” �A HORSESHOER ON WEBSTER AVENUE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JACK FITZPATRICK BY MARK GLANDER According to his personal notebook, “on the 25th day of July on the year 1869,” John (“Jack”) H. Fitzpatrick, an Irish immigrant age 22, went to work for Mr. Lawrence,1 the owner of a plot of land on the southwest corner of Fordham village.2 Jack stayed with Lawrence for several years; he noted the construction of Lawrence’s new shop in an entry in December 1873. In September 1872, Jack Fitzpatrick and Annie Carrigan were married at Our Lady of Mercy, which at that time held its services in the chapel at St. John’s Seminary, now Fordham University.3 Jack’s sister had died that summer, leaving a son, Edward, whom the newlyweds took in. Their first child, Margaret, “was born in the Pow [sic] Cottage on the Seventh day of September in the year 1873.” Jack “went to live in his own house” at 2498 Webster Avenue in March 1874. A son, James, was born in March 1875. Today, the mortality rate for children under 1. Most of the information in this article comes from a notebook manuscript in possession of the author in which Jack Fitzpatrick recorded his major life events. 2. J.J.R. Croes, “Map of the Northern Portion of the City of New-York, Comprising the 12th Ward and the new 23d and 24th Wards, Recently Annexed Under Chapter 613, Laws of 1873,” State of New York, New York: Croes & Van Winkle, 1874. 3. Church of Our Lady of Mercy, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// ourladyofmercyny.org/. Horseshoer on Webster 37 �five years old is less than 1%, but in 1875, almost one-third of children died before their fifth birthday.4 Both Margaret and James died in 1875. Jack and Annie went on to have five more children, all of whom lived to adulthood. By 1883, Jack was in business for himself. That was the year, he noted, that James Smith came to work for him. The Sanborn fire insurance maps (shown below) make it possible to visualize the 2400 block of Webster Avenue at the time.5 There is a twostory building at 2498 Webster Avenue, Jack’s residence. At the rear of 2496 is another two-story building, its long axis parallel to the street, which is likely the shop shown in the picture below. The uniformed men in the picture are likely fireman from Engine Company No. 48, next to 2498 Webster Avenue.6 Next to the firehouse is Our Lady of Mercy church, a former clubhouse of the Tammany Society. A photograph from Jack’s memorabilia shows C. Clinton’s Dry Goods Store at the northern end of the block, on the southwest corner of Webster Avenue and Fordham Road. A little farther north in Bedford Park was Mount St. Ursula Academy, which Jack’s daughter Margaret attended. The school, founded in 1855 and still in existence, is “the oldest continuously operating all-girls Catholic girls’ high school in New York State.”7 4. Aaron O’Neill, “United States: Child Mortality Rate 1800-2020,” Statista, June 21, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041693/united-states-alltime-child-mortality-rate/. 5. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New York, Bronx, Manhattan, New York, The Library of Congress, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// www.loc.gov/item/sanborn06116_016/. 6. The firehouse in the 2400 block of Webster Avenue collapsed in the 1990s. Engine Company No. 48 today is housed two blocks south at 2417 Webster Avenue. 7. “Mission & History,” The Academy of Mount St. Ursula, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.amsu.org/who-we-are. 38 MARK GLANDER �Jack’s wife, Annie, age 44, died of cancer in 1891, leaving Jack a widower with five children. The oldest child was only 15. Jack remarried in 1897. Jack died just two years later, in January 1899, at age 51. Some excitement followed on his funeral, as noted in his obituary. John H. Fitzpatrick, well known master horseshoer, died at his home on Monday. The funeral took place on Wednesday from the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. Father Brady celebrated a solemn high mass of requiem. Delegations were present from Fordham Council, C.B.L.; Division No. 6 A. O. H. of Fordham and the local branch of the Master Horseshoers’ Association. Interment was in St. Raymonds Cemetery. After the requiem mass which was held last Wednesday over the late J. Fitzpatrick, at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, charcoal remained in the incense burner, and one of the altar boys thoughtlessly emptied the holder of its burning coals on the sill of the window, and then went home. Sexton Duffy, who happened to enter the church a short time afterward, together with the janitor, found the basement filled with smoke. A hasty search revealed a fire in the vestry. The men in an engine house of the Fire Department, which is next to the church, were immediately notified, and quenched the flames with a fire extinguisher.8 Only three of Jack’s children lived past 30 years. Tuberculosis was one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S. in the years 1900–1922. It is a contagious disease, easily spread from person to person and even through unpasteurized milk. There 8. From a newspaper clipping, publication unknown, in the possession of the author. Horseshoer on Webster 39 �Above top: Jack Fitzpatrick’s shop on Webster Avenue near Fordham Road. Dan Sering, Dan O’Connel, Edward Fitzpatrick, Jack Fitzpatrick, and Jake Trotte, c. 1890, family collection. Courtesy of the author. Above bottom: Clinton’s store at the southwest corner of Fordham Road and Webster Avenue, c. 1885–1890, family collection. Courtesy of the author. 40 MARK GLANDER �Above: Section of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (note 5), showing 2496– 2498 Webster Avenue, Jack Fitzpatrick’s shop and residence, respectively, as a “livery stable” with a second floor. Horseshoer on Webster 41 �was no vaccine or effective treatment for it until after World War II. Untreated, half of the people who developed the disease died.9 In October 1912, Jack’s son, John, Jr., died of tuberculosis. One year later, Jack’s youngest daughter Nell and her two youngest children died of tuberculosis. Caroline, the oldest surviving daughter, married a college athletics coach in 1897. They eventually settled in Detroit. They had three children. Caroline died in 1950, age 73. Jack’s first daughter, Margaret, died in infancy. His third daughter, also named Margaret, joined the Sisters of Charity. In 1900, she was teaching at Holy Cross Academy in Manhattan. She died in Haverstraw, New York, in 1940, age 62. The fourth daughter, Elizabeth, graduated from “Female Grammar School No. 64” in 1897 as attested by the diploma issued by the Department of Public Instruction. Three years later, she married the neighborhood milkman, a German immigrant. They had four children. Elizabeth lived most of her life in the area around Fordham where she grew up. She died in 1959, age 78. Jack, both his wives, and all his children except for Caroline were buried in the old section of St. Raymond’s cemetery. 9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ data/dvs/lead1900_98.pdf, March 9, 2009. 42 MARK GLANDER �VILLA MARIA ACADEMY: A HISTORY BY JANICE MASTROPIETRO Villa Maria Academy, located at 3335 Country Club Road, is a private, independent, Catholic co-educational elementary school in the Country Club section of The Bronx. The school is owned and operated by the Congregation of Notre Dame. For over a century, the Villa has established a reputation for academic excellence, a robust faith life, and an abiding sense of community. The Villa has been an outstanding member of the academic community of New York City, consistently producing capable, ambitious, well-rounded alumni active in the worlds of business and the arts. I. Founding and Early Days of Villa Maria The history of Villa Maria Academy dates back to 1653 when Marguerite Bourgeoys made the decision to leave the security of her native France to teach in Ville Marie, now called Quebec. As her work grew, others came to join her until, in 1700, she founded the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. The steadfast aim of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame was to provide for their pupils a thorough Catholic education, to assist them in developing character and self-reliance, to make of them women of education, refinement, and culture. Villa Maria Academy 43 �Over two centuries, St. Marguerite’s teaching order spread throughout Canada. In 1886, the Sisters were invited to teach the young women of St. Jean Baptiste, the Canadian national parish in Manhattan. For the next 40 years, the school was located at 139 East 79th Street. In 1917, St. Jean Baptiste, a “finishing school” teaching social graces, literature, French, German, music, art, and embroidery, was widely recognized as “distinctly above average.” Eventually, the growth of the student body necessitated a move to the Ellis estate in the Country Club section of The Bronx. On August 18, 1927, the school was officially transferred to its current site—eight acres with a private waterfront on Eastchester Bay and luxuriant shrubs and shade trees—and the finishing school became a boarding school for the young women of New York City. On May 17, 1958, Cardinal Spellman presided at the dedication of Hall Marguerite, a new building to accommodate the burgeoning elementary wing. In June 1969, the high school’s last class graduated. After 82 years, Villa Maria Academy became strictly a co-educational elementary school. The first elementary class with boys graduated in 1976. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys was canonized on October 31, 1982. The canonization celebrations were matched by the celebrations in 1986, the school’s centennial year. Thirteen hundred students, parents, alumni, and friends came to share memories, to reminisce, and to rejoice in Villa Maria’s vibrant century. II. Villa Maria Today The Academy is chartered by the University of the State of 44 JANICE MASTROPIETRO �New York. The courses of studies are in keeping with the best standard of educational institutions. Diplomas awarded to graduates entitle them to enter the New York Training School for Teachers, or any College in the City or State. Throughout this course, the languages are efficiently taught, and French is given special attention. The Villa Building is for the lower grades and contains fully equipped science and technology labs and music and art studios. A large book and media collection is housed in an elegant library in this building. The Great Hall accommodates schoolwide liturgies and events. The Junior High School Building is for junior high school students and includes Hall Marguerite, a communal gathering place for meals and events. The Visitation Center is equipped with a regulation-sized gymnasium that Above: Front view of Villa Maria Academy today, located at 3335 Country Club Road in The Bronx. Courtesy of the author. Villa Maria Academy 45 �hosts sports tournaments and community youth programs and doubles as a full-size theater. It also has a quarter-mile track, which makes the school a popular host for track-and-field competitions. Extracurricular activities include the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, Junior High Drama Club, piano lessons, Chess Club, art classes, basketball, baseball, track and cross country, volleyball, tennis, Math Olympiad, Science Fair, and STEM. In short, Villa Maria continues to carry on the rich legacy of rigorous education and religious and cultural formation bequeathed to the school by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Congregation of Notre Dame. 46 JANICE MASTROPIETRO �ABOUT THE AUTHORS MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder with The Bronx County Historical Society of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles. ED BELLER is a lifelong Bronx resident. Upon graduation from Hunter College in The Bronx (now Lehman), he began teaching English at Evander Childs High School and later taught in Manhattan. He was very active in the United Federation of Teachers. Dr. Beller earned a doctorate in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center in 1983 and has published articles on the history and social foundations of education. MARK GLANDER is a retired government employee and a greatgrandson of Jack Fitzpatrick. Stories he heard of his “Horseshoer” grandfather inspired a life-long interest in family history. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he majored in History, and resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife and cats. JANICE MASTROPIETRO is a lifelong Bronx resident, educator, and principal of Villa Maria Academy. �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Steve Baktidy Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumengarten Adolfo Carrión, Jr. Thomas X. Casey Sam Chernin James Conroy John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Katherine Gleeson Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Cecil P. Joseph Marc Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May Kathleen A. McAuley Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Gil Walton Jac Zadrima HONORARY MEMBERS Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Hon. Michael Benedetto William Castro Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Nino DeSimone Hector Diaz Rubén Díaz, Jr. Hon. Jeffrey Dinowitz Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer Hon. Carl E. Heastie Hon. Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Michael Max Knobbe G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Michael M. Lippman Anthony Paolercio James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Robert Fox Roberto Ramírez Hon. Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera José Rivera José E. Serrano Stanley Simon �REVIEWS Garn, Andrew, photographer. New York Art Deco: Birds, Beasts & Blooms. Introduction by Eric P. Nash. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2022. 192 pp. ISBN: 9780847872046. $39.95. It is unusual for any book with “New York” in its title to set its sights on any borough but Manhattan, but New York Art Deco breaks the mold to include significant examples of the style in The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island as well. Only Queens is not represented. Here can be discovered nine significant Art Deco structures in the city’s mainland borough, and not all of them are on the Grand Concourse. Photographer Andrew Garn is known for his fine art and editorial works that have appeared in exhibitions and in books and magazines throughout the world. During the period of the early COVID-19 pandemic, when New York City was in lockdown, he focused his camera on the Art Deco building ornamentation depicting animals, fish, birds, and vegetation. No crowds or traffic interfered with his quest, enabling him to capture close-up views of bas-relief and high-relief sculpture, mosaics, and murals found on building exteriors and in lobbies. In New York Art Deco, they are gloriously reproduced in vivid color, printed on thick, glossy paper. An Introduction provided by Eric P. Nash, who spent 25 years doing research and writing articles for the New York Times and writing books on architecture, provides a brief history of the Reviews 49 �development of the Art Deco style from its origins to its various manifestations in combination with Assyrian, Egyptian, Classical, and Mayan motifs. He claims Art Deco had its distant origins in the Art Nouveau style that emerged in France in the 1890s, decades before its historic introduction to the world in the Paris exhibition of decorative arts in 1923. An expression of the sleek look and speed of the machine, Art Deco reached its apogee in New York during the Jazz Age 1920s. This date may be so if one considers only Manhattan as New York. In The Bronx, Art Deco flowered in the era of the Great Depression of the 1930s. There are a few errors found in some of the introductions to each building’s set of photographs. The name of the man who designed the Grand Concourse was Risse, not Riss, and the boulevard is not wider than its model, the Champs Elysées in Paris. It was Horace Ginsbern who co-designed the Park Plaza Apartments on Jerome Avenue, not Horace Ginsberg. These errors are minor, however, compared to the effect of the photographs. Of course, the overwhelming number comes from Manhattan’s office and apartment buildings. Yet, of the book’s opening four pages leading to the title page, the first three are of the lobby mural and exterior mosaic of the Fish Building at 1150 Grand Concourse in The Bronx, which are followed by a fourth page of a bit of decorative sculpture on a building façade at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. After the Introduction, the photographs are arranged in the order in which each building was constructed. Since the focus of Garn’s photographs is on the ornamentation depicting “Birds, Beasts & Blooms,” the first appearance of such Art Deco decoration in The Bronx is the horses’ heads on the cornice of the building at 101 East 161st Street, erected in 1925. This is only the eighth structure depicted 50 Reviews �in the book and the first one outside of Manhattan. Because of Garn’s interest in building detail, there are only a handful of photographs in the book that try to show the entire exterior of any structure. Moreover, none of the edifices that feature simple abstract Art Deco façades are included. Nevertheless, there are advantages to this approach. In the bustle that characterizes life in New York City, people rush past the artistic Art Deco glories that appear on the façades of buildings both famous and obscure. Whether speeding by in a car or rushing by on foot to get to a destination, few take the opportunity to stop and admire these striking works of art that Garn has captured in his photographs. How many people pass by the massive Rainey Memorial Gates at the entrance to the Bronx Zoo on Fordham Road without stopping to examine the intricacies and craftsmanship of sculptor Paul Manship’s Art Deco masterpiece, teeming with all sorts of animal life amid a lush, leafy landscape? With the vivid photographs, any reader can do so in the comfort of home, taking as much time as needed to truly admire a great artist’s work. The same can be said for all of the detailed photographs in New York Art Deco, providing the reader with hours of delight. Lloyd Ultan The Bronx, New York Helmreich, William B. The Bronx Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2023. 472 pp. ISBN: 9780691166957. $27.95. Reviews 51 �William B. Helmreich, a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the City College of New York, who passed away of COVID-19 in 2020, has written a rather unique book to be called a “guide” in The Bronx Nobody Knows. It is at once both more and less than that. Nor is it Helmreich’s first attempt at the genre, having produced The New York Nobody Knows and books with similar titles focusing on Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens before taking on The Bronx. He had just about completed the manuscript about the city’s mainland borough when he contracted his fatal illness. The effort was completed by his widow. In this volume, Helmreich asserts that he has walked the length of every street in The Bronx with his wife by his side looking into every nook and cranny seeking to come across the unexpected. He divides The Bronx into 35 neighborhoods to organize his narrative. In most cases the boundaries that he sets are arbitrary since the limits, and even some of the names, of almost all Bronx neighborhoods have not been definitively set. Nevertheless, this organizing principle enables him to create a series of walking tours that can be followed easily by his readers. While Helmreich does refer to the major attractions found in The Bronx and to items of historic significance, he does not dwell on them with any great detail. In his walking tours, he stops for a moment at such a site, provides essential information, and then moves on. He does point out buildings whose architecture attracts him, as well as neighborhood shops and local parks he finds interesting. Occasionally, he is able to obtain entrance into the interior of a building and experience a space that is normally closed to the public, such as the space found beneath the central cupola of the former Daughters of Jacob Home on East 167th Street between Teller and Findlay Avenues. 52 Reviews �There he discovers a spectacular domed amphitheater that had served as a synagogue until 1979, still in pristine condition. All of this Helmreich vividly describes in detail that seems to bring his discoveries to life. What separates this volume from the usual guidebook is the author’s encounters with residents, shopkeepers, and passersby he meets during his journeys. His word-to-word transcriptions of each conversation is particularly revealing about the attitudes towards their neighbors, customers, and surroundings. They dispel the outmoded myth of The Bronx, showing that its ethnically and economically diverse people are friendly, open, and hopeful. This is perhaps the most important aspect of Helmreich’s book. In his introduction, the author sums up what he finds are the traits and character of The Bronx. They amount to a great hope among its residents and workers, a fascinating history, the borough’s great beauty, a strong sense of community and friendliness, and its many surprises. It is refreshing to find a volume filled with such truth about the borough. Lloyd Ultan The Bronx, New York Hermalyn, G. Geography of The Bronx. The Bronx, NY: The Bronx County Historical Society, 2023. 126pp. ISBN: 9780941980777. $25.00. Geography of The Bronx is best regarded as a love story. The Reviews 53 �author lovingly dedicated years to examining the borough on foot, by motor vehicle, by boat, and through written documents. The Bronx is his life’s passion. He is unshakably and unapologetically a lover of all things Bronx. To be fair, the borough has been overshadowed for too long, and this book is overdue, and Hermalyn, if anyone, is the person for rectifying that. In The Bronx is found the southernmost canal of the Erie Canal System, planned for 112 years, and finally completed in 1939. The Bronx is also the home of Potters Field. Among the million buried there, lie many scarcely remembered veterans dating back to the Civil War. At the other end of the spectrum is Woodlawn Cemetery where, in contrast, some of the most internationally famous jazz musicians have been interred alongside New York’s rich and famous. Physically, The Bronx is a hill country with an elevation of some hills as high as 200 feet. On the western ridge on a twoacre stretch are the columns and busts celebrating the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. The Bronx remembers them all. Ancient history goes way back if you only know where to look. The last Ice Age visited the area, depositing huge boulders and even islands in its wake. One of them, Hart Island, served as an installation site for Nike missiles in the twentieth century. Work on the Bronx River Parkway altered the Bronx River, and now one side of one stretch of the river has moved to Westchester while the other is still in The Bronx. In the 1600s, the area was the homestead for Jonas Bronck, a Swede with a land grant from the Dutch West Indies Company. 54 Reviews �Today, the borough is home to millions and, surprisingly, still has room enough for a variety of wildlife. And so it goes. It is all there still to be discovered and uncovered anew. Geography of the Bronx makes a great companion to show you where to look. The book is well illustrated and beautiful enough to be displayed on a coffee table. Douglas Lazarus Middlebury, Vermont Jonnes, Jill. South Bronx Rising: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of an American City. Third edition. Forward by Nilka Martell. New York: Fordham University Press, 2022. 608 pp. ISBN: 9781531501211. $34.95. South Bronx Rising, first published in 1986 as We’re Still Here, is well regarded as a history of The Bronx and its tumultuous twentieth century, where housing abandonment and government disinvestment led to the nadir of The Bronx, with many predicting the outright demise of New York City’s only mainland borough. Jonnes is a journalist by trade, and South Bronx Rising appropriately chronicles and gives voice to the numerous Bronx residents, activists, and grassroots organizations that saved the borough from destruction. The third edition, retitled South Bronx Rising in the second edition released in 2000, focuses on new challenges in the Reviews 55 �borough and a rising generation of activists, Bronxites, and community leaders combating the perils of gentrification, “upzoning,” and the old blights of slumlordism and government inaction. While the earlier editions of South Bronx Rising highlight older organizations like the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and their struggles against redlining and exploitative landlords in the 1970s and 1980s, Jonnes now amplifies the twenty-first century struggles of Bronxites worried about gentrification, ecological devastation, and poverty. The upshot of these fears is an increasingly vocal and effective generation of activists, exemplified by people like Nilka Martell, founder of Loving The Bronx and an impassioned advocate for “capping” (i.e., covering the below-ground sections of) the Cross Bronx Expressway as a way to minimize pollution and rectify the sickness traffic pollution has caused in The Bronx’s “Asthma Alley.” Ecological concerns loom large for this new generation of activists. The Bronx River Alliance, a nonprofit founded to restore and combat pollution of the Bronx River, had a herculean task, given the once squalid conditions of the river in the South Bronx. Amazingly, the river has bounced back from industrial pollution due to the efforts of the Alliance and other organizations, who have championed volunteer litter and debris pick-up to save New York City’s only freshwater river. Jonnes shows the fiery debates gentrification has spurred in the borough, contrasting the perspective of groups like South Bronx Unite and CASA (Community Action for Safe Apartments), who view any incipient signs of gentrification as a menace, with a view, championed by former Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr., of investment and new business in 56 Reviews �The Bronx as an overall boon for all Bronxites. While perhaps only time will tell which vision will most benefit the borough, a dose of skepticism is certainly warranted about the supposed benefits of gentrification in The Bronx, especially given the exorbitant rents charged in new luxury apartment buildings such as “Bankside” along the Harlem River in Mott Haven. The exodus of long-time residents from historic Black neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Flatbush in Brooklyn is merely one of a litany of examples of displacement via gentrification. The most common refrain from the excellent interviews Jonnes conducted with Bronxites is an intense and justified fear of economic pressure, as many Bronx residents are rent-burdened, meaning 50 percent or more of their income goes towards rent. In a lengthy afterword on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on The Bronx, Jonnes testifies to the indomitable spirit of The Bronx during a once-in-a-century event. The Bronx had the highest totals of Covid-19 deaths of the five boroughs, 70 percent of its workforce was deemed essential, and it remains the poorest borough in New York City. The unsettling photos of breadlines at soup kitchens in South Bronx Rising evoke the darkest recent days of the borough, but Jonnes sees reasons for optimism. Her rousing conclusion notes the intensification of organizing and civic awareness in the wake of the pandemic. It is this solidarity that Jonnes sees as the greatest asset of The Bronx, one that will allow it to overcome. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York Reviews 57 �BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2023 2022 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Joseph Mawad, Tekniverse, Inc. 2000 Ram Gupta, Chatam Management Co., Inc. 1999 Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad 1998 Group John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo 1997 James H. Alston, McCalls Bronxwood Funeral Home 1996 Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1995 Shop Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson Metro Center Adam Green, Rocking the Boat Anthony Mormile, Hudson Valley Bank Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of Commerce Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real Estate Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Dart Westphal, Norwood News James J. Houlihan, HoulihanParnes David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzotto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises �SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 $30 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: $25 1890–1925 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, $25 1935–1965 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 $25 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set $90 History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse $10 Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx $25 G. Hermalyn, Geography of The Bronx $25 G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition $15 G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views $12 G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 $22 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx $15 Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings $15 Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now $22 John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition $30 John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx $20 Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club $20 �Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $5 Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History $18 Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era $20 Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution $15 Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx $28 George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government $15 History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial $20 Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future $20 G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History $34 $20 History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River $20 Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River $20 Douglas Lazarus et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal $20 Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court $20 George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and $20 the Bill of Rights Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States $20 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence $20 Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States $20 Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States $20 Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set $99 Educational Material Roger McCormack, The Bronx Geography Workbook $22 Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 $20 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 $22 �Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $15 Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America $15 G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History $20 Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide $15 Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book $5 The Bronx County Historical Society Journal Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2022, are available for purchase for $15 per issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx $15 G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 $5 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print $10 G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx $20 G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx $10 Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives $20 Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx $20 Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $20 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 $15 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $10 �Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD $20 Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $20 Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $15 Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook $15 Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2024 $12 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $8 The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" $50 The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" $20 Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug $8 The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" $20 The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, The Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $60 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx County Historical Society Journal Description An account of the resource The repository for digital editions of the full run of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1962–present, the premier publication on Bronx history and culture. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx County Historical Society Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1966–present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource © The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR Periodical Text Any textual data included in the document TheBronxCountyHistorical Society JOURNAL Volume LX Spring/Fall 2023 The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LX Spring/Fall 2023 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2023 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website. ISSN 0007-2249 The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Steve Baktidy, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Parks & Recreation Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian/Archivistn Danise Infante, Museum Educator Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Kathleen A. McAuley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant Anthony Morante, Vice President Gil Walton, Secretary Robert Esnard, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Dept. of Cultural Affairs STAFF ii Volume LX Spring/Fall 2023 CONTENTS ARTICLES Bronx Soundscape..............................................................................................................1 By Mark Naison Prohibition in The Bronx..........................................................................................15 By Ed Beller A Horseshoer on Webster Avenue......................................................................37 By Mark Glander Villa Maria Academy....................................................................................................43 By Janice Mastropietro About the Authors.......................................................................................................47 REVIEWS Garn, New York Art Deco (2022)...........................................................................49 By Lloyd Ultan Helmreich, The Bronx Nobody Knows (2023)...................................................51 By Lloyd Ultan Hermalyn, Geography of The Bronx (2023).......................................................53 By Douglas Lazarus Jonnes, South Bronx Rising, 3rd ed. (2022)......................................................55 By Roger McCormack iii LEAVE A LEGACY Many generous members and friends choose to give to The Bronx County Historical Society through bequests and life income gifts. Their donations represent an important source of support for the future of The Society. Charitable gift annuities and individual charitable trusts are merely two of the ways you can support your Society. Bequests Bequests may be stipulated at the time a new will is executed or may be added as a codicil to an existing will. Bequests to The Society are exempt from federal estate taxes and may be unrestricted for a specific purpose. Charitable Gift Annuities Charitable gift annuities are a simple way to provide both a gift to The Society and an annuity for the donor. Some of the benefits include guaranteed lifetime income, a federal income tax deduction for a portion of the gift, partially tax-exempt income, and most importantly, the satisfac- tion of making a significant gift to The Society. Individual Charitable Trusts A charitable remainder trust is an excellent way to make a generous gift to The Bronx County Historical Society today and still retain the use of the income from your capital, stock, or other assets. Donors also enjoy current tax benefits. Charitable remainder trusts can be designed to accomplish a variety of goals depending upon your needs. For more information on making a bequest or life income gift, please contact Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA, Treasurer Emeritus, 718-881-8900, or write to our main office. BRONX SOUNDSCAPE: REFLECTIONS ON THE MULTICULTURAL ROOTS OF HIP HOP IN BRONX NEIGHBORHOODS BY MARK NAISON Editor’s Note: This article stems from a presentation at the Metropolitan Studies Conference in Berlin, Germany, May 24–26, 2007. It was originally published as Mark Naison, “Bronx Soundscape: Reflections on the Multi‐ cultural Roots of Hip Hop in Bronx Neighborhoods,” Fordham Research Commons, accessed December 19, 2023, https://fordham.bepress.com/baahp _essays/9. It is being reprinted in commemoration of 50 years of Hip Hop in The Bronx and has been lightly edited for clarity and style. The Patterson Houses at night were alive with acti- vity and alive with sound. . . . Music was everywhere, coming out of people’s apartments and on project benches. On one side of the street, you would have people who brought out portable turntables with the two big speakers . . . and on the other side of the street you could hear some brother singing a Frankie Lymon song, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” But the one constant, every night without fail, was the sound of Puerto Ricans playing their bongos in lo- cal parks and playgrounds. The steady beat of those drums [“Bomm, Bamm, Bom Bamm, Bamm Boom”] was background music to my living reality.1 1. Allen Jones, The Rat That Got Away: A Bronx Memoir (New York: Fordham University Press, 2009), 19. Bronx Soundscape 1 I will say this. Wherever we were, the Puerto Ricans was there. I don’t like to get into when we call them Puerto Ricans. They are Africans just like we are. . . . We got to remember that our Puerto Rican brothers are the ones that kept Africa alive. They are the Af- ricans that kept the drum. They kept the Gods of Santeria alive. In the Sixties, Blacks and Puerto Ricans were always playing the Conga. Always had the rhythms.2 Well after I got to play the conga drums . . . I had a bunch of friends that were all interested in playing the congas, the Puerto Rican kids in my area. . . . We started to jam on the roof. It was like every Saturday and every Sunday. Everybody would go to the roof with their conga drums and we would be playing all kinds of rhythms . . . it was like a big party with the drums. But meanwhile, down in the bottom, down on the street, we had these black people or whites and they were into doo wop. . . . You know, the Caribbean, they never took our drum away. The black folk here, they took their drums away . . . so they had to invent something and they invented that doo wop stuff. . . . They were doo wopping and we were rhythm. African rhythms, we were playing them because thank God they never took our drum away.3 Hip hop today is international music. Thanks to global commerce and communication, you can hear MCs rhyming over beats in Dakar, Paris, Berlin, Dacca, and Johannesberg as much 2. Afrika Bambaataa, as interviewed by James Spady in James G. Spady, Samy Alim, and Samir Meghelli, The Global Cipha: Hip Hop Culture and Consciousness (Philadelphia: Black History Museum Press, 2006), 265. 3. “Oral History of Ray Mantilla,” January 24, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison and Maxine Gordon, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 2 MARK NAISON as you can in Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, or The Bronx, and the words used and melodies sampled reflect a dizzying array of languages and cultural traditions. But the young people who created hip hop in The Bronx in the 1970s, and the neighborhoods they held the first jams in, were hardly monocultural. Descendants of families who came to The Bronx from Puerto Rico and the Anglophone Caribbean as well as the American South, they grew up with a wide variety of languages, accents, dialects, and musical traditions, all of which, to use one writer’s phrase, became part of the “Sound Track of Their Lives.” From the mid 1940s on, when African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Anglophone Caribbeans began moving from Harlem and East Harlem into Bronx neighborhoods and hou- sing projects, public spaces in the South Bronx became places where different musical traditions clashed, fused, and became transformed by people trying to reinvent their identities in settings different than any their families had ever lived in. Hip hop emerged among young people who had experienced a level of sonic diversity unmatched in any neighborhood in the U.S. and possibly the world. Not only did residents of The Bronx bring musical traditions from many portions of the African diaspora. They used those musical forms on a daily basis to worship, to mark territory, to celebrate, to evoke memories of ancestral homelands, to bring in needed income, to escape the pressures of poverty and scarcity, and to show their defiance to forces rendering them powerless and invisible. And they did so, both intentionally and unintentionally, in public space, turning Bronx neighborhoods into a giant, sometimes melodious, sometimes cacophonous soundstage. When we began doing interviews for The Bronx African American History Project in 2002, we were struck at how many of our informants mentioned being exposed to different Bronx Soundscape 3 musical traditions when walking down the street, sitting by their apartment window, or trying to escape the summer heat by sitting on a fire escape, hanging out on their stoop, going up to their tenement roof, or sitting on a project bench. In communities where the overwhelming majority of people lived in five-story tenements and high-rise public housing, and where air conditioning was unaffordable, people tended to do much of their socializing in public spaces, and whatever music they used to build community among friends and family inevitably was heard by the entire neighborhood. But even when people gathered indoors, whether in apartments, community centers, churches, or clubs, the music they played was often overheard, especially in summer months, because they kept doors and windows open to combat the heat. Gene Norman, whose Afro-Caribbean family moved from Harlem to the South Bronx in the early 1940s, recalled how the sounds of Latin music captured his imagination when he sat on the fire escape of his apartment on Kelly Street off Westchester Avenue, the same block Colin Powell grew up on: There was this nightclub on Westchester Avenue not far from us called the Tropicana Club . . . named after the Tropicana Club in Havana Cuba. I remember as a kid twelve years old or so, on a summer night, hearing the trumpet riffs of the mambo band floating through the air like a pied piper’s tale . . . as the neighborhood became more and more Hispanic, music took on a greater and more engulfing place in your life. Music seemed to be everywhere.4 4. “Oral History of Gene Norman,” July 12, 2004, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 4 MARK NAISON Norman, an architect who served as Landmarks Commissioner of the City of New York, said his lifelong love of Latin music grew out of that experience. He ended up marrying a Puerto Rican woman he met in his neighborhood. Arthur Jenkins, an African-American pianist and composer who spent most of his career playing Latin music, also attributed his immersion in Latin music to the sounds of ensembles playing in a neighborhood club around the corner from his house in the Morrisania section of The Bronx, less than a mile from where Norman lived: When I was five years old, we moved to Union Avenue in the Bronx. . . . We lived around the corner from what was known as the Royal Mansion Ballroom. And during the summer time, when the window was open, we would hear this music coming out of the road. . . . Machito was one of the main bands that played there.5 Jenkins spoke of his little corner of the Morrisania community, which produced a large number of successful musicians— including the singing group The Chords, pianist Valerie Capers and her brother, saxophonist Bobby Capers, who played for eight years with Mongo Santamaria—as a place where live music from many traditions could be heard in the streets. I’ll tell you another thing that’s interesting. On the corner, you had Boston Road, and Union Avenue kind of curved into it. You had Jennings Street that ended there . . . the corner of Boston Road and Union Avenue on the side where I lived . . . usually had a fundamentalist church where a lot of music was played. I used to stop and listen to it. They had 5. “Oral History of Arthur Jenkins,” December 14, 2005, interviewed by Mark Naison, Maxine Gordon, and Brian Purnell, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. Bronx Soundscape 5 trombone players. You know, it was sort of like church music, but with a New Orleans type flavor. So, there was a lot of music going on in that area.6 During his high school years, Jenkins honed his skills in playing Latin jazz in jam sessions at his apartment and later became a fixture in neighborhood clubs on Boston Road like Freddie’s and the Blue Morrocco, where he backed up singers like Irene Reid and Sir Harvel and performed with African-American ensembles who played Latin music. The experiences that Norman and Jenkins described, which took place in the late ’40s and early ’50s, were repeated when the first public housing projects opened in The Bronx in the early and middle 1950s. People who grew up in the Patterson Houses, a huge public housing complex that opened in 1950, describe an extraordinary profusion of sounds coming out of apartments, hallways, schoolyards, and on project grounds that united Patterson’s Black and Latino residents as much as it marked their cultural differences. Victoria Archibald, a social worker who grew up in the Patterson houses in the 1950s and 1960s, described how Latin music became a powerful force in the life of her Black friends and neighbors: Frankie Lymon was one of my favorites. But I loved all kinds of music, including Latin music. It was in sixth grade when I was first introduced to Latin music. Before then, I’d heard it because there were a lot of Latinos in the building, but I didn’t really dance to it. But as I got older, I began to notice more and more Black people dancing to Latin music, and they were good! They used to dance semi- professionally at the Palladium and places like that. And we watched these folks who also lived in Patterson, who were maybe high school age, and we 6. “Oral History of Arthur Jenkins.” 6 MARK NAISON just fell in love with the music.7 To emphasize The Bronx’s uniqueness as a site of Black–Latino sociability and cultural exhange, Archibald asked the inter- viewer “whether [he had] ever heard the term ‘Bootarican,’” and told the following story: My husband Harry, when he and I first met, would hear my friends and I talk about the “Bootaricans in the Bronx,” and he’d say, “Now what is a Bootarican?” And I said “You can’t have lived in New York and be Black and not know what a Bootarican is!” . . . But he lived in a neighborhood where . . . there was hardly any cultural diversity. . . . Now I don’t know where the term comes from, but it describes somebody who is both Black and Puerto Rican. So, we’d be somewhere, and we’d hear some- body speaking Spanish, somebody who looks just like us and we’d say, “A Bootarican.” Harry and I just recently went to a dance where Eddie Palmieri was playing. I love him, and I’ll go wherever he is performing. And there was a woman singer there named “La India.” . . . And when she said, “And all you Bootaricans out there,” Harry turned to me and said, “You weren’t lying.” I said “Why do you think I would lie? This may not be in the dictionary, but there is such a word.”8 Nathan Dukes, an African-American teacher and social worker who grew up in the same project building as Archibald, had equally powerful memories of events where African-American and Latin music traditions mingled, from “grind ’em up parties,” where songs by the Temptations and the Four Tops 7. Mark Naison, “‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’: Growing Up in the Patterson Houses in the 1950s and Early 1960s, An Interview with Victoria Archibald-Good,” The Bronx County Historical Society Journal 40 (2003): 11. 8. Naison, “It Takes a Village,” 11–12. Bronx Soundscape 7 alternated with songs by Joe Bataan and Eddie Palmieri, to the annual outdoor concert organized by Clark J.H.S. music teacher and jazz pianist Eddie Bonamere, which featured timbale player Willie Bobo. Dukes lovingly recalled impromptu musical performances by local “doo wop groups” on project benches: You had Bobo Johnson and James Johnson. They had their doo wop groups. . . . When they were doing their little doo wops in the hallway, or in the summertime, especially in the summertime, they would always get a big crowd because they would do . . . Little Anthony tunes and would also do Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers tunes.9 But his most intriguing commentary was reserved for Puerto Rican conga players, whose pounding beats captured the imagination of African-American youngsters, and in Dukes’s eyes, reconnected them with their African origins: You had Hector. He would be across the street from the Patterson; he would be across the street with his conga drums. He would start at 5 PM and wouldn’t finish till maybe 2:30 in the morning. As I got older, I realized what he was doing was basically just giving signals, letting people know that all was well in the village. That’s what the conga drums were for, to let people know that all was well.10 To be sure, not everyone living in Bronx neighborhoods interpreted late-night conga playing as a sign of social health. Renee Scroggins, one of four African-American sisters who formed the women’s funk/punk band ESG, recalled how some of her neighbors in the Moore Houses threw eggs at the Latin 9. “Oral History of Nathan Dukes,” April 25, 2003, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 10. “Oral History of Nathan Dukes.” 8 MARK NAISON percussionists who played till wee hours of the morning: We lived in the projects. . . . Behind us there was a park, St. Mary’s Park. And every summer in St. Mary’s Park . . . you would have some Latin gentle- men in the park with some coke bottles, a cow bell and a set of congas playing the same thing—“boom boom boom, tata ta boom, boom boom”—you know, and it was our summer sound. Plus they were singing. . . . You would go to sleep by it, okay . . . and be it one or two o’clock in the morning, you’re still hearing this roll. . . . Eggs started going out the win- dow.11 But there is no question that many Bronx residents who lived in high-rise housing projects and crowded tenements used music to help humanize their environment and put their personal stamp on public space. Often, they were quite creative in how they did this. Well before Bronx hip hop DJs started hooking up their sound systems to panels at the bottom of light poles, small Puerto Rican bands called “Kikirikis”— in imitation of the sound of roosters—were doing the same thing with their amplifiers when they played in parks in Hunts Point.12 But not only Puerto Ricans brought amplified music to the streets. From the early ’60s on, it was extremely common for African-American as well as Latino Bronx residents to bring their portable record players outside and dance on sidewalks and 11. “Oral History of Renee Scroggins,” February 3, 2006, interviewed by Andrew Tiedt, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 12. “Oral History of Angel Rodriguez,” May 8, 2007, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. Bronx Soundscape 9 stoops during hot summer nights. Talibah Roberts, a Bronx school teacher whose father was African American and whose mother was Puerto Rican, recalls how people entertained them- selves outside her apartment building on Crotona Park East during summer months: In my building . . . it was a norm for people to bring their equipment outside . . . whoever would have the best equipment or a good stereo, they would bring their radio right from the living room and bring it outside and play it. Or sometimes, people would put their speakers in the window, with the DJ working the system, and we’re standing outside in front of the building, and we would dance.13 Given experiences like this, it is not surprising that the outdoor jams held in schoolyards, parks, and public housing projects by DJs like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa seemed more familiar than revolutionary to Bronx residents. While the use of two turntables and mixing equipment might have been new, the pounding percussive rhythms and use of powerful amplification had been fixtures of music on the streets of The Bronx for more than 20 years. So was the fusion of Latin music with soul and funk. When Grandmaster Flash would mix Jimmy Castor’s “It’s Only Just Begun” into James Brown’s “Give It Up and Turn It Loose” and the Incre-dible Bongo Band’s “Apache,” he was affirming a multicultural, multinational sonic community that gave Bronx neighborhoods a distinctive flavor, inspiring his audiences to celebrate who they were at a time when most of the outside world had written them off as gang-ridden, drug-ridden predators. 13. “Oral History of Talibah Roberts,” March 15, 2005, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 10 MARK NAISON The following description of outdoor musical activities in the Mill Brook Houses in the late ’70s captures the air of excite- ment those gatherings generated. Matthew Swain, who was only 11 at the time his family moved to the Mill Brook Houses from a neighborhood devastated by fires, remembers thinking: This is so cool, man. Right there on my block and they just played. It was a live DJ out there and they would set up two metal garbage cans. They turned them upside down and put this big board to set the turn tables on, run the watts to somebody’s second- story apartment straight through, and it was just on. It would go all night and it was just a cool thing. . . . They had two turntables, giant speakers . . . Pioneer and Kenwood mixers. . . . It was a lot of freestyle ra- ppers . . . the crowd was just galvanized by this one MC. He’s just rapping. He had the whole crowd going.14 But the MCs and the DJs did not have project airspace entirely to themselves. Even though Puerto Rican adolescents were an important part of the crowd at the hip hop jams, older Puerto Ricans in the community made sure the music they listened to was played loud enough for everyone to hear. Swain recalled: We had a lot of Spanish people around then. Especially summertime, they would have a stage set up right there off 137th Street, right in front of the bodega. A little stand at night. They’d have their live jam session from the bongos and playing music, have a mike, and go out there singing.15 Swain, like many other people who grew up in Bronx 14. “Oral History of Matthew Swain,” February 2, 2006, interviewed by Natasha Lightfood, Mark Naison, and Laura Kelly, The Bronx African American History Project, Fordham University. 15. “Oral History of Matthew Swain.” Bronx Soundscape 11 neighborhoods and housing projects from the mid ’40s through the late ’70s, remembers the melodies and rhythms that surrounded them in their daily lives with extraordinary vividness and fondness. Whether it was doo wop or mambo, funk or salsa, Motown or the scratching of early hip hop DJs, they saw appropriation of diverse musical traditions as something that gave their life added joy and made their upbringing rich and distinctive. If hip hop was in some measure a gesture of defiance in the face of arson, disinvestment, and the closing of public services, it was also an affirmation of an extraordinarily rich and diverse set of musical traditions that had found a home in Bronx neighborhoods for more than 30 years. If hip hop DJs were, in the words of Afrika Bambaataa, “looking for the perfect beat,” they were also, to paraphrase Nathan Dukes, “letting people know that all was well in the village.” 12 MARK NAISON BASEBALL T H EN E WY O R KG A M E "Tony H O W EHTN A T I O N A L P A S T I M E PARALLELED U S HISTORY TONY MORANTE FOREWORDBYMICHAELKAY YANKEE PLAY-BY-PLAY TV COMMENTATOR AND ESPN RADIO HOST Available o n Amazon Morante illustrates howbaseball becamethe background musico f America." — EdRandall ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2023 Geography of The Bronx, G. 2011 Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society 2022 Annotated Primary Source 2010 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack, The Bronx County 2009 Historical Society 2021 BASEBALL The New York 2008 Game, Anthony Morante 2020 Hudson’s River, Gary Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The Bronx County Historical 2007 Society 2019 Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige and Sidney Horenstein, 2006 University of California Press 2018 Digging The Bronx, Alan Gilbert, The Bronx County 2005 Historical Society 2017 The New York Botanical 2004 Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2016 The Bronx Artist Documentary 2003 Project, Judith C. Lane and Daniel Hauben 2002 2015 An Irrepressible Conflict, Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY 2001 Press 2014 Supreme City, Donald Miller, Simon & Schuster 2000 2013 Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's 1999 Press 2012 The Impeachment of Governor Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, 1998 SUNY Press Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers Band of Union, Gerard T. Koppel, Da Capa Press Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press PROHIBITION IN THE BRONX: A ROUSING BRONX CHEER BY EDWARD BELLER I. Introduction In The Bronx, national Prohibition (1920–1932) met with sometimes violent street-level resistance and lack of support from the borough’s political and economic establishment. This essay will trace the contours of this resistance and lack of support. Clearly, this was an ill-advised—no matter how well- intentioned—social experiment that failed miserably in The Bronx, because the policy had no roots in an immigrant, first- or second-generation, working-to-middle-class community. A comparative study of similar communities is beyond the scope of this essay but it is probable that the experience of The Bronx was very typical. We will begin with a discussion of enforcement efforts and the corruption of law enforcement officials in the city as a whole before zeroing in on The Bronx and including sections on the Dutch Schultz gang, Bronx speakeasies, and Bronx methods of enforcement avoidance via the art of disguise. II. The Arrival of Prohibition When national Prohibition arrived in 1920, The Bronx was no Prohibition in The Bronx 15 longer a quiet, semi-rural, agricultural suburb of small settlements with now familiar names like Kingsbridge, Tremont, Highbridge, Fordham, Morrisania, and Hunts Point, surrounded by farmland, forest, and the estates of the wealthy perched on the banks of the Harlem and Hudson Rivers and Long Island Sound.1 Urbanization of the borough was helped along by the elevated (“El”) trains that reached The Bronx in 1904 and the arrival of Jews, Italians, Irish, Poles, and Germans from Harlem, the Lower East Side, and other parts of Manhattan, who saw The Bronx with its “parks, tree-lined boulevards, and open land” as a step up. By 1920, there was, except for the northernmost sections, a developing urban landscape with apartment houses, shops, paved streets, and densely populated neighborhoods. By 1925, with a population of over one million, The Bronx would have been the sixth largest city in the United States.2 These new Bronx citizens were mostly immigrants and first- or second-generation Americans who reflected the ethnic profile of the city as a whole.3 Our main focus is Prohibition in The Bronx but to begin, we will place the legislation in the context of the big city. 1. Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Bronx Accent: A Literary and Pictorial History of the Borough (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rivergate Books, 2006), 2–4. 2. Ultan and Unger, Bronx Accent, 46, 48, 61, 78; and “List of Most Populous Cities in the United States by Decade,” Wikipedia, November 30, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_populous_cities_in_the_Unit ed_States_by_decade. 3. “The Bronx Was Brewing: A Digital Resource of a Lost Industry,” CUNY Academic Commons, accessed December 21, 2023, https://brewingbronx. commons.gc.cuny.edu/; Esad Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York,” His- tory of New York City, accessed December 21, 2023, https://blogs.shu.edu/ nyc-history/prohibition-era-new-york/; and Ultan and Unger, Bronx Accent, 33, 35, 61. 16 ED BELLER III. Enforcement in New York City Women who had been involved in the Suffrage Movement were prominent in the Anti-Saloon League and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, two organizations that played a major role in the campaign to pass the 18th Amendment (1919), which ushered in national Prohibition. There is logical coherence to this association, since temperance was seen as a women’s issue and excessive drinking as the cause of familial problems like domestic violence, marital discord, family breakups, and abused, disturbed, and unhappy children.4 Most religious and civic leaders agreed that drinking was a social evil, among them Black leaders who saw alcohol historically as a means to control Blacks and render them incapable of insurrection or protest and as a contemporary source of much pathology in the Black community.5 Soon, it became clear that Prohibition was impossible to enforce in a city of immigrants and immigrants’ children, from countries that accepted the tavern and the bottle in the cupboard at home as integral parts of community and family life. In fact, as the United States entered World War I in 1918, anti-immigrant feeling was embedded in the Prohibition movement, directed against Germans who dominated the brewery industry. (The Bronx was home to several large German-owned breweries.)6 4. Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York”; and David Okrent, “Prohibition: Speakeasies, Loopholes and Politics,” Fresh Air, National Public Radio, New York: WNYC, June 10, 2010. 5. Charles M. Blow, “Abortion Like Prohibition, Has A Clear Racial Di- mension,” New York Times, July 4, 2022. 6. “The Bronx Was Brewing”; Michael A. Lerner, Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007), 101; Erich Marks, “How Bronxites Quenched Their Thirst,” The Bronx County Historical Society Journal 3 (1966): 36; Metjahic, “Prohibition Era New York”; Okrent, “Prohi-bition”; David Rosen, Prohibition in New York City (Charleston, South Carolina; History Press, 2020), 15, 102; and Stephanie Simon, “Dry January? 100 Years Ago It Was Law,” Spectrum News, New York: NY1, January 17, 2020. Prohibition in The Bronx 17 On the other side of the social divide, New York was a convention center (federal Prohibition agents routinely canvassed upscale hotels when a convention was in town), a tourist attraction, and a playground of the idle rich, celebrities, and celebrities’ acolytes. It was also dominated by a wealthy, native elite unwilling to accept limitations on its accustomed leisure style.7 Police officials and judges were not sanguine about enforcement. In August 1921, a Brooklyn magistrate called Prohibition “a joke.” The New York Times commented, “If he meant that liquor is being sold all over the city, and of better quality than offered some months ago, he had made no assertion that is new to the prohibition enforcement agents.” However, the same magistrate made clear that not all the wares that bootleggers and saloon owners sold was better quality when he added that Prohibition “has deprived the poor working man of his beer and it has flooded the country with rat poison.”8 Judge Leopold Prince of the 8th District Municipal Court thought so little of Prohibition that in the same month and year he announced his intention to publicly defy the law. “I defy the police to interfere with me when I am drinking a glass of wine whether it’s in a restaurant or any other place. If they did I have a method which I don’t wish to disclose but which would stop them very quickly.”9 In January 1922, after he sentenced James Grotty, the owner of a saloon on Willis Avenue 7. Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 16, 19, 25, 26, 33, 34, and 93; and “7 Cases of Whiskey Seized at Waldorf,” New York Times, June 22, 1924. 8. “Prohibition A Joke, Dale Says On Bench,” New York Times, August 12, 1920. 9. “Governor to Blame Enright Tells Jury,” New York Times, September 17, 1921. 18 ED BELLER in The Bronx to pay a $100 fine or spend 30 days in the workhouse, Judge Louis D. Gibbs said, “The attempt to enforce the liquor law in New York City is both ludicrous and disgraceful. . . . This law is in contempt and is bringing other laws into contempt.”10 In his 1923 annual report to the Mayor, Police Commissioner Robert Enright wrote, “The Federal Prohibition laws have neither the support or the respect of the public and efforts of the Police Department to enforce them were met with obstruction on every hand.”11 In 1926, President of the Board of Aldermen and future Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia noted, “Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of the American people do not want it to be enforced and are resisting enforcement.”12 IV. Prohibition and Police/Agent Corruption Commissioner Enright did not mention that the “Efforts of the Police Department” were not always focused on enforcement. It is an ages-old, unfortunate fact that when governments attempt to prohibit a commodity, service, or activity for which there is a large market with huge untaxed profits—from alcohol and drugs to prostitution and gambling—not only is the attempt usually a dismal failure but some fraction of law enforcement is corrupted. Bribes for non or lax enforcement and advance notice of raids were common, and it soon became obvious that official 10. “Judge Terms Dry Efforts Ludicrous,” New York Times, January 18, 1922. 11. Stuart Marques, “Prohibition,” NYC Department of Records & Infor- mation Services, March 11, 2019, https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2019/3/8/ prohibition. 12. Marques, “Prohibition.” Prohibition in The Bronx 19 corruption was enhanced by the investment of legitimate businesses and wealthy individuals in the lucrative liquor trade (sound similar to contemporary drug trafficking?).13 Police and federal agents were known to “liberate” confiscated goods to sell to bootleggers or imbibe—off-duty police officers were not above getting arrested for public drunkenness.14 In 1922, when obliged to return four barrels of wine to a grocery store on East 112th Street because the wine was produced before Prohibition took effect and the grand jury had dismissed the complaint, the police refused.15 In October 1922, police and Prohibition agents acting on their own unofficial behalf, along with about thirty others, invaded a federal repository in a warehouse on West 34th Street and made off with 5,100 cases of whiskey.16 In January 1926, the shrinkage of liquor being transported by federal agents to an army base in Brooklyn “increased alarmingly,” and several Prohibition agents were indicted for selling confiscated “denatured” (poisonous) alcohol to bootleggers.17 (The alcohol may have been poisoned by Prohibition officials, who sometimes tried to discourage consumers by poisoning the industrial-use alcohol that bootleggers had made quasi- drinkable and selling it back to them. This practice resulted in about 10,000 deaths.)18 Just before the 22nd Amendment ended Prohibition in 1933, an off-duty police officer and an accomplice 13. “Indictment of Rum Runner May Be Sought as Walsh Is Linked to Liquor Plot,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1929; “Officers Say Bronx Man Taken in Rum Raid, Owns Harlem Murder Car,” Bronx Home News, September 27, 1925; and “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies,” TopView, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.topviewnyc.com/passes/attraction- passes/the-rise-fall-and-rise-again-of-nyc-speakeasies. 14. “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due,” Bronx Home News, January 29, 1926. 15. “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery,” New York Times, October 27, 1922. 16. “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery.” 17. “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due,” New York Times, January 24, 1926. 18. Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 144. 20 ED BELLER staged a fake raid on the Belvedere Roof Club, a “penthouse club” on Central Park South, seized about 20 bottles, told the proprietor he was under arrest, and threatened to smash all the furniture if they were not paid a substantial sum. They were apprehended in the act of kidnapping, “arresting” him.19 These examples give only a hint of the scale of official corruption. V. The Bronx and the Dutch Schultz Gang Another unintended result of banning a commodity for which there is a profitable market is the spawning of extensive, often international, criminal gangs and cartels that engage in deadly turf wars, corrupting or violently attacking law enforcement personnel. (Predictably, prohibition of alcohol was a windfall to the criminal gangs that were already making goodly profits selling narcotic drugs.) The Prohibition-era gangs in The Bronx mirrored its ethnic make-up: Irish, Jewish, Italian, Polish, and German.20 The most prominent gang was headed by a German immigrant, Dutch Schultz, born Arthur Flegenheimer. Its headquarters was the 19. “Seized In Fake Dry Raid,” New York Times, August 11, 1932; “2 Fake Raiders Convicted,” New York Times, September 16, 1932. 20. “Andrews Postpones Shake-up of Dry Agents; Finds Businessmen Averse to $6,000 Job,” Bronx Home News, September 26, 1925; “Call Police First, Raid Second Winery”; “Cut In Dry Force Believed To Be Due”; “Dry Raiders Stoned From Bronx Roofs,” New York Times, October 26, 1922; “Grand Jury Calls Enright to Explain,” New York Times, September 10, 1921; “Officers Say Bronx Man, Taken in Rum Raid, Owns Harlem Murder Car”; “Young Ocean of Booze, Seized in Drug Raid, Under Heavy Uniformed Guard in Police Station,” Bronx Home News, March 4, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 21 bullet-proof, steel-lined fourth floor of the Terminal Building on East 149th Street.21 Prohibition agents were fair game when they crossed paths with this group. On October 31, 1931, at the Majestic Garage on Westchester Avenue, eight agents seized three truckloads of beer belonging to the Schultz gang—but not before they were attacked. The glass paneling above a “massive door” was broken with a rock, and a powerful bomb whose explosion shattered the windows of a nearby apartment building was thrown through it. The agents barely escaped.22 Needless to say, Prohibition agents and police officers were not welcome at moments when they forcibly interrupted what most people considered innocent fun (and had for centuries). In August 1931, four Prohibition agents visited Braacker’s Inn, a “roadhouse” on City Island Avenue. The agents encountered a desperate scene. “An orchestra was playing a fox trot when the agents entered and a score of couples was on the dancefloor.” Two agents searched the dining room while two went to the bar, bought drinks, announced they were Prohibition agents, and made arrests. As soon as they did, several men at the bar became abusive, and one of them “whipped out a pistol” and shot an agent in the left thigh. The agents were followed by a crowd with hostile intent as they drove off in two vans with confiscated goods, their wounded colleague, and prisoners. Subsequently, City Island became the scene of intense agent activity, and the next week eight places were raided and 41 arrests made. At one, two vans transporting prisoners and liquor 21. “4 Dry Agents Fail to Pick Assailant,” New York Times, July 13, 1932; “Held in Dry Raid Shooting,” New York Times, October 23, 1931, 20; NYPD 8926a, NYPD Collection, New York City Municipal Archives, in Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 102; “Stevens and Ahearn, ‘Dutch Schultz Aides, Indicted in Dry Agent Shooting,’” Bronx Home News, April 24, 1932. 22. “Gang Hurls Bomb Among Bronx Dry Raiders Who Escape Blast After Seizing Schultz Beer,” New York Times, October 31, 1931. 22 ED BELLER were pursued by incensed customers. (In fact, a “big booze raid” often attracted an angry crowd.)23 It turned out that the bar patron who shot the agent, Thomas Ahearn, was a lieutenant in the Schultz organization. About two weeks later, the agents, who had beaten Ahearn and pinned him to a wall before he broke away and escaped, were strangely unable to identify him. However, the proprietor John Braacker was sure he was the man.24 In June 1931, a Bronx man, Abraham Rosenberg, who said he was engaged in the scale-making business but in reality manufactured and sold liquor and owned a large warehouse in The Bronx, was found murdered in Queens somewhere between Flushing and Bayside. It was not definitely proven that the Schultz gang was responsible but the police were convinced that Rosenberg was a victim of a feud between liquor traffickers.25 In The Bronx, that meant there was a good chance that the Schultz gang was involved. There is no evidence that the Schultz gang took part in the following Bronx incident but it is nevertheless interesting as an example of a bootlegging operation so large and elaborately planned that the presence of an extensive organization is implied. The Bronx with its ample shoreline on Long Island Sound, Eastchester Bay, and surrounded by the Harlem, 23. “Dry Agent Is Shot In City Island Raid,” New York Times, August 31, 1931; “Dry Agents Seize 41 In City Island Raids,” New York Times, September 6, 1931; “Four Men, 15 Empty Cans and Lone Pint of Alcohol Seized A Block From Police Station,” Bronx Home News, February 22, 1920; “Larmon Admits Violating Volstead Law But Is Acquitted of Larceny of Gerken Auto,” Bronx Home News, July 4, 1920; “$20,000 In Liquors Seized; 13 Arrested, Detectives Buy Drinks,” New York Times, August 8, 1920. 24. “4 Dry Agents Fail to Pick Assailant.” 25. “Man Is Found Slain on Queens Bypath,” New York Times, June 17, 1931; “Slaying Linked to Liquor,” New York Times, June 18, 1931. Prohibition in The Bronx 23 Hudson, and East Rivers was a favorite bootlegger disembarkation spot. In 1923, a luxury yacht, The Mirage, was “almost awash from the weight of the seven hundred cases of choice brands of whiskey” it carried. Speeding cars along Pelham Parkway aroused suspicion and led police to a dancehall in Throggs Neck, where the cargo, valued at $125,000—about $2,234,000 today—was confiscated and 24 arrests were made.26 Another unintended result of Prohibition—this one redounded to the benefit of bootleggers—was the scarcity of whiskey as a palliative. In 1920, an influenza epidemic struck the city and The Bronx. Whiskey was considered an effective antidote but druggists found it very difficult to navigate the complicated, lengthy procedure needed to procure a state license, and as one article reported, “unlicensed druggists are refusing to fill prescriptions that may mean life or death to the victims of the dreaded disease.” Fordham Hospital officials “admitted with reluctance” that the hospital was without whiskey for several days. But it is a stretch to think that the ill could not find whiskey in the very wet Bronx.27 VI. The Speakeasies New York City was the nation’s largest liquor market, and the Anti-Saloon League saw victory in the intensely resistant 26. “Seize 6 Autos, Boat, Liquor and 24 Men,” New York Times, October 17, 1922. 27. “Urgent Call For Nurses to Fight ‘Flu’ Epidemic; Lack of Whiskey a Handicap,” Bronx Home News, January 27, 1920; “Druggists Wait Vainly For Government Action; Seeking Licenses to Fill ‘Flu’ Prescriptions,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1920; Okrent, “Prohibition Speakeasies.” 24 ED BELLER cultural, media, and financial capital of the United States as a coveted trophy. But the terrain was unmanageably crowded, with 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasies. (It is estimated that for every legitimate bar that was forced to close, six speakeasies opened.) On one side of the spectrum, these included elegant nightclubs for the upper class, called “Blind Tigers,” with fine dining, tasteful décor, jazz combos, and dancing (the most famous of them, The Stork Club, flourished until 1965). On the other side, “Blind Pigs” were for the lower classes, selling a “cheap and inferior product”—sometimes providing it gratis as a promotion and sometimes featuring animal attractions—with “cheap furniture, peeling paints, well-worn pool tables, and hodgepodge collections of liquor bottles.” “Speaks” were also gambling dens and “disorderly resorts”—brothels.28 In 1923, Enright called them “resorts, dives, brothels and bawdy houses of every description . . . the rendezvous of the criminal and vicious elements of the city.”29 They are also described as “the underbelly of that era, the seamy down-market clubs that served up deadly fights, murders, scams, and robberies.”30 A 1926 photograph in the NYPD collection at the New York City Municipal Archives, for example, shows a well-dressed male 28. “Anti-Saloon League Head Says Yonkers Is Disorderly City,” Bronx Home News, August 8, 1920; Lerner, Dry Manhattan, 4; Marques, “Prohibition”; NYPD 8926a, in Rosen, Prohibition in New York City, 102; Now on view —“Padlocked”: New York’s Prohibition Years | New-York Historical Society, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/now-on-view- padlocked-new-yorks-prohibition-years; “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies”; “Voice Through the Door, In Midnight Raid Causes Allen To Be Held For Gambling,” Bronx Home News, July 11, 1920; Ralph Blumenthal, Stork Club: America's Most Famous Nightspot and the Lost World of Café Society (New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2000). 29. Marques, “Prohibition.” 30. Marques, “Prohibition.” Prohibition in The Bronx 25 corpse—a recent homicide—sprawled across a chair at a speakeasy at 474 Brook Avenue in The Bronx.31 At The Bronx Theatrical and Social Club on East 149th Street—which was not a theatrical and social club but a cover for a speakeasy—a fight broke out and a shot fired in a “luxuriously furnished room with valuable tapestries on the wall,” which left it in a “state of wild confusion.” Bronx District Attorney McGeehan said, “These clubs are nests of criminals where crime is hatched. They are havens of refuge for known crooks. Such nightclubs which are must be wiped out.”32 At both extremes there was protection money for gangsters and “see no evil” money for police. VII. Bronx Enforcement It is probably safe to say that the illegal venues in The Bronx, given its working-class, middle-class, low-crime environment (“conspicuous by its absence,” according to the February 1921 Bronx grand jury) did not usually touch on either extreme.33 However, that did not abrogate the likelihood of resistance. Enforcement ran into obstacles within the legal system itself. Bronx courts were critical when it came to the legal right of police, Internal Revenue, Secret Service, or Prohibition agents to enter and search premises, going so far as to condone physical resistance if no warrant was produced. In September 1921, out of 31. NYPD 8926a. 32. “Smash Iron Doors in Bronx Club Raid,” New York Times, March 10, 1926. 33. “Bronx Jury Lauds Glennon,” New York Times, March 5, 1921. 26 ED BELLER 40 Prohibition violation complaints, The Bronx grand jury threw out 38 and subpoenaed Police Commissioner Enright to explain “the unlawful tactics employed by Bronx policemen in connection with alleged violations of prohibition law.” It seems that the grand jury, as well as future Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, were of the opinion that the police were ignoring the city’s corporation counsel and searching premises, automobiles, and bags without a warrant. In fact, in New York City, thousands of gallons of wine, whiskey, and beer were illegally confiscated Above: “Policeman Francis O. Rice (left) and William Ornstein (right) doing Guard Duty besides the Green River (Booze) and Real Lager Beer awaiting Governmental Disposition in the W. 152nd St., Police Station. The Wet Goods were found in an automobile near the Police Station by Policeman Rice and the arrest of three men followed.” Bronx Home News, March 4, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 27 and then sold to bootleggers or imbibed at Police Department frolics.34 The following interesting comment in the Bronx Home News implies that a little “poaching” by police was not shocking. In 1920, at the 152nd Street Station some recently confiscated whiskey was “hidden from public view probably because of the consideration Commander Day has for the policemen who do the late tour on stormy nights.”35 The relationship between the Bronx grand jury and the Bronx legal system deteriorated to the point that in January 1930 the jury declared its lack of confidence in the District Attorney’s Office and recommended that enforcement be transferred to federal authorities. But federal Prohibition agents were not popular either and were sometimes accused of overly aggressive, even brutal tactics. For example, in September 1922, agents entered a Bronx café as ordinary customers. One claimed to be sick and asked for brandy. When told that the café sold only a non-alcoholic substitute, the agents rushed behind the bar. One of the proprietors objected, and “an example of the methods used by some prohibition agents and revenue men in securing ‘evidence’ was revealed Saturday when two agents entered the café of Becker Bros., 143rd Street and Third Avenue, and while one of the men held Lawrence Becker, one of the proprietors, the other pummeled him into semi-consciousness.” No liquor was found.36 34. “Governor to Blame Enright Tells Jury”; “Grand Jury Calls Enright to Explain”; “Haskell Scores Police,” New York Times, August 25, 1921; and “U.S. Court Holds Revenue Agents Had No Right to Search Bars of Bronx Saloons,” Bronx Home News, March 9, 1920. (n.b.: The last time I had jury duty at the 161st Street Supreme Court building I encountered the D.A.’s prosecutor at the Yankee Tavern—the case had been decided—, and she told me it was always a tough struggle to get a conviction from a Bronx jury. She didn’t get one from the jury I was on.) 35. “Young Ocean of Booze, Seized in Raid.” 36. “Saloon Owner Badly Beaten By Two Prohibition Agents,” Bronx Home News, September 2, 1920; “Sees Lax Handling of Volstead Cases,” New York Times, February 1, 1930. 28 ED BELLER At the level of electoral politics, Prohibitionists could not expect much help from the dominant Bronx Democratic Party. In 1920, the Democratic primary opponents of a candidate for District Leader in the 8th Assembly District could not hurl a more damaging insult at him than he was a Prohibitionist. Candidate Barney Lipshay called “the latest move of his opponent which tries to make a prohibitionist of him the most cruel act yet perpetrated.”37 VIII. Bronx Resistance Irish, Italian, Polish, German, and Jewish neighborhoods—The Bronx at the time in a nutshell—were noted for their often angry reactions to the presence of Federal agents and local police in their homes, speakeasies, and saloons. (Saloon owners were particularly hostile since not only were their establishments closed down but because selling liquor was a Federal offense, they were not eligible for bail and did jail time for “maintaining nuisances.”) Shortly after Prohibition began (1920), a saloon owner on Webster Avenue “knowingly used a dangerous weapon,” “two Great Dane dogs growling ferociously,” when a Federal agent went behind the bar to inspect. The proprietor Angelo Delia employed what appears to have been a common Bronx tactic and broke a pitcher containing whiskey on the floor thus destroying the evidence.38 37. “Hot Session in Board of Elections Offices When Lipshay Learns He Is a Prohibitionist,” Bronx Home News, February 1, 1920. 38. “Bronx Men and Women Face Federal Courts Accused of Selling Whiskey to Revenue Men,” Bronx Home News, February 19, 1920; “The Bronx Was Brewing”; “5 Uptown Oases Among 28 Raided in Dry Cleanup,” Bronx Home News, April 26, 1932; “Saloon Keepers Pin Hopes on Fight Before Judge Hand in U.S. Court, Many Close Bars,” Bronx Home News, November 2, 1919; “Whalen’s Raiders Close 60 Places,” New York Times, January 4, 1929. Prohibition in The Bronx 29 In September 1922, when Chief New York City Federal Enforcement Agent Christopher J. Fortman learned that The Bronx was “pretty wet,” ten places were raided. At one, a saloon on East 136th Street, a canine anti-federal agent “weapon” was again front and center when the owner turned his large Newfoundland dog loose on the agents and they were confronted by angry patrons.39 In June 1922, Sunday worshippers were offended: “Churchgoers of the Bronx while on their way to and from services recently have encountered to [sic] many intoxicated persons falling out of saloons that hundreds of complaints have been lodged with the Federal Prohibition Department.” In response, agents posing as longshoremen and dockworkers mounted a Sunday operation. After they bought a few rounds at a saloon on East 136th Street, the owner James Smith—perhaps the same 136th Street saloon and the same owner with the big dog—caught on and employed The Bronx “knock the evidence out of the agents’ hands” tactic. But there was enough left on the floor to collect and arrest Smith.40 (All church worshippers’ complaints should be taken with at least two grains of salt. Wine was permitted for “sacramental” purposes but also tended to appear, as did whiskey, for “little parties” at Bronx churches and synagogues and at fraternal organizations like the Elks Club.)41 39. “Try To Sell Water At $27,000 To Drys,” New York Times, September 17, 1922. 40. “Church Time Picked For Bronx Rum Raid,” New York Times, June 12, 1922. 41. “Elks Club Porter Is Arrested For Theft Of Quantity Of Booze,” Bronx Home News, January 22, 1920; “Four Men Accused Of Sale Of Wood Alcohol As Booze,” Bronx Home News, December 11, 1919; “Rabbi Blind From Drinking Wood Alcohol Tells Pitiable Story In Court,” Bronx Home News, January 8, 1920. 30 ED BELLER In May 1922, the owner of a saloon on Brook Avenue objected to a search by federal Prohibition agents. “Schmidt at once manifested his disapproval of prohibition agents and is said to have gone at them with both fists.” Schmidt was subdued with blackjacks.42 In October 1922, when Federal agents raided a winery in the Italian section on East 149th Street, a crowd of about 500 gathered and in an effort to retrieve the wine attacked and damaged the truck the agents were using to cart it away. “The agents were being hooted and jeered and even threatened.” When the police arrived, the crowd retreated to the roofs of nearby buildings and showered them and the agents with rocks. Police managed to get to the roofs and disperse the crowd.43 “Far in the Bronx” a more passive style of resistance when speakeasies and restaurants were raided and closed was to take the libations outside and “have their ‘whoopee’ in the open.”44 IX. Disguises Of course, the “name of the game” was to avoid the inconvenience of enforcement via the art of disguise. Bronx speakeasies did not operate as openly as some of the elegant haunts of Manhattan’s wealthy. They were “hidden in such out of the way places and restricted to such small areas” that the beautiful old bars of pre-Prohibition glory days ended up as firewood or as counters in restaurants and the spacious saloons were converted to bakeries. When hiding the evidence, 42. “Saloon Man Tamed With A Black Jack,” New York Times, May 31, 1922. 43. “Dry Raiders Stoned From Bronx Roofs.” 44. “Police In New Year Raids On Inns And Speakeasies As City Celebrates,” New York Times, January 1, 1929. Prohibition in The Bronx 31 Bronx bartenders performed “feats of legerdemain that would have daunted Houdini.” One Bronx speakeasy was an insurance office, another was a junk dealership, another a political club, another an athletic club, another a “luxuriously furnished” headquarters of an association of actors and theater producers, another a “lonely, deserted” farmhouse at the intersection of Eastchester and Gun Hill Roads with an “elaborately furnished reception room” for customers. Private Bronx residences (“apartment clubs”) were common covers as were upscale restaurants. Private residences also often hid state-of-the-art distilleries as did garages.45 Some business venues with ostensibly other commercial goals sold liquor: grocery stores, laundries, shoe repair shops, soda fountains, and more. Bronx “bookies” supplemented their betting gains. The enterprising owners of small stores that sold cheap whiskey placed printed lists of prices in neighborhood mailboxes.46 The product was also disguised—for example, as barrels marked “sugar” shipped from Philadelphia and destined for a warehouse 45. “Big Stills Raided In A Bronx House,” New York Times, March 13, 1928; “Club Halts Trial To Accept Padlock,” New York Times, March 18, 1926; “Federal Agents Raid Moonshine Still In 135th St.; Second Illicit Apparatus Taken,” Bronx Home News, November 4, 1919; “Impressive Pre-Volsteadian Bars Pass From Extinct Bronx Saloons To Serve New Uses,” Bronx Home News, April 7, 1929; “Oil Burning Stills Deluxe Are Seized In A $200,000 Liquor Raid In The Bronx,” New York Times, January 16, 1926; “Operator Of Still In Bronx Garage Given Six Days,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1932; “Police In New Year Raids On Inns And Speakeasies”; “The Speakeasies of the 1920s,” Prohibition, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// prohibition.the mobmuseum.org/the-history/the-prohibition-underworld/ the-speakeasies-of-the-1920s/; “Ruins In Wake Of Still Blast,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1933; “Smash Iron Doors In Bronx Club Raid”; “30 Taken in Bronx Raid,” New York Times, January 4, 1930; “To Turn Former Saloons in This City Into Mince Pie Bakeries,” Bronx Home News, November 11, 1919; “Whalen’s Raiders Close 60 Places.” “50 Cents Gin and $2 Whiskey Sold In Bronx, Dry Raiders Report,” New 46. York Times, February 6, 1932; “Raid Nets Two Stills, Whiskey, and 3 Men,” New York Times, June 1, 1924; “30 Taken In Bronx Raid.” 32 ED BELLER on Intervale Avenue, or as “apples” headed to a speakeasy on Concord Avenue.47 Agents and police became adept at disguise, approaching the bar as casual patrons, having a drink or two (or three), and proceeding to make arrests. They posed as longshoremen and laborers (“to get into the lower type of speakeasy”), icemen and salespersons.48 In 1920, two agents posed as golfers, played a round at the Van Cortlandt Park course, and “followed the crowd” to the “Nineteenth Hole,” also known as the Van Cortlandt Inn, to have a few drinks and make arrests.49 On a Saturday night in June 1922, a drunk woman bought drinks at a saloon on Willis Avenue in The Bronx, and immediately Messrs. O’Toole and Reardon, who sold to this “drunk” policewoman, were arrested. Her next victim was a street vendor on Third Avenue who smashed the bottles on the pavement. But enough was collected to arrest him. To add to the confusion, Bronx criminals sometimes presented themselves as Prohibition agents and “shook down” unwary drinkers.50 X. Prohibition’s Demise The demise of Prohibition with the passage of the 22nd Amendment in February 1933 was the result of a vigorous political counterattack—in The Bronx there was an active chapter of the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition 47. “Arrest Two More For Liquor Fraud,” New York Times, January 30, 1921; “Seize 500 Barrels Of Beer In The Bronx,” New York Times, January 29, 1921; “Trail ‘Apple’ Load and Seize Alcohol,” New York Times, February 3, 1926. 48. “Speakeasies Wary But Police Press War,” New York Times., January 12, 1929. 49. “Prohibition A Joke, Dale Says On Bench.” 50. “Church Time Picked For Bronx Rum Raid”; “Shot Down in Crowd of 50; — No One Saw It,” New York Times, August 16, 1921. Prohibition in The Bronx 33 Reform—that cited the brutality and violence of the underworld that controlled the trade and the corruption it engendered. Furthermore, the wets claimed that unregulated sales by criminal gangs and the lure of the forbidden had actually increased drunkenness.51 The Depression brought severe demands on government and magnified the significance of the loss of tax revenue. Before Prohibition, 75% of state aid funds received by New York City came from liquor and beer taxes, and the chair of The Bronx anti-prohibition women’s organization made the very salient point that the unprecedented hard times disproved the dry claim that Prohibition fostered self-discipline, frugality, and hence prosperity. Also, basic common sense expressed in countless editorials and politicians’ public statements was critical of an unenforceable law at odds with ages-old customs. Finally, there was strong lobbying from the businesses not connected to underworld criminal networks. The Hotel, Restaurant, Club, and Allied Industries Association advocated for legitimate brewers, distillers, and distributors and the hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs that were engaged in a losing competition with speakeasies. A spokesperson for the Association said, “Sixty percent of the restaurants and hotels are ‘broke’ today and the rest are broke and don’t know it.”52 51. “Bronx Leader Of Women’s Anti-Dry Group Called To Conference Of Advisory Group,” Bronx Home News, February 2, 1932. 52. “Bronx Leader Of Women’s Anti-Dry Group”; “Hotel Association Urges Fight for Dry Law Repeal,” Bronx Home News, March 1, 1932; “Many Phases of Prohibition Are Discussed by Rotarians in Five Ten Minute Speeches,” Bronx Home News, March 3, 1932; “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of NYC Speakeasies”; Grace Notarstefano et al., “Today in NYC History: How Prohibition Affected New York City,” Untapped New York, January 16, 2014, https://untappedcities.com/2014/01/16/today-in-nyc-history-how-prohi bition-affected-new-york-city/ 34 ED BELLER It never worked in The Bronx anyway, and it is doubtful that The Bronx was any less wet during Prohibition than it was before or after. Maybe it was wetter. One Bronx landlord, annoyed at the suggestion that landlords should contribute more to Depression unemployment relief, was of the opinion that all the gin bottles collected from rent-deadbeat, abandoned Bronx apartments “should bring the relief fund a lot of money.”53 The recent history of laws against mind- and mood-altering substances is a not quite parallel story. Marijuana has followed the trajectory of alcohol. But there is a panoply of narcotic drugs too damaging and dangerous to be permitted open sale. Whether it is possible to effectively prohibit and/or regulate them is an unresolved question. My guess is it is not. 53. Benjamin Freeman, “Landlord’s View On Relief,” Bronx Home News, February 3, 1932; “Never So Much Drunkenness In Bronx; Booze Crazed Men Start Disturbance; Fight Police,” Bronx Home News, September 28, 1920. Prohibition in The Bronx 35 THE GOUVERNEUR MORRIS VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM The Bronx County Historical Society names a visiting scholar an- nually in honor of Gouverneur Morris, signer and penman of the U.S. Constitution. 2022 Pastor Crespo, Jr. 2005 “Bronx Veterans” 2021 Steven Payne “Bronx Latino History Project” 2004 2020 Roger McCormack “Poe Cottage” 2003 2019 Lloyd Ultan “Bronx Parks” 2002 2018 Coline Jenkins “Elizabeth Cady Stanton” 2001 2016 Vivian E. Davis “Celebrating 175 Years of St. Ann’s Church” 2000 2015 Edward Schneider “Abraham Lincoln” 1999 2014 Gary Hermalyn “The Erie Canal” 1998 2013 Tony Morante “Baseball” 1997 2012 Daniel Hauben “The Bronx Through the Eyes 1996 of an Artist” 2011 Gary Hermalyn 1995 “Bronx Homemakers Club of Daniel, Wyoming” 2010 Angel Hernández 1994 “Bronx Latinos” 2009 Russell Currie “The Cask of Amontillado, An 1993 Opera” 2008 Gary Hermalyn “Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham” 1992 2007 Lloyd Rogler “The Story of the Hispanic Research Center” 1991 2006 Jim Wunsch “Bronx Radio History” Brian Purnell “The Bronx is a Bomb, and It Is Ready to Explode” Evelyn Gonzalez “The South Bronx” Mark Naison “From Doo Wop to Hip Hop” Joseph Cunningham “New York Power” Elizabeth Beirne “The Good Life in the 19th Century Bronx” Allan S. Gilbert “Archaeology in The Bronx” Roger Wines “The Bronx River Parkway” Peter Derrick “Centennial of The Bronx” Edward Schneider “Newspapers of The Bronx” Gary Hermalyn “Morris High School” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Morris and the Constitution” Thomas A. King “50th Anniversary of the Normany Invasion” George Lankevich “Creation of the U.S. Supreme Court” Lloyd Ultan “Gouverneur Morris Through Word and Speech” Dominic Massaro “Gouverneur Morris” A HORSESHOER ON WEBSTER AVENUE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JACK FITZPATRICK BY MARK GLANDER According to his personal notebook, “on the 25th day of July on the year 1869,” John (“Jack”) H. Fitzpatrick, an Irish immigrant age 22, went to work for Mr. Lawrence,1 the owner of a plot of land on the southwest corner of Fordham village.2 Jack stayed with Lawrence for several years; he noted the construction of Lawrence’s new shop in an entry in December 1873. In September 1872, Jack Fitzpatrick and Annie Carrigan were married at Our Lady of Mercy, which at that time held its services in the chapel at St. John’s Seminary, now Fordham University.3 Jack’s sister had died that summer, leaving a son, Edward, whom the newlyweds took in. Their first child, Margaret, “was born in the Pow [sic] Cottage on the Seventh day of September in the year 1873.” Jack “went to live in his own house” at 2498 Webster Avenue in March 1874. A son, James, was born in March 1875. Today, the mortality rate for children under 1. Most of the information in this article comes from a notebook manuscript in possession of the author in which Jack Fitzpatrick recorded his major life events. 2. J.J.R. Croes, “Map of the Northern Portion of the City of New-York, Comprising the 12th Ward and the new 23d and 24th Wards, Recently Annexed Under Chapter 613, Laws of 1873,” State of New York, New York: Croes & Van Winkle, 1874. 3. Church of Our Lady of Mercy, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// ourladyofmercyny.org/. Horseshoer on Webster 37 five years old is less than 1%, but in 1875, almost one-third of children died before their fifth birthday.4 Both Margaret and James died in 1875. Jack and Annie went on to have five more children, all of whom lived to adulthood. By 1883, Jack was in business for himself. That was the year, he noted, that James Smith came to work for him. The Sanborn fire insurance maps (shown below) make it possible to visualize the 2400 block of Webster Avenue at the time.5 There is a two- story building at 2498 Webster Avenue, Jack’s residence. At the rear of 2496 is another two-story building, its long axis parallel to the street, which is likely the shop shown in the picture below. The uniformed men in the picture are likely fireman from Engine Company No. 48, next to 2498 Webster Avenue.6 Next to the firehouse is Our Lady of Mercy church, a former clubhouse of the Tammany Society. A photograph from Jack’s memorabilia shows C. Clinton’s Dry Goods Store at the northern end of the block, on the southwest corner of Webster Avenue and Fordham Road. A little farther north in Bedford Park was Mount St. Ursula Academy, which Jack’s daughter Margaret attended. The school, founded in 1855 and still in existence, is “the oldest continuously operating all-girls Catholic girls’ high school in New York State.”7 4. Aaron O’Neill, “United States: Child Mortality Rate 1800-2020,” Statista, June 21, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041693/united-states-all- time-child-mortality-rate/. 5. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New York, Bronx, Manhattan, New York, The Library of Congress, accessed December 21, 2023, https:// www.loc.gov/item/sanborn06116_016/. 6. The firehouse in the 2400 block of Webster Avenue collapsed in the 1990s. Engine Company No. 48 today is housed two blocks south at 2417 Webster Avenue. 7. “Mission & History,” The Academy of Mount St. Ursula, accessed December 21, 2023, https://www.amsu.org/who-we-are. 38 MARK GLANDER Jack’s wife, Annie, age 44, died of cancer in 1891, leaving Jack a widower with five children. The oldest child was only 15. Jack remarried in 1897. Jack died just two years later, in January 1899, at age 51. Some excitement followed on his funeral, as noted in his obituary. John H. Fitzpatrick, well known master horseshoer, died at his home on Monday. The funeral took place on Wednesday from the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. Father Brady celebrated a solemn high mass of requiem. Delegations were present from Fordham Council, C.B.L.; Division No. 6 A. O. H. of Fordham and the local branch of the Master Horseshoers’ Association. Interment was in St. Raymonds Ceme- tery. After the requiem mass which was held last Wednes- day over the late J. Fitzpatrick, at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, charcoal remained in the in- cense burner, and one of the altar boys thought- lessly emptied the holder of its burning coals on the sill of the window, and then went home. Sexton Duffy, who happened to enter the church a short time afterward, together with the janitor, found the basement filled with smoke. A hasty search revealed a fire in the vestry. The men in an engine house of the Fire Department, which is next to the church, were immediately notified, and quenched the flames with a fire extinguisher.8 Only three of Jack’s children lived past 30 years. Tuberculosis was one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S. in the years 1900–1922. It is a contagious disease, easily spread from person to person and even through unpasteurized milk. There 8. From a newspaper clipping, publication unknown, in the possession of the author. Horseshoer on Webster 39 Above top: Jack Fitzpatrick’s shop on Webster Avenue near Fordham Road. Dan Sering, Dan O’Connel, Edward Fitzpatrick, Jack Fitzpatrick, and Jake Trotte, c. 1890, family collection. Courtesy of the author. Above bottom: Clinton’s store at the southwest corner of Fordham Road and Webster Avenue, c. 1885–1890, family collection. Courtesy of the author. 40 MARK GLANDER Above: Section of Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (note 5), showing 2496– 2498 Webster Avenue, Jack Fitzpatrick’s shop and residence, respectively, as a “livery stable” with a second floor. Horseshoer on Webster 41 was no vaccine or effective treatment for it until after World War II. Untreated, half of the people who developed the disease died.9 In October 1912, Jack’s son, John, Jr., died of tuberculosis. One year later, Jack’s youngest daughter Nell and her two youngest children died of tuberculosis. Caroline, the oldest surviving daughter, married a college athletics coach in 1897. They eventually settled in Detroit. They had three children. Caroline died in 1950, age 73. Jack’s first daughter, Margaret, died in infancy. His third daughter, also named Margaret, joined the Sisters of Charity. In 1900, she was teaching at Holy Cross Academy in Manhattan. She died in Haverstraw, New York, in 1940, age 62. The fourth daughter, Elizabeth, graduated from “Female Grammar School No. 64” in 1897 as attested by the diploma issued by the Department of Public Instruction. Three years later, she married the neighborhood milkman, a German immigrant. They had four children. Elizabeth lived most of her life in the area around Fordham where she grew up. She died in 1959, age 78. Jack, both his wives, and all his children except for Caroline were buried in the old section of St. Raymond’s cemetery. 9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ data/dvs/lead1900_98.pdf, March 9, 2009. 42 MARK GLANDER VILLA MARIA ACADEMY: A HISTORY BY JANICE MASTROPIETRO Villa Maria Academy, located at 3335 Country Club Road, is a private, independent, Catholic co-educational elementary school in the Country Club section of The Bronx. The school is owned and operated by the Congregation of Notre Dame. For over a century, the Villa has established a reputation for academic excellence, a robust faith life, and an abiding sense of community. The Villa has been an outstanding member of the academic community of New York City, consistently producing capable, ambitious, well-rounded alumni active in the worlds of business and the arts. I. Founding and Early Days of Villa Maria The history of Villa Maria Academy dates back to 1653 when Marguerite Bourgeoys made the decision to leave the security of her native France to teach in Ville Marie, now called Quebec. As her work grew, others came to join her until, in 1700, she founded the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. The steadfast aim of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame was to provide for their pupils a thorough Catholic education, to assist them in developing character and self-reliance, to make of them women of education, refinement, and culture. Villa Maria Academy 43 Over two centuries, St. Marguerite’s teaching order spread throughout Canada. In 1886, the Sisters were invited to teach the young women of St. Jean Baptiste, the Canadian national parish in Manhattan. For the next 40 years, the school was located at 139 East 79th Street. In 1917, St. Jean Baptiste, a “finishing school” teaching social graces, literature, French, German, music, art, and embroidery, was widely recognized as “distinctly above average.” Eventually, the growth of the student body necessitated a move to the Ellis estate in the Country Club section of The Bronx. On August 18, 1927, the school was officially transferred to its current site—eight acres with a private waterfront on Eastchester Bay and luxuriant shrubs and shade trees—and the finishing school became a boarding school for the young women of New York City. On May 17, 1958, Cardinal Spellman presided at the dedication of Hall Marguerite, a new building to accommodate the burgeoning elementary wing. In June 1969, the high school’s last class graduated. After 82 years, Villa Maria Academy became strictly a co-educational elementary school. The first elemen- tary class with boys graduated in 1976. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys was canonized on October 31, 1982. The canonization celebrations were matched by the celebrations in 1986, the school’s centennial year. Thirteen hundred students, parents, alumni, and friends came to share memories, to reminisce, and to rejoice in Villa Maria’s vibrant century. II. Villa Maria Today The Academy is chartered by the University of the State of 44 JANICE MASTROPIETRO New York. The courses of studies are in keeping with the best standard of educational institutions. Diplomas awarded to graduates entitle them to enter the New York Training School for Teachers, or any College in the City or State. Throughout this course, the languages are efficiently taught, and French is given special attention. The Villa Building is for the lower grades and contains fully equipped science and technology labs and music and art studios. A large book and media collection is housed in an elegant library in this building. The Great Hall accommodates school- wide liturgies and events. The Junior High School Building is for junior high school students and includes Hall Marguerite, a communal gathering place for meals and events. The Visitation Center is equipped with a regulation-sized gymnasium that Above: Front view of Villa Maria Academy today, located at 3335 Country Club Road in The Bronx. Courtesy of the author. Villa Maria Academy 45 hosts sports tournaments and community youth programs and doubles as a full-size theater. It also has a quarter-mile track, which makes the school a popular host for track-and-field competitions. Extracurricular activities include the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, Junior High Drama Club, piano lessons, Chess Club, art classes, basketball, baseball, track and cross country, volleyball, tennis, Math Olympiad, Science Fair, and STEM. In short, Villa Maria continues to carry on the rich legacy of rigorous education and religious and cultural formation bequeathed to the school by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Congregation of Notre Dame. 46 JANICE MASTROPIETRO ABOUT THE AUTHORS MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder with The Bronx County Historical Society of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles. ED BELLER is a lifelong Bronx resident. Upon graduation from Hunter College in The Bronx (now Lehman), he began teaching English at Evander Childs High School and later taught in Manhattan. He was very active in the United Federation of Teachers. Dr. Beller earned a doctorate in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center in 1983 and has published articles on the history and social foundations of education. MARK GLANDER is a retired government employee and a great- grandson of Jack Fitzpatrick. Stories he heard of his “Horse- shoer” grandfather inspired a life-long interest in family history. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he majored in History, and resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife and cats. JANICE MASTROPIETRO is a lifelong Bronx resident, educator, and principal of Villa Maria Academy. THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Steve Baktidy Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumengarten Adolfo Carrión, Jr. Thomas X. Casey Sam Chernin James Conroy John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Hon. Michael Benedetto William Castro Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Nino DeSimone Hector Diaz Rubén Díaz, Jr. Hon. Jeffrey Dinowitz Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer Robert Fox Katherine Gleeson Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Cecil P. Joseph Marc Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May Kathleen A. McAuley HONORARY MEMBERS Hon. Carl E. Heastie Hon. Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Michael Max Knobbe G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Michael M. Lippman Anthony Paolercio James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Roberto Ramírez Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Gil Walton Jac Zadrima Hon. Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera José Rivera José E. Serrano Stanley Simon REVIEWS Garn, Andrew, photographer. New York Art Deco: Birds, Beasts & Blooms. Introduction by Eric P. Nash. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2022. 192 pp. ISBN: 9780847872046. $39.95. It is unusual for any book with “New York” in its title to set its sights on any borough but Manhattan, but New York Art Deco breaks the mold to include significant examples of the style in The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island as well. Only Queens is not represented. Here can be discovered nine significant Art Deco structures in the city’s mainland borough, and not all of them are on the Grand Concourse. Photographer Andrew Garn is known for his fine art and editorial works that have appeared in exhibitions and in books and magazines throughout the world. During the period of the early COVID-19 pandemic, when New York City was in lockdown, he focused his camera on the Art Deco building ornamentation depicting animals, fish, birds, and vegetation. No crowds or traffic interfered with his quest, enabling him to capture close-up views of bas-relief and high-relief sculpture, mosaics, and murals found on building exteriors and in lobbies. In New York Art Deco, they are gloriously reproduced in vivid color, printed on thick, glossy paper. An Introduction provided by Eric P. Nash, who spent 25 years doing research and writing articles for the New York Times and writing books on architecture, provides a brief history of the Reviews 49 development of the Art Deco style from its origins to its various manifestations in combination with Assyrian, Egyptian, Classical, and Mayan motifs. He claims Art Deco had its distant origins in the Art Nouveau style that emerged in France in the 1890s, decades before its historic introduction to the world in the Paris exhibition of decorative arts in 1923. An expression of the sleek look and speed of the machine, Art Deco reached its apogee in New York during the Jazz Age 1920s. This date may be so if one considers only Manhattan as New York. In The Bronx, Art Deco flowered in the era of the Great Depression of the 1930s. There are a few errors found in some of the introductions to each building’s set of photographs. The name of the man who designed the Grand Concourse was Risse, not Riss, and the boulevard is not wider than its model, the Champs Elysées in Paris. It was Horace Ginsbern who co-designed the Park Plaza Apartments on Jerome Avenue, not Horace Ginsberg. These errors are minor, however, compared to the effect of the photographs. Of course, the overwhelming number comes from Manhattan’s office and apartment buildings. Yet, of the book’s opening four pages leading to the title page, the first three are of the lobby mural and exterior mosaic of the Fish Building at 1150 Grand Concourse in The Bronx, which are followed by a fourth page of a bit of decorative sculpture on a building façade at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. After the Introduction, the photographs are arranged in the order in which each building was constructed. Since the focus of Garn’s photographs is on the ornamentation depicting “Birds, Beasts & Blooms,” the first appearance of such Art Deco decoration in The Bronx is the horses’ heads on the cornice of the building at 101 East 161st Street, erected in 1925. This is only the eighth structure depicted 50 Reviews in the book and the first one outside of Manhattan. Because of Garn’s interest in building detail, there are only a handful of photographs in the book that try to show the entire exterior of any structure. Moreover, none of the edifices that feature simple abstract Art Deco façades are included. Nevertheless, there are advantages to this approach. In the bustle that characterizes life in New York City, people rush past the artistic Art Deco glories that appear on the façades of buildings both famous and obscure. Whether speeding by in a car or rushing by on foot to get to a destination, few take the opportunity to stop and admire these striking works of art that Garn has captured in his photographs. How many people pass by the massive Rainey Memorial Gates at the entrance to the Bronx Zoo on Fordham Road without stopping to examine the intricacies and craftsmanship of sculptor Paul Manship’s Art Deco masterpiece, teeming with all sorts of animal life amid a lush, leafy landscape? With the vivid photographs, any reader can do so in the comfort of home, taking as much time as needed to truly admire a great artist’s work. The same can be said for all of the detailed photographs in New York Art Deco, providing the reader with hours of delight. Lloyd Ultan The Bronx, New York Helmreich, William B. The Bronx Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2023. 472 pp. ISBN: 9780691166957. $27.95. Reviews 51 William B. Helmreich, a Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the City College of New York, who passed away of COVID-19 in 2020, has written a rather unique book to be called a “guide” in The Bronx Nobody Knows. It is at once both more and less than that. Nor is it Helmreich’s first attempt at the genre, having produced The New York Nobody Knows and books with similar titles focusing on Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens before taking on The Bronx. He had just about completed the manuscript about the city’s mainland borough when he contracted his fatal illness. The effort was completed by his widow. In this volume, Helmreich asserts that he has walked the length of every street in The Bronx with his wife by his side looking into every nook and cranny seeking to come across the unexpected. He divides The Bronx into 35 neighborhoods to organize his narrative. In most cases the boundaries that he sets are arbitrary since the limits, and even some of the names, of almost all Bronx neighborhoods have not been definitively set. Nevertheless, this organizing principle enables him to create a series of walking tours that can be followed easily by his readers. While Helmreich does refer to the major attractions found in The Bronx and to items of historic significance, he does not dwell on them with any great detail. In his walking tours, he stops for a moment at such a site, provides essential information, and then moves on. He does point out buildings whose architecture attracts him, as well as neighborhood shops and local parks he finds interesting. Occasionally, he is able to obtain entrance into the interior of a building and experience a space that is normally closed to the public, such as the space found beneath the central cupola of the former Daughters of Jacob Home on East 167th Street between Teller and Findlay Avenues. 52 Reviews There he discovers a spectacular domed amphitheater that had served as a synagogue until 1979, still in pristine condition. All of this Helmreich vividly describes in detail that seems to bring his discoveries to life. What separates this volume from the usual guidebook is the author’s encounters with residents, shopkeepers, and passersby he meets during his journeys. His word-to-word transcriptions of each conversation is particularly revealing about the attitudes towards their neighbors, customers, and surroundings. They dispel the outmoded myth of The Bronx, showing that its ethnically and economically diverse people are friendly, open, and hopeful. This is perhaps the most important aspect of Helmreich’s book. In his introduction, the author sums up what he finds are the traits and character of The Bronx. They amount to a great hope among its residents and workers, a fascinating history, the borough’s great beauty, a strong sense of community and friendliness, and its many surprises. It is refreshing to find a volume filled with such truth about the borough. Lloyd Ultan The Bronx, New York Hermalyn, G. Geography of The Bronx. The Bronx, NY: The Bronx County Historical Society, 2023. 126pp. ISBN: 9780941980777. $25.00. Geography of The Bronx is best regarded as a love story. The Reviews 53 author lovingly dedicated years to examining the borough on foot, by motor vehicle, by boat, and through written documents. The Bronx is his life’s passion. He is unshakably and unapologetically a lover of all things Bronx. To be fair, the borough has been overshadowed for too long, and this book is overdue, and Hermalyn, if anyone, is the person for rectifying that. In The Bronx is found the southernmost canal of the Erie Canal System, planned for 112 years, and finally completed in 1939. The Bronx is also the home of Potters Field. Among the million buried there, lie many scarcely remembered veterans dating back to the Civil War. At the other end of the spectrum is Woodlawn Cemetery where, in contrast, some of the most internationally famous jazz musicians have been interred alongside New York’s rich and famous. Physically, The Bronx is a hill country with an elevation of some hills as high as 200 feet. On the western ridge on a two- acre stretch are the columns and busts celebrating the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. The Bronx remembers them all. Ancient history goes way back if you only know where to look. The last Ice Age visited the area, depositing huge boulders and even islands in its wake. One of them, Hart Island, served as an installation site for Nike missiles in the twentieth century. Work on the Bronx River Parkway altered the Bronx River, and now one side of one stretch of the river has moved to Westchester while the other is still in The Bronx. In the 1600s, the area was the homestead for Jonas Bronck, a Swede with a land grant from the Dutch West Indies Company. 54 Reviews Today, the borough is home to millions and, surprisingly, still has room enough for a variety of wildlife. And so it goes. It is all there still to be discovered and uncovered anew. Geography of the Bronx makes a great companion to show you where to look. The book is well illustrated and beautiful enough to be displayed on a coffee table. Douglas Lazarus Middlebury, Vermont Jonnes, Jill. South Bronx Rising: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of an American City. Third edition. Forward by Nilka Martell. New York: Fordham University Press, 2022. 608 pp. ISBN: 9781531501211. $34.95. South Bronx Rising, first published in 1986 as We’re Still Here, is well regarded as a history of The Bronx and its tumultuous twentieth century, where housing abandonment and government disinvestment led to the nadir of The Bronx, with many predicting the outright demise of New York City’s only mainland borough. Jonnes is a journalist by trade, and South Bronx Rising appropriately chronicles and gives voice to the numerous Bronx residents, activists, and grassroots organizations that saved the borough from destruction. The third edition, retitled South Bronx Rising in the second edition released in 2000, focuses on new challenges in the Reviews 55 borough and a rising generation of activists, Bronxites, and community leaders combating the perils of gentrification, “upzoning,” and the old blights of slumlordism and government inaction. While the earlier editions of South Bronx Rising highlight older organizations like the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and their struggles against redlining and exploitative landlords in the 1970s and 1980s, Jonnes now amplifies the twenty-first century struggles of Bronxites worried about gentrification, ecological devastation, and poverty. The upshot of these fears is an increasingly vocal and effective generation of activists, exemplified by people like Nilka Martell, founder of Loving The Bronx and an impassioned advocate for “capping” (i.e., covering the below-ground sections of) the Cross Bronx Expressway as a way to minimize pollution and rectify the sickness traffic pollution has caused in The Bronx’s “Asthma Alley.” Ecological concerns loom large for this new generation of activists. The Bronx River Alliance, a nonprofit founded to restore and combat pollution of the Bronx River, had a herculean task, given the once squalid conditions of the river in the South Bronx. Amazingly, the river has bounced back from industrial pollution due to the efforts of the Alliance and other organizations, who have championed volunteer litter and debris pick-up to save New York City’s only freshwater river. Jonnes shows the fiery debates gentrification has spurred in the borough, contrasting the perspective of groups like South Bronx Unite and CASA (Community Action for Safe Apartments), who view any incipient signs of gentrification as a menace, with a view, championed by former Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr., of investment and new business in 56 Reviews The Bronx as an overall boon for all Bronxites. While perhaps only time will tell which vision will most benefit the borough, a dose of skepticism is certainly warranted about the supposed benefits of gentrification in The Bronx, especially given the exorbitant rents charged in new luxury apartment buildings such as “Bankside” along the Harlem River in Mott Haven. The exodus of long-time residents from historic Black neigh- borhoods like Crown Heights and Flatbush in Brooklyn is merely one of a litany of examples of displacement via gentrification. The most common refrain from the excellent interviews Jonnes conducted with Bronxites is an intense and justified fear of economic pressure, as many Bronx residents are rent-burdened, meaning 50 percent or more of their income goes towards rent. In a lengthy afterword on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on The Bronx, Jonnes testifies to the indomitable spirit of The Bronx during a once-in-a-century event. The Bronx had the highest totals of Covid-19 deaths of the five boroughs, 70 percent of its workforce was deemed essential, and it remains the poorest borough in New York City. The unsettling photos of breadlines at soup kitchens in South Bronx Rising evoke the darkest recent days of the borough, but Jonnes sees reasons for optimism. Her rousing conclusion notes the intensification of organizing and civic awareness in the wake of the pandemic. It is this solidarity that Jonnes sees as the greatest asset of The Bronx, one that will allow it to overcome. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York Reviews 57 BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2023 Joseph Mawad, Tekniverse, Inc. 2000 2022 Ram Gupta, Chatam Management Co., Inc. 1999 2020 Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 2019 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad 1998 Group 2018 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo 1997 2017 James H. Alston, McCalls Bronxwood Funeral Home 1996 2016 Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1995 John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Shop Press 2015 Matthew Engel, Langsam 1994 Property Services 2014 Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan 1993 Parking Group 2013 Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan 1992 2012 Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson 1991 Metro Center 2011 Adam Green, Rocking the Boat 1990 2010 Anthony Mormile, Hudson Valley Bank 1989 2009 Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of Commerce 2008 Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs 1988 2007 Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real Estate 2006 Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s 2005 Frank Cassano, New Bronx 1987 Chamber of Commerce 2004 Dart Westphal, Norwood News 2003 James J. Houlihan, Houlihan- Parnes 2002 David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers 2001 Peter Madonia, Madonia William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzotto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises Brothers Bakery SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 $30 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: 1890–1925 $25 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935–1965 $25 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 $25 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set $90 History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse $10 Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx $25 G. Hermalyn, Geography of The Bronx $25 G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition $15 G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views $12 G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 $22 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx $15 Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings $15 Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now $22 John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition $30 John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx $20 Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club $20 Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $5 Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History $18 Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era $20 Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution $15 Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx $28 George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government $15 History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial $20 Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future $20 G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System $34 George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History $20 History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River $20 Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River $20 Douglas Lazarus et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal $20 Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court $20 George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and the Bill of Rights $20 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States $20 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence $20 Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States $20 Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States $20 Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set $99 Educational Material Roger McCormack, The Bronx Geography Workbook $22 Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 $20 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 $22 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $15 Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America $15 G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History $20 Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide $15 Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book $5 The Bronx County Historical Society Journal Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2022, are available for purchase for $15 per issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx $15 G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 $5 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print $10 G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx $20 G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx $10 Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives $20 Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx $20 Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $20 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 $15 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection $10 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $10 Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD $20 Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $20 Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $15 Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook $15 Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2024 $12 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $8 The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" $50 The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" $20 Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug $8 The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" $20 The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, The Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $60 Volume/Issue Volume and Issue of a periodical. 60/1–2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, vol. 60, nos. 1–2, 2023 Subject The topic of the resource Hip hop Morrisania (The Bronx, N.Y.) Prohibition Webster Avenue (The Bronx, N.Y.) Fitzpatrick, Jack Music Villa Maria Academy Description An account of the resource Vol. 60, nos. 1–2 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, published 2023. Contents: — Mark Naison, "Bronx Soundscape," p. 1 — Ed Beller, "Prohibition in The Bronx," p. 15 — Mark Glander, "A Horseshoer on Webster Avenue" p. 37 — Janice Mastropietro, "Villa Maria Academy," p. 47 — Lloyd Ultan, Review of Garn, New York Art Deco (2022), p. 49 — Lloyd Ultan, Review of Helmreich, The Bronx Nobody Knows (2023), p. 51 — Douglas Lazarus, Review of Hermalyn, Geography of The Bronx (2023), p. 53 — Roger McCormack, Review of Jonnes, South Bronx Rising, 3rd ed. (2022), p. 55 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Naison, Mark Beller, Ed Glander, Mark Mastropietro, Janice Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource ©2023, The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR.2023 https://digital.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/files/original/4c4309bc81cd91ee2d4ff1c8b50f65fe.pdf c5f4ddf5c454af733d318cd13683d336 PDF Text Text THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL ��The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2022 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. ISSN 0007-2249 Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website under “Collections.” www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Anthony Morante, Vice President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Gil Walton, Secretary Steve Baktidy, Trustee Robert Esnard, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs STAFF Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Clarence Addo-Yobo, Museum of Bronx History Senior Interpreter Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Valerie Blain, Archival Intern Kathleen A. McCauley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant ii �Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 CONTENTS A Note from the Editors.......................................................................................................v ARTICLES Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty..................................................1 Edited and introduction by Steven Payne Kingsbridge Vignettes............................................................................................................19 By Richard Baum Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s........................................................................................29 By Robert Weiss A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters.............................................39 By Mark Naison About the Authors..................................................................................................................44 FROM THE ARCHIVES Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx......................................................................................45 From the David M. Carp Papers on Latin Jazz REVIEWS Cope, Power Hungry (2022)................................................................................................69 By Pastor Crespo, Jr. Sammartino, Freedomland (2022)...................................................................................72 By Roger McCormack iii �ENDOWED FUNDS The Bronx County Historical Society encourages the establishment of named endowment funds. Funds may be created to support the many different programs of The Society or may be established for restricted use. The funds appear permanently on the financial records of the Historical Society in recognition of their ongoing support of its work. Named endowment funds are established for a gift of $5000 or more and once begun, additional contributions may be made at any time. The following funds currently support our work: Astor Fund Bingham Fund Elbaum Fund Fernandez Fund General Board Fund Gordon Fund Gouverneur Morris Fund Halpern Memorial Fund Hermalyn Institute Fund Isabelle Fund Khan Fund Lampell Fund Library Fund Parisse Fund Sander Fund Ultan Fund For further details, contact: Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA Treasurer Emeritus 718-881-8900 �A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS Volume 59 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal represents a milestone in the history of this storied periodical, which has been published continuously since 1964. In many respects, the COVID-19 pandemic hit The Bronx County Historical Society with a vengeance. Our two historic house museums were closed for the majority of 2020 and the entirety of 2021 and only started to reopen on a limited basis in 2022. Revenue from museum visits, tours, and inperson purchases all experienced a sharp decline and are only beginning to bounce back. Yet on other important fronts, particularly those of collection acquistion, archival processing, and oral history recording, The Society’s activities picked up as never before. The Society recorded over 100 oral histories during these pandemic years across The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. The Society acquired 43 new archival collections during this same period, and over 100 of the 163 collections currently housed in The Bronx County Archives were fully processed and inventoried and are now available to researchers and the wider public. This volume of our Journal contains some of the first fruits of these pandemic labors, including an edited oral history collection from the Bronx Latino History Project around the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1910–1984), a pivotal Bronx human rights activist, and an archival manuscript of a lengthy but groundbreaking study of Afro-Cuban jazz from the David M. Carp papers on Latin jazz in The Bronx County Archives. This volume, while longer than many previous volumes, is meant to highlight the recent work of The Society while motioning towards our ever-expanding role as a world-class center of community-based historical documentation and scholarship. v �ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Annotated Primary Source 2009 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack 2008 BASEBALL The New York Game, Anthony Morante Hudson’s River, G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The 2007 Bronx County Historical Society Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige 2006 and Sidney Horenstein, University of California Press Digging The Bronx, Alan 2005 Gilbert, The Bronx County Historical Society 2004 The New York Botanical Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2003 The Bronx Artist Documentary Project, Judith C. Lane and 2002 Daniel Hauben An Irrepressible Conflict, 2001 Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY Press Supreme City, Donald Miller, 2000 Simon & Schuster Humans of New York, 1999 Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's Press The Impeachment of Governor 1998 Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, SUNY Press 1997 Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers Band of Union, Gerard T. Koppel, Da Capa Press Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898, Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society �TITI: AN ORAL HISTORY OF DR. EVELINA ANTONETTY EDITED AND INTRODUCTION BY STEVEN PAYNE I. Introduction Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1922–1984), a proud Bronxite, was among the most prolific human rights activists of the twentieth century. Over the course of more than four decades of activism, Evelina struggled for an end to racial and national discrimination against Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and other racially and nationally oppressed peoples; quality, affordable housing for all; culturally relevant and bilingual public education; full employment with livable wages, especially for youth; robust funding for after-school programs and community centers; healthcare equity; peace and disarmament; and much more. On the occasion of Evelina’s centenary, as part of “Evelina 100,” a week-long celebration of her life and legacy, on Friday, September 16, 2022, The Bronx County Historical Society screened TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, an edited oral history collection, at Pregones/Puero Rican Travelling Theater in The Bronx. Section 2 of this article provides a brief biography of Evelina to orient readers who might not be as familiar with her work. Section 3 contains a list of narrators included in the edited oral history collection, together with references to the full-length oral histories recorded by the Historical Society for the Bronx Latino History Project and the Bronx African American History Project. Section 4 reproduces the transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty in its entirety. Although representing only a sampling of the significant oral history collecting that is taking place around Evelina’s life and legacy, the selections transcribed in the final section of this article demonstrate the multi-layered, complex, emotionally laden, and politically significant impact Evelina continues to have among Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 1 �family members, friends, and the wider Bronx community. Although physically absent, Evelina continues to shape the way that The Bronx and its people struggle for and think about a more livable, sustainable present and future. II. Brief Biography of Dr. Evelina Antonetty Dr. Evelina Antonetty (née López) was born on September 19, 1922 in Salinas, Puerto Rico.1 Her mother, Eva Cruz, raised Evelina and her two younger sisters, Lillian and Elba. Evelina’s aunt and uncle, Vicenta and Enrique Godreau, had relocated to New York City in 1923. A decade later, in 1933, they sent for Evelina to live with them. Evelina left Puerto Rico soon after her youngest sister Elba was born, on September 10, 1933. After arriving in New York on El Ponce, Evelina lived with her aunt and uncle in El Barrio until her mother and sisters could join her. This they did two years later, in 1935, and the entire family lived together in successive East Harlem apartments. Vicenta and Enrique—known to most simply as “Godreau”— had already established extensive ties within the community by the time Evelina’s family arrived. Vicenta was a political activist with close ties to the LaGuardia and Roosevelt administrations. Godreau was a music promoter and numbers runner who regularly socialized with the likes of Machito and Tito Puente. Those close to Evelina while she was growing up remember her as actively engaged in transforming the world and her place within it 1 For longer biographical treatments of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, some more reliable than others, see, for example, Nicholasa Mohr, All for the Better (Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, 1993); “Guide to the Records of United Bronx Parents, Inc 1966–1989 (Bulk 1970s–1983),” Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY, 2005 https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/faids/ubpf.html; Nélida Pérez, “Antonetty, Evelina López (1922–1984),” pp. 48–49 in Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia (Indiana University Press, 2006); and Nydia Edgecombe, “‘The Hell Lady from the Bronx’ Evelina López Antonetty, el activismo comunitario de una puertorriqueña en la diáspora del Sur del Bronx” (PhD dissertation, El Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe, 2018). 2 STEVEN PAYNE �from an early age. One of her friends from childhood, Dolores Roque, remembers a pageant that she and Evelina organized in elementary school in Puerto Rico. It was the largest pageant in the school’s history up to that point.2 In New York City, at the age of sixteen, Evelina joined the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), a formidable force in the 1940s in progressive, anti-racist, labor, and anti-colonial struggles. Evelina was speaking at mass meetings citywide by the time she was in her late teens. Her youngest sister Elba, for instance, remembers Evelina speaking at a large American Labor Party rally in New York City during the early 1940s in support of the U.S.’s anti-fascist war efforts (as World War II was explicitly characterized at the time). During this rally, as a testament to her ability and reputation, a young Evelina was on the rostrum with Jesús Colón (1901–1974), one of the leading Puerto Rican activists of the day and more than 20 years Evelina’s senior. Evelina also worked very closely with Vito Marcantonio, a progressive Italian politician from East Harlem who built close ties with both Italian and Puerto Rican communities in the neighborhood and around New York. Evelina became a postal worker for a period of time during the war, and it was during these years that she met and married her first husband and moved to Jackson Avenue in The Bronx. Evelina gave birth to her first daughter, Lorraine, in 1943. For a number of years after the war, Evelina worked for District 65 of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), one of the more militant unions that fell under close scrutiny during the McCarthy era.3 Evelina recruited for the local among Puerto Ricans and other people of color who were still discriminated against in many unions 2 See Section 4 below for the transcription of this story from Dolores Roque’s oral history recorded for the Bronx Latino History Project. 3 District 65 of the RWDSU eventually merged with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and became a local affiliated with that union. For a historical overview of this union, see “Guide to the United Automobile Workers of America, District 65 Records WAG.006,” Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, NYU, 2019, https://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/ html/tamwag/wag_006/bioghist.html; and Minna P. Ziskind, “Labor Conflict in the Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 3 �at the time. By this point, Evelina’s mother, two sisters, and some of her extended family had also moved to The Bronx, settling nearby on Concord Avenue. During these years, Evelina divorced her first husband and married Donato Antonetty, with whom she had her second daughter, Anita, and her only son Donald. Navigating the public school system with her three children and other parents in the neighborhood convinced Evelina that education advocacy was an urgent and much needed area of struggle, both in The Bronx and citywide. With community and family members, Evelina founded an organization called United Bronx Parents (UBP) in 1965 in order to train Bronx parents to advocate for their children’s language, cultural, and nourishment needs. Additionally, UBP organized bilingual adult education classes, served as a community center, offered a variety of employment and job training opportunities to youth, became involved in local struggles for healthcare justice, and fought for the people of The Bronx in a variety of other ways. UBP quickly grew to become one of New York City’s leading community organizations. By the early 1970s, UBP was distributing two meals a day to thousands of children in all five boroughs for the city’s new free summer breakfast and lunch program. Both through UBP and independently Evelina was deeply engaged in her community. After youth involvement in gangs experienced an uptick in The Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Evelina began approaching known gang leaders, befriending them, arranging for their employment, and supporting them throughout their rehabilitation. Additionally, Evelina and other community members drew attention to the abhorrent healthcare being provided at Lincoln Hospital and other “ghetto hospitals” (as they were called at the time). She and others, including groups like the Young Lords and Suburbs: Organizing Retail in Metropolitan New York, 1954–1958,” International Labor and Working‐Class History 64 (2003): 55–79. 4 STEVEN PAYNE �the Black Panthers, advocated for community control of these healthcare facilities.4 Evelina also supported Dr. Helen RodríguezTrías (1929–2001) and others at Lincoln Hospital who opposed the appointment of Dr. Antonio Silva, a doctor with a known history of mass sterilization of women in Puerto Rico.5 When the South Bronx and its people were depicted in racist and dehumanizing ways in films like Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), Evelina hit the streets in protest, always sticking up for her community.6 In short, Evelina was a loving sister, mother, and aunt, a fierce fighter, a mentor to many, an incredibly active and brilliant human being who loved The Bronx, its people, and all oppressed peoples worldwide. III. Oral History Narrators TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty contains selections from the oral histories of the following narrators, alphabetized by last name, all of whom have recorded at least one oral history for either the Bronx Latino History Project or the Bronx African American History Project. References to these oral histories are provided to facilitate further research about the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty. ANITA ANTONETTY is the daughter of Evelina and Donato Anto4 For recent treatments of struggles for community control of healthcare facilities in The Bronx, see Rachel Pagones, Acupuncture as Revolution: Suffering, Liberation, and Love (London: Brevis, 2021), especially chs. 1 and 3; and Johanna Fernández, The Young Lords: A Radical History (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2020), 271–304. 5 For a general history of mass sterlization campaigns among Puerto Ricans, see Laura Briggs, Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico (Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002), 142–161. A biography of Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías can be found in Joyce Wilcox, “The Face of Women’s Health: Helen Rodriguez Trias,” American Journal of Public Health (2002): 566–569. 6 See box 1, folder 3, “Committee Against Fort Apache,” The Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 5 �netty.7 DONALD ANTONETTY is the son of Evelina and Donato Antonetty.8 ELBA CABRERA is the youngest sister of Evelina.9 JOE CONZO, JR. is the grandson of Evelina and the son of Lorraine Montenegro, who was the oldest daughter of Evelina.10 CARINA MONDESIRE is the daughter of Paul Mondesire, the granddaughter of Elba Cabrera, and the great niece of Evelina.11 PAUL MONDESIRE is the younger son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.12 ANTONIO MONDESÍRE-CABRERA is the older son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.13 7 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty,” April 13, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 8 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty.” 9 “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 1,” November 16, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 2,” November 30, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 3,” December 6, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 4,” December 14, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 5,” December 22, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 6,” December 28, 2021; interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 10 “Oral History of Joe Conzo, Jr.,” May 9, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 11 “Oral History of Carina Mondesire,” December 14, 2021, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 12 “Oral History of Paul Mondesire, Part 1,” February 1, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 13 “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 1,” June 16, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne; “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 2,” September 22, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne and Pastor Crespo, Jr., The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical 6 STEVEN PAYNE �DOLORES ROQUE is a childhood friend of Evelina who went to elementary school with her in Puerto Rico.14 CLEO SILVERS is a community and labor organizer who was mentored by Evelina as a young activist in the South Bronx in the late 1960s and early 1970s.15 VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who frequented UBP when she was growing up.16 IV. Transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty The transcribed oral history collection below is organized into three sections: 1. Evelina’s Life, which includes selected narrations of different aspects of Evelina’s life, from early childhood through adulthood; 2. Evelina’s Struggles, comprised of selected narrations of activist struggles Evelina engaged in from the 1940s until her passing in 1984, with pride of place falling to UBP; and 3. Evelina’s Legacies, which contains selected narrations of the many legacies left behind in Evelina’s wake—from a passion for education to gang rehabilitation to mentoring and inspiring generations of community activists, family members, and Bronxites in general. Society Research Library. 14 “Oral History of Dolores Roque,” February 11, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 15 “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 1,” February 21, 2007; “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 2,” March 12, 2007; interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 16 “Oral History of Vivian Vásquez Irizarry,” February 18, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 7 �1. Evelina’s Life ELBA CABRERA: Well, I came to this country in 1935. My sister Evelina had—I was born, I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. And the day I was born, Evelina left to come to New York. She actually saw me— she saw my mother giving birth to me. And she said it was the hardest thing for her to leave, to leave her new baby sister. But my aunt [Vicenta Godreau], who had come to New York from Puerto Rico in 1923, had sent for her. And so, she was leaving. And that was actually September 10, 1933 that Evelina came to this country. And she was with my aunt. She landed in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, I think it was. And the boat was the, El Ponce. That was the name of the boat—boat or ship. When, when Evelina came, she went to live at 117th Street, in East Harlem. And it was, I think, off Fifth Avenue, I think. Because, you know, this is all what I’ve heard, you know. I wasn’t around. And so anyway, two years later, my aunt sent for us, sent for me and my mom and Lillian. And we came on the same ship and landed in Brooklyn as well. And we went to live with my aunt, and this was extended family living in Spanish Harlem. ANITA ANTONETTY: Well, how my mother [Evelina Antonetty] and my father [Donato Antonetty] ended up in The Bronx: well, my mother, when, when she came to this country, she lived in El Barrio in Harlem, East Harlem, New York, with her aunt, and then I believe what she told us was that when she, she got married to her first husband, she, they moved to The Bronx. That seemed to be the place people were going, a lot of people were coming to the Bronx, so they were in the South Bronx, Jackson Avenue. So, and then after she divorced her first husband, she and my, my sister Lorraine, were still there in Jackson Avenue. And her mother and her two sisters followed her to the, to The Bronx. That’s Elba 8 STEVEN PAYNE �and Lillian. And they lived on Concord Avenue, which was a block away from Jackson Avenue. My father came later, I think, around ’55 or so, came to New York. And, and his family also had come to, some of them had already come to New York—my aunt Santos and my other aunt Margo, came, came to New York. Santos lived in the same building, Jackson Avenue. Margo lived in Concord as well. So, we had, we had, we had family all around us. There was other friends also that lived [in] Union Avenue: Tini, Carmen. Carmen Muñoz was godmother to Donny. My, my godmother, Celia Avilés, at the time, lived in, in Jackson Avenue, 625 Jackson, [inaudible], too. So, it was a real family neighborhood, you know, besides being blood relatives, we were close to everybody. It was a very mixed neighborhood. It was, you know, Puerto Ricans, African Americans that came from the South. There were others: Irish; Jewish, mostly from, from Russia; and Chinese. There were Chinese people that lived in the neighborhood, too. So, it was a very mixed neighborhood, very working-class neighborhood. PAUL MONDESIRE: So, the anchor of our family was Titi—everybody called her “Titi.” That would be Dr. Evelina Antonetty. Titi and her family, when I was really, really, really young, they lived, I think it was there on Jackson Avenue. The address I’m remembering: 625 Jackson Avenue. But we used to go visit them all the time. We used to visit Aunt Lilly a lot. She and, she and my grandmother lived in the then new Bridge Apartments, there at 111 Wadsworth, in, you know, technically that’s Man-, Washington Heights. The Bridge Apartments at that time were brand, brand new. They, this was before they kind of turned into a sewer, you know, because that, that turned into a very harsh neighborhood. But Aunt Lilly moved out of there before then. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 9 �But, so, we would visit Titi and Aunt Lilly a lot. Lorraine and her kids. I mean, well, Titi was kind of the, she was the fulcrum. So, everybody went to Titi’s house, no matter what. Right? So, you know, holidays were spent going to Titi’s a lot. DOLORES ROQUE: Let me tell you: one time I went to get together, and we tried to make a pageant. And we made a pageant. And I say, “You know what? We’re gonna have Alma.” Alma was a girl, she was very nice, cute, but she had a cross-eye, and was cross-eyed. Her mother was separating from her father. But Titi and me, we decided to make the pageant. And I made the pageant. So, this man, he was a big man with money, like Alma’s father. They worked in the, in the corporation that then built [inaudible]. And this guy came over to me, and he says, “How much money do you need to make my daughter the queen?” The ticket was two cents —two cents, the ticket! Just [to] buy the stuff for the pageant, and, you know, for the—. So, and then we say, “No, we want to have —Alma will be the president.” And I said [to Titi], “You’re gonna be the, the princess.” So, we made the pageant, okay—the teacher doesn't know anything about it. We’re doing everything behind the teacher’s back. But it happened so that was the biggest event the school has, okay? Titi was the princess, and we made Alma the queen. That was Evelina and me in school, okay? They had a garden. And there we had a, they had a teacher. Mostly for the boys. For teaching gardening and stuff like that. And Titi and me went to see how they seed, plant the tomatoes, just to see. We don’t want to do it, but they don’t allow girls. It was only for the boys. We had to do something else. And Titi and me were there looking to see. And then I said, “I can do it.” Titi said, “I can do it.” 10 STEVEN PAYNE �2. Evelina’s Struggles ELBA CABRERA: This [pointing to a photograph] was during World War Two. We used to have rallies for the war effort, and Evelina was one of the main speakers [for an American Labor Party rally] with Jesús Colón, and two other women. And I have a cute story about that. I was, I was about, I don’t know, maybe seven, eight years old. And I was in the audience with Lillian, with my sister Lillian, and all of a sudden, the rains came. And I had this, they had given me like a costume with crepe paper, color, and the rains came, and all this dye came all over me. And I started crying out for Evelina. We used to call her “Titi.” I said, “Titi!” And, and Lillian says, “You can’t, she can’t come down, just stay with me.” But I’ll never forget that day. Above: Dr. Evelina Antonetty, 1980, Frank Espada, photographer, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 11 �PAUL MONDESIRE: I think the most important thing to recall about those years was Titi’s attitude was not by any means necessary. It was by every means necessary, okay? She worked with city, city administrations. She worked with folks that had less than savory reputations in certain places, because that’s what you had to do. But her personal integrity on this was unquestioned. Like I said, she wouldn’t mess around with those SEBCO [South East Bronx Community Organization] people, and they wouldn’t mess around with her. Think about, think about that. The mob wouldn’t f—k with Titi. The mob would not f—k with Titi. And yeah, I said it just like that. Yeah, that’s the kind of powerful person that she was. When she started United Bronx Parents [in 1965], it was first United Bronx Parents, as the, as the, you know, education advocacy organization. Then she started the daycare center, and the daycare center grew into, you know, ultimately serving, you know, all kinds of populations, you know, the, you know, folks that were, you know, recovering from drugs. And later on, when Lorraine was running the organization, she got into helping, you know, creating the women’s shelter. I don’t know as much about the details there. ANITA ANTONETTY: Besides being at Bank Street, after school, we were in United Bronx Parents. And, and since my mother’s consultations moved out of the house, we had to learn how to answer the phone properly. Take messages, all of that. And then in, in, in the office, we, if there was an event going on, and flyers were being run off, we, and we needed to collate material, it was all done by hand, machines, at the time, to do it. So, we were put to work. And we also learned how to sit at the switchboard and transfer calls and all of that. DONALD ANTONETTY: And Elba was the, the office manager. 12 STEVEN PAYNE �ANITA ANTONETTY: The office manager. DONALD ANTONETTY: She was a drill sergeant. ANITA ANTONETTY: She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t take anything from anybody. But we had, we had the run of the place pretty much. But we were in the middle of everything. DONALD ANTONETTY: But we were always expected to work. Always. Matter of fact, my father used to tell us, you know, since this is, you know, since it’s family-run, you’re expected to do more than anybody who was an employee there. Okay. Okay. Always. Always. ANITA ANTONETTY: [Our father] was integral to the operation. DONALD ANTONETTY: He used to translate all the documents into Spanish—like from Spanish to English, or mostly English to Spanish. So, all the, all the materials for the parents organizing, organizing, he would translate it. We always put out everything in English and Spanish. ANITA ANTONETTY: And by hand because it was two dictionaries and two thesauruses, and then just going back and forth. He would spend, spend nights doing that. And then if anything broke, he was fixing it. The machines broke, he would fix them. If, if something had, shelves had to be built, he was building them. But what was good about him is that he was working with people, and especially younger people, and showing them how to do: this is how you measure, this is how you cut, this is how you put it together, and all of that. Estella Rodríguez was the fiscal officer for the organization. She was a good friend. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 13 �DONALD ANTONETTY: She knew where every penny was. ANITA ANTONETTY: She made sure every penny was accounted for. Because in those days, you had to, because otherwise they’d shut you down in a minute. And I, I remember, she, one day her outrage, because they said, you know, they wanted all of the records. The next day, like nine o’clock in the morning, outraged that it was, anything would be wrong, but she made sure everything was right. Every payroll was met. Never, never missed the payroll. DONALD ANTONETTY: They had a great relationship with the banks, a great relationship with the banks. VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY: Well, the main community center that we were a part of was United Bronx Parents. So, I remember when we were young, we would go to St. Mary’s Park, and, you know, swim in the swimming pool at certain times of the year, but our, my, our main place was UBP. UBP—and, and for a little bit, St. Margaret’s, but not so much—UBP was a place where my sister, my oldest sister, worked year-round. And I worked there as a summer youth employment. But even going before that, you know—and I had not made this link until long afterwards—was that UBP provided free lunch, free breakfast and lunch. And so there were times during the summer where my mother would say, “Okay, go over there and go to 1-, PS 130. And get your lunch and your breakfast, you know, and bring, take—.” So, there were five of us. So, the five of us would go and, and get our sandwiches and our lunch. And you know, it was really great. And, you know, at that time, I don’t think I knew where that was coming from. But then eventually, you know, as I worked for the Summer Youth Employment Program, I think I worked for UBP, summer, maybe three years. And, and you know, we worked, we cleaned up the park and we, we went on trips, and it was the first 14 STEVEN PAYNE �time I think I went to Coney Island. You know, we were exposed to different places throughout the city. We had what I’ll call counseling sessions. At that time, they were called “rap sessions,” you know, where the older employees at UBP, the, the counselors would sit us down and talk to us about what was going on in our lives and, you know, build relationships with us so that I guess we could feel safe. I feel like that was important, you know, looking back, going to a safe place every day in the summer, you know, making friends, having fun, being engaged in, in fun activities, was, was important, was really important to me. DONALD ANTONETTY: But also, when they, you know, they, there was some mass sterilization program going on in Puerto Rico. The one heading that program, when he left there, he went to be the director of Lincoln Hospital. Keep up the “good” work. So, there was a lot of protest about that, a lot organizing about that. ANITA ANTONETTY: And then the stereotypes from Hollywood, so —that’s Fort Apache. That was a big deal, too. We were in the street every single day, every single day. DONALD ANTONETTY: It was the filming crew. One time we saw Paul Newman downtown. We chased him, saying, “Stop the racist movie!” 3. Evelina’s Legacies ANTONIO MONDESIRE-CABRERA: And Titi and Aunt Lilly, through embracing education—education is a universal, when we start understanding other people’s cultures, history, you get past all this stuff. Titi was very much influenced by [Vito] Marcantonio from, from, and LaGuardia, from East Harlem, Italian-American men who had a vision of a larger expanse. She loved Malcolm X. Don Pedro Albizu Campos. So, and of course, Aunt Lilly exposed me to so much. So, I’m trying to say is my formative years were very Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 15 �diverse, very rich, and allowed me—I’m very blessed, man. And I would like, I like to pass that on to people, because we’re living in very testy times now, very testy times. JOE CONZO, JR.: My grandmother never shunned or ran away from any community problems. And yes, there were a lot of gang problems at the time. She took in people like Benji Melendez from the Ghetto Brothers, the president of the Ghetto Brothers, she took in people from the Savage Skulls, all these community people. So, I knew them growing up. She, she involved them in her work and gave them their jobs, gave them jobs. Benji Melendez, you know, who, who had a brigade of, of gang members, who in, you know, a couple of thousand, will tell anybody today how Evelina Antonetty walked into their gang house, pointed them out, and said, “You want a job? Go home, take a bath, shave, and come see me.” And gave him his first job. But that’s how, she—she wasn’t afraid of anybody, because she was doing something for her people, her community. ESPERANZA MARTELL: I began doing activism in The Bronx with, I guess, the, the—’cause I’m trying to really place myself, right? So, in the late, I would say like in the late ’60s. When folks were fighting for community control, bilingual education, and childcare, basically. So, folks like Evelina Antonetty was the leading person in a lot of those struggles. She did a lot of coalition work, and was part of Brown vs. [Board of Education], right? So, you know, I was young, I was in my early 20s, or late teens, and I would come and support actions. CLEO SILVERS: Evelina Antonetty was the leader of United Bronx Parents. She organized all around the South Bronx [for] better education. Now, she had a team of people that worked with her. Ellen Lurie and Kathy Goldman. And Ellen and Kathy did the research. They gave the information to Evelina. She [made it where] parents could understand it and organized around absolute 16 STEVEN PAYNE �conditions inside of the schools, inside of the classrooms—they had information about what was going on inside each classroom. It was one of the most wonderful experiences that I had with Evelina. ELBA CABRERA: The losses for me, you know, my sisters, you know, it’s been really tough. It’s, it’s been a little hard. And especially when I start talking about them. But I have such good, good memories. So yes, so, at any rate, let me, let me backtrack a little bit with Lillian and Evelina, cause it’s important. They, they were my role models. And they, they felt that I, that I could do anything, but I didn’t feel that way. You know, they really, you know, nurtured me and helped me, and I appreciate that till now and forever. So, when Evelina comes to The Bronx now, you know, she’s already, she’s an adult, and she’s very clear as to what’s to be done. So, she gets, you know, she got involved with people, especially when she went to work at the union, too. Because she also was recruiting, recruiting Puerto Rican and other Latinos to work in the industries that they serviced. And she, she was there for quite a few years. I would say something like four years. Before that she had worked in the post office as well. Yeah, during the war. And then she worked at the union. So, you know, she was pretty active in, in her thoughts, you know, because she, she really, you know, I think she was born with, with her knowledge of people and what had to be done, I really do. I don’t think people can learn that, I think it has to come within you, you know, has to be something, your passion. And she had the passion for people. CARINA MONDESIRE: Really, where a lot of the voices [for change] are going to come from are, you know, really, from, like, people like Evelina, you know, who were out here speaking up for us, to make it better. So, I, it’s, maybe I, maybe I [should] just follow in her footsteps and start talking more, you know, but it’s, I don’t know. I guess it’s, it’s like I’ve seen, you know—again, I wasn’t, I wasn’t born Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 17 �for a lot of the struggles that they had to, you know, I wasn’t around a lot of the struggles they had to deal with. So, in a way, I’m ignorant, because I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t here. And I, you know, I’m lucky enough that, like, my family, you know, for the most part, we haven’t had to have been in the situation where we’re seeing the really hard times that you can face. I mean, the pandemic also showed a lot of that to me. You know, and I, and this is when I started hearing more stories of people struggling. So, I think that like, the hope is that we continue to, I guess, grow, but I don’t know if that’s the right word that I’m looking for. But it’s like we need better, and I—for sure Evelina was on track, and my grandmother [Elba] and Lillian for what they contributed, for sure, are, you know, some of the catalysts for creating that change. And I think we definitely need to keep going, you know. It’s one of those journeys, one of those journeys that doesn’t stop, you know, it’s like we have to keep going, and there’s gonna be a lot of things that we, I guess, face that, you know, are I guess—I guess “adversity,” if that’s the word? And, I mean, I don’t want to say that it’s okay. But that’s a part of it. So, going forward hopefully it’s just better, you know. 18 STEVEN PAYNE �KINGSBRIDGE VIGNETTES BY RICHARD L. BAUM I. Home Number 3P, 225 West 232nd Street—the three-room apartment located in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx, where I grew up with my parents and two sisters from the late 1940s into 1959, was often without heat in the winter. Cold enough that I slept wearing extra layers of clothing and heavy socks. On many winter mornings, my mother would ritually bang on the steam pipes in the vain hope that the super would see fit to raise the level of heat or repair the errant coal furnace. In 1959, after many years in 3P, we moved up, literally, into apartment 6D, a four-room apartment on the sixth and top floor, at the monthly rate of $100.12, a not inconsequential sum at that time. There had been an earlier opportunity to get a four-room apartment. Some years before, my father left a deposit with the building’s super for an apartment that had become available. Shortly thereafter, during my father’s weekly Gin Rummy card game, he mentioned his imminent move to the other players. Not long after, the super returned the deposit, stating that someone else got the apartment. This person turned out to be Mr. Rogers, an electrician, who had been one of the Gin Rummy players. Our new sixth-floor apartment allowed my parents to move out of the living room into their own bedroom. By this time, we were four souls, as my eldest sister Vilma had married two years earlier. Though Vilma missed the joy of this sunny, spacious apartment, our new living space had disabilities that 3P had not had, and Vilma escaped suffering these. The environmental conditions in this sixth-floor space were more Kingsbridge Vignettes 19 �severe than those in 3P. The new apartment was at the southeast corner of the building and overlooked a large open area that was intersected by the Broadway IRT elevated line. When we first moved in, the sound of the trains running along the track, up and down Broadway, interfered with both my studying and sleeping. After some time, I was able to develop the skill of filtering out the clickity-clack of the subway cars running along the glistening steel tracks. If a train was off schedule, however, its delay caused me to look up from whatever I was doing and anxiously wait for the sound of its approach. It was as if the world was out of balance without the sound of the train’s rhythmic passage occurring on cue. In the summer, the new apartment’s orientation, together with its open windows, allowed a crosswind partially to cool the apartment, which was excessively heated by the tarred roof directly above our apartment’s ceiling. The building’s electrical wiring was insufficient for window air conditioning, which was not yet common. Instead, we augmented the crosswind with a water-fed air conditioner that sat on a stand in the middle of the living room and cooled things a bit but added to the humidity. Despite the crosswind and the airconditioner, summer days in that apartment felt as if one were living in a broiler. The winter brought radically different conditions. Perversely, the refreshing summer crosswind was transformed, even with the windows closed, into a malevolent, howling wind that conspired with the rotten wooden window frames to cause severe freezing conditions in the apartment. It was as if there were no windows at all! Stuffing towels along the edges of the window frames seemed to have no measurable effect. On one particularly cold morning, after I had the courage to stick my head out from under my blanket, I scanned the room through the fog of my breath, and my gaze fell upon a square pane of glass. It 20 RICHARD L. BAUM �was frosted over by Jack, hanging by one corner from a wooden slat, swaying lazily in the breeze. Rather than take the chance that I might knock the pane to the street, I called my father. He casually entered the room while tucking his starched white shirt into his pants, immediately sized up the problem, cinched his belt, and slowly reached for the glass pane. As his fingers closed around the glass, the pane, as if in spite, suddenly slipped. Before he could react, it plummeted to the street six stories below, tumbling, flat-end over flat-end, into the distance. Luckily, it was about 7:15 in the morning, and only one person was on the way to work. To our relief, the pedestrian, who was on the opposite side of the street, did not react to the sound of the glass shattering on the sidewalk. II. Play On school-day afternoons, my friends and I would play in front of our building, which was sandwiched on a steep hill between Broadway on the east and Kingsbridge Avenue on the west. The girls would jump rope (sometimes double-dutch) to the rhythm of sung doggerel, or play Potsy, a variation of Hopscotch, tossing house keys into numbered rectangles chalked onto the sidewalk. The boys devoted their free time either to curb ball or to hide-and-seek. Other kids donned roller skates, consisting of four metal wheels, metal tabs, extending outward from the base of the skate, fitted onto the soles of one’s leather shoes (sneakers would not work) and tightened in place with a key. Every now and again, while we were peacefully engrossed in play, kids from Godwin Terrace, sensing an opportunity, would gather into a mob and run full tilt toward us in an attempt to disrupt our fun. Godwin Terrace was perpendicular to our street and, invariably, we spotted the growing mob and would run into the lobby of our Kingsbridge Vignettes 21 �building, locking the heavy iron and glass door behind us. There came a time when I was fed up and, as the mob galloped down Godwin Terrace towards number 225, I refused to flee, despite the entreaties of my friends cowering in the lobby. Just as my friends slammed the heavy metal door shut, the gang rolled over me, like an ocean storm wave, pummeling me with projectiles from peashooters and zip guns. I was hit in the face but stoically kept my ground, standing upright and facing my tormentors, too small to hit back effectively. III. Halloween Halloween was a particularly risky time to be on neighborhood streets. In 1952, when I was eight, I happened to have an early evening dentist appointment with Dr. Cacecci, whose office was on the northwest corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 231st Street (in later years it became the community office for Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz). The route to the dentist, south along Kingsbridge Avenue, took me past a row of bushes, directly opposite Naples Terrace, that concealed an empty lot. In late October it was already dark at 5:00 PM at that latitude of The Bronx. The depth of the darkness was compounded since that area of the borough is in a valley formed by the Riverdale Ridge to the west and the Fordham Ridge overlooking Bailey Avenue, east of Broadway. I was alone on the avenue. As I approached the darkened lot, the bushes ominously rustling by the breeze, I was overcome by a sense of foreboding. With images of the headless horseman and Ichabod Crane haunting my thoughts, I increased my pace to get past the shadowy bushes. Forewarned too late by muffled giggling coming from behind the bushes, I was set upon by several boys armed with pastel chalk who proceeded to throw me to the ground. They held me down while they basted me from head to toe, front to back, with purple, green, red, blue, and yellow pastel chalk. Not an inch of 22 RICHARD L. BAUM �my clothing, hair, hands, or face was spared. Satisfied with their handiwork, the boys let me up. Otherwise not worse for the experience, I scurried off to a worse fate at the dentist. IV. Neighbors In about 1951, during the Korean War, a Chinese family, consisting of two parents, a daughter, and a son, moved into the neighborhood, opening a laundry a short distance west of Broadway on the north side of 232nd Street, just as the street began to rise toward Kingsbridge Avenue. I became friendly with the family’s son. On his birthday, soon after the family had moved in, his parents decided to buy him a miniature gas station he had spied in a candy store on the northern side of 231st Street, just east of Kingsbridge Avenue. I was invited to come along with the entire family on their buying expedition. The parents wanted to take the short route to the store that would take them up (i.e., south) along Godwin Terrace and then down a flight of steps to West 231st Street, rather than walking south along the busier Broadway to 231st Street and then west to the candy store. I tried to dissuade them from the Godwin Terrace route, as I was well aware that the kids on Godwin Terrace did not take kindly to outsiders. However, due to the parents’ not taking a child’s concerns seriously, they confidently led our little group along the most logical path. As we passed along Godwin Terrace, I continuously glanced left and right, on the lookout for trouble. The outbound trip turned out to be uneventful. However, the brutes that lived along our route had been alerted by the passage of our defenseless squad. While returning, our small party being distracted by the birthday toy gas station, the “Godwin Terrace Gang,” now organized, pounced. We were forced to flee towards the laundry with projectiles buzzing through the air. It was only upon entering the store that I saw my friend’s mother bleeding profusely from a cut in the fleshy part of her face just below her eye. She was lucky: a Kingsbridge Vignettes 23 �little bit higher and she might have lost that eye. With the assault continuing, I ran from the store in an attempt to get help, but not being successful, I rejoined my friends to share their fate. A few days after the assault, I returned to their store to visit. The store was dark and deserted. Sadly, the Chinese family was gone. V. School Public School 7 is the successor to Grammar School 66. Located at the northwest corner of Church Street and Weber’s Lane, today’s Kingsbridge Avenue and 232nd Street, PS 7 opened for classes on November 11, 1895. This structure was made of what appears to be, to a non-geologist such as myself, reddish-brown sandstone. There was a medieval-looking tower dominating the main entrance. When I attended the school, beginning in 1949, the school had clearly been expanded. There was an enclosed, brick bridge connecting a brick building to the old sandstone structure. The entire complex was raised above street level and accessed by twin staircases leading to two large schoolyards. The school grounds extended from Kingsbridge Avenue west to Corlear Avenue and north to 233rd Street. If one looked carefully, one could see that some doors leading into the school had the word “Girls” inscribed over it, and others were labeled “Boys.” The north yard was the boys’ yard where they lined up every school-day morning waiting for their teachers to lead them to their classrooms. The south yard, known as the girls’ yard, was where the girls lined up for classes. Only the youngest children were intermingled, boys with girls. On rainy or snowy days, we lined up in the indoor yard, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. The indoor space doubled as the hot-lunch room and always had a strong, almost nauseating, smell of oranges and tomato soup. Most children walked home for lunch, since families in which both 24 RICHARD L. BAUM �parents worked were in the minority in the neighborhood. Those few children who could not go home were doomed to eat in that odiferous atmosphere. Sometime in the 1950s the influence of our Puritan past began to wane, and boys and girls were allowed to line up together in the south yard. The north yard was reserved for the upper grades. It was a great thrill when I was finally old enough to be in the north schoolyard. I was fascinated by the large, faded, white circle painted on the north yard’s pavement, with the names of countries printed along its radii. I was instantly attracted to the name Turkey, which I was certain was a bird! To my knowledge, neither teacher nor students ever used this circle, which lay there, mute, like an ancient artifact, its function lost to the ages. Above: View looking northwest to the corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 230th Street, a couple blocks south of the author’s apartment, 1981. From the AF705–Kingsbridge Avenue–230th St. folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Kingsbridge Vignettes 25 �A fence of black, cast-iron bars stood guard around the perimeter of the school’s two concrete yards. The tip of each bar was shaped into a spike to discourage trespassers. After school and during summer, when the gates were closed, the local kids, myself included, undiscouraged by the quiet threat of the spikes, would confidently climb over the spiked fence to get into the schoolyard in order to play either basketball or stickball. The schoolyard was the site of the sole neighborhood basketball hoops. Stickball could not be played with pitching in the street because the ball would be too easily lost. In the schoolyard, we played stickball by pitching a pink Spalding —pronounced in the local vernacular as “spaldeen”—against a wall which was inscribed with a chalked rectangular strike zone as a backstop. During my earliest years at the school, I learned how to churn butter in Miss Minahan’s class, went on nature walks around the neighborhood, and listened, enthralled, to stories read by my teacher in the quiet of the cool, shady children’s library, then on Kingsbridge Avenue adjacent to St. John’s Church. Each school-day morning I would look forward to arriving at PS 7, a short walk from where I lived, because it was always warm there. After the mid-morning milk break, it was my task to collect and carry the students’ empty waxed cardboard half-pint milk cartons to the basement coal-burning furnace for incineration. The janitor always allowed me to sit on an upturned wooden milk crate placed in front of the furnace’s open door and luxuriate in the warmth of the heat radiating from the glowing orange-red stones of coal that were uniformly spread on the furnace bed. After a few short minutes I had to be on my way back to the classroom, otherwise I would be missed. By three in the afternoon, however, it was a great relief to be crossing Kingsbridge Avenue and heading eastward down the hill towards home. 26 RICHARD L. BAUM �I walked to school with Stanley and Peter. These two boys lived in my building and were my best friends. Each school morning, as we reached Kingsbridge Avenue, a half block from where we lived, we had to wait for the school crossing guard to allow us to cross. The guard, an older boy, wore a broad white belt that wound its way around his waist and diagonally across his chest, and to which was attached an official, gleaming metal badge. The crossing guard was responsible for the safety of children crossing the intersection. One autumn school morning, the raw gusts of wind swirled brittle brown leaves around our feet as the three of us approached the Kingsbridge intersection. The traffic light changed from green to red. The guard dutifully put his arms out to prevent us from crossing. Peter, a sensitive boy, became upset at having his path blocked and began to cry and scream for his mother. He turned and ran hysterically down the long hill toward Broadway, which his mother was approaching after having just left us in front of our building. Peter’s mother, with Peter in tow, walked the two blocks uphill to where Stanley, the crossing-guard, and I were standing, stunned and frozen in place at this unfathomable display. His mother, on reaching us, calmly asked me for an explanation and then, satisfied that nothing untoward had caused Peter’s upset, said goodbye and went on her way, leaving us to finish our trip. Peter later attended MIT and went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from Brown University. One of the most profound lessons I learned at PS 7 occurred on the first day of school, at the start of fifth grade, in the north schoolyard. In a moment of idleness and indiscretion, while waiting on line with the other students to be escorted to our classroom by our new teacher, Miss Scanlon, I puffed up my cheeks! Miss Scanlon took umbrage at the pair of distended organs, distorting the otherwise perfectly straight line of children, and declared that if the culprit did not reveal himself, the entire class would be kept after school. Kingsbridge Vignettes 27 �Mean-spiritedness, pettiness, group responsibility for the acts of individual members of the group, and the threat of peer revenge were the lessons of the day, distasteful lessons that I have not yet forgotten. In the sixth grade, I achieved a score on the Iowa Achievement Exam equivalent to that expected in the tenth grade in English and in the twelfth grade in Mathematics. My teacher, Mrs. Curley, surprised at this result (as was I), called me to her desk in the front of the room and charged me with cheating by copying from Richard C. This was patently absurd. Richard C. was illiterate. At dinner that night, I told my father what had happened in the childish expectation that he would be enraged and defend my honor to the death. However, without raising his head from Life Magazine, and between swallows of his evening fare, he calmly, and with then unappreciated wisdom, advised me to tell the teacher to give me the test again. Mrs. Curley declined his suggestion. At the end of the term the good teacher assuaged her guilt at making a false charge by presenting me with an award, signed by the principal, Carmela Nesi, for the student who improved the most during the school year. At home, I was about to tear up the award when my mother grabbed it from me and kept it for herself for decades. I found it among her papers after she passed away. In respect of her wishes, I have continued to preserve the award. 28 RICHARD L. BAUM �ALLERTON IN THE 1940S AND 1950S BY ROBERT WEISS The time period about which I am writing encompasses the midforties to the mid-fifties. Much of which characterized that period, for the most part, has been swept away by time, never to return.1 I. Streets Allerton Avenue was bordered on either side by perpendicular side streets bearing such names as Mace, Barnes, and Holland. I never knew how these streets were named. To the east, Allerton crossed Boston Road, a very busy road, the crossing of which required pedestrians to take their life into their hands. Walking under the elevated train tracks, heading in a westerly direction, one would encounter Bronx Park, our neighborhood’s lush, flora- and faunafilled boundary. The avenue and perpendicular side streets broke the neighborhood up into blocks. The actual size of the avenue covered an area of about 24 of these rectangular blocks. The whole thing could easily be walked in a relatively short time. Two blocks were divided in half by alleyways. Bordering either side of these dirt roads were the rear entrances of the block’s row houses, gardens, and garages. The alleys also permitted the Allerton Avenue inhabitants to take a mid-block shortcut by car or foot. For us kids, they were our country dirt roads. II. Hanging Around A well-known singing group performed a song entitled “Old Folks,” the lyrics of which paint a vivid picture of elderly people sitting on park benches, enshrouded in oversized overcoats with newspapers 1 This article is excerpted from selections of an unpublished manuscript by the author about his childhood growing up in the Allerton section of The Bronx. Readers interested in obtaining additional selections or the manuscript itself should write to the author at BRRS137@AOL.COM. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 29 �blowing around tips of high black shoes. These lyrics captured what I would see in my neighborhood on almost any winter’s day. Wooden boxes, however, were more the seat of choice, primarily because of their portability and easy access. These boxes could be strategically positioned in front of neighborhood stores or a sunny avenue spot. The tops of these crude seats were usually covered with newspapers, providing some degree of cleanliness and protection from splinters, the titles of which included: The Daily News, The New York Post, The World Telegram and Sun, The Freiheit, The Daily Worker, The Forverts (The Jewish Forward), The Herald Tribune, The Daily Mirror, or The New York Times. In addition to newspapers, other convenient forms of printed material were drafted into service. Above: Allerton Avenue, looking west from Barnes Avenue, 1993, showing various more recent shops. Although the kosher delis and appetizing stores have disappeared, along with much of the Jewish community in the neighborhood, Allerton Avenue is still lined with stores and restaurants to this day. From the AF19–Allerton Avenue–Barnes Avenue folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 30 ROBERT WEISS �These crude seat boxes usually weren’t schlepped home. Rather, they were left behind to provide another elderly person with a place to perch. III. Kosher Deli Then there was the Kosher delicatessen or deli, as it was commonly called. Such delicacies as pastrami, hot dogs, corned beef, mustard, and sauerkraut were available to be ordered by a waiter and eaten off a square table. The waiter would walk up to the table. Usually he was a gray-haired, balding, old guy. He wore a white apron with stains. The waiter was boss. He would look down at you and command, in his heavy accent, “So vot do you vant?” As he reached across the table, distributing metal eating implements, his sleeve would ride up, sometimes exposing numbers across his wrist. At that time, I never knew where he got the number tattoo. Regular hot dogs might be wrapped in two types of casings. One was real cow’s intestine and the other casings were made in a plastics factory. “Specials” were super-duper fat hot dogs. Both hot dogs and “specials” were attached to their own kind by either string or twisted extensions of the casing. This enabled the franks to be hung along with the Kosher salami on the rear wall behind the counter man. Should you decide “take out,” the accompanying deli mustard was stored in a stiff cone-shaped piece of shiny, stiff paper. To release the spicy yellow-brown mustard, the rolled-up tube was squeezed while the tube tip rested on whatever was to be covered. Sour pickles were found on all the tables, which caused the whole joint to wreak of garlic. Kosher salami seemed to contain about thirty percent meat, seventy percent fat. After eating a salami sandwich on rye with mustard, it might be stored in the body for an untold period of time. You were reminded of this by the repeated belching and acidic regurgitation during repetitive garlicky heart-burn episodes. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 31 �A favorite side dish was something called kishke, the more sophisticated Jewish name for stuffed derma. Kishke was made by stuffing cow’s intestines with some kind of yellowish, grainy, fatty, garlickytype of substance. It was served as fried slices. The casing was eaten along with the stuffing. Again, a health department genius came up with the idea that eating cow intestines was not good for you. Consequently, most kishke factories, like the hot dog factories, replaced the animal intestine with a casing made of plastic. Before consuming the kishke, the plastic had to be peeled off and placed on the side. I am sure that at some time, in some deli somewhere, this plastic caused choking or inadvertently was used as dental floss. In addition to laws preventing the shaking of dust mops and the burning of leaves, and doing away with intestine casings, a law should have been passed stipulating a label to accompany plasticwrapped delicacies. The label would have read: “Warning! Remove the plastic ring before eating the kishke or hot dogs or you run the risk of dying.” Before the lights went out, there would be an old man in a dirty apron standing over the gasping patron making a loud official announcement: “Pay up front.” As previously mentioned, people never gave much thought about eating healthy. If you wanted to see an unhealthy, happy person, go to a Kosher deli and look at the regulars. They often tipped the scale at about 300 pounds. “Spit Puss” owned the only Jewish appetizing store on the avenue. The Legend of Spit Puss originated with the recognition of the accumulation of foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. He never seemed to object to the name. It was almost a form of homey marketing. Spit Puss’s appetizing store was about the size of a large walk-in closet. The outside of the store had windows opaque with filth. If the name of the appetizing store wasn’t written on the front, one would think that an illegal card game was going on the other side of the front wall. 32 ROBERT WEISS �Looking through the front during a hot summer day, I could see old people, the women with their house dresses and the men clutching their wife’s shopping list. The women all had raised fists grasping shopping lists, eagerly trying to push in front of the other 99 patrons. The floor creaked under the load. The place was always wall-to-wall people as the merchandise hung or fell off the rickety shelves. The shelved packages consisted of canned foods, cellophane bags, and bottled liquids. When you walked through the entrance of the store, immediately to your left was something like a counter with glass display cases. Only a limited area of about five feet was used for business transactions. Inside the display cases were such exotic delicacies as smoked sturgeon, smoked carp, lox, pickled herring in sour cream and onions, pickled herring without sour cream, just onions, jars of salmon caviar, smoked white fish, and sable. There was no doubt that the display case contained the body or body parts of dead animals. Some of the smoked fish still had their heads, sunken eyes, gills, mouths including teeth and fins. The guts were removed prior to the smoking process, as viewed through an abdominal slit. Also, occupying space behind the counter sat bulk cream cheese, something called pot cheese, butter, and farmer cheese. Except for the caviar, all others were out of package lying in pans or on clean white pieces of packaging paper. I remember the store, stinking of a pungent fishy, pickley, garlicy odor. No other store on the avenue could claim that distinct stink. The Jewish deli odor was far different from the scent of stinky feet imported from Italy. Spit Puss would yell over the counter, “Vot you vant?” Behind the counter display cases, Spit Puss marched back and forth with his belly polishing the steel molding of the counter as he fulfilled the orders shot at him from the opposite side. The orders were to Spit Puss like a starting gun to a runner. He would run from one section of the counter to the other with a “clop! clop!” sound emanating from the soles of his feet as they struck the wooden floor boards behind the counter. The sharp eyes of Spit Puss’s customers could Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 33 �clearly see what they were ordering. In heavy accents, you could hear, “Dalink, you should slice me quarter pound lox, a nice piece of carp, not the end, the middle, and I vant a small vite fish.” “Dalink, the lox you should give me: Belly, not Novi. It’s too expensive.” “Don’t give me any bleck pieces and the vite fish, not dat vun, da fet vun.” The orders were put on the scale and a price was determined. The items were then wrapped in yellowish white wrapping paper and secured with cellophane tape. They were handed across the counter or placed on top of the display case. “So how moch I owe you?” the customer would yell out. A tally was made by using a pencil, pulled from Spit Puss’s ear. The numbers were scribbled and summed up on the brown paper bag, into which the filled order was to be placed. A monetary exchange, and “Next!” Spit Puss yelled out. Sometimes, this started an all-out war. Mostly, the women would start bellowing phrases such as, “Vot are you doink, it is my toin.” “No it’s not your toin.” “I’m next!” a voice somewhere in the crowd would spring forth from the crowd. “I was here foist,” someone else would yell. A brief skirmish might ensue. In the name of fairness and to break up the log-jam, a small jury would form, providing patrons the opportunity to invest their two cents. “I tink she vus here foist,” an arbitrator would announce. The offended customer would respond with a, “I neva hoid soch a thing!” “Next!” Spit Puss would once again yell out to his audience. He was protected by this no man’s land of counter space and display cases. Spit Puss never got involved in the store wars. Everyone knew where Spit Puss’s appetizing store was located. The whole front of the store and somewhat extending outside was a stink that no other avenue store possessed. On the sidewalk, in front of the store, were these four-foot-high, brown, grungy-looking wooden barrels. One barrel contained very sour pickles, another barrel contained not-so-sour pickles, and the third barrel contained a 34 ROBERT WEISS �powerfully strong, fishy-smelling stuff. Floating in this barrel were what appeared to be rotten fish in an equally putrid looking liquid. This was the schmaltz herring barrel. The last barrel contained madjes herring. The contents of this barrel contained what looked like reddish-colored schmaltz herrings. It had the “fency” name: “Herring in wine sauce.” Eventually, the health department deemed that the outside uncovered barrels were a health hazard. It did make some sense. The fact that they were open to the public made the barrels a target for all kinds of foreign stuff. Should anything be thrown or dropped in, like bird shit, no one would have been the wiser. Spit Puss was now required, by law, to store all barreled products inside closed plastic containers inside the store. The familiar and odd aroma that diffused from the appetizing store and into the neighborhood declined significantly. This was a small price to pay for the fact that the people of our neighborhood, both consumers and just plain “sniffers,” were, once again, saved from some horrific disease. Allerton Avenue was getting safer and safer as a result of these various health regulations. Everything in the Jewish appetizing store took on its unique garlicky odor, including the people who worked there. A good friend, Dave Leher, may he rest in peace, worked all day in an appetizing store. After work, he would drop by our clubroom, of which he was a member. This was usually a pre-shower visit. He wore the same stained apron from work into our subterranean clubroom. The air was unusually close, in that the basement room had no windows. Needless to say, when Dave paid us a visit, he brought with him every possible garlicky, fishy stink that pervaded his workplace. Upon his entrance, the appetizing molecules would release themselves from Dave and diffuse into the surrounding clubroom atmosphere. This would create a great uproar punctuated by a barrage of curses such as, “Dave, get the f—k out of here.” Dave Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 35 �would stand his ground with a self-satisfied toothy grin on his face. We couldn’t decide whether to kick him above ground, rip his clothes off, or put him on a bagel with cream cheese and eat him. IV. Our Bronx Park Oasis We lived close to a New York oasis rivaled only by the forests, fields, streams, and lakes of Central Park in Manhattan. What Central Park was to Manhattan, Bronx Park was, and still is, to The Bronx. All we had to do was walk six blocks west from my apartment house to the Bronx Park perimeter. The park stretches approximately two-thirds the length of The Bronx. The northern part sits close to the borders of suburban Westchester. Southern Bronx Park dipped into what might presently be described as the more congested and industrial area of The Bronx. Most of the buildings consisted of old, pre-war apartment houses interspersed with private homes. Going back in time, the inhabitants were made up of Black, Puerto Rican, Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants. Many were poor, lower-middle-, and working-class people. It could be said that Bronx Park was an emerald-green oasis that was divided into three main sections. The northernmost part is Bronx Park proper. Traveling southward, the park included the Botanical Garden, which merged with the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo had fences that defined its borders. Bronx Park proper and the Botanical Garden had no such barriers of demarcation. Each melded into the other. I could ride my bike and enter without paying a penny through Bronx Park proper and continue “freely” into the Botanical Gardens and finally into the Bronx Zoo. Within park sections, one could find small lakes, large rock outcroppings, caves, streams, a river, swamps, fields, waterfalls, forests, ball fields, playgrounds, bicycle paths, hiking paths and handball courts. Bicycle paths enabled us to gain access to everywhere. 36 ROBERT WEISS �The lakes and the surrounding parkland contained various forms of animal life. Varieties of fish included perch, eels, bass, sunfish, carp, and minnows. Amphibians included frogs and salamanders. Reptiles included varieties of snakes and turtles. Many of these beasts were caught and kept as pets. We frequently saw mammals rushing the leaves such as water rats, musk rats, plain-old rat rats, mice, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, and finally birds, the listing of which would be too numerous. V. The Grand Finale As time moved on, values and behaviors changed frequently. These changes occurred subconsciously. It was after Buzz’s and my high school graduation, when he turned to me and said, “We are getting to be too old to do some of the things we use to do.” After all the sloppy kisses and well wishes finished, we ran home, pulled off our suit, tie, and fancy shirt and replaced them with old jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts. RoRo, the family dog, was leashed, and off to the park we went. We ended up at the bank of the Bronx River. Sitting on the shore, we spotted a muddy and rusted cement bin, the kind construction workers mix cement in. After a moment of planning, we slipped it into the river and each of us, including RoRo, gingerly climbed in. With a stick, we pushed off from shore. Slowly we drifted downstream, for the first time seeing the park from a different vantage point. Here we were, the three of us together, “Rub a dub, dub, three schmucks in a tub.” Suddenly, for some reason, only the golfball-sized brain of the dog understood. RoRo decided to abandon ship. In his enthusiasm to leap, he flipped the cement bin. While on board, a careful balance was maintained. Once the dog left, there was no more careful balance. Buzz and I became a part of the floating wood, leaves, and other debris in the river. It was easy enough to get to shore. The river was never very wide. Climbing onto shore was another matter. The bank was slippery with muddy, grey silt. By the time we reached a solid grassy area, we were soaked, Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 37 �but even worse, we were covered from head to toe with caked mud. Outfitted in our muddy attire, we walked right down the center of Allerton Avenue. It was a spectacle that captured a lot of attention: muddy me, Buzzy, and RoRo. Here we were, high school graduates, looking more like smelly rock people that appeared in an old Flash Gordon movie. It would be impossible for me to describe the expression on Lena and Mom’s face when they confronted the three of us in the street. Lena laughed. Mom, with a serious, straight face asked, “When are you kids going to grow up? You’re too old to be doing this nonsense. Look how filthy you are, and you stink!” 38 ROBERT WEISS �A TRIBUTE TO BOB GUMBS AND HARRIET MCFEETERS BY MARK NAISON I. Bob Gumbs (1939–2022) Bob Gumbs was a brilliant graphic designer and publisher who played a pioneering role in the Black Arts movement in the 1950s and early 1960s, and then 40 years later, played a central role in the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. Brought up on Lymon Place, a small street in the Morrisania section of The Bronx that played an important part in American jazz history because jazz pianists Elmo and Bertha Hope resided there and Thelonious Monk visited regularly, Bob was part of a small group of young Bronxites who sponsored jazz concerts in the borough in the middle of the 1950s to call attention to jazz as an art form of African origin. Even in later years when he moved to Harlem and became a graphic designer whose work highlighted Black history and culture, The Bronx held a special place in his heart, and when he read an article about a Fordham professor who started an oral history project with Black residents of the Patterson Houses, he contacted that professor to urge him to include Morrisania, which he called “The Harlem of The Bronx.” This began a 20-year collaboration that turned The Bronx African American History Project into one of the premier community-based oral history projects in the nation. Bob helped organize over a hundred oral history interviews, participated in scores of community tours, was responsible for landmarking several streets and parks in the Morrisania neighborhood, and collaborated on Before The Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930s to the 1960s (Fordham University Press, 2016), which transformed the dominant narrative of Bronx history to include Black experiences and perspectives. Bob also appeared on numerous radio and teleA Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 39 �vision shows highlighting Black contributions to Bronx history, and helped create an exhibit at The Bronx County Historical Society with that as its theme! Finally, at a time when the world honors The Bronx’s role in the creation of hip hop, Bob made sure, through his joyous but relentless activism, that the world also recognized The Bronx’s contribution to jazz from the mid ’40s through the late ’60s, not only as a place where the most important jazz artists of that era performed regularly but also where many of them lived. Bob Gumbs was one of those rare individuals who changed the way people defined themselves and interpreted their own histories. As a creative artist and community historian, he helped people see The Bronx as a site of unparalleled cultural creativity and a true melting pot for peoples of the African Diaspora. The Bronx African American History Project would not have had a fraction of its influence and historic reach without Bob Gumbs’s guidance. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and all his collaborators in the Black Arts movement and The Bronx African American History Project. II. Harriet McFeeters (1926–2022) Harriet McFeeters was one of The Bronx’s greatest educators and a driving force behind the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. A graduate of Hunter College who lived her entire adult life in her family’s brownstone on 168th Street between Union and Prospect Avenues in the Morrisania section, Harriet was a fixture in Bronx schools for almost 50 years, serving as a teacher, principal, staff developer, and assistant district superintendent. 40 MARK NAISON �Harriet, who was as passionate about learning as she was about teaching and who was deeply committed to the children of The Bronx, left an indelible mark on everyone who encountered her. More than 300 people, most of them fellow educators, came to her 90th birthday celebration several years ago and spoke of her with reverence and affectionate humor, as Harriet was a person who commanded every room she was in. But though Harriet radiated intellect and power, she also was a kind, generous person who created a sense of community among those she worked with, and her friends represented every cultural group in The Bronx. My own connection with Harriet came in the spring of 2003 when we started The Bronx African American History Project. I was put in touch with Harriet by her brother, Jim Pruitt, former director of the Upward Bound Program, who told me that Harriet, who had recently retired, was passionately interested in Bronx African American history and would have a lot to contribute to our research. That proved to be a considerable understatement. Once she discovered what we were trying to do, Harriet literally took command of The Bronx African American History Project’s research on Morrisania, helping us recruit interview subjects, identifying important community institutions, and holding events at her home on 168th Street, where she took a particular interest in the brilliant young research assistants I hired, to whom Harriet became a surrogate grandmother. Along with Bob Gumbs, another brilliant product of the Black Morrisania community, Harriet helped recover the lost history of a Black community in The Bronx, which produced several generations of professionals in a wide number of fields and created as many varieties of popular music as any neighborhood in the United States. It was Harriet who introduced us to Valerie Capers, the great jazz pianist, educator, and composer, whose concerts and performances became a fixture for The Bronx African American History Project’s A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 41 �staff, and who alerted us to the significance of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church and its brilliant minister Rev. Edler Hawkins, who mentored so many of the great leaders who came out of Morrisania. Until her health began to falter a few years ago, Harriet was a fixture at The Bronx African American History Project’s conferences, concerts, and interviews at Fordham, where she was as commanding a presence as she was in Bronx public schools. She also made a huge contribution to the Project via our fundraising, both through her individual donations and by encouraging others to contribute. As I write this tribute, with tears in my eyes, I will close with this final comment. Although Harriet’s degrees were in education, not history, and although she spent her life working in public schools, Harriet was as much a historian as any professor working at our most distinguished universities. When I first learned that Morrisania was the community where The Bronx African American History Project should concentrate its research, it was Harriet who told us how the community evolved, who its most important leaders were, which schools and churches we should focus on, and who we should interview. Of the more than 100 interviews we did with Morrisania residents past and present, more than half came through Harriet. Without her guidance, the Project would not have had the fraction of the influence it ultimately attained. We can learn so much from the example Harriet McFeeters set. Harriet was passionately devoted to learning about and teaching Black history. She fought hard to have it included in public school curricula and made it an integral part of her pedagogy. But she did so in a way that drew everyone around her in, insisting that Black history was everyone’s history, that learning it would uplift all who possessed that knowledge and would help people from all backgrounds better understand their American journey. That is one of the reasons why so many teachers who were Jewish, Italian, Irish, 42 MARK NAISON �and Puerto Rican joined their Black fellow educators in paying tribute to Harriet at her 90th birthday celebration. Harriet spread knowledge but she also spread love. She embodied the highest values of The Bronx and its people. She may have passed on, but her spirit lives in the tens of thousands of people she touched as an educator and in the publications and digital archive of The Bronx African American History Project, where Harriet McFeeters’s vision of community history has been brought to life. Above: Members of The Bronx African American History Project at Harriet McFeeters’s family home on East 168th Street in Morrisania, December 2003. Pictured in front row, left to right, are Michelle Tollinici, Harriet PruitMcFeeters, Joyce Tolliver, and Kevin Ross. Pictured in back row, left to right, are Bess Pruitt, Mark Naison, Claude Mangum, Bob Gumbs, Patricia Wright, and Candace Lee. Courtesy of the author. A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 43 �ABOUT THE AUTHORS STEVEN PAYNE is Director of The Bronx County Historical Society and social historian whose interests in Bronx history span community activism; underground music and art cultures; organized labor; race, class, and gender; housing struggles, and more. He records oral histories for The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. RICHARD BAUM grew up in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx during the 1950s and 1960s and writes about his experiences growing up in the neighborhood. ROBERT WEISS, who came of age in the Allerton neighborhood of The Bronx during the 1940s and 1950s, has authored an unpublished manuscript about his childhood in Allerton, selections of which are printed here. MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture, and education policy. �FROM THE ARCHIVES A HISTORY OF AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ IN THE BRONX FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Editor’s Note: The below piece comes from an untitled, unpublished, and unatributed manuscript included in the David M. Carp papers on Latin Jazz in The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Slight edits have been made for style and clarity throughout and are indicated by text in [brackets].1 I. Introduction New York City is among the most ethnically diverse places in the entire world. Since it was founded, New York has served as the chief center for immigration in the country, and its population continues to grow and diversify. Without a doubt, the largest percentage of immigrants in New York speaks Spanish. In the borough of The Bronx, Latinos make up half of the population, far more than any other demographic. Latino immigrants have always blessed New York City with their culture and traditions, music and art. The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in Manhattan and The Bronx illustrates the marriage of traditional Latino customs and the native music of New York City. During the early years of the twentieth century, music in Cuba was a 1 A note at the bottom of the manuscript reads: “All information used for this ar- ticle came from interviews from the David Carp Collection, courtesy Bronx County Historical Society. The following interviews were conducted by David Carp unless otherwise noted: Mario Bauzá, 2/8/89; Mario Bauzá, 4/18/91; Willie Colón (undated); José Curbelo, 10/3/93; Graciela Pérez (interviewed by Max Salazar), 5/10/85; Joe Orange, 2/6/99; José Mangual, Jr., 11/8/98; Eddie Palmieri, 8/13/98; Frank Rivera, 6/8/97; Mark Weinstein 11/24/96.” A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 45 �way of life. Parents would teach their children the basics of Cuban music as a birthright. The people of Cuba would take up every street corner, playing congas, timbales, and bongos. Children would buy sheep skins from local markets and stretch them over drums made by hand. Cuba was music. By embracing their African roots, Cubans would distinguish their music from the rest of Latin America by making the terms “Cuban roots music” and “Afro-Cuban music” synonymous. Musicians from the most prestigious conservatories as well as working men and women who relaxed on the street with a conga or djembe—all began to embrace the sounds of Cuban son and danzon. By the 1920s and ’30s, American musical influence would begin to find its way to Cuba. Radio stations from Miami and New Orleans would start to become popular on the island. Music fans would tune into American jazz stations on short-wave radio to try and absorb the latest musical trends. Musicians and music fans would begin to collect records from the United States and remind anyone who ventured north to bring the latest jazz albums back to Cuba. Shortly after, the finest musicians from the most prestigious conservatories and orchestras would slowly [immigrate] to America’s birthplace and home for jazz, New York City. Jazz would never be the same. Cubans, or Afro-Cubans, made a huge impact on American jazz. Jazz had a huge effect on Afro-Cuban musical traditions as well. Before long, a new type of music would emerge and take New York City by storm—Latin jazz. Not exclusively drawing from Cuban musical traditions, Latin jazz would incorporate traditions from all over Latin America and would inspire [traditional] jazz bands to expand their repertoires and include more global sounds. Eventually, the scene was huge. Ballrooms and dance halls like the Palladium and [the] Savoy in Manhattan and the Hunts Point Palace and Tritons Club in The Bronx would serve as key centers for jazz acts from 46 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �Charlie Parker to Tito Puente. Latinos in The Bronx would be affected forever. Following the closing of the Palladium, the major Latin jazz scene would pick up in The Bronx. Kids on the streets would embrace Latin jazz and appreciate the African roots behind it. Bands and orchestras would spring up all over The Bronx, and the borough would soon produce some of the most prominent names of Latin jazz in all of New York City. From a couple of key figures moving from Cuba to New York in the ’30s, through the Palladium era, to Latinos setting up crude drum sets and playing along with the radio, Latin jazz remains a vital part of life for many Latin American immigrants today as well as New Yorkers and music fans. II. Afro‐Cuban Jazz Begins in Cuba: Mario Bauzá, José Curbelo, Graciela Pérez The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in New York begins in Havana. Music was everywhere in the ghettos and crowded streets of Cuba’s capital. Street vendors would line the markets with animal skins for drums, musicians would play on the street, and families would sit on their porch and jam with bongos, congas, and hand drums. Classical forms of Cuban music mixed European instruments with African drums, embracing traditions from both the African slaves and rich Europeans who inhabited the colony of Cuba since it was founded. As years developed, more variations, new instrumentation, and a finer-tuned orchestration would build on the rich foundation of Afro-Cuban traditions. Pioneers like Arsenio Rodríguez would add new elements to traditional Cuban son, like African percussion and A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 47 �syncopation. Eventually, Afro-Cuban music became the music of the people and Cubans were introduced to this tradition at an early age. This is the setting in which Mario Bauzá was raised. Bauzá, who would later become the most important figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz, started in Havana as a child. I tell you how everything happen. I was about five years old. My godfather used to teach the kids in my neighborhood in Cuba solfeggio. And I used to hear the kid try to sing those lesson, good intonation. And they have so much problem. So, one day I said to my godfather, “How come those kids have so much trouble with that lesson.” He say, “How do you know?” I said, “Well I think I know all those lessons.” He said, “You know lessons now?” I said, “Yeah, I think I know.” . . . He said, “I don’t want you to be an ear musician, so I’m gonna get a teacher for you.” So, he got me a teacher, I was in solfeggio for two years. And then I went to the Conservatory and . . . the first instrument they give me was the oboe. I didn’t like it. I heard the man play the clarinet, and I fell in love with the sound he produced. I said, “I would like to play that instrument.” And that’s how I become . . . a clarinet player. With Bauzá learning more and more music, his special ability became more apparent. Bauzá would excel at the Havana Conservatory and began to gain esteem from his colleagues. Soon, his teachers and fellow musicians helped him cultivate his talent. When I was a graduate, the Havana Philharmonic, they need a bass clarinet. And they approach me, I say, “Well, I’m willing to play, but somebody have to buy the instrument.” So, they sent to France for a bass clarinet. So, they brought it, they give it to me and say, “You practice, when you think you ready, let us know.” So, I 48 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �took my bass clarinet home, I start fooling around, it was the same thing, embouchure a little different and sound was kind of peculiar. When I thought I was ready, I came to one of the rehearsals . . . that’s how I (became) a bass clarinet and a clarinet player. Mario Bauzá was not the only person at this time to truly embrace his musical talents. A few years down the line a woman singer would join Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra in New York. Graciela Pérez would sing along with her brother Machito over the unique Afro-Cuban jazz sound Bauzá perfected. Graciela Pérez also began her music career at a young age in Cuba. Her father, an avid musician, would constantly have musicians to his house, and one day Graciela stayed up past her bedtime to enjoy one of them. I was born in Cuba. In Havana, el barrio Jesús María. . . . There were six of us. When I was four years old . . . there was a lot of music and (my father) bring some cantadores en la casa like (vocalist) María Teresa Vera . . . and the other kids in my house are still in bed . . . and then María Teresa Vera sees my finger doing the clave and María Teresa Vera said to my father, “You see, Graciela is going to be a singer.” Pérez’s father was reluctant, at first, to allow Graciela to sing. However, he would continue to inspire his daughter by having more and more musical guests come in and out of the Pérez home. Graciela remembers Septeto Nacional, in particular. Septeto Nacional . . . was to play because my father, the only party (that) was at my house was my mother’s birthday, and at my house was Septeto Nacional. . . . They was in my house, in my neighborhood nobody came then, you know, in that time. In my house was Nacional. As they grew up, Pérez and her brother Machito began to nurture A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 49 �her gift little by little, until she had completely been absorbed by the music. Pérez would sing everywhere she went and join several groups thanks [to] Machito’s familiarity with the local music scene. Still, her father didn’t want her to sing professionally, and Graciela would have to sneak out at nights. One night while working as a delivery man, Pérez’s father recognized the voice coming from a club across the street from where he was working. He was staying over there, and he sees me singing and everybody applauds me. “Ohh, Graciela!” And then (at the house) he don’t say nothing to my mother, to nobody. Then he was waiting when I go hiding, when I go to working and (he said), “I know Chela, she’s singing in Alai de Libre in El Prado because I heard her last night. It’s alright, she sings beautiful.” Graciela Pérez had her father’s blessing and began to truly excel as a singer free from any restrictions. She would travel to South America with Al Anacaona and eventually move to Harlem in the 1930s, where she would meet up with Bauzá and Machito to start the AfroCuban Orchestra. A third key figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz is José Curbelo. Curbelo, who would manage and book Afro-Cuban jazz bands, was among the top performers in New York City during the Palladium Era. Curbelo’s uniquely vibrant sounds would place him in the highest echelon of Latin jazz performers along with Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Curbelo, the son of a musician, started as a classically trained pianist and musician in Cuba. I (was) born in Havana, Cuba (on) February 18, 1917. Pedro Menéndez was my teacher, piano teacher in Cuba. He used to be the piano player in my father’s orchestra, at one time. So, he was my private teacher in piano. . . . I went to the school of music in Cuba, to the Academy of 50 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �Music to study. And I had different teachers like in voice and harmony and whatever, you know, different types of technique, et cetera. . . . My father was a fine violinist, he played for the Philharmonic Orchestra in Cuba, first violin. And . . . he was a bandleader, he had his own orchestra where he played all the famous nightclub and supper club and casino in Cuba. . . . I’m talking (about) the late ’20s and the early ’30s. And then he play the most typical Cuban music, with the charanga music that used to be played, what they call in Cuba the “Academias.” . . . The real Cuban music at that time was charanga bands. It’s not with saxophones and trumpets. . . . Cuban music is the charanga sound—violins and flute and rhythm. That is what the real nitty-gritty of the Cuban music is. . . . And it’s really Afro-Cuban music. Because the Negro slaves that came to Cuba from Africa, they brought the rhythm. And in Cuba they put the voicings out, the melody and harmony. . . . But that was, still is, the real Cuban music should be called not salsa [but] Afro-Cuban music. Curbelo would develop into a finely trained musical genius. He began to master the curriculum of the Academy of Music and decided to enter Cuba’s prestigious Molinas Conservatory. Like his contemporary Mario Bauzá, Curbelo became fascinated with new forms of music, in particular American jazz. His understanding and love for music fueled his passion for exploration, and American jazz was exciting and fresh. Curbelo and Bauzá both became obsessed with jazz. In the ’20s I was a very young kid. But I always was a fan, and my favorite music always has been jazz. . . . I find that jazz is the most interesting music that is, as far as popular music is concerned, I love it . . . in Cuba I used to have records from Chick Webb where Mario Bauzá, A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 51 �when he came to United States, he was the first trumpet. Bauzá remembers listening to his favorite American jazz musicians on the radio in Cuba. Duke Ellington used to (broadcast) almost every night from the Cotton Club. And I used to catch that in Havana through short-wave radio. And that music was so fascinating, was so different. All different jazz— completely different. And I always said, “That’s AfricanAmerican music, that’s Africa.” The sound of the music, the way he uses harmony, he give you that color. And I was dying to get into New York. Bauzá would get a taste of the New York jazz scene shortly after, by happenstance. He got his break after going into his favorite music store in Havana and meeting bandleader Antonio Romeu. I used to go practically almost every day. I go to the music store to see what new records came and what piece come. So, when I got there, the head man said, “Mario, I want to try this clarinet that just came out from France, a Buffet Crampon, I want you (to) try.” So, I was practicing clarinet over there, you know, testing the clarinet, and Romeu was there. . . . He said, “You don’t mind play this one with me?” I said, “No.” He said, “But do you know how to transpose from clarinet to—?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” So, I played the danzon with him and he was (amazed). . . . About two weeks later he found my telephone number and called my father. He said, “I would like to take Mario to New York to record with me, my orchestra.” Bauzá went to record with Romeu and his orchestra in New York and was blown away by the live jazz musicianship he encountered. Upon seeing saxophonist Frankie Tumbaur, Bauzá’s attention shifted to a new instrument. He fell in love with the saxophone and 52 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �would take it up immediately upon returning to Cuba. The saxophone would provide an outlet for Bauzá to grow musically, and it provided more opportunities to gain exposure in the Havana music scene. Though it was hard for a dark-skinned musician to find work, Bauzá still managed to make a name for himself. He recalls the racial inequities in Havana at the time. When they heard me play . . . that’s when I got the opportunity to get a first-class job in Havana. Up to then, no, because the average musician on the big-time job over there was white. . . . That country is no different than Mississippi was . . . not much different. We had that problem, still have that problem, and gonna have that problem. . . . So, we are still fighting those problems . . . the only discrimination there in those days when I was a young kid, like you go in the interior of Havana and the colored people walk on . . . one side of the park. Don’t allowed to go on the other side with the white people. That’s the way, you know. You go in the barber shop, you had to go to the Black barber shop. But the trouble with my country is so much mixture. Because after all, how the Cuban race was produced? By Spaniard and African womans. After finally gaining acceptance in the Havana music scene, both Curbelo and Bauzá would look to the future. Each of them saw himself as a jazz musician waiting to break out and creatively explore his musicianship. Both Curbelo and Bauzá decided the only way to truly embrace their passion for music was by going to [the] hottest music spot in the world, the home of jazz, New York City. Everybody talk about Mario, Mario, Mario, clarinet player and saxophone player. So, I said, “Well the next stop gotta be the United States,” come to the Mecca of jazz . . . nothing else I can learn in Cuba. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 53 �III. Cuba Comes to New York: The Palladium Era Once in the United States, Mario Bauzá’s first order of business was to learn yet another instrument. It was rough because when I got here it was in the heart of the Depression. And I’m lucky that I was, I met Benny Carter and he gave me advice . . . (and) there was another fella that came here on the boat with me with the Don Azpiazu Orchestra by the name of Antonio Machin. . . . So, I used to go into his house every day, to listen to rehearsals, (one day) I say, “I have no problem to play the music the way you want to. . . . I don’t play trumpet, but I think if you buy me a trumpet, I think I can do the job.” So, we went to the pawnshop and bought a cheap trumpet for fifteen bucks or something like that. So, I took it home and I start, I knew the positions and all I had to do was to get some embouchure, and that was that. Said, “Mario, I only got . . . fifteen days to recording.” I said, “Well, you ain’t got nobody. If you give me the opportunity, I think I can do it, otherwise I wouldn’t even talk about it.” So, I start practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. So finally, we go into the recording. . . . Then I fell in love with the trumpet. And then I figured I had a better chance with the trumpet than I did with the saxophone to join one of those jazz bands. Bauzá quickly became known around jazz circles, and his rise to prominence was fast. First, Bauzá joined the Chick Webb Band, where under the wing of bandleader Chick Webb he would gain a vast knowledge of jazz. Webb opened up doors for Bauzá and introduced him to some of the biggest names in the New York jazz scene. Bauzá played with countless musicians from Webb to Cab Calloway to Ella Fitzgerald. All over New York from the Apollo to 54 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �the Savoy Ballroom, Bauzá spread his love for jazz as he collaborated with a myriad of jazz legends. In addition to the various collaborations that were taking place, another tradition of the era was the Battle of the Bands. Two bands would play the same hall or ballroom and try to show one another up. This is when Afro-Cuban rhythms really stood out, earning Afro-Cubans a reputation for their showmanship. Mario Bauzá remembers battling Benny Goodman in the late 1930s with the Chick Webb Band. The Savoy Ballroom was pack(ed) around five o’clock in the afternoon, they had to close the door. . . . Benny Goodman playe(ed) the first set . . . they close with “Big John Special.” So, Chick say, “What’choo gonna play?” I say, “How about the same number, gonna play ‘Big John Special’ . . . and close with ‘Harlem Conga?’” . . . The battle of music was through in the first set. The band was too powerful for Benny. Benny’s band was too light for that, that and especially with that crowd. When that band hit, it was something else. This period of the 1930s was essential to the birth of Latin jazz music. Pioneers like Bauzá were becoming big names and starting to influence the music scene. By adding elements from their [strong] background in Cuban music, people like Bauzá, Curbelo, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez would usher in a new form of music —Afro-Cuban jazz. In 1940, Bauzá hooked up with his brother-inlaw, Machito, and together they created Machito’s Afro-Cuban Orchestra, along with Graciela Pérez. Despite initial skepticism about the use of the name “Afro-Cuban,” Latinos, Blacks, and even whites would enjoy the music. When I started Machito Orchestra, whole lot of Puerto Rican people reject my music. They say I use bongo and that was a disgrace, that was “nanigo” music, “Negroes A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 55 �from Africa” music. They didn’t go for that. But in the new generation, Puerto Rican born in New York begin to like what I was doin’. Soon there was a huge following for the acts and the premiere venue was Manhattan’s Palladium Ballroom. The Palladium was an important institution that would operate from 1949 to 1966, delighting fans of mambo and jazz alike. Celebrities like Marlon Brando and Bob Hope as well as everyday working-class immigrants would crowd the Palladium. With unparalleled integration, it became the single most important place for Latin jazz music in New York City. The rise of the Palladium marked a turning point in New York’s music scene. Tastes were beginning to change and people were becoming more and more intrigued with the new Afro-Cuban jazz sound. Afro-Cubans were gaining acceptance and earning respect. Along with Afro-Cuban jazz, many of the Latino musicians involved collaborated with American jazz artists. Bauzá himself broke in legend Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he teamed up Machito percussionist Chano Pozo. And then I brought Dizzy into the band. . . . I went and got a hold of Dizzy: “Dizzy, bring your trumpet with a mute. I want you to play anything you want on top of that.” . . . Rhythm crazy. And he can dance. I got a videotape they made in Havana. . . . And when he came out there and dancing, dance a rumba. It’s amazin’! And Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy’s, Dizzy all right! Helluva fellow. . . . I love the guy, my son. The language barrier illustrates the connection Afro-Cubans made with American jazz musicians. Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo made terrific music and rose to the top of the jazz world in New York City, but Pozo didn’t speak a word of English. 56 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �You know the only word that Chano (could speak) to Dizzy? “Hundred dollar.” That’s all. Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, Gillespie found a niche in Latin jazz. In 1947, the two were set to perform a number called the “Afro-Cuban Drums Suite” at Carnegie Hall. The show was instrumental in bringing Latin jazz into mainstream awareness. Additionally, Gillespie’s improvisation added a whole new dimension to jazz. Gillespie’s musicianship became the groundwork for later improvisation such as bee bop and the music of greats like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1950, Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez were among the biggest names in all of New York. Collaborations would continue, and Charlie Parker would get into the act, teaming up with pianist Norman Granz and Bauzá on one of the best examples of Latin jazz, “The Peanut Vendor.” Charlie Parker made a very big impression on Bauzá, and that would lead to partnership on the song “Mango Mangue.” People might think that Charlie Parker play because he was high, or—no, no, no, no. He knew everything he would do in the music, and nobody told him how to do it. That was his own creation, his own mentality, his own approach about music. . . . He says, “Oh man, play anything, let me hear the arrangement.” . . . When we play the arrangement, he say, “I like that.” I said, “But it’s a vocal.” He say, “All you gotta do, when the vocal supposed to be sing, tell ’em ‘don’t sing’ and gimme the cue, I’ll play.” . . . He went through that number like nothing, back to the montuno, and . . . “Oh my goodness!” I say, “this man is a genius!” As Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity grew, more and more great bandleaders would emerge, and great musicians would flourish in the new form. José Curbelo’s orchestra was one of the bands that A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 57 �benefited the most from the success of the other Afro-Cuban performers. Curbelo’s success came at a time when the music that was originally confined to Harlem began to spread downtown to places like the Palladium and uptown to The Bronx, again thanks to the success of Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, but mainly because of Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra. Curbelo explains the phenomenon. That was Machito and his Afro-Cubans . . . because when you hit Broadway you did the biggest, the Broadway show, the Strand Theater, the Capitol Theater, the Paramount Theater. All the big theaters, the big ballrooms, the Roseland, the Arcadia, everything was on Broadway between 42nd, the Astor Roof, and 54th, where the Palladium was. And the first band, Black, to come from El Barrio . . . was a great accomplishment. After Machito broke through to the mainstream, Afro-Cuban jazz exploded. The 1950s saw more and more Afro-Cuban jazz bands sprouting up, and the phenomenon became insanely popular. The Palladium was at its peak as a venue, consistently packing the house to see Tito Puente or Machito. At the height of the Palladium era, people of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities came together to enjoy the music. IV. The Late Palladium Era: Afro‐Cubans in The Bronx The exposure Afro-Cuban jazz was experiencing affected all of New York, but no borough embraced the tradition like The Bronx. Just over the river from the “Mecca of Jazz,” Harlem, The Bronx served as the next major center for music in New York. At that time, clubs and dance halls in The Bronx would attract the biggest names in Afro-Cuban jazz, mambo, and American jazz. Venues like the Hunts Point Palace, the Tritons Club, and the Rockland Palace would put The Bronx on the map as the place to see Afro-Cuban music. While the main forum was still the Palladium, many people would look no 58 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �further than The Bronx for a quality Afro-Cuban jazz experience. Bronxites would go to have a good time, get down, and listen to some amazing music from the greats. Machito, Tito Puente, José Curbelo (before becoming a manager), Tito Rodríguez, and even Charlie Parker would play at Bronx clubs during the late 1950s. New bands started to come out of the borough as a result of the developing Afro-Cuban jazz scene in The Bronx. Young Bronxites would pack the clubs to get a glimpse of their favorite bands, go home, and try to imitate their sound. Afro-Cuban records were played from every window in every Latino neighborhood in The Bronx, and a new generation of Afro-Cuban jazz lovers would emerge. This new wave of Afro-Cuban jazz buffs would see music any chance they had. Joe Orange, Bronx native and jazz trombonist who played with Herbie Mann and Eddie Palmieri, recalls students at his high school going all the way downtown to see Afro-Cuban music. When I was going to Morris (High School) there was a whole group of kids that used to go to the Palladium and they used to come to school talkin’ about, “Man, last Saturday night at the Palladium. Tito Puente did this and Tito Rodríguez—.” And I (was) kind of like, “Give me a break!” But there was a real strong interest in Latin music. Even the non-musicians, Latin dance was like a craze that was going on you know, ’57, ’58, when I was in high school. The Bronx would serve as a breeding ground for some of the freshest talent in Latin jazz and this was, in part, due to the emergence of Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity in the latter half of the 1950s. Willie Colón, one of the foremost innovators of Latin music in the late 1960s, remembers going to the Hunts Point Palace when he was thirteen. In those days you had to have a cabaret license, so I had a A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 59 �friend who was older and he had one, (gave) me his and we kind of doctored it up and put my picture in it. . . . I grew a mustache as soon as possible, and I used to smoke cigars to try to look older, you know. I even used to put frosting on my hair sometimes, it must have been pretty pathetic but I got away with it most of the time. And yeah, we used to go to the Hunts Point Palace, which is now like an office building. . . . They would have like fourteen bands and the poster, you know, just looked like a checkerboard, it had so many faces and stuff on it. . . . And you would go in and I think you’d pay something like five dollars, and you’d be able to see twenty something orchestras. . . . There was a big boom at one time. The popularity of the local venues was apparent by the amount of talent that came onto the Afro-Cuban scene in the late 1950s and early ’60s. One of the premiere acts that came from The Bronx at the time was Eddie Palmieri and his conjunto La Perfecta. My mother arrived in New York in 1925, that’s how it all starts. . . . She came here with an uncle and an aunt, and there was another uncle and aunt here. . . . And then my father followed a year later on a boat. . . . In 1926, they married, my brother was born in ’27, and I was born in ’36 . . . on 112th Street . . . between Madison and Park. We moved from there when I was five years old, and then we went right to Kelly Street between Longwood and Intervale, known now and later as the South Bronx. Palmieri’s extended family had also immigrated to The Bronx and would introduce Eddie to music as a child. His uncle had his own traditional band and encouraged Eddie and his older brother Charlie to take up the piano but emphasized the importance of traditional Latin percussion instruments. But Eddie Palmieri was a piano player. A prodigy, Palmieri played Carnegie Hall at the age of eleven. By 60 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �thirteen he had joined up with his uncle, as a percussionist. By the time I was fifteen I sold my timbales back to my uncle, (and) went back on the piano, which I’m still playing to this day. Like Willie Colon, Palmieri also gained a lot of musical knowledge by going to shows in The Bronx. Palmieri attributes his start as a serious pianist to seeing bands and orchestras at Bronx clubs and dance halls in the 1950s. I saw Charlie Parker, and that was at the Rockland Palace. He would get gigs like that because he used to work for a promoter, that was a Black promoter called Cecil Bowen. At the Hunts Point Palace I know I saw Charlie Parker and I didn’t know who he was but I saw rubber bands and band-aids on the saxophone, alto. I saw different groups but my main interest was to try to play the piano. ’Cause I hadn’t been reading music, I was playing timbales with my uncle, folkloric band, and then it was very difficult to get back to reading. Palmieri would get his break in 1955 playing with Eddie Forrestier’s Orchestra and would even play with the legendary Tito Rodríguez for a year before starting La Perfecta in 1961. Palmieri’s orchestra was fresh and new, replacing trumpets with trombones. The innovative La Perfecta became the key attraction in Latin music during the 1960s. By assembling some of the greatest musicians in all of New York, the Bronx-based conjunto was wildly popular and virtually unrivaled for the better part of the decade. To a large degree, the success of La Perfecta was truly a group effort, and the band incorporated one of the most influential musicians in the history of New York, trombonist Barry Rogers. Described as a true “renaissance man,” Rogers came out of a Jewish community in The Bronx and was an avid car mechanic, musician, writer, and most A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 61 �prominently, a lover of all music. Mark Weinstein recalls Barry’s knack at instrumentation well beyond the trombone, including the folkloric double string guitar from Cuba known as the tres. “Barry was a great tres player. Barry was one of the better tres players in the city of New York.” Peers remember the late Barry Rogers spending hours upon hours listening to records and playing music. Rogers’s distinct trombone sound was of paramount importance in the development of Latin music from Afro-Cuban revivalist jazz to salsa. Known for his incessant writing, and re-writing, of charts, almost obsessive personality, and perfectionism, Rogers put all he had into Latin music. When asked about the influence Barry Rogers had on him, Eddie Palmieri remembers Rogers’s uniqueness. Those trombones, when they used to get into a riff behind the flute they don’t stop, and then Barry just takes off and keeps going and we just kept pushing and pushing, and that instrument is not an instrument to be able to do that with and they did it. . . . (I remember) his preparation, his musical knowledge, of all different kinds of music. With Rogers’s innovation and virtuosity with the trombone and Eddie Palmieri leading the band behind the piano, La Perfecta soon found themselves playing with the greats. Eddie Palmieri remembers the circumstances in which he played alongside legends at the Palladium. Oh, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, La Perfecta dealt with each and every one one-on-one. No quarter taken. There was four sets, you did sixteen sets a week at the Palladium for 72 dollars, before taxes. . . . They had lost their liquor license and now they gave me 90 engagements, so once they give you the 90 engagements, then anybody that wants to book you out would have to 62 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �pay more and that was the deal, you know, and José Curbelo handled that pretty well. La Perfecta continued to thrive during the 1960s and played all over New York City, from the ritziest hotels to the local clubs of The Bronx. La Perfecta illustrates a rich history of music in The Bronx. While the music scene had always been big in places like Morrisania and Hunts Point, La Perfecta was one of the first real successful jazz bands to come out of The Bronx during the era. Mark Weinstein, second trombonist (with Barry Rogers) remembers playing in different clubs all over New York City. You couldn’t buy a second microphone, man! I mean the Hunts Point Palace, I don’t think they owned two microphones . . . and the trombone players would sweat, sweat blood. . . . Barry would catch the edge of the microphone by pointin’ his trombone towards (it). But because we were always playing during the montunos, the singer was in the way. . . . The Hunts Point was one of the bigger rooms, there were a couple other places. . . . The Palladium was a great room—Palladium was the best room to play, I loved the Palladium. . . . We played Birdland a couple of times, I mean then we’d have microphones. La Perfecta’s popularity soared in the ’60s. New Yorkers identified with both the jazz sound and the Latin roots. La Perfecta would draw from many musical traditions to form their unique sound. Mark Weinstein remembers The Bronx as one of the hottest spots for Afro-Cuban music. It was Cuban revivalist. I mean the amazing thing about playing with Eddie’s band was playing Latin music for people of Latino heritage, and this was basically the A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 63 �cultural revival that occurred at the Triton Club, I mean the Triton Club was the center of it . . . in The Bronx, Southern Boulevard, right next door to the Hunts Point Palace. . . . And the model of the trombone improvisation came from the way . . . the soloist would play against the trumpets. But then Barry extended that. That was the model. In 1966, La Perfecta played the Palladium for its final show. The Palladium Era had officially ended, but Latin music would continue to gain steam up in The Bronx. V. The Bronx and Latin Jazz: The 1950s, 1960s, and Beyond With the Palladium closed and other Manhattan dance halls following suit, Latin music still thrived in one place. The Bronx was now the center for Latin jazz in New York and would become a hotbed for talent. The biggest names in Latin music were coming from The Bronx because communities were raising their kids on music. The Bronx in the ’50s and ’60s was rich in musical traditions from all over Latin America, and residents would expose different types of music to one another. Vibrant neighborhoods like Hunts Point, Morrisania, and Longwood became a breeding ground for musical talent. The public schools provided instruments for students, neighbors sat on their stoops and jammed, and Latin and jazz music blared from every street corner. Frank Rivera was a resident of the Longwood community in the ’50s and ’60s and remembers the neighborhood as well as developing a love for dancing. It was real nice and everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood. . . . Some of ’em became teachers and musicians like Joe Loco, he lived in the corner by the drugstore . . . when we went to (PS) 42, that’s when they started to open the school at night and that’s when we 64 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �started to have parties and dancing. . . . At that time it was more like they call “mambo”—mambo, not salsa like they call it now. Joe Orange, a longtime resident of Morrisania, remembers hearing music all over The Bronx when he was growing up. I was always hearing it. . . . I was always around it. My brother played conga. And there were all these bands, over at PS 99 they used talent shows. . . . You know, bands in junior high and high school, there were Latin bands all around me. . . . They used to have a place up in The Bronx on Boston Road that was really a great place for jam sessions when I was a kid. I was in high school and I would go in and listen . . . right where Boston and Prospect Avenue meet, and it was down in this little basement and I would sneak in there . . . it wasn’t open for very long but it was very popular. Orange contributes the large number of musicians who came out of The Bronx to a surrounding culture that nourished young musicians and helped to develop the talents of the community residents. I think the programs in the public schools had a lot to do with it. I started in (PS) 40, most of us started in 40 or one of those junior high schools. . . . PS 99 had that afterschool community center. We used to have talent shows once a week, some great things came through those talent shows! Because of the rich cultural environment, young kids on the street would aspire for musical greatness. Latinos and African Americans would all embrace the various sounds of Latin music, thanks to the diversity of The Bronx, and lively musicians would surface all over the borough. Willie Colón was one such musician. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 65 �The South Bronx in the ’50s . . . was exactly like a town in Puerto Rico or any other Latin American country. . . . There were domino games on the sidewalks and there were bembes, which is a group of guys playing congas . . . and we’d sing choruses and maybe some of the hit songs of the day. From that upbringing, Colón embraced both Puerto Rican and Cuban son, and became a trombonist in his own band. Mark Weinstein attributes youth interest in Latin music to the popularity of Barry Rogers. There was LeBron Brothers and there was Willie Colón, I mean both Barry and I were very, very arrogant about what was happening with the trombone. ’Cause both of us had come to Latin music from very rich trombone traditions whereas all the kids who were comin’ up had learned to play trombone by listening to Barry essentially. Regardless of who influenced him, Willie Colón was a young upstart trombonist and he teamed up with a beautiful voice, [a] soñero named Héctor Lavoe. The two delighted fans with songs like trombone anthem with a Panamanian sound “La Murga,” or with the album El Malo, named after the persona Colón would embrace as a rough kid from The Bronx. Ushering the newly dubbed “boogaloo” style, El Malo and Lavoe would travel all over the world with their exciting, trombone-driven sound until Lavoe unfortunately fell victim to heroin and began showing up late for gigs and acting out. In 1973, Colón was forced to fire Lavoe, ending their six-year partnership. Colón would continue to write and record music, and his name became synonymous with salsa music. Colón has written socially conscious songs like “El General” and “Si La Ves,” has sold over 30 66 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ �million records worldwide, and has amassed fifteen gold and five platinum records since his humble beginning in The Bronx. VI. One Last Word From the start in Cuba, through the coalescence with jazz in Manhattan, to the popularization in The Bronx, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz has become one of the most important cultural phenomena in the history of New York. The various musical forms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, and other Caribbean nations illustrate the diversity of the city. The story of Afro-Cuban music’s popularity in New York is a microcosm of all the wonderful things that make the city uniquely diverse. The way this music was embraced by native New Yorkers as well as [more recent] immigrants is an amazing tribute to the capital of the world, New York. Musical geniuses brought their incredibly well-trained and knowledgeable background to New York, where they mixed with the native population of jazz musicians, and history was made. The importance of The Bronx in all of this cannot be emphasized enough. It’s because of the borough’s love for Latin music that other musical forms could thrive and be introduced. The music served as a familiar reminder that The Bronx was a place for all people from all over the world. Though many, like Mario Bauzá, detest the term “Latin jazz,” the music itself tells the important story of two cultures merging to form great art. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 67 �BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Ram Gupta, Chatam 2000 Management Co., Inc. Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 1999 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad Group 1998 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo James H. Alston, McCalls 1997 Bronxwood Funeral Home Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1996 Shop 1995 Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson Metro Center Adam Green, Rocking the Boat Anthony Mormile, Hudson Valley Bank Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of Commerce Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real Estate Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Dart Westphal, Norwood News James J. Houlihan, HoulihanParnes David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzoto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises �REVIEWS Cope, Suzanne. Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN: 9781641604529. $27.99. Suzanne Cope’s expertly written, extensively researched book chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in the United States through the lived experiences of two unacknowledged Black women champions of the movement, Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers. Cope is a writer, professor, narrative journalist, and scholar. She earned a PhD in Adult Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University, where she is a “food studies scholar with a focus on food as a tool for social and political change.” Cope’s work illuminates the stories of “unsung leaders . . . mainly women of color who are left out of history,” individuals who “elevate women’s work” through their uses of food as a “political tool.” Cope does a magnificent job at presenting this historical survey of the Civil Rights Movement in an easy-to-read manner that metaphorically transplants the reader to a stool at Aylene Quin’s food counter. In 22 short and detailed chapters, Power Hungry recounts the dual narratives of Aylene Quin’s community organizing and voter rights’ activism out of her McComb, Mississippi restaurant and tavern South of the Border during the Freedom Summer of 1964, on the one hand, and Cleo Silvers’s organizing in the South Bronx, first through VISTA1 and then with the Black Panther Party shortly after the start of the New York Chapter’s Children’s Free Breakfast Program in 1969, on the other. Cope argues that the two womens’ significance to the Civil Rights Movement is not reflected accurate1 VISTA: Volunteers in Service to America, part of President Johnson’s AntiPoverty program and predecesser to today’s AmeriCorps. Cope, Power Hungry 69 �ly in the historical record, in which such activity as cooking, if included at all, occurs as footnotes. As a tribute to the scholars whose research has inspired and informed her own work, Cope provides the bibliographical citations preceding her prologue. Aylene Quin, or “Mama Quin” as she was affectionately known in her community of McComb, Mississippi, was a pivotal figure in the local and state-wide civil rights and voter registration efforts. Power Hungry vividly recounts Mama Quin’s story through the events of 1961 leading up to the Freedom Summer of 1964 and beyond. The book captures Mama Quin’s personal sacrifices in preparing and delivering meals to activists jailed, in one case for attempting to stage a sit-in at the McComb Woolworth’s food counter and in another for participating in a high school walk-out and march to the County Hall. Although a visible staple of the community, Mama Quin even took part in the latter as a show of support, alongside her daughter Jacqueline. Cope details the many other civil rights actions supported by Mama Quin, like holding secret meetings of the local Black middle-class and business people at her restaurant (who would arrive in the back of delivery trucks) and feeding civil rights workers, such as the SNCC Freedom Riders, and the community at large. 2 Cope describes Mama Quin’s efforts at feeding civil rights activists and the wider community as “community building, done around the kitchen tables rather than on the front lines.” As Cope emphasizes, Mama Quin’s independent “financial means,” as a self-employed business owner, gave her the ability to support the movement without direct consequence to her employment status (which was not the case with many others). Cope introduces Cleo Silvers in chapter 4. She affably details Cleo’s beginnings in her hometown of Philadelphia while growing up enjoying Sunday meals at her grandmother’s house. The experience of social gatherings around meals influenced Cleo’s love for what 2 SNCC: The Student Non-Violenct Coordinating Committee, one of the leading student groups of the Civil Rights Movement. 70 PASTOR CRESPO, JR. �Cope describes as “culinary diplomacy.” Cope expounds on the myriad ways that Cleo hosted and prepared gatherings around food at her apartment in the South Bronx (and elsewhere over the years), not only to garner financial support for the Black Panther Party but as a mentoring tool for what Cleo called her “Black and Brown cadre.” Cope cogently presents the lessons that Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers provide as the “power of community organizing” and “the power of food to help create community among activists and local people.” At the same time, Cope takes care to ensure that the reader understands Cleo’s accomplishments in the contexts of navigating patriarchy within the Black Panther Party, on the one hand, and enduring extensive FBI efforts to “neutralize and destroy” the Party’s leaders and the brutality of local law enforcement, on the other. As Cope eloquently posits, “This is the insidious nature of white supremacy, particularly when it infiltrates every nook and cranny of governmental power.” Drawing attention to Mama Quin’s context in Mississippi, Cope warns also of the terroristic lengths white supremacy is willing to go to maintain a racist system—drive-by shootings, drive-by bombings, firebombs, and economic sanctions. Power Hun‐ gry is a testament to the strength and perseverance of countless unknown, unrecognized, and uncredited African American women leaders and their use of varied foodways to build and feed the community. This is an absolutely captivating book that is a must read. Pastor Crespo, Jr. The Bronx, New York Cope, Power Hungry 71 �Sammartino, Annemarie. Freedomland: Co‐Op City and The Story of New York. Ithaca/London: Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2022. 320 pp. ISBN: 9781501716430. $32.95. As its title suggests, Freedomland: Co‐Op City and the Story of New York frames the history of Co-op City, the largest cooperative housing development in the U.S., as a microcosm of wider twentiethcentury New York City history. Co-Op City was constructed at the end of the 1960s in the far reaches of the northeast Bronx, carved out of swampland along the Hutchinson River. The title derives from the ill-fated amusement park, Freedomland, which during the first half of the 1960s occupied a portion of the land on which Co-Op City was built. At the same time, the title evokes the promise of Co-Op City: a place where affordable housing and a cohesive community life would be available to residents without necessitating a move to the suburbs. Here was a place where working- and middle-class New Yorkers could flourish and share in the American dream of home-own-ership. The cooperative housing movement in New York City, of which Coop City was a part, emerged in the early twentieth century among progressive Jewish and other trade unionists. Tenants, or “cooperators,” would purchase equity shares in an apartment upon move-in and would receive the amount back, plus interest, when vacating the apartment. Early cooperative housing in New Yorkwith pronounced leftwing influence such as the Allerton Coops in The Bronx had some of the first racially integrated housing in New York City. Other cooperatives had a less than stellar record in this regard, and this is a part of the story of Co-op City as well. Co-Op City was built by the United Housing Foundation (UHF), a nonmarket housing corporation known for cooperative projects like 72 ROGER MCCORMACK �the Amalgamated Housing Co-operative in The Bronx, opened in 1927, and Rochdale Village in Queens, opened in 1963. Co-op City, whose first apartments opened in 1968, provided middle-income housing at a time when many middle-class New Yorkers had decamped for the suburbs. All of these UHF developments served as crucibles for the inexorable demographic and economic changes buffeting New York City in the second half of the twentieth century —not least because in the late 1960s the UHF was mandated by the state to conform to non-discriminatory housing policies. Racial integration was not without tension in these developments, particularly as the original goals of the cooperative movement lost their luster amid rising crime and the racialized perception among many that an influx of Blacks and Puerto Ricans to Co-Op City heralded the demise of the neighborhood in the late 1970s and 1980s. According to Sammartino, however, Co-Op City never succumbed to New York’s vituperative racial politics to the same extent as Rochdale Village did, with the latter coming apart over busing and integration in the 1970s. UHF initially stressed a homogenously middle-class community at Co-op City and refused to jettison the middle-income requirement to appeal to more Blacks and Latinos, who were on average employed in jobs that paid them less for comparable work done by whites and experienced higher rates of unemployment. The approach of UHF created tension with prominent city agencies and Mayor Lindsay’s administration, which advocated—at least on paper—various policies to uplift Black and Latino populations in the 1960s. According to Sammartino, the common socio-economic level of Co-Op City nourished racial integration, subduing racial tension and rancor at a time when such tensions were high elsewhere in New York. Sammartino argues for Co-Op City’s unusual role within New York City: problems found in the rest of the city, though perceptible in Co-Op City, were diminished by the middle-class character of the development and the ideology of the “cooperators” or residents of Co-Op City, stressing, Sammartino, Freedomland 73 �as it did, shared ownership and the diminution of the profit motive in real estate. Other critics of Co-Op City at the time drew attention to its “Towers in the park” model. Towering residential skyscrapers, these critics argued, contributed to urban alienation and malaise. In this telling, Co-Op City would never be able to achieve a spontaneous community. Architectural and urban planners—chief among them Jane Jacobs—celebrated the community life of old, smaller-scale neighborhoods and were quick to denounce massive urban development projects like Co-Op City. Sammartino argues that this portrayal of Co-Op City was false, citing a number of anecdotes from her own life and from other residents highlighting the robustness of community in Co-Op City. Community life was, in fact, celebrated by people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds, most notably Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who moved to Co-Op City as a young girl. Here, Sammartino probably overstates her thesis. While her anecdotes of vibrant community life in Co-Op City are nonetheless true, the development to this day remains isolated from the rest of The Bronx and New York City (many plans for a subway line to Co-Op City have proved abortive), making the development convenient primarily for automobile drivers. Sammartino masterfully describes the ethos of the cooperative’s founders, the United Housing Foundation, and their utopian aims for cooperative housing, desiring nothing less than a wholesale reevaluation of how New Yorkers envisioned housing. She is also unsparing in detailing the corruption of the Mitchell-Lama program (and probably the UHF) and the enormous cost overruns during the construction of Co-Op City, overruns eventually paid for by increases in “carrying charges,” or rents, by the development’s residents. The increase in carrying charges and resentment towards the UHF’s 74 ROGER MCCORMACK �perceived corruption culminated in the rent strike of 1975–1976, the longest and largest so far in U.S. history. Led by the bombastic labor organizer Charles Rosen—dubbed by the Village Voice “the Lenin of the North Bronx”—Co-Op City cooperators eventually gained board control of Co-Op City but remained bedeviled by the same financial problems the UHF faced. The strike destroyed the UHF: it would never build another cooperative housing complex after the imbroglios involved in the construction and maintenance of Co-Op City. Here, Sammartino uses the example of Co-Op City to chart the history of New York’s social welfare apparatus, where robust funding was provided for education, housing, and a variety of other urban programs in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, this model was in desuetude. Instead, the ruling governing philosophy became “neoliberalism,” which Sammartino defines as market-based solutions to urban problems, and austerity, encapsulated by the federal government’s refusal to bail out New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s (and symbolized by the New York Post’s famous headline, “Ford to New York—Drop Dead!”). Co-Op City, though, founded just prior to the high-water point of these policies in New York City, offered a rival conception of housing, with its roots in the social welfare model of the 1930s and ’40s and the tenant activism of the Lower East Side and The Bronx of this same era. Initially a safe-haven for Jews leaving once prosperous ethnic neighborhoods in the West Bronx, Co-Op City was widely seen as part of The Bronx and yet distinct from older neighborhoods not only because of its far-flung location and towering skyscrapers but also because of the absence of crime and urban blight. Complicating narratives of white flight and twentieth-century urban histories, Sammartino argues against Co-Op City as having a decisive destructive impact on the west Bronx. According to a standard narrative, Co-Op City exacerbated white flight from west Bronx neighborhoods and was one of the main contributors to urban decay in the borough. But, Professor Sammartino notes, many Jewish Sammartino, Freedomland 75 �residents of the Grand Concourse had already left for the suburbs of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut before the construction of Co-Op City was finished in 1968. In her view, Co-Op City simply reinforced a social trend already underway. The book also benefits from Sammartino’s measured appraisal of the reasons for the Jewish exodus from the west Bronx. Many previously storied west Bronx neighborhoods had begun to experience decreases in city services and overall building maintenance, and new arrivals to Co-Op City cited actual crimes and a perceived decline in their old neighborhoods. For a time, Co-Op City was seen as an escape from such blight. Unlike many other scholars of this period, however, Sammartino is similarly careful to weigh the largely manufactured fears of white residents of an increase in crime in Co-Op City in the 1980s and 1990s. Sammartino concludes her commendable volume with a paean to Co-Op City’s multicultural identity, even as demographics in the development have shifted, and to its continued existence as a middle-class neighborhood for newer populations of Bronxites. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York 76 ROGER MCCORMACK �SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 $30.00 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: $25.00 1890–1925 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, $25.00 1935–1965 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 $25.00 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set $90.00 History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse $10.00 Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx $25.00 G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition $15.00 G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views $12.00 G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 $22.00 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx $15.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings $15.00 Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now $22.00 John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition $30.00 John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx $20.00 Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club $20.00 Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $5.00 �Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History $18.00 Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era $20.00 Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution $15.00 Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx $28.00 George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government $15.00 History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial $20.00 Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future $20.00 G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System $34.00 George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History $20.00 Lawrence Stelter, By the El: Third Avenue and Its El at Mid‐Century $20.00 History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River $20.00 Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River $20.00 Douglas Lazars et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal $20.00 Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court $20.00 George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and $20.00 the Bill of Rights Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States $20.00 Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence $20.00 Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States $20.00 Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States $20.00 Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set $99.00 Educational Material Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 $20.00 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 $22.00 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $15.00 �Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America $15.00 G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History $20.00 Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide $15.00 Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book $5.00 The Bronx County Historical Society Journal Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2021, are available for purchase for $15.00 an issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20.00. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx $15.00 G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 $5.00 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print $10.00 G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx $20.00 G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx $10.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives $20.00 Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx $20.00 Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $20.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 $15.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection $10.00 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $10.00 �Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD $20.00 Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $20.00 Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham $15.00 Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook $15.00 Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2023 $12.00 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $7.95 The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" $50.00 The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" $20.00 Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" $7.95 $20.00 The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, the Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $60.00 �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumegarten Adolfo Carrión Sam Chermin James Conroy Dorothy Curran John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Katherine Gleeson Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Dr. Reintraut E. Jonsson Cecil P. Joseph Joseph Kelleher Mark Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May Kathleen A. McAuley Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Steve Baktidy Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Jac Zadrima HONORARY MEMBERS Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Michael Benedetto Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Hector Diaz Ruben Díaz, Jr. Jeffrey Dinowitz Eliot Engel Carmen Fariña Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer George Friedman Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Joel I. Klein G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Harold O. Levy Michael M. Lippman James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Nathan Quinoñes Roberto Ramírez Carl E. Heastie Lee Holtzman Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera José Rivera Ninfa Segarra José E. Serrano Stanley Simon Thomas Sobol ��THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The publication of this volume was made possible, in part, through the generous support of The National Realty Club Foundation. The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation �THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bronx County Historical Society Journal Description An account of the resource The repository for digital editions of the full run of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1962–present, the premier publication on Bronx history and culture. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bronx County Historical Society Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1966–present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource © The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR Periodical Text Any textual data included in the document The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL The Bronx County Historical Society JOURNAL Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 EDITORIAL BOARD G. Hermalyn Elizabeth Beirne Jacqueline Kutner Patrick Logan Steven Payne Gil Walton Roger Wines © 2022 by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. The Bronx County Historical Society Journal is published by The Bronx County Historical Society, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, New York, 10467. Articles appearing in this Journal are abstracted and indexed in America: History and Life, Periodical Source Index, and Recent Scholarship Online. The Journal and its editors disclaim responsibility for statements made by the contributors. ISSN 0007-2249 Articles in The Bronx County Historical Journal can also be found on EBSCO host research databases and on our website under “Collections.” www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES Jacqueline Kutner, President Patrick Logan, Treasurer Steve Baktidy, Trustee Mei Sei Fong, Trustee Joel Podgor, Trustee Jac Zadrima, Trustee Hon. Eric Adams Mayor of New York City Hon. Sue Donaghue Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Dr. G. Hermalyn, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Steven Payne, Director Teresa Brown, Chief Administrative Officer Clarence Addo-Yobo, Museum of Bronx History Senior Interpreter Pastor Crespo, Jr., Research Librarian Roger McCormack, Director of Education Chris Padilla, Bookstore Manager Valerie Blain, Archival Intern Kathleen A. McCauley, Curator Emerita Dr. Mark Naison, Bronx African American History Project Consultant Anthony Morante, Vice President Gil Walton, Secretary Robert Esnard, Trustee Dr. G. Hermalyn, Trustee Lloyd Ultan, Trustee EX-OFFICIO Hon. Vanessa Gibson Bronx Borough President Hon. Laurie Cumbo Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs STAFF ii Volume LIX Numbers 1–2 Spring/Fall 2022 CONTENTS A Note from the Editors.......................................................................................................v ARTICLES Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty..................................................1 Edited and introduction by Steven Payne Kingsbridge Vignettes............................................................................................................19 By Richard Baum Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s........................................................................................29 By Robert Weiss A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters.............................................39 By Mark Naison About the Authors..................................................................................................................44 FROM THE ARCHIVES Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx......................................................................................45 From the David M. Carp Papers on Latin Jazz REVIEWS Cope, Power Hungry (2022)................................................................................................69 By Pastor Crespo, Jr. Sammartino, Freedomland (2022)...................................................................................72 By Roger McCormack iii ENDOWED FUNDS The Bronx County Historical Society encourages the esta- blishment of named endowment funds. Funds may be created to support the many different pro- grams of The Society or may be established for restricted use. The funds appear permanently on the financial records of the Historical Society in recognition of their ongoing su- pport of its work. Named endowment funds are established for a gift of $5000 or more and once begun, additional con- tributions may be made at any time. The following funds currently Astor Fund Bingham Fund Elbaum Fund Fernandez Fund General Board Fund Gordon Fund Gouverneur Morris Fund Halpern Memorial Fund support our work: Hermalyn Institute Fund Isabelle Fund Khan Fund Lampell Fund Library Fund Parisse Fund Sander Fund Ultan Fund For further details, contact: Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA Treasurer Emeritus 718-881-8900 A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS Volume 59 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal represents a milestone in the history of this storied periodical, which has been published continuously since 1964. In many respects, the COVID-19 pandemic hit The Bronx County Historical Society with a ven- geance. Our two historic house museums were closed for the ma- jority of 2020 and the entirety of 2021 and only started to reopen on a limited basis in 2022. Revenue from museum visits, tours, and in- person purchases all experienced a sharp decline and are only beginning to bounce back. Yet on other important fronts, particularly those of collection acquistion, archival processing, and oral history recording, The Society’s activities picked up as never before. The Society recorded over 100 oral histories during these pandemic years across The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Documentary Project. The Society acquired 43 new archival collec- tions during this same period, and over 100 of the 163 collections currently housed in The Bronx County Archives were fully processed and inventoried and are now available to researchers and the wider public. This volume of our Journal contains some of the first fruits of these pandemic labors, including an edited oral history collection from the Bronx Latino History Project around the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1910–1984), a pivotal Bronx human rights activist, and an archival manuscript of a lengthy but ground- breaking study of Afro-Cuban jazz from the David M. Carp papers on Latin jazz in The Bronx County Archives. This volume, while longer than many previous volumes, is meant to highlight the recent work of The Society while motioning towards our ever-expanding role as a world-class center of community-based historical docu- mentation and scholarship. v ISABELLE HERMALYN BOOK AWARD IN NEW YORK URBAN HISTORY Presented annually to an author of a distinguished work in New York urban history. 2022 Annotated Primary Source 2009 Documents, vol. 2, Roger McCormack 2008 2021 BASEBALL The New York Game, Anthony Morante 2020 Hudson’s River, G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, The 2007 Bronx County Historical Society 2019 Concrete Jungle, Niles Eldrige 2006 and Sidney Horenstein, University of California Press 2018 Digging The Bronx, Alan 2005 Gilbert, The Bronx County Historical Society 2004 2017 The New York Botanical Garden, Gregory Long and Todd A. Forest, Abrams Books 2003 2016 The Bronx Artist Documentary Project, Judith C. Lane and 2002 Daniel Hauben 2015 An Irrepressible Conflict, 2001 Jennifer A. Lemak et al., SUNY Press 2014 Supreme City, Donald Miller, 2000 Simon & Schuster 2013 Humans of New York, 1999 Brandon Stanton, St. Martin's Press 2012 The Impeachment of Governor 1998 Salzer, Matthew L. Lifflander, SUNY Press 1997 2011 Freedomland, Robert McLaughlin and Frank Adamo, Arcadia Publishers 2010 Band of Union, Gerard T. Manahatta, Eric W. Sanderson, Abrams Books The New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, Herbert Harwood, Indiana University Press Trying Leviathan, D. Graham Burnett, Princeton University Press Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx is Burning, Jonathan Mahler, Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux The Devil’s Own Work, Barnett Schecter, Walker & Co. The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto, Doubleday Capital City, Thomas Kessner, Simon & Schuster Tunneling to the Future, Peter Derrick, NYU Press The Monied Metropolis, Sven Beckert, Cambridge University Press Bronx Accent, Lloyd Ultan and Barbara Unger, Rutgers Press The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, John Manbeck and Zella Jones American Metropolis, George Lankevich, NYU Press Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898, Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx County Historical Society Koppel, Da Capa Press TITI: AN ORAL HISTORY OF DR. EVELINA ANTONETTY EDITED AND INTRODUCTION BY STEVEN PAYNE I. Introduction Dr. Evelina Antonetty (1922–1984), a proud Bronxite, was among the most prolific human rights activists of the twentieth century. Over the course of more than four decades of activism, Evelina struggled for an end to racial and national discrimination against Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and other racially and nationally oppressed peoples; quality, affordable housing for all; culturally relevant and bilingual public education; full employment with livable wages, especially for youth; robust funding for after-school programs and community centers; healthcare equity; peace and disarmament; and much more. On the occasion of Evelina’s cen- tenary, as part of “Evelina 100,” a week-long celebration of her life and legacy, on Friday, September 16, 2022, The Bronx County Historical Society screened TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, an edited oral history collection, at Pregones/Puero Rican Travelling Theater in The Bronx. Section 2 of this article provides a brief biography of Evelina to orient readers who might not be as familiar with her work. Section 3 contains a list of narrators included in the edited oral history collection, together with references to the full-length oral histories recorded by the Historical Society for the Bronx Latino History Project and the Bronx African American History Project. Section 4 reproduces the transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty in its entirety. Although representing only a sampling of the significant oral his- tory collecting that is taking place around Evelina’s life and legacy, the selections transcribed in the final section of this article demonstrate the multi-layered, complex, emotionally laden, and politically significant impact Evelina continues to have among Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 1 family members, friends, and the wider Bronx community. Although physically absent, Evelina continues to shape the way that The Bronx and its people struggle for and think about a more livable, sustainable present and future. II. Brief Biography of Dr. Evelina Antonetty Dr. Evelina Antonetty (née López) was born on September 19, 1922 in Salinas, Puerto Rico.1 Her mother, Eva Cruz, raised Evelina and her two younger sisters, Lillian and Elba. Evelina’s aunt and uncle, Vi- centa and Enrique Godreau, had relocated to New York City in 1923. A decade later, in 1933, they sent for Evelina to live with them. Evelina left Puerto Rico soon after her youngest sister Elba was born, on September 10, 1933. After arriving in New York on El Ponce, Evelina lived with her aunt and uncle in El Barrio until her mother and sisters could join her. This they did two years later, in 1935, and the entire family lived together in successive East Harlem apart- ments. Vicenta and Enrique—known to most simply as “Godreau”— had already established extensive ties within the community by the time Evelina’s family arrived. Vicenta was a political activist with close ties to the LaGuardia and Roosevelt administrations. Godreau was a music promoter and numbers runner who regularly socialized with the likes of Machito and Tito Puente. Those close to Evelina while she was growing up remember her as actively engaged in transforming the world and her place within it 1 For longer biographical treatments of Dr. Evelina Antonetty, some more reliable than others, see, for example, Nicholasa Mohr, All for the Better (Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, 1993); “Guide to the Records of United Bronx Parents, Inc 1966–1989 (Bulk 1970s–1983),” Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY, 2005 https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/faids/ubpf.html; Nélida Pé- rez, “Antonetty, Evelina López (1922–1984),” pp. 48–49 in Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia (Indiana University Press, 2006); and Nydia Edgecombe, “‘The Hell Lady from the Bronx’ Evelina López Antonetty, el activismo comunitario de una puertorriqueña en la diáspora del Sur del Bronx” (PhD dissertation, El Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe, 2018). 2 STEVEN PAYNE from an early age. One of her friends from childhood, Dolores Roque, remembers a pageant that she and Evelina organized in ele- mentary school in Puerto Rico. It was the largest pageant in the school’s history up to that point.2 In New York City, at the age of sixteen, Evelina joined the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), a formidable force in the 1940s in progressive, anti-racist, labor, and anti-colonial struggles. Evelina was speaking at mass meetings citywide by the time she was in her late teens. Her youngest sister Elba, for instance, remembers Evelina speaking at a large American Labor Party rally in New York City during the early 1940s in support of the U.S.’s anti-fascist war efforts (as World War II was explicitly characterized at the time). During this rally, as a testament to her ability and reputation, a young Evelina was on the rostrum with Jesús Colón (1901–1974), one of the leading Puerto Rican activists of the day and more than 20 years Evelina’s senior. Evelina also worked very closely with Vito Marcantonio, a progressive Italian politician from East Harlem who built close ties with both Italian and Puerto Rican communities in the neighborhood and around New York. Evelina became a postal worker for a period of time during the war, and it was during these years that she met and married her first husband and moved to Jackson Avenue in The Bronx. Evelina gave birth to her first daughter, Lorraine, in 1943. For a number of years after the war, Evelina worked for District 65 of the Retail, Whole- sale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), one of the more militant unions that fell under close scrutiny during the McCarthy era.3 Evelina recruited for the local among Puerto Ricans and other people of color who were still discriminated against in many unions 2 See Section 4 below for the transcription of this story from Dolores Roque’s oral history recorded for the Bronx Latino History Project. 3 District 65 of the RWDSU eventually merged with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and became a local affiliated with that union. For a historical overview of this union, see “Guide to the United Automobile Workers of America, District 65 Records WAG.006,” Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, NYU, 2019, https://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/ html/tamwag/wag_006/bioghist.html; and Minna P. Ziskind, “Labor Conflict in the Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 3 at the time. By this point, Evelina’s mother, two sisters, and some of her extended family had also moved to The Bronx, settling nearby on Concord Avenue. During these years, Evelina divorced her first husband and married Donato Antonetty, with whom she had her second daughter, Anita, and her only son Donald. Navigating the public school system with her three children and other parents in the neighborhood convinced Evelina that education advocacy was an urgent and much needed area of struggle, both in The Bronx and citywide. With community and family members, Evelina founded an organi- zation called United Bronx Parents (UBP) in 1965 in order to train Bronx parents to advocate for their children’s language, cultural, and nourishment needs. Additionally, UBP organized bilingual adult education classes, served as a community center, offered a variety of employment and job training opportunities to youth, became in- volved in local struggles for healthcare justice, and fought for the people of The Bronx in a variety of other ways. UBP quickly grew to become one of New York City’s leading community organi- zations. By the early 1970s, UBP was distributing two meals a day to thousands of children in all five boroughs for the city’s new free summer breakfast and lunch program. Both through UBP and independently Evelina was deeply engaged in her community. After youth involvement in gangs experienced an uptick in The Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Evelina began approaching known gang leaders, befriending them, arranging for their employment, and supporting them throughout their rehabilitation. Additionally, Evelina and other community members drew attention to the abhorrent healthcare being provided at Lincoln Hospital and other “ghetto hospitals” (as they were called at the time). She and others, including groups like the Young Lords and Suburbs: Organizing Retail in Metropolitan New York, 1954–1958,” International Labor and Working‐Class History 64 (2003): 55–79. 4 STEVEN PAYNE the Black Panthers, advocated for community control of these healthcare facilities.4 Evelina also supported Dr. Helen Rodríguez- Trías (1929–2001) and others at Lincoln Hospital who opposed the appointment of Dr. Antonio Silva, a doctor with a known history of mass sterilization of women in Puerto Rico.5 When the South Bronx and its people were depicted in racist and dehumanizing ways in films like Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), Evelina hit the streets in protest, always sticking up for her community.6 In short, Evelina was a loving sister, mother, and aunt, a fierce fighter, a mentor to many, an incredibly active and brilliant human being who loved The Bronx, its people, and all oppressed peoples worldwide. III. Oral History Narrators TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty contains selections from the oral histories of the following narrators, alphabetized by last name, all of whom have recorded at least one oral history for either the Bronx Latino History Project or the Bronx African American History Project. References to these oral histories are pro- vided to facilitate further research about the life and legacy of Dr. Evelina Antonetty. ANITA ANTONETTY is the daughter of Evelina and Donato Anto- 4 For recent treatments of struggles for community control of healthcare facilities in The Bronx, see Rachel Pagones, Acupuncture as Revolution: Suffering, Liberation, and Love (London: Brevis, 2021), especially chs. 1 and 3; and Johanna Fernández, The Young Lords: A Radical History (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2020), 271–304. 5 For a general history of mass sterlization campaigns among Puerto Ricans, see Laura Briggs, Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico (Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002), 142–161. A biography of Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías can be found in Joyce Wilcox, “The Face of Women’s Health: Helen Rodriguez Trias,” American Journal of Public Health (2002): 566–569. 6 See box 1, folder 3, “Committee Against Fort Apache,” The Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 5 netty.7 DONALD ANTONETTY is the son of Evelina and Donato Antonetty.8 ELBA CABRERA is the youngest sister of Evelina.9 JOE CONZO, JR. is the grandson of Evelina and the son of Lorraine Montenegro, who was the oldest daughter of Evelina.10 CARINA MONDESIRE is the daughter of Paul Mondesire, the grand- daughter of Elba Cabrera, and the great niece of Evelina.11 PAUL MONDESIRE is the younger son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.12 ANTONIO MONDESÍRE-CABRERA is the older son of Elba Cabrera and a nephew of Evelina.13 7 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty,” April 13, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 8 “Oral History of Anita and Donald Antonetty.” 9 “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 1,” November 16, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 2,” November 30, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 3,” December 6, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 4,” December 14, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 5,” December 22, 2021; “Oral History of Elba Cabrera, Part 6,” December 28, 2021; interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 10 “Oral History of Joe Conzo, Jr.,” May 9, 2006, interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 11 “Oral History of Carina Mondesire,” December 14, 2021, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 12 “Oral History of Paul Mondesire, Part 1,” February 1, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 13 “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 1,” June 16, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne; “Oral History of Babá Antonio Mondesire-Cabrera, Part 2,” September 22, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne and Pastor Crespo, Jr., The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical 6 STEVEN PAYNE DOLORES ROQUE is a childhood friend of Evelina who went to elementary school with her in Puerto Rico.14 CLEO SILVERS is a community and labor organizer who was men- tored by Evelina as a young activist in the South Bronx in the late 1960s and early 1970s.15 VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who frequented UBP when she was growing up.16 IV. Transcript of TITI: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty The transcribed oral history collection below is organized into three sections: 1. Evelina’s Life, which includes selected narrations of different aspects of Evelina’s life, from early childhood through adulthood; 2. Evelina’s Struggles, comprised of selected narrations of activist struggles Evelina engaged in from the 1940s until her passing in 1984, with pride of place falling to UBP; and 3. Evelina’s Legacies, which contains selected narrations of the many legacies left behind in Evelina’s wake—from a passion for education to gang rehabilitation to mentoring and inspiring generations of community activists, family members, and Bronxites in general. Society Research Library. 14 “Oral History of Dolores Roque,” February 11, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 15 “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 1,” February 21, 2007; “Oral History of Cleo Silvers, Part 2,” March 12, 2007; interviewed by Mark Naison, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 16 “Oral History of Vivian Vásquez Irizarry,” February 18, 2022, interviewed by Steven Payne, The Bronx Latino History Project, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 7 1. Evelina’s Life ELBA CABRERA: Well, I came to this country in 1935. My sister Evelina had—I was born, I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. And the day I was born, Evelina left to come to New York. She actually saw me— she saw my mother giving birth to me. And she said it was the hardest thing for her to leave, to leave her new baby sister. But my aunt [Vicenta Godreau], who had come to New York from Puerto Rico in 1923, had sent for her. And so, she was leaving. And that was actually September 10, 1933 that Evelina came to this country. And she was with my aunt. She landed in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, I think it was. And the boat was the, El Ponce. That was the name of the boat—boat or ship. When, when Evelina came, she went to live at 117th Street, in East Harlem. And it was, I think, off Fifth Avenue, I think. Because, you know, this is all what I’ve heard, you know. I wasn’t around. And so anyway, two years later, my aunt sent for us, sent for me and my mom and Lillian. And we came on the same ship and landed in Brooklyn as well. And we went to live with my aunt, and this was extended family living in Spanish Harlem. ANITA ANTONETTY: Well, how my mother [Evelina Antonetty] and my father [Donato Antonetty] ended up in The Bronx: well, my mother, when, when she came to this country, she lived in El Barrio in Harlem, East Harlem, New York, with her aunt, and then I believe what she told us was that when she, she got married to her first husband, she, they moved to The Bronx. That seemed to be the place people were going, a lot of people were coming to the Bronx, so they were in the South Bronx, Jackson Avenue. So, and then after she divorced her first husband, she and my, my sister Lorraine, were still there in Jackson Avenue. And her mother and her two sisters followed her to the, to The Bronx. That’s Elba 8 STEVEN PAYNE and Lillian. And they lived on Concord Avenue, which was a block away from Jackson Avenue. My father came later, I think, around ’55 or so, came to New York. And, and his family also had come to, some of them had already come to New York—my aunt Santos and my other aunt Margo, came, came to New York. Santos lived in the same building, Jackson Avenue. Margo lived in Concord as well. So, we had, we had, we had family all around us. There was other friends also that lived [in] Union Avenue: Tini, Carmen. Carmen Muñoz was godmother to Donny. My, my godmother, Celia Avilés, at the time, lived in, in Jackson Avenue, 625 Jackson, [inaudible], too. So, it was a real family neighborhood, you know, besides being blood relatives, we were close to everybody. It was a very mixed neighborhood. It was, you know, Puerto Ricans, African Americans that came from the South. There were others: Irish; Jewish, mostly from, from Russia; and Chinese. There were Chinese people that lived in the neighborhood, too. So, it was a very mixed neighborhood, very working-class neighborhood. PAUL MONDESIRE: So, the anchor of our family was Titi—everybody called her “Titi.” That would be Dr. Evelina Antonetty. Titi and her family, when I was really, really, really young, they lived, I think it was there on Jackson Avenue. The address I’m remembering: 625 Jackson Avenue. But we used to go visit them all the time. We used to visit Aunt Lilly a lot. She and, she and my grandmother lived in the then new Bridge Apartments, there at 111 Wadsworth, in, you know, technically that’s Man-, Washington Heights. The Bridge Apartments at that time were brand, brand new. They, this was before they kind of turned into a sewer, you know, because that, that turned into a very harsh neighborhood. But Aunt Lilly moved out of there before then. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 9 But, so, we would visit Titi and Aunt Lilly a lot. Lorraine and her kids. I mean, well, Titi was kind of the, she was the fulcrum. So, everybody went to Titi’s house, no matter what. Right? So, you know, holidays were spent going to Titi’s a lot. DOLORES ROQUE: Let me tell you: one time I went to get together, and we tried to make a pageant. And we made a pageant. And I say, “You know what? We’re gonna have Alma.” Alma was a girl, she was very nice, cute, but she had a cross-eye, and was cross-eyed. Her mother was separating from her father. But Titi and me, we decided to make the pageant. And I made the pageant. So, this man, he was a big man with money, like Alma’s father. They worked in the, in the corporation that then built [inaudible]. And this guy came over to me, and he says, “How much money do you need to make my daughter the queen?” The ticket was two cents —two cents, the ticket! Just [to] buy the stuff for the pageant, and, you know, for the—. So, and then we say, “No, we want to have —Alma will be the president.” And I said [to Titi], “You’re gonna be the, the princess.” So, we made the pageant, okay—the teacher doesn't know anything about it. We’re doing everything behind the teacher’s back. But it happened so that was the biggest event the school has, okay? Titi was the princess, and we made Alma the queen. That was Evelina and me in school, okay? They had a garden. And there we had a, they had a teacher. Mostly for the boys. For teaching gardening and stuff like that. And Titi and me went to see how they seed, plant the tomatoes, just to see. We don’t want to do it, but they don’t allow girls. It was only for the boys. We had to do something else. And Titi and me were there looking to see. And then I said, “I can do it.” Titi said, “I can do it.” 10 STEVEN PAYNE 2. Evelina’s Struggles ELBA CABRERA: This [pointing to a photograph] was during World War Two. We used to have rallies for the war effort, and Evelina was one of the main speakers [for an American Labor Party rally] with Jesús Colón, and two other women. And I have a cute story about that. I was, I was about, I don’t know, maybe seven, eight years old. And I was in the audience with Lillian, with my sister Lillian, and all of a sudden, the rains came. And I had this, they had given me like a costume with crepe paper, color, and the rains came, and all this dye came all over me. And I started crying out for Evelina. We used to call her “Titi.” I said, “Titi!” And, and Lillian says, “You can’t, she can’t come down, just stay with me.” But I’ll never forget that day. Above: Dr. Evelina Antonetty, 1980, Frank Espada, photographer, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 11 PAUL MONDESIRE: I think the most important thing to recall about those years was Titi’s attitude was not by any means necessary. It was by every means necessary, okay? She worked with city, city administrations. She worked with folks that had less than savory reputations in certain places, because that’s what you had to do. But her personal integrity on this was unquestioned. Like I said, she wouldn’t mess around with those SEBCO [South East Bronx Community Organization] people, and they wouldn’t mess around with her. Think about, think about that. The mob wouldn’t f—k with Titi. The mob would not f—k with Titi. And yeah, I said it just like that. Yeah, that’s the kind of powerful person that she was. When she started United Bronx Parents [in 1965], it was first United Bronx Parents, as the, as the, you know, education advocacy organization. Then she started the daycare center, and the daycare center grew into, you know, ultimately serving, you know, all kinds of populations, you know, the, you know, folks that were, you know, recovering from drugs. And later on, when Lorraine was running the organization, she got into helping, you know, creating the women’s shelter. I don’t know as much about the details there. ANITA ANTONETTY: Besides being at Bank Street, after school, we were in United Bronx Parents. And, and since my mother’s con- sultations moved out of the house, we had to learn how to answer the phone properly. Take messages, all of that. And then in, in, in the office, we, if there was an event going on, and flyers were being run off, we, and we needed to collate material, it was all done by hand, machines, at the time, to do it. So, we were put to work. And we also learned how to sit at the switchboard and transfer calls and all of that. DONALD ANTONETTY: And Elba was the, the office manager. 12 STEVEN PAYNE ANITA ANTONETTY: The office manager. DONALD ANTONETTY: She was a drill sergeant. ANITA ANTONETTY: She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t take anything from anybody. But we had, we had the run of the place pretty much. But we were in the middle of everything. DONALD ANTONETTY: But we were always expected to work. Always. Matter of fact, my father used to tell us, you know, since this is, you know, since it’s family-run, you’re expected to do more than any- body who was an employee there. Okay. Okay. Always. Always. ANITA ANTONETTY: [Our father] was integral to the operation. DONALD ANTONETTY: He used to translate all the documents into Spanish—like from Spanish to English, or mostly English to Spanish. So, all the, all the materials for the parents organizing, organizing, he would translate it. We always put out everything in English and Spanish. ANITA ANTONETTY: And by hand because it was two dictionaries and two thesauruses, and then just going back and forth. He would spend, spend nights doing that. And then if anything broke, he was fixing it. The machines broke, he would fix them. If, if something had, shelves had to be built, he was building them. But what was good about him is that he was working with people, and especially younger people, and showing them how to do: this is how you measure, this is how you cut, this is how you put it together, and all of that. Estella Rodríguez was the fiscal officer for the organization. She was a good friend. Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 13 DONALD ANTONETTY: She knew where every penny was. ANITA ANTONETTY: She made sure every penny was accounted for. Because in those days, you had to, because otherwise they’d shut you down in a minute. And I, I remember, she, one day her outrage, because they said, you know, they wanted all of the records. The next day, like nine o’clock in the morning, outraged that it was, anything would be wrong, but she made sure everything was right. Every payroll was met. Never, never missed the payroll. DONALD ANTONETTY: They had a great relationship with the banks, a great relationship with the banks. VIVIAN VÁSQUEZ IRIZARRY: Well, the main community center that we were a part of was United Bronx Parents. So, I remember when we were young, we would go to St. Mary’s Park, and, you know, swim in the swimming pool at certain times of the year, but our, my, our main place was UBP. UBP—and, and for a little bit, St. Margaret’s, but not so much—UBP was a place where my sister, my oldest sister, worked year-round. And I worked there as a summer youth employment. But even going before that, you know—and I had not made this link until long afterwards—was that UBP provided free lunch, free breakfast and lunch. And so there were times during the summer where my mother would say, “Okay, go over there and go to 1-, PS 130. And get your lunch and your breakfast, you know, and bring, take—.” So, there were five of us. So, the five of us would go and, and get our sandwiches and our lunch. And you know, it was really great. And, you know, at that time, I don’t think I knew where that was coming from. But then eventually, you know, as I worked for the Summer Youth Employment Program, I think I worked for UBP, summer, maybe three years. And, and you know, we worked, we cleaned up the park and we, we went on trips, and it was the first 14 STEVEN PAYNE time I think I went to Coney Island. You know, we were exposed to different places throughout the city. We had what I’ll call counseling sessions. At that time, they were called “rap sessions,” you know, where the older employees at UBP, the, the counselors would sit us down and talk to us about what was going on in our lives and, you know, build relationships with us so that I guess we could feel safe. I feel like that was important, you know, looking back, going to a safe place every day in the summer, you know, making friends, having fun, being engaged in, in fun activities, was, was important, was really important to me. DONALD ANTONETTY: But also, when they, you know, they, there was some mass sterilization program going on in Puerto Rico. The one heading that program, when he left there, he went to be the director of Lincoln Hospital. Keep up the “good” work. So, there was a lot of protest about that, a lot organizing about that. ANITA ANTONETTY: And then the stereotypes from Hollywood, so —that’s Fort Apache. That was a big deal, too. We were in the street every single day, every single day. DONALD ANTONETTY: It was the filming crew. One time we saw Paul Newman downtown. We chased him, saying, “Stop the racist movie!” 3. Evelina’s Legacies ANTONIO MONDESIRE-CABRERA: And Titi and Aunt Lilly, through embracing education—education is a universal, when we start understanding other people’s cultures, history, you get past all this stuff. Titi was very much influenced by [Vito] Marcantonio from, from, and LaGuardia, from East Harlem, Italian-American men who had a vision of a larger expanse. She loved Malcolm X. Don Pedro Albizu Campos. So, and of course, Aunt Lilly exposed me to so much. So, I’m trying to say is my formative years were very Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 15 diverse, very rich, and allowed me—I’m very blessed, man. And I would like, I like to pass that on to people, because we’re living in very testy times now, very testy times. JOE CONZO, JR.: My grandmother never shunned or ran away from any community problems. And yes, there were a lot of gang problems at the time. She took in people like Benji Melendez from the Ghetto Brothers, the president of the Ghetto Brothers, she took in people from the Savage Skulls, all these community people. So, I knew them growing up. She, she involved them in her work and gave them their jobs, gave them jobs. Benji Melendez, you know, who, who had a brigade of, of gang members, who in, you know, a couple of thousand, will tell anybody today how Evelina Antonetty walked into their gang house, pointed them out, and said, “You want a job? Go home, take a bath, shave, and come see me.” And gave him his first job. But that’s how, she—she wasn’t afraid of anybody, because she was doing something for her people, her community. ESPERANZA MARTELL: I began doing activism in The Bronx with, I guess, the, the—’cause I’m trying to really place myself, right? So, in the late, I would say like in the late ’60s. When folks were fighting for community control, bilingual education, and childcare, basically. So, folks like Evelina Antonetty was the leading person in a lot of those struggles. She did a lot of coalition work, and was part of Brown vs. [Board of Education], right? So, you know, I was young, I was in my early 20s, or late teens, and I would come and support actions. CLEO SILVERS: Evelina Antonetty was the leader of United Bronx Parents. She organized all around the South Bronx [for] better education. Now, she had a team of people that worked with her. Ellen Lurie and Kathy Goldman. And Ellen and Kathy did the research. They gave the information to Evelina. She [made it where] parents could understand it and organized around absolute 16 STEVEN PAYNE conditions inside of the schools, inside of the classrooms—they had information about what was going on inside each classroom. It was one of the most wonderful experiences that I had with Evelina. ELBA CABRERA: The losses for me, you know, my sisters, you know, it’s been really tough. It’s, it’s been a little hard. And especially when I start talking about them. But I have such good, good memories. So yes, so, at any rate, let me, let me backtrack a little bit with Lillian and Evelina, cause it’s important. They, they were my role models. And they, they felt that I, that I could do anything, but I didn’t feel that way. You know, they really, you know, nurtured me and helped me, and I appreciate that till now and forever. So, when Evelina comes to The Bronx now, you know, she’s already, she’s an adult, and she’s very clear as to what’s to be done. So, she gets, you know, she got involved with people, especially when she went to work at the union, too. Because she also was recruiting, recruiting Puerto Rican and other Latinos to work in the industries that they serviced. And she, she was there for quite a few years. I would say something like four years. Before that she had worked in the post office as well. Yeah, during the war. And then she worked at the union. So, you know, she was pretty active in, in her thoughts, you know, because she, she really, you know, I think she was born with, with her knowledge of people and what had to be done, I really do. I don’t think people can learn that, I think it has to come within you, you know, has to be something, your passion. And she had the passion for people. CARINA MONDESIRE: Really, where a lot of the voices [for change] are going to come from are, you know, really, from, like, people like Evelina, you know, who were out here speaking up for us, to make it better. So, I, it’s, maybe I, maybe I [should] just follow in her footsteps and start talking more, you know, but it’s, I don’t know. I guess it’s, it’s like I’ve seen, you know—again, I wasn’t, I wasn’t born Titi: An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty 17 for a lot of the struggles that they had to, you know, I wasn’t around a lot of the struggles they had to deal with. So, in a way, I’m ignorant, because I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t here. And I, you know, I’m lucky enough that, like, my family, you know, for the most part, we haven’t had to have been in the situation where we’re seeing the really hard times that you can face. I mean, the pandemic also showed a lot of that to me. You know, and I, and this is when I started hearing more stories of people struggling. So, I think that like, the hope is that we continue to, I guess, grow, but I don’t know if that’s the right word that I’m looking for. But it’s like we need better, and I—for sure Evelina was on track, and my grandmother [Elba] and Lillian for what they contributed, for sure, are, you know, some of the catalysts for creating that change. And I think we definitely need to keep going, you know. It’s one of those journeys, one of those journeys that doesn’t stop, you know, it’s like we have to keep going, and there’s gonna be a lot of things that we, I guess, face that, you know, are I guess—I guess “adversity,” if that’s the word? And, I mean, I don’t want to say that it’s okay. But that’s a part of it. So, going forward hopefully it’s just better, you know. 18 STEVEN PAYNE KINGSBRIDGE VIGNETTES BY RICHARD L. BAUM I. Home Number 3P, 225 West 232nd Street—the three-room apartment located in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx, where I grew up with my parents and two sisters from the late 1940s into 1959, was often without heat in the winter. Cold enough that I slept wearing extra layers of clothing and heavy socks. On many winter mornings, my mother would ritually bang on the steam pipes in the vain hope that the super would see fit to raise the level of heat or repair the errant coal furnace. In 1959, after many years in 3P, we moved up, literally, into apartment 6D, a four-room apartment on the sixth and top floor, at the monthly rate of $100.12, a not inconsequential sum at that time. There had been an earlier opportunity to get a four-room apartment. Some years before, my father left a deposit with the building’s super for an apartment that had become available. Shortly thereafter, during my father’s weekly Gin Rummy card game, he mentioned his imminent move to the other players. Not long after, the super returned the deposit, stating that someone else got the apartment. This person turned out to be Mr. Rogers, an electrician, who had been one of the Gin Rummy players. Our new sixth-floor apartment allowed my parents to move out of the living room into their own bedroom. By this time, we were four souls, as my eldest sister Vilma had married two years earlier. Though Vilma missed the joy of this sunny, spacious apartment, our new living space had disabilities that 3P had not had, and Vilma escaped suffering these. The environmental conditions in this sixth-floor space were more Kingsbridge Vignettes 19 severe than those in 3P. The new apartment was at the southeast corner of the building and overlooked a large open area that was intersected by the Broadway IRT elevated line. When we first moved in, the sound of the trains running along the track, up and down Broadway, interfered with both my studying and sleeping. After some time, I was able to develop the skill of filtering out the clickity-clack of the subway cars running along the glistening steel tracks. If a train was off schedule, however, its delay caused me to look up from whatever I was doing and anxiously wait for the sound of its approach. It was as if the world was out of balance without the sound of the train’s rhythmic passage occurring on cue. In the summer, the new apartment’s orientation, together with its open windows, allowed a crosswind partially to cool the apartment, which was excessively heated by the tarred roof directly above our apartment’s ceiling. The building’s electrical wiring was insufficient for window air conditioning, which was not yet common. Instead, we augmented the crosswind with a water-fed air conditioner that sat on a stand in the middle of the living room and cooled things a bit but added to the humidity. Despite the crosswind and the air- conditioner, summer days in that apartment felt as if one were living in a broiler. The winter brought radically different conditions. Perversely, the refreshing summer crosswind was transformed, even with the win- dows closed, into a malevolent, howling wind that conspired with the rotten wooden window frames to cause severe freezing con- ditions in the apartment. It was as if there were no windows at all! Stuffing towels along the edges of the window frames seemed to have no measurable effect. On one particularly cold morning, after I had the courage to stick my head out from under my blanket, I scanned the room through the fog of my breath, and my gaze fell upon a square pane of glass. It 20 RICHARD L. BAUM was frosted over by Jack, hanging by one corner from a wooden slat, swaying lazily in the breeze. Rather than take the chance that I might knock the pane to the street, I called my father. He casually entered the room while tucking his starched white shirt into his pants, immediately sized up the problem, cinched his belt, and slowly reached for the glass pane. As his fingers closed around the glass, the pane, as if in spite, suddenly slipped. Before he could react, it plummeted to the street six stories below, tumbling, flat-end over flat-end, into the distance. Luckily, it was about 7:15 in the morning, and only one person was on the way to work. To our relief, the pedestrian, who was on the opposite side of the street, did not react to the sound of the glass shattering on the sidewalk. II. Play On school-day afternoons, my friends and I would play in front of our building, which was sandwiched on a steep hill between Broadway on the east and Kingsbridge Avenue on the west. The girls would jump rope (sometimes double-dutch) to the rhythm of sung doggerel, or play Potsy, a variation of Hopscotch, tossing house keys into numbered rectangles chalked onto the sidewalk. The boys devoted their free time either to curb ball or to hide-and-seek. Other kids donned roller skates, consisting of four metal wheels, metal tabs, extending outward from the base of the skate, fitted onto the soles of one’s leather shoes (sneakers would not work) and tightened in place with a key. Every now and again, while we were peacefully engrossed in play, kids from Godwin Terrace, sensing an opportunity, would gather into a mob and run full tilt toward us in an attempt to disrupt our fun. Godwin Terrace was perpendicular to our street and, invariably, we spotted the growing mob and would run into the lobby of our Kingsbridge Vignettes 21 building, locking the heavy iron and glass door behind us. There came a time when I was fed up and, as the mob galloped down Godwin Terrace towards number 225, I refused to flee, despite the entreaties of my friends cowering in the lobby. Just as my friends slammed the heavy metal door shut, the gang rolled over me, like an ocean storm wave, pummeling me with projectiles from peashooters and zip guns. I was hit in the face but stoically kept my ground, standing upright and facing my tormentors, too small to hit back effectively. III. Halloween Halloween was a particularly risky time to be on neighborhood streets. In 1952, when I was eight, I happened to have an early evening dentist appointment with Dr. Cacecci, whose office was on the northwest corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 231st Street (in later years it became the community office for Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz). The route to the dentist, south along Kingsbridge Avenue, took me past a row of bushes, directly opposite Naples Terrace, that concealed an empty lot. In late October it was already dark at 5:00 PM at that latitude of The Bronx. The depth of the darkness was compounded since that area of the borough is in a valley formed by the Riverdale Ridge to the west and the Fordham Ridge overlooking Bailey Avenue, east of Broadway. I was alone on the avenue. As I approached the darkened lot, the bushes ominously rustling by the breeze, I was overcome by a sense of foreboding. With images of the headless horseman and Ichabod Crane haunting my thoughts, I increased my pace to get past the shadowy bushes. Forewarned too late by muffled giggling coming from behind the bushes, I was set upon by several boys armed with pastel chalk who proceeded to throw me to the ground. They held me down while they basted me from head to toe, front to back, with purple, green, red, blue, and yellow pastel chalk. Not an inch of 22 RICHARD L. BAUM my clothing, hair, hands, or face was spared. Satisfied with their handiwork, the boys let me up. Otherwise not worse for the experience, I scurried off to a worse fate at the dentist. IV. Neighbors In about 1951, during the Korean War, a Chinese family, consisting of two parents, a daughter, and a son, moved into the neighborhood, opening a laundry a short distance west of Broadway on the north side of 232nd Street, just as the street began to rise toward Kingsbridge Avenue. I became friendly with the family’s son. On his birthday, soon after the family had moved in, his parents decided to buy him a miniature gas station he had spied in a candy store on the northern side of 231st Street, just east of Kingsbridge Avenue. I was invited to come along with the entire family on their buying expedition. The parents wanted to take the short route to the store that would take them up (i.e., south) along Godwin Terrace and then down a flight of steps to West 231st Street, rather than walking south along the busier Broadway to 231st Street and then west to the candy store. I tried to dissuade them from the Godwin Terrace route, as I was well aware that the kids on Godwin Terrace did not take kindly to outsiders. However, due to the parents’ not taking a child’s concerns seriously, they confidently led our little group along the most logical path. As we passed along Godwin Terrace, I con- tinuously glanced left and right, on the lookout for trouble. The outbound trip turned out to be uneventful. However, the brutes that lived along our route had been alerted by the passage of our defenseless squad. While returning, our small party being distracted by the birthday toy gas station, the “Godwin Terrace Gang,” now organized, pounced. We were forced to flee towards the laundry with projectiles buzzing through the air. It was only upon entering the store that I saw my friend’s mother bleeding profusely from a cut in the fleshy part of her face just below her eye. She was lucky: a Kingsbridge Vignettes 23 little bit higher and she might have lost that eye. With the assault continuing, I ran from the store in an attempt to get help, but not being successful, I rejoined my friends to share their fate. A few days after the assault, I returned to their store to visit. The store was dark and deserted. Sadly, the Chinese family was gone. V. School Public School 7 is the successor to Grammar School 66. Located at the northwest corner of Church Street and Weber’s Lane, today’s Kingsbridge Avenue and 232nd Street, PS 7 opened for classes on November 11, 1895. This structure was made of what appears to be, to a non-geologist such as myself, reddish-brown sandstone. There was a medieval-looking tower dominating the main entrance. When I attended the school, beginning in 1949, the school had clearly been expanded. There was an enclosed, brick bridge con- necting a brick building to the old sandstone structure. The entire complex was raised above street level and accessed by twin staircases leading to two large schoolyards. The school grounds extended from Kingsbridge Avenue west to Corlear Avenue and north to 233rd Street. If one looked carefully, one could see that some doors leading into the school had the word “Girls” inscribed over it, and others were labeled “Boys.” The north yard was the boys’ yard where they lined up every school-day morning waiting for their teachers to lead them to their classrooms. The south yard, known as the girls’ yard, was where the girls lined up for classes. Only the youngest children were intermingled, boys with girls. On rainy or snowy days, we lined up in the indoor yard, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. The indoor space doubled as the hot-lunch room and always had a strong, almost nauseating, smell of oranges and tomato soup. Most children walked home for lunch, since families in which both 24 RICHARD L. BAUM parents worked were in the minority in the neighborhood. Those few children who could not go home were doomed to eat in that odiferous atmosphere. Sometime in the 1950s the influence of our Puritan past began to wane, and boys and girls were allowed to line up together in the south yard. The north yard was reserved for the upper grades. It was a great thrill when I was finally old enough to be in the north schoolyard. I was fascinated by the large, faded, white circle painted on the north yard’s pavement, with the names of countries printed along its radii. I was instantly attracted to the name Turkey, which I was certain was a bird! To my knowledge, neither teacher nor students ever used this circle, which lay there, mute, like an ancient artifact, its function lost to the ages. Above: View looking northwest to the corner of Kingsbridge Avenue and 230th Street, a couple blocks south of the author’s apartment, 1981. From the AF705–Kingsbridge Avenue–230th St. folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Kingsbridge Vignettes 25 A fence of black, cast-iron bars stood guard around the perimeter of the school’s two concrete yards. The tip of each bar was shaped into a spike to discourage trespassers. After school and during summer, when the gates were closed, the local kids, myself included, undiscouraged by the quiet threat of the spikes, would confidently climb over the spiked fence to get into the schoolyard in order to play either basketball or stickball. The schoolyard was the site of the sole neighborhood basketball hoops. Stickball could not be played with pitching in the street because the ball would be too easily lost. In the schoolyard, we played stickball by pitching a pink Spalding —pronounced in the local vernacular as “spaldeen”—against a wall which was inscribed with a chalked rectangular strike zone as a backstop. During my earliest years at the school, I learned how to churn butter in Miss Minahan’s class, went on nature walks around the neigh- borhood, and listened, enthralled, to stories read by my teacher in the quiet of the cool, shady children’s library, then on Kingsbridge Avenue adjacent to St. John’s Church. Each school-day morning I would look forward to arriving at PS 7, a short walk from where I lived, because it was always warm there. After the mid-morning milk break, it was my task to collect and carry the students’ empty waxed cardboard half-pint milk cartons to the basement coal-burning furnace for incineration. The janitor always allowed me to sit on an upturned wooden milk crate placed in front of the furnace’s open door and luxuriate in the warmth of the heat radiating from the glowing orange-red stones of coal that were uniformly spread on the furnace bed. After a few short minutes I had to be on my way back to the classroom, otherwise I would be missed. By three in the afternoon, however, it was a great relief to be crossing Kingsbridge Avenue and heading eastward down the hill towards home. 26 RICHARD L. BAUM I walked to school with Stanley and Peter. These two boys lived in my building and were my best friends. Each school morning, as we reached Kingsbridge Avenue, a half block from where we lived, we had to wait for the school crossing guard to allow us to cross. The guard, an older boy, wore a broad white belt that wound its way around his waist and diagonally across his chest, and to which was attached an official, gleaming metal badge. The crossing guard was responsible for the safety of children crossing the intersection. One autumn school morning, the raw gusts of wind swirled brittle brown leaves around our feet as the three of us approached the Kingsbridge intersection. The traffic light changed from green to red. The guard dutifully put his arms out to prevent us from crossing. Peter, a sensitive boy, became upset at having his path blocked and began to cry and scream for his mother. He turned and ran hysterically down the long hill toward Broadway, which his mother was approaching after having just left us in front of our building. Peter’s mother, with Peter in tow, walked the two blocks uphill to where Stanley, the crossing-guard, and I were standing, stunned and frozen in place at this unfathomable display. His mo- ther, on reaching us, calmly asked me for an explanation and then, satisfied that nothing untoward had caused Peter’s upset, said goodbye and went on her way, leaving us to finish our trip. Peter later attended MIT and went on to obtain a PhD in Physics from Brown University. One of the most profound lessons I learned at PS 7 occurred on the first day of school, at the start of fifth grade, in the north school- yard. In a moment of idleness and indiscretion, while waiting on line with the other students to be escorted to our classroom by our new teacher, Miss Scanlon, I puffed up my cheeks! Miss Scanlon took umbrage at the pair of distended organs, distorting the otherwise perfectly straight line of children, and declared that if the culprit did not reveal himself, the entire class would be kept after school. Kingsbridge Vignettes 27 Mean-spiritedness, pettiness, group responsibility for the acts of individual members of the group, and the threat of peer revenge were the lessons of the day, distasteful lessons that I have not yet forgotten. In the sixth grade, I achieved a score on the Iowa Achievement Exam equivalent to that expected in the tenth grade in English and in the twelfth grade in Mathematics. My teacher, Mrs. Curley, surprised at this result (as was I), called me to her desk in the front of the room and charged me with cheating by copying from Richard C. This was patently absurd. Richard C. was illiterate. At dinner that night, I told my father what had happened in the childish expectation that he would be enraged and defend my honor to the death. However, without raising his head from Life Magazine, and between swallows of his evening fare, he calmly, and with then unappreciated wisdom, advised me to tell the teacher to give me the test again. Mrs. Curley declined his suggestion. At the end of the term the good teacher assuaged her guilt at making a false charge by presenting me with an award, signed by the principal, Carmela Nesi, for the student who improved the most during the school year. At home, I was about to tear up the award when my mother grabbed it from me and kept it for herself for decades. I found it among her papers after she passed away. In respect of her wishes, I have continued to preserve the award. 28 RICHARD L. BAUM ALLERTON IN THE 1940S AND 1950S BY ROBERT WEISS The time period about which I am writing encompasses the mid- forties to the mid-fifties. Much of which characterized that period, for the most part, has been swept away by time, never to return.1 I. Streets Allerton Avenue was bordered on either side by perpendicular side streets bearing such names as Mace, Barnes, and Holland. I never knew how these streets were named. To the east, Allerton crossed Boston Road, a very busy road, the crossing of which required pedestrians to take their life into their hands. Walking under the elevated train tracks, heading in a westerly direction, one would encounter Bronx Park, our neighborhood’s lush, flora- and fauna- filled boundary. The avenue and perpendicular side streets broke the neighborhood up into blocks. The actual size of the avenue covered an area of about 24 of these rectangular blocks. The whole thing could easily be walked in a relatively short time. Two blocks were divided in half by alleyways. Bordering either side of these dirt roads were the rear entrances of the block’s row houses, gardens, and garages. The alleys also permitted the Allerton Avenue inhabitants to take a mid-block shortcut by car or foot. For us kids, they were our country dirt roads. II. Hanging Around A well-known singing group performed a song entitled “Old Folks,” the lyrics of which paint a vivid picture of elderly people sitting on park benches, enshrouded in oversized overcoats with newspapers 1 This article is excerpted from selections of an unpublished manuscript by the author about his childhood growing up in the Allerton section of The Bronx. Readers interested in obtaining additional selections or the manuscript itself should write to the author at BRRS137@AOL.COM. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 29 blowing around tips of high black shoes. These lyrics captured what I would see in my neighborhood on almost any winter’s day. Wooden boxes, however, were more the seat of choice, primarily because of their portability and easy access. These boxes could be strategically positioned in front of neighborhood stores or a sunny avenue spot. The tops of these crude seats were usually covered with newspapers, providing some degree of cleanliness and protection from splinters, the titles of which included: The Daily News, The New York Post, The World Telegram and Sun, The Freiheit, The Daily Worker, The Forverts (The Jewish Forward), The Herald Tribune, The Daily Mirror, or The New York Times. In addition to newspapers, other convenient forms of printed material were drafted into service. Above: Allerton Avenue, looking west from Barnes Avenue, 1993, showing various more recent shops. Although the kosher delis and appetizing stores have disappeared, along with much of the Jewish community in the neighborhood, Allerton Avenue is still lined with stores and restaurants to this day. From the AF19–Allerton Avenue–Barnes Avenue folder, Photograph Collection, The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. 30 ROBERT WEISS These crude seat boxes usually weren’t schlepped home. Rather, they were left behind to provide another elderly person with a place to perch. III. Kosher Deli Then there was the Kosher delicatessen or deli, as it was commonly called. Such delicacies as pastrami, hot dogs, corned beef, mustard, and sauerkraut were available to be ordered by a waiter and eaten off a square table. The waiter would walk up to the table. Usually he was a gray-haired, balding, old guy. He wore a white apron with stains. The waiter was boss. He would look down at you and command, in his heavy accent, “So vot do you vant?” As he reached across the table, distributing metal eating implements, his sleeve would ride up, sometimes exposing numbers across his wrist. At that time, I never knew where he got the number tattoo. Regular hot dogs might be wrapped in two types of casings. One was real cow’s intestine and the other casings were made in a plastics factory. “Specials” were super-duper fat hot dogs. Both hot dogs and “specials” were attached to their own kind by either string or twisted extensions of the casing. This enabled the franks to be hung along with the Kosher salami on the rear wall behind the counter man. Should you decide “take out,” the accompanying deli mustard was stored in a stiff cone-shaped piece of shiny, stiff paper. To release the spicy yellow-brown mustard, the rolled-up tube was squeezed while the tube tip rested on whatever was to be covered. Sour pickles were found on all the tables, which caused the whole joint to wreak of garlic. Kosher salami seemed to contain about thirty percent meat, seventy percent fat. After eating a salami sandwich on rye with mustard, it might be stored in the body for an untold period of time. You were reminded of this by the repeated belching and acidic regurgitation during repetitive garlicky heart-burn episodes. Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 31 A favorite side dish was something called kishke, the more sophis- ticated Jewish name for stuffed derma. Kishke was made by stuffing cow’s intestines with some kind of yellowish, grainy, fatty, garlicky- type of substance. It was served as fried slices. The casing was eaten along with the stuffing. Again, a health department genius came up with the idea that eating cow intestines was not good for you. Consequently, most kishke factories, like the hot dog factories, replaced the animal intestine with a casing made of plastic. Before consuming the kishke, the plastic had to be peeled off and placed on the side. I am sure that at some time, in some deli somewhere, this plastic caused choking or inadvertently was used as dental floss. In addition to laws preventing the shaking of dust mops and the burning of leaves, and doing away with intestine casings, a law should have been passed stipulating a label to accompany plastic- wrapped delicacies. The label would have read: “Warning! Remove the plastic ring before eating the kishke or hot dogs or you run the risk of dying.” Before the lights went out, there would be an old man in a dirty apron standing over the gasping patron making a loud official announcement: “Pay up front.” As previously mentioned, people never gave much thought about eating healthy. If you wanted to see an unhealthy, happy person, go to a Kosher deli and look at the regulars. They often tipped the scale at about 300 pounds. “Spit Puss” owned the only Jewish appetizing store on the avenue. The Legend of Spit Puss originated with the recognition of the accumulation of foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. He never seemed to object to the name. It was almost a form of homey mar- keting. Spit Puss’s appetizing store was about the size of a large walk-in closet. The outside of the store had windows opaque with filth. If the name of the appetizing store wasn’t written on the front, one would think that an illegal card game was going on the other side of the front wall. 32 ROBERT WEISS Looking through the front during a hot summer day, I could see old people, the women with their house dresses and the men clutching their wife’s shopping list. The women all had raised fists grasping shopping lists, eagerly trying to push in front of the other 99 patrons. The floor creaked under the load. The place was always wall-to-wall people as the merchandise hung or fell off the rickety shelves. The shelved packages consisted of canned foods, cellophane bags, and bottled liquids. When you walked through the entrance of the store, immediately to your left was something like a counter with glass display cases. Only a limited area of about five feet was used for business transactions. Inside the display cases were such exotic delicacies as smoked sturgeon, smoked carp, lox, pickled her- ring in sour cream and onions, pickled herring without sour cream, just onions, jars of salmon caviar, smoked white fish, and sable. There was no doubt that the display case contained the body or body parts of dead animals. Some of the smoked fish still had their heads, sunken eyes, gills, mouths including teeth and fins. The guts were removed prior to the smoking process, as viewed through an abdominal slit. Also, occupying space behind the counter sat bulk cream cheese, something called pot cheese, butter, and farmer cheese. Except for the caviar, all others were out of package lying in pans or on clean white pieces of packaging paper. I remember the store, stinking of a pungent fishy, pickley, garlicy odor. No other store on the avenue could claim that distinct stink. The Jewish deli odor was far different from the scent of stinky feet imported from Italy. Spit Puss would yell over the counter, “Vot you vant?” Behind the counter display cases, Spit Puss marched back and forth with his belly polishing the steel molding of the counter as he fulfilled the orders shot at him from the opposite side. The orders were to Spit Puss like a starting gun to a runner. He would run from one section of the counter to the other with a “clop! clop!” sound emanating from the soles of his feet as they struck the wooden floor boards behind the counter. The sharp eyes of Spit Puss’s customers could Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 33 clearly see what they were ordering. In heavy accents, you could hear, “Dalink, you should slice me quarter pound lox, a nice piece of carp, not the end, the middle, and I vant a small vite fish.” “Dalink, the lox you should give me: Belly, not Novi. It’s too expensive.” “Don’t give me any bleck pieces and the vite fish, not dat vun, da fet vun.” The orders were put on the scale and a price was determined. The items were then wrapped in yellowish white wrapping paper and secured with cellophane tape. They were handed across the counter or placed on top of the display case. “So how moch I owe you?” the customer would yell out. A tally was made by using a pencil, pulled from Spit Puss’s ear. The numbers were scribbled and summed up on the brown paper bag, into which the filled order was to be placed. A monetary exchange, and “Next!” Spit Puss yelled out. Sometimes, this started an all-out war. Mostly, the women would start bellowing phrases such as, “Vot are you doink, it is my toin.” “No it’s not your toin.” “I’m next!” a voice somewhere in the crowd would spring forth from the crowd. “I was here foist,” someone else would yell. A brief skirmish might ensue. In the name of fairness and to break up the log-jam, a small jury would form, providing patrons the opportunity to invest their two cents. “I tink she vus here foist,” an arbitrator would announce. The offended customer would respond with a, “I neva hoid soch a thing!” “Next!” Spit Puss would once again yell out to his audience. He was protected by this no man’s land of counter space and display cases. Spit Puss never got involved in the store wars. Everyone knew where Spit Puss’s appetizing store was located. The whole front of the store and somewhat extending outside was a stink that no other avenue store possessed. On the sidewalk, in front of the store, were these four-foot-high, brown, grungy-looking wooden barrels. One barrel contained very sour pickles, another barrel contained not-so-sour pickles, and the third barrel contained a 34 ROBERT WEISS powerfully strong, fishy-smelling stuff. Floating in this barrel were what appeared to be rotten fish in an equally putrid looking liquid. This was the schmaltz herring barrel. The last barrel contained madjes herring. The contents of this barrel contained what looked like reddish-colored schmaltz herrings. It had the “fency” name: “Herring in wine sauce.” Eventually, the health department deemed that the outside uncovered barrels were a health hazard. It did make some sense. The fact that they were open to the public made the barrels a target for all kinds of foreign stuff. Should anything be thrown or dropped in, like bird shit, no one would have been the wiser. Spit Puss was now required, by law, to store all barreled products inside closed plastic containers inside the store. The familiar and odd aroma that diffused from the appetizing store and into the neighborhood declined significantly. This was a small price to pay for the fact that the people of our neighborhood, both consumers and just plain “sniffers,” were, once again, saved from some horrific disease. Allerton Avenue was getting safer and safer as a result of these various health regulations. Everything in the Jewish appetizing store took on its unique garlicky odor, including the people who worked there. A good friend, Dave Leher, may he rest in peace, worked all day in an appetizing store. After work, he would drop by our clubroom, of which he was a member. This was usually a pre-shower visit. He wore the same stained apron from work into our subterranean clubroom. The air was unusually close, in that the basement room had no windows. Needless to say, when Dave paid us a visit, he brought with him every possible garlicky, fishy stink that pervaded his workplace. Upon his entrance, the appetizing molecules would release themselves from Dave and diffuse into the surrounding clubroom atmosphere. This would create a great uproar punctuated by a barrage of curses such as, “Dave, get the f—k out of here.” Dave Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 35 would stand his ground with a self-satisfied toothy grin on his face. We couldn’t decide whether to kick him above ground, rip his clothes off, or put him on a bagel with cream cheese and eat him. IV. Our Bronx Park Oasis We lived close to a New York oasis rivaled only by the forests, fields, streams, and lakes of Central Park in Manhattan. What Central Park was to Manhattan, Bronx Park was, and still is, to The Bronx. All we had to do was walk six blocks west from my apartment house to the Bronx Park perimeter. The park stretches approximately two-thirds the length of The Bronx. The northern part sits close to the borders of suburban Westchester. Southern Bronx Park dipped into what might presently be described as the more congested and industrial area of The Bronx. Most of the buildings consisted of old, pre-war apartment houses interspersed with private homes. Going back in time, the inhabitants were made up of Black, Puerto Rican, Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants. Many were poor, lower-middle-, and working-class people. It could be said that Bronx Park was an emerald-green oasis that was divided into three main sections. The northernmost part is Bronx Park proper. Traveling southward, the park included the Botanical Garden, which merged with the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo had fences that defined its borders. Bronx Park proper and the Botanical Garden had no such barriers of demarcation. Each melded into the other. I could ride my bike and enter without paying a penny through Bronx Park proper and continue “freely” into the Botanical Gardens and finally into the Bronx Zoo. Within park sections, one could find small lakes, large rock outcroppings, caves, streams, a river, swamps, fields, waterfalls, forests, ball fields, playgrounds, bicycle paths, hiking paths and handball courts. Bicycle paths en- abled us to gain access to everywhere. 36 ROBERT WEISS The lakes and the surrounding parkland contained various forms of animal life. Varieties of fish included perch, eels, bass, sunfish, carp, and minnows. Amphibians included frogs and salamanders. Reptiles included varieties of snakes and turtles. Many of these beasts were caught and kept as pets. We frequently saw mammals rushing the leaves such as water rats, musk rats, plain-old rat rats, mice, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, and finally birds, the listing of which would be too numerous. V. The Grand Finale As time moved on, values and behaviors changed frequently. These changes occurred subconsciously. It was after Buzz’s and my high school graduation, when he turned to me and said, “We are getting to be too old to do some of the things we use to do.” After all the sloppy kisses and well wishes finished, we ran home, pulled off our suit, tie, and fancy shirt and replaced them with old jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts. RoRo, the family dog, was leashed, and off to the park we went. We ended up at the bank of the Bronx River. Sitting on the shore, we spotted a muddy and rusted cement bin, the kind construction workers mix cement in. After a moment of planning, we slipped it into the river and each of us, including RoRo, gingerly climbed in. With a stick, we pushed off from shore. Slowly we drif- ted downstream, for the first time seeing the park from a different vantage point. Here we were, the three of us together, “Rub a dub, dub, three schmucks in a tub.” Suddenly, for some reason, only the golfball-sized brain of the dog understood. RoRo decided to ab- andon ship. In his enthusiasm to leap, he flipped the cement bin. While on board, a careful balance was maintained. Once the dog left, there was no more careful balance. Buzz and I became a part of the floating wood, leaves, and other debris in the river. It was easy enough to get to shore. The river was never very wide. Climbing onto shore was another matter. The bank was slippery with muddy, grey silt. By the time we reached a solid grassy area, we were soaked, Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s 37 but even worse, we were covered from head to toe with caked mud. Outfitted in our muddy attire, we walked right down the center of Allerton Avenue. It was a spectacle that captured a lot of attention: muddy me, Buzzy, and RoRo. Here we were, high school graduates, looking more like smelly rock people that appeared in an old Flash Gordon movie. It would be impossible for me to describe the expression on Lena and Mom’s face when they confronted the three of us in the street. Lena laughed. Mom, with a serious, straight face asked, “When are you kids going to grow up? You’re too old to be doing this nonsense. Look how filthy you are, and you stink!” 38 ROBERT WEISS A TRIBUTE TO BOB GUMBS AND HARRIET MCFEETERS BY MARK NAISON I. Bob Gumbs (1939–2022) Bob Gumbs was a brilliant graphic designer and publisher who played a pioneering role in the Black Arts movement in the 1950s and early 1960s, and then 40 years later, played a central role in the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. Brought up on Lymon Place, a small street in the Morrisania section of The Bronx that played an important part in American jazz history because jazz pianists Elmo and Bertha Hope resided there and Thelonious Monk visited regularly, Bob was part of a small group of young Bronxites who sponsored jazz concerts in the borough in the middle of the 1950s to call attention to jazz as an art form of African origin. Even in later years when he moved to Harlem and became a graphic designer whose work highlighted Black history and culture, The Bronx held a special place in his heart, and when he read an article about a Fordham professor who started an oral history project with Black residents of the Patterson Houses, he contacted that professor to urge him to include Morrisania, which he called “The Harlem of The Bronx.” This began a 20-year collaboration that turned The Bronx African American History Project into one of the premier community-based oral history projects in the nation. Bob helped organize over a hun- dred oral history interviews, participated in scores of community tours, was responsible for landmarking several streets and parks in the Morrisania neighborhood, and collaborated on Before The Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930s to the 1960s (Fordham University Press, 2016), which transformed the dominant narrative of Bronx history to include Black experiences and perspectives. Bob also appeared on numerous radio and tele- A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 39 vision shows highlighting Black contributions to Bronx history, and helped create an exhibit at The Bronx County Historical Society with that as its theme! Finally, at a time when the world honors The Bronx’s role in the creation of hip hop, Bob made sure, through his joyous but relentless activism, that the world also recognized The Bronx’s contribution to jazz from the mid ’40s through the late ’60s, not only as a place where the most important jazz artists of that era performed regularly but also where many of them lived. Bob Gumbs was one of those rare individuals who changed the way people defined themselves and interpreted their own histories. As a creative artist and community historian, he helped people see The Bronx as a site of unparalleled cultural creativity and a true melting pot for peoples of the African Diaspora. The Bronx African American History Project would not have had a fraction of its influence and historic reach without Bob Gumbs’s guidance. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and all his collaborators in the Black Arts movement and The Bronx African American History Project. II. Harriet McFeeters (1926–2022) Harriet McFeeters was one of The Bronx’s greatest educators and a driving force behind the creation of The Bronx African American History Project. A graduate of Hunter College who lived her entire adult life in her family’s brownstone on 168th Street between Union and Prospect Avenues in the Morrisania section, Harriet was a fixture in Bronx schools for almost 50 years, serving as a teacher, principal, staff developer, and assistant district superintendent. 40 MARK NAISON Harriet, who was as passionate about learning as she was about teaching and who was deeply committed to the children of The Bronx, left an indelible mark on everyone who encountered her. More than 300 people, most of them fellow educators, came to her 90th birthday celebration several years ago and spoke of her with reverence and affectionate humor, as Harriet was a person who commanded every room she was in. But though Harriet radiated intellect and power, she also was a kind, generous person who created a sense of community among those she worked with, and her friends represented every cultural group in The Bronx. My own connection with Harriet came in the spring of 2003 when we started The Bronx African American History Project. I was put in touch with Harriet by her brother, Jim Pruitt, former director of the Upward Bound Program, who told me that Harriet, who had recently retired, was passionately interested in Bronx African American history and would have a lot to contribute to our research. That proved to be a considerable understatement. Once she dis- covered what we were trying to do, Harriet literally took command of The Bronx African American History Project’s research on Morrisania, helping us recruit interview subjects, identifying important community institutions, and holding events at her home on 168th Street, where she took a particular interest in the brilliant young research assistants I hired, to whom Harriet became a surrogate grandmother. Along with Bob Gumbs, another brilliant product of the Black Morrisania community, Harriet helped recover the lost history of a Black community in The Bronx, which produced several generations of professionals in a wide number of fields and created as many varieties of popular music as any neighborhood in the United States. It was Harriet who introduced us to Valerie Capers, the great jazz pianist, educator, and composer, whose concerts and performances became a fixture for The Bronx African American History Project’s A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 41 staff, and who alerted us to the significance of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church and its brilliant minister Rev. Edler Hawkins, who mentored so many of the great leaders who came out of Morrisania. Until her health began to falter a few years ago, Harriet was a fixture at The Bronx African American History Project’s conferences, concerts, and interviews at Fordham, where she was as commanding a presence as she was in Bronx public schools. She also made a huge contribution to the Project via our fundraising, both through her individual donations and by encouraging others to contribute. As I write this tribute, with tears in my eyes, I will close with this final comment. Although Harriet’s degrees were in education, not history, and although she spent her life working in public schools, Harriet was as much a historian as any professor working at our most distinguished universities. When I first learned that Morrisania was the community where The Bronx African American History Project should concentrate its research, it was Harriet who told us how the community evolved, who its most important leaders were, which schools and churches we should focus on, and who we should interview. Of the more than 100 interviews we did with Morrisania residents past and present, more than half came through Harriet. Without her guidance, the Project would not have had the fraction of the influence it ultimately attained. We can learn so much from the example Harriet McFeeters set. Harriet was passionately devoted to learning about and teaching Black history. She fought hard to have it included in public school curricula and made it an integral part of her pedagogy. But she did so in a way that drew everyone around her in, insisting that Black history was everyone’s history, that learning it would uplift all who possessed that knowledge and would help people from all back- grounds better understand their American journey. That is one of the reasons why so many teachers who were Jewish, Italian, Irish, 42 MARK NAISON and Puerto Rican joined their Black fellow educators in paying tribute to Harriet at her 90th birthday celebration. Harriet spread knowledge but she also spread love. She embodied the highest values of The Bronx and its people. She may have passed on, but her spirit lives in the tens of thousands of people she touched as an educator and in the publications and digital archive of The Bronx African American History Project, where Harriet McFeeters’s vision of community history has been brought to life. Above: Members of The Bronx African American History Project at Harriet McFeeters’s family home on East 168th Street in Morrisania, December 2003. Pictured in front row, left to right, are Michelle Tollinici, Harriet Pruit- McFeeters, Joyce Tolliver, and Kevin Ross. Pictured in back row, left to right, are Bess Pruitt, Mark Naison, Claude Mangum, Bob Gumbs, Patricia Wright, and Candace Lee. Courtesy of the author. A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters 43 ABOUT THE AUTHORS STEVEN PAYNE is Director of The Bronx County Historical Society and social historian whose interests in Bronx history span commu- nity activism; underground music and art cultures; organized labor; race, class, and gender; housing struggles, and more. He records oral histories for The Bronx African American History Project, The Bronx Latino History Project, and The Bronx Aerosol Arts Docu- mentary Project. RICHARD BAUM grew up in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx during the 1950s and 1960s and writes about his experiences growing up in the neighborhood. ROBERT WEISS, who came of age in the Allerton neighborhood of The Bronx during the 1940s and 1950s, has authored an unpublished manuscript about his childhood in Allerton, selections of which are printed here. MARK NAISON, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham University, is the c0-founder of The Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation. Dr. Naison has authored seven books and over 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture, and education policy. FROM THE ARCHIVES A HISTORY OF AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ IN THE BRONX FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Editor’s Note: The below piece comes from an untitled, unpublished, and unatributed manuscript included in the David M. Carp papers on Latin Jazz in The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library. Slight edits have been made for style and clarity throughout and are indicated by text in [brackets].1 I. Introduction New York City is among the most ethnically diverse places in the entire world. Since it was founded, New York has served as the chief center for immigration in the country, and its population continues to grow and diversify. Without a doubt, the largest percentage of immigrants in New York speaks Spanish. In the borough of The Bronx, Latinos make up half of the population, far more than any other demographic. Latino immigrants have always blessed New York City with their culture and traditions, music and art. The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in Manhattan and The Bronx illustrates the marriage of traditional Latino customs and the native music of New York City. During the early years of the twentieth century, music in Cuba was a 1 A note at the bottom of the manuscript reads: “All information used for this ar- ticle came from interviews from the David Carp Collection, courtesy Bronx County Historical Society. The following interviews were conducted by David Carp unless otherwise noted: Mario Bauzá, 2/8/89; Mario Bauzá, 4/18/91; Willie Colón (undated); José Curbelo, 10/3/93; Graciela Pérez (interviewed by Max Salazar), 5/10/85; Joe Orange, 2/6/99; José Mangual, Jr., 11/8/98; Eddie Palmieri, 8/13/98; Frank Rivera, 6/8/97; Mark Weinstein 11/24/96.” A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 45 way of life. Parents would teach their children the basics of Cuban music as a birthright. The people of Cuba would take up every street corner, playing congas, timbales, and bongos. Children would buy sheep skins from local markets and stretch them over drums made by hand. Cuba was music. By embracing their African roots, Cubans would distinguish their music from the rest of Latin America by making the terms “Cuban roots music” and “Afro-Cuban music” synonymous. Musicians from the most prestigious conservatories as well as working men and wo- men who relaxed on the street with a conga or djembe—all began to embrace the sounds of Cuban son and danzon. By the 1920s and ’30s, American musical influence would begin to find its way to Cuba. Radio stations from Miami and New Orleans would start to become popular on the island. Music fans would tune into American jazz stations on short-wave radio to try and absorb the latest musical trends. Musicians and music fans would begin to collect records from the United States and remind anyone who ven- tured north to bring the latest jazz albums back to Cuba. Shortly after, the finest musicians from the most prestigious conservatories and orchestras would slowly [immigrate] to America’s birthplace and home for jazz, New York City. Jazz would never be the same. Cubans, or Afro-Cubans, made a huge impact on American jazz. Jazz had a huge effect on Afro-Cuban musical traditions as well. Before long, a new type of music would emerge and take New York City by storm—Latin jazz. Not exclusively drawing from Cuban musical traditions, Latin jazz would incorporate traditions from all over Latin America and would inspire [traditional] jazz bands to expand their repertoires and include more global sounds. Eventually, the scene was huge. Ballrooms and dance halls like the Palladium and [the] Savoy in Manhattan and the Hunts Point Palace and Tritons Club in The Bronx would serve as key centers for jazz acts from 46 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Charlie Parker to Tito Puente. Latinos in The Bronx would be af- fected forever. Following the closing of the Palladium, the major Latin jazz scene would pick up in The Bronx. Kids on the streets would embrace Latin jazz and appreciate the African roots behind it. Bands and orchestras would spring up all over The Bronx, and the borough would soon produce some of the most prominent names of Latin jazz in all of New York City. From a couple of key figures moving from Cuba to New York in the ’30s, through the Palladium era, to Latinos setting up crude drum sets and playing along with the radio, Latin jazz remains a vital part of life for many Latin American immigrants today as well as New Yorkers and music fans. II. Afro‐Cuban Jazz Begins in Cuba: Mario Bauzá, José Curbelo, Graciela Pérez The story of Afro-Cuban jazz in New York begins in Havana. Music was everywhere in the ghettos and crowded streets of Cuba’s capital. Street vendors would line the markets with animal skins for drums, musicians would play on the street, and families would sit on their porch and jam with bongos, congas, and hand drums. Classical forms of Cuban music mixed European instruments with African drums, embracing traditions from both the African slaves and rich Europeans who inhabited the colony of Cuba since it was founded. As years developed, more variations, new instrumentation, and a finer-tuned orchestration would build on the rich foundation of Afro-Cuban traditions. Pioneers like Arsenio Rodríguez would add new elements to traditional Cuban son, like African percussion and A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 47 syncopation. Eventually, Afro-Cuban music became the music of the people and Cubans were introduced to this tradition at an early age. This is the setting in which Mario Bauzá was raised. Bauzá, who would later become the most important figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz, started in Havana as a child. I tell you how everything happen. I was about five years old. My godfather used to teach the kids in my neighborhood in Cuba solfeggio. And I used to hear the kid try to sing those lesson, good intonation. And they have so much problem. So, one day I said to my godfather, “How come those kids have so much trouble with that lesson.” He say, “How do you know?” I said, “Well I think I know all those lessons.” He said, “You know lessons now?” I said, “Yeah, I think I know.” . . . He said, “I don’t want you to be an ear musician, so I’m gonna get a teacher for you.” So, he got me a teacher, I was in solfeggio for two years. And then I went to the Conservatory and . . . the first instrument they give me was the oboe. I didn’t like it. I heard the man play the clarinet, and I fell in love with the sound he produced. I said, “I would like to play that instrument.” And that’s how I become . . . a clarinet player. With Bauzá learning more and more music, his special ability became more apparent. Bauzá would excel at the Havana Conservatory and began to gain esteem from his colleagues. Soon, his teachers and fellow musicians helped him cultivate his talent. When I was a graduate, the Havana Philharmonic, they need a bass clarinet. And they approach me, I say, “Well, I’m willing to play, but somebody have to buy the instrument.” So, they sent to France for a bass clarinet. So, they brought it, they give it to me and say, “You practice, when you think you ready, let us know.” So, I 48 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ took my bass clarinet home, I start fooling around, it was the same thing, embouchure a little different and sound was kind of peculiar. When I thought I was ready, I came to one of the rehearsals . . . that’s how I (became) a bass clarinet and a clarinet player. Mario Bauzá was not the only person at this time to truly embrace his musical talents. A few years down the line a woman singer would join Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra in New York. Graciela Pérez would sing along with her brother Machito over the unique Afro-Cuban jazz sound Bauzá perfected. Graciela Pérez also began her music ca- reer at a young age in Cuba. Her father, an avid musician, would constantly have musicians to his house, and one day Graciela stayed up past her bedtime to enjoy one of them. I was born in Cuba. In Havana, el barrio Jesús María. . . . There were six of us. When I was four years old . . . there was a lot of music and (my father) bring some cantadores en la casa like (vocalist) María Teresa Vera . . . and the other kids in my house are still in bed . . . and then María Teresa Vera sees my finger doing the clave and María Teresa Vera said to my father, “You see, Graciela is going to be a singer.” Pérez’s father was reluctant, at first, to allow Graciela to sing. However, he would continue to inspire his daughter by having more and more musical guests come in and out of the Pérez home. Graciela remembers Septeto Nacional, in particular. Septeto Nacional . . . was to play because my father, the only party (that) was at my house was my mother’s birthday, and at my house was Septeto Nacional. . . . They was in my house, in my neighborhood nobody came then, you know, in that time. In my house was Nacional. As they grew up, Pérez and her brother Machito began to nurture A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 49 her gift little by little, until she had completely been absorbed by the music. Pérez would sing everywhere she went and join several groups thanks [to] Machito’s familiarity with the local music scene. Still, her father didn’t want her to sing professionally, and Graciela would have to sneak out at nights. One night while working as a delivery man, Pérez’s father recognized the voice coming from a club across the street from where he was working. He was staying over there, and he sees me singing and everybody applauds me. “Ohh, Graciela!” And then (at the house) he don’t say nothing to my mother, to nobody. Then he was waiting when I go hiding, when I go to working and (he said), “I know Chela, she’s singing in Alai de Libre in El Prado because I heard her last night. It’s alright, she sings beautiful.” Graciela Pérez had her father’s blessing and began to truly excel as a singer free from any restrictions. She would travel to South America with Al Anacaona and eventually move to Harlem in the 1930s, where she would meet up with Bauzá and Machito to start the Afro- Cuban Orchestra. A third key figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban and American jazz is José Curbelo. Curbelo, who would manage and book Afro-Cuban jazz bands, was among the top performers in New York City during the Palladium Era. Curbelo’s uniquely vibrant sounds would place him in the highest echelon of Latin jazz performers along with Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Curbelo, the son of a musician, started as a classically trained pianist and musician in Cuba. I (was) born in Havana, Cuba (on) February 18, 1917. Pedro Menéndez was my teacher, piano teacher in Cuba. He used to be the piano player in my father’s orchestra, at one time. So, he was my private teacher in piano. . . . I went to the school of music in Cuba, to the Academy of 50 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ Music to study. And I had different teachers like in voice and harmony and whatever, you know, different types of technique, et cetera. . . . My father was a fine violinist, he played for the Philharmonic Orchestra in Cuba, first violin. And . . . he was a bandleader, he had his own or- chestra where he played all the famous nightclub and supper club and casino in Cuba. . . . I’m talking (about) the late ’20s and the early ’30s. And then he play the most typical Cuban music, with the charanga music that used to be played, what they call in Cuba the “Academias.” . . . The real Cuban music at that time was charanga bands. It’s not with saxophones and trump- ets. . . . Cuban music is the charanga sound—violins and flute and rhythm. That is what the real nitty-gritty of the Cuban music is. . . . And it’s really Afro-Cuban music. Because the Negro slaves that came to Cuba from Africa, they brought the rhythm. And in Cuba they put the voicings out, the melody and harmony. . . . But that was, still is, the real Cuban music should be called not salsa [but] Afro-Cuban music. Curbelo would develop into a finely trained musical genius. He began to master the curriculum of the Academy of Music and decided to enter Cuba’s prestigious Molinas Conservatory. Like his contemporary Mario Bauzá, Curbelo became fascinated with new forms of music, in particular American jazz. His understanding and love for music fueled his passion for exploration, and American jazz was exciting and fresh. Curbelo and Bauzá both became obsessed with jazz. In the ’20s I was a very young kid. But I always was a fan, and my favorite music always has been jazz. . . . I find that jazz is the most interesting music that is, as far as popular music is concerned, I love it . . . in Cuba I used to have records from Chick Webb where Mario Bauzá, A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 51 when he came to United States, he was the first trumpet. Bauzá remembers listening to his favorite American jazz musicians on the radio in Cuba. Duke Ellington used to (broadcast) almost every night from the Cotton Club. And I used to catch that in Havana through short-wave radio. And that music was so fascinating, was so different. All different jazz— completely different. And I always said, “That’s African- American music, that’s Africa.” The sound of the music, the way he uses harmony, he give you that color. And I was dying to get into New York. Bauzá would get a taste of the New York jazz scene shortly after, by happenstance. He got his break after going into his favorite music store in Havana and meeting bandleader Antonio Romeu. I used to go practically almost every day. I go to the music store to see what new records came and what piece come. So, when I got there, the head man said, “Mario, I want to try this clarinet that just came out from France, a Buffet Crampon, I want you (to) try.” So, I was prac- ticing clarinet over there, you know, testing the clarinet, and Romeu was there. . . . He said, “You don’t mind play this one with me?” I said, “No.” He said, “But do you know how to transpose from clarinet to—?” I said, “Oh, yeah.” So, I played the danzon with him and he was (amazed). . . . About two weeks later he found my tele- phone number and called my father. He said, “I would like to take Mario to New York to record with me, my orchestra.” Bauzá went to record with Romeu and his orchestra in New York and was blown away by the live jazz musicianship he encountered. Upon seeing saxophonist Frankie Tumbaur, Bauzá’s attention shifted to a new instrument. He fell in love with the saxophone and 52 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ would take it up immediately upon returning to Cuba. The sax- ophone would provide an outlet for Bauzá to grow musically, and it provided more opportunities to gain exposure in the Havana music scene. Though it was hard for a dark-skinned musician to find work, Bauzá still managed to make a name for himself. He recalls the racial inequities in Havana at the time. When they heard me play . . . that’s when I got the op- portunity to get a first-class job in Havana. Up to then, no, because the average musician on the big-time job ov- er there was white. . . . That country is no different than Mississippi was . . . not much different. We had that prob- lem, still have that problem, and gonna have that prob- lem. . . . So, we are still fighting those problems . . . the only discrimination there in those days when I was a young kid, like you go in the interior of Havana and the colored people walk on . . . one side of the park. Don’t allowed to go on the other side with the white people. That’s the way, you know. You go in the barber shop, you had to go to the Black barber shop. But the trouble with my country is so much mixture. Because after all, how the Cuban race was produced? By Spaniard and African womans. After finally gaining acceptance in the Havana music scene, both Curbelo and Bauzá would look to the future. Each of them saw himself as a jazz musician waiting to break out and creatively explore his musicianship. Both Curbelo and Bauzá decided the only way to truly embrace their passion for music was by going to [the] hottest music spot in the world, the home of jazz, New York City. Everybody talk about Mario, Mario, Mario, clarinet player and saxophone player. So, I said, “Well the next stop gotta be the United States,” come to the Mecca of jazz . . . nothing else I can learn in Cuba. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 53 III. Cuba Comes to New York: The Palladium Era Once in the United States, Mario Bauzá’s first order of business was to learn yet another instrument. It was rough because when I got here it was in the heart of the Depression. And I’m lucky that I was, I met Benny Carter and he gave me advice . . . (and) there was another fella that came here on the boat with me with the Don Azpiazu Orchestra by the name of Antonio Machin. . . . So, I used to go into his house every day, to listen to rehearsals, (one day) I say, “I have no problem to play the music the way you want to. . . . I don’t play trumpet, but I think if you buy me a trumpet, I think I can do the job.” So, we went to the pawnshop and bought a cheap trumpet for fifteen bucks or something like that. So, I took it home and I start, I knew the positions and all I had to do was to get some em- bouchure, and that was that. Said, “Mario, I only got . . . fifteen days to recording.” I said, “Well, you ain’t got nobody. If you give me the opportunity, I think I can do it, otherwise I wouldn’t even talk about it.” So, I start practicing, practicing, practicing, practicing. So finally, we go into the recording. . . . Then I fell in love with the trumpet. And then I figured I had a better chance with the trumpet than I did with the saxophone to join one of those jazz bands. Bauzá quickly became known around jazz circles, and his rise to prominence was fast. First, Bauzá joined the Chick Webb Band, where under the wing of bandleader Chick Webb he would gain a vast knowledge of jazz. Webb opened up doors for Bauzá and introduced him to some of the biggest names in the New York jazz scene. Bauzá played with countless musicians from Webb to Cab Calloway to Ella Fitzgerald. All over New York from the Apollo to 54 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ the Savoy Ballroom, Bauzá spread his love for jazz as he collaborated with a myriad of jazz legends. In addition to the various collaborations that were taking place, another tradition of the era was the Battle of the Bands. Two bands would play the same hall or ballroom and try to show one another up. This is when Afro-Cuban rhythms really stood out, earning Afro-Cubans a reputation for their showmanship. Mario Bauzá re- members battling Benny Goodman in the late 1930s with the Chick Webb Band. The Savoy Ballroom was pack(ed) around five o’clock in the afternoon, they had to close the door. . . . Benny Goodman playe(ed) the first set . . . they close with “Big John Special.” So, Chick say, “What’choo gonna play?” I say, “How about the same number, gonna play ‘Big John Special’ . . . and close with ‘Harlem Conga?’” . . . The battle of music was through in the first set. The band was too powerful for Benny. Benny’s band was too light for that, that and especially with that crowd. When that band hit, it was something else. This period of the 1930s was essential to the birth of Latin jazz music. Pioneers like Bauzá were becoming big names and starting to influence the music scene. By adding elements from their [strong] background in Cuban music, people like Bauzá, Curbelo, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez would usher in a new form of music —Afro-Cuban jazz. In 1940, Bauzá hooked up with his brother-in- law, Machito, and together they created Machito’s Afro-Cuban Orchestra, along with Graciela Pérez. Despite initial skepticism about the use of the name “Afro-Cuban,” Latinos, Blacks, and even whites would enjoy the music. When I started Machito Orchestra, whole lot of Puerto Rican people reject my music. They say I use bongo and that was a disgrace, that was “nanigo” music, “Negroes A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 55 from Africa” music. They didn’t go for that. But in the new generation, Puerto Rican born in New York begin to like what I was doin’. Soon there was a huge following for the acts and the premiere venue was Manhattan’s Palladium Ballroom. The Palladium was an important institution that would operate from 1949 to 1966, delighting fans of mambo and jazz alike. Celebrities like Marlon Brando and Bob Hope as well as everyday working-class immigrants would crowd the Palladium. With unparalleled integration, it be- came the single most important place for Latin jazz music in New York City. The rise of the Palladium marked a turning point in New York’s music scene. Tastes were beginning to change and people were be- coming more and more intrigued with the new Afro-Cuban jazz sound. Afro-Cubans were gaining acceptance and earning respect. Along with Afro-Cuban jazz, many of the Latino musicians involved collaborated with American jazz artists. Bauzá himself broke in legend Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he teamed up Machito percussionist Chano Pozo. And then I brought Dizzy into the band. . . . I went and got a hold of Dizzy: “Dizzy, bring your trumpet with a mute. I want you to play anything you want on top of that.” . . . Rhythm crazy. And he can dance. I got a videotape they made in Havana. . . . And when he came out there and dancing, dance a rumba. It’s amazin’! And Dizzy, Dizzy, Dizzy’s, Dizzy all right! Helluva fellow. . . . I love the guy, my son. The language barrier illustrates the connection Afro-Cubans made with American jazz musicians. Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo made terrific music and rose to the top of the jazz world in New York City, but Pozo didn’t speak a word of English. 56 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ You know the only word that Chano (could speak) to Dizzy? “Hundred dollar.” That’s all. Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, Gillespie found a niche in Latin jazz. In 1947, the two were set to perform a number called the “Afro-Cuban Drums Suite” at Carnegie Hall. The show was instrumental in bringing Latin jazz into mainstream awareness. Additionally, Gillespie’s improvisation added a whole new dimension to jazz. Gillespie’s musicianship became the groundwork for later improvisation such as bee bop and the music of greats like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1950, Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez were among the biggest names in all of New York. Collaborations would continue, and Charlie Parker would get into the act, teaming up with pianist Norman Granz and Bauzá on one of the best examples of Latin jazz, “The Peanut Vendor.” Charlie Parker made a very big impression on Bauzá, and that would lead to partnership on the song “Mango Mangue.” People might think that Charlie Parker play because he was high, or—no, no, no, no. He knew everything he would do in the music, and nobody told him how to do it. That was his own creation, his own mentality, his own approach about music. . . . He says, “Oh man, play any- thing, let me hear the arrangement.” . . . When we play the arrangement, he say, “I like that.” I said, “But it’s a vocal.” He say, “All you gotta do, when the vocal sup- posed to be sing, tell ’em ‘don’t sing’ and gimme the cue, I’ll play.” . . . He went through that number like nothing, back to the montuno, and . . . “Oh my goodness!” I say, “this man is a genius!” As Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity grew, more and more great bandleaders would emerge, and great musicians would flourish in the new form. José Curbelo’s orchestra was one of the bands that A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 57 benefited the most from the success of the other Afro-Cuban performers. Curbelo’s success came at a time when the music that was originally confined to Harlem began to spread downtown to places like the Palladium and uptown to The Bronx, again thanks to the success of Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, but mainly because of Bauzá’s Machito Orchestra. Curbelo explains the phenomenon. That was Machito and his Afro-Cubans . . . because when you hit Broadway you did the biggest, the Broadway show, the Strand Theater, the Capitol Theater, the Paramount Theater. All the big theaters, the big ball- rooms, the Roseland, the Arcadia, everything was on Broadway between 42nd, the Astor Roof, and 54th, where the Palladium was. And the first band, Black, to come from El Barrio . . . was a great accomplishment. After Machito broke through to the mainstream, Afro-Cuban jazz exploded. The 1950s saw more and more Afro-Cuban jazz bands sprouting up, and the phenomenon became insanely popular. The Palladium was at its peak as a venue, consistently packing the house to see Tito Puente or Machito. At the height of the Palladium era, people of all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities came together to enjoy the music. IV. The Late Palladium Era: Afro‐Cubans in The Bronx The exposure Afro-Cuban jazz was experiencing affected all of New York, but no borough embraced the tradition like The Bronx. Just over the river from the “Mecca of Jazz,” Harlem, The Bronx served as the next major center for music in New York. At that time, clubs and dance halls in The Bronx would attract the biggest names in Afro-Cuban jazz, mambo, and American jazz. Venues like the Hunts Point Palace, the Tritons Club, and the Rockland Palace would put The Bronx on the map as the place to see Afro-Cuban music. While the main forum was still the Palladium, many people would look no 58 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ further than The Bronx for a quality Afro-Cuban jazz experience. Bronxites would go to have a good time, get down, and listen to some amazing music from the greats. Machito, Tito Puente, José Curbelo (before becoming a manager), Tito Rodríguez, and even Charlie Parker would play at Bronx clubs during the late 1950s. New bands started to come out of the borough as a result of the developing Afro-Cuban jazz scene in The Bronx. Young Bronxites would pack the clubs to get a glimpse of their favorite bands, go home, and try to imitate their sound. Afro-Cuban records were played from every window in every Latino neighborhood in The Bronx, and a new generation of Afro-Cuban jazz lovers would emerge. This new wave of Afro-Cuban jazz buffs would see music any chance they had. Joe Orange, Bronx native and jazz trombonist who played with Herbie Mann and Eddie Palmieri, recalls students at his high school going all the way downtown to see Afro-Cuban music. When I was going to Morris (High School) there was a whole group of kids that used to go to the Palladium and they used to come to school talkin’ about, “Man, last Saturday night at the Palladium. Tito Puente did this and Tito Rodríguez—.” And I (was) kind of like, “Give me a break!” But there was a real strong interest in Latin music. Even the non-musicians, Latin dance was like a craze that was going on you know, ’57, ’58, when I was in high school. The Bronx would serve as a breeding ground for some of the freshest talent in Latin jazz and this was, in part, due to the emergence of Afro-Cuban jazz’s popularity in the latter half of the 1950s. Willie Colón, one of the foremost innovators of Latin music in the late 1960s, remembers going to the Hunts Point Palace when he was thirteen. In those days you had to have a cabaret license, so I had a A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 59 friend who was older and he had one, (gave) me his and we kind of doctored it up and put my picture in it. . . . I grew a mustache as soon as possible, and I used to smoke cigars to try to look older, you know. I even used to put frosting on my hair sometimes, it must have been pretty pathetic but I got away with it most of the time. And yeah, we used to go to the Hunts Point Palace, which is now like an office building. . . . They would have like fourteen bands and the poster, you know, just looked like a checkerboard, it had so many faces and stuff on it. . . . And you would go in and I think you’d pay something like five dollars, and you’d be able to see twenty some- thing orchestras. . . . There was a big boom at one time. The popularity of the local venues was apparent by the amount of talent that came onto the Afro-Cuban scene in the late 1950s and early ’60s. One of the premiere acts that came from The Bronx at the time was Eddie Palmieri and his conjunto La Perfecta. My mother arrived in New York in 1925, that’s how it all starts. . . . She came here with an uncle and an aunt, and there was another uncle and aunt here. . . . And then my father followed a year later on a boat. . . . In 1926, they married, my brother was born in ’27, and I was born in ’36 . . . on 112th Street . . . between Madison and Park. We moved from there when I was five years old, and then we went right to Kelly Street between Longwood and Intervale, known now and later as the South Bronx. Palmieri’s extended family had also immigrated to The Bronx and would introduce Eddie to music as a child. His uncle had his own traditional band and encouraged Eddie and his older brother Charlie to take up the piano but emphasized the importance of traditional Latin percussion instruments. But Eddie Palmieri was a piano player. A prodigy, Palmieri played Carnegie Hall at the age of eleven. By 60 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ thirteen he had joined up with his uncle, as a percussionist. By the time I was fifteen I sold my timbales back to my uncle, (and) went back on the piano, which I’m still playing to this day. Like Willie Colon, Palmieri also gained a lot of musical knowledge by going to shows in The Bronx. Palmieri attributes his start as a serious pianist to seeing bands and orchestras at Bronx clubs and dance halls in the 1950s. I saw Charlie Parker, and that was at the Rockland Palace. He would get gigs like that because he used to work for a promoter, that was a Black promoter called Cecil Bowen. At the Hunts Point Palace I know I saw Charlie Parker and I didn’t know who he was but I saw rubber bands and band-aids on the saxophone, alto. I saw different groups but my main interest was to try to play the piano. ’Cause I hadn’t been reading music, I was playing timbales with my uncle, folkloric band, and then it was very difficult to get back to reading. Palmieri would get his break in 1955 playing with Eddie Forrestier’s Orchestra and would even play with the legendary Tito Rodríguez for a year before starting La Perfecta in 1961. Palmieri’s orchestra was fresh and new, replacing trumpets with trombones. The innovative La Perfecta became the key attraction in Latin music during the 1960s. By assembling some of the greatest musicians in all of New York, the Bronx-based conjunto was wildly popular and virtually unrivaled for the better part of the decade. To a large degree, the success of La Perfecta was truly a group effort, and the band incorporated one of the most influential musicians in the history of New York, trombonist Barry Rogers. Described as a true “renaissance man,” Rogers came out of a Jewish community in The Bronx and was an avid car mechanic, musician, writer, and most A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 61 prominently, a lover of all music. Mark Weinstein recalls Barry’s knack at instrumentation well beyond the trombone, including the folkloric double string guitar from Cuba known as the tres. “Barry was a great tres player. Barry was one of the better tres players in the city of New York.” Peers remember the late Barry Rogers spending hours upon hours listening to records and playing music. Rogers’s distinct trombone sound was of paramount importance in the development of Latin music from Afro-Cuban revivalist jazz to salsa. Known for his incessant writing, and re-writing, of charts, almost obsessive personality, and perfectionism, Rogers put all he had into Latin music. When asked about the influence Barry Rogers had on him, Eddie Palmieri remembers Rogers’s uniqueness. Those trombones, when they used to get into a riff behind the flute they don’t stop, and then Barry just takes off and keeps going and we just kept pushing and pushing, and that instrument is not an instrument to be able to do that with and they did it. . . . (I remember) his preparation, his musical knowledge, of all different kinds of music. With Rogers’s innovation and virtuosity with the trombone and Eddie Palmieri leading the band behind the piano, La Perfecta soon found themselves playing with the greats. Eddie Palmieri remembers the circumstances in which he played alongside legends at the Palladium. Oh, Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, La Perfecta dealt with each and every one one-on-one. No quarter taken. There was four sets, you did sixteen sets a week at the Palladium for 72 dollars, before taxes. . . . They had lost their liquor license and now they gave me 90 en- gagements, so once they give you the 90 engagements, then anybody that wants to book you out would have to 62 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ pay more and that was the deal, you know, and José Curbelo handled that pretty well. La Perfecta continued to thrive during the 1960s and played all over New York City, from the ritziest hotels to the local clubs of The Bronx. La Perfecta illustrates a rich history of music in The Bronx. While the music scene had always been big in places like Morrisania and Hunts Point, La Perfecta was one of the first real successful jazz bands to come out of The Bronx during the era. Mark Weinstein, second trombonist (with Barry Rogers) remembers playing in different clubs all over New York City. You couldn’t buy a second microphone, man! I mean the Hunts Point Palace, I don’t think they owned two microphones . . . and the trombone players would sweat, sweat blood. . . . Barry would catch the edge of the microphone by pointin’ his trombone towards (it). But because we were always playing during the montunos, the singer was in the way. . . . The Hunts Point was one of the bigger rooms, there were a couple other places. . . . The Palladium was a great room—Palladium was the best room to play, I loved the Palladium. . . . We played Birdland a couple of times, I mean then we’d have microphones. La Perfecta’s popularity soared in the ’60s. New Yorkers identified with both the jazz sound and the Latin roots. La Perfecta would draw from many musical traditions to form their unique sound. Mark Weinstein remembers The Bronx as one of the hottest spots for Afro-Cuban music. It was Cuban revivalist. I mean the amazing thing about playing with Eddie’s band was playing Latin music for people of Latino heritage, and this was basically the A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 63 cultural revival that occurred at the Triton Club, I mean the Triton Club was the center of it . . . in The Bronx, Southern Boulevard, right next door to the Hunts Point Palace. . . . And the model of the trombone improvisation came from the way . . . the soloist would play against the trumpets. But then Barry extended that. That was the model. In 1966, La Perfecta played the Palladium for its final show. The Palladium Era had officially ended, but Latin music would continue to gain steam up in The Bronx. V. The Bronx and Latin Jazz: The 1950s, 1960s, and Beyond With the Palladium closed and other Manhattan dance halls following suit, Latin music still thrived in one place. The Bronx was now the center for Latin jazz in New York and would become a hotbed for talent. The biggest names in Latin music were coming from The Bronx because communities were raising their kids on music. The Bronx in the ’50s and ’60s was rich in musical traditions from all over Latin America, and residents would expose different types of music to one another. Vibrant neighborhoods like Hunts Point, Morrisania, and Longwood became a breeding ground for musical talent. The public schools provided instruments for students, neighbors sat on their stoops and jammed, and Latin and jazz music blared from every street corner. Frank Rivera was a resident of the Longwood community in the ’50s and ’60s and remembers the neighborhood as well as developing a love for dancing. It was real nice and everybody knew everybody in the neighborhood. . . . Some of ’em became teachers and musicians like Joe Loco, he lived in the corner by the drugstore . . . when we went to (PS) 42, that’s when they started to open the school at night and that’s when we 64 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ started to have parties and dancing. . . . At that time it was more like they call “mambo”—mambo, not salsa like they call it now. Joe Orange, a longtime resident of Morrisania, remembers hearing music all over The Bronx when he was growing up. I was always hearing it. . . . I was always around it. My brother played conga. And there were all these bands, over at PS 99 they used talent shows. . . . You know, bands in junior high and high school, there were Latin bands all around me. . . . They used to have a place up in The Bronx on Boston Road that was really a great place for jam sessions when I was a kid. I was in high school and I would go in and listen . . . right where Boston and Pros- pect Avenue meet, and it was down in this little basement and I would sneak in there . . . it wasn’t open for very long but it was very popular. Orange contributes the large number of musicians who came out of The Bronx to a surrounding culture that nourished young musicians and helped to develop the talents of the community residents. I think the programs in the public schools had a lot to do with it. I started in (PS) 40, most of us started in 40 or one of those junior high schools. . . . PS 99 had that after- school community center. We used to have talent shows once a week, some great things came through those talent shows! Because of the rich cultural environment, young kids on the street would aspire for musical greatness. Latinos and African Americans would all embrace the various sounds of Latin music, thanks to the diversity of The Bronx, and lively musicians would surface all over the borough. Willie Colón was one such musician. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 65 The South Bronx in the ’50s . . . was exactly like a town in Puerto Rico or any other Latin American country. . . . There were domino games on the sidewalks and there were bembes, which is a group of guys playing congas . . . and we’d sing choruses and maybe some of the hit songs of the day. From that upbringing, Colón embraced both Puerto Rican and Cuban son, and became a trombonist in his own band. Mark Weinstein attributes youth interest in Latin music to the popularity of Barry Rogers. There was LeBron Brothers and there was Willie Colón, I mean both Barry and I were very, very arrogant about what was happening with the trombone. ’Cause both of us had come to Latin music from very rich trombone traditions whereas all the kids who were comin’ up had learned to play trombone by listening to Barry essentially. Regardless of who influenced him, Willie Colón was a young upstart trombonist and he teamed up with a beautiful voice, [a] soñero named Héctor Lavoe. The two delighted fans with songs like trombone anthem with a Panamanian sound “La Murga,” or with the album El Malo, named after the persona Colón would embrace as a rough kid from The Bronx. Ushering the newly dubbed “boo- galoo” style, El Malo and Lavoe would travel all over the world with their exciting, trombone-driven sound until Lavoe unfortunately fell victim to heroin and began showing up late for gigs and acting out. In 1973, Colón was forced to fire Lavoe, ending their six-year partnership. Colón would continue to write and record music, and his name became synonymous with salsa music. Colón has written socially conscious songs like “El General” and “Si La Ves,” has sold over 30 66 FROM THE DAVID M. CARP PAPERS ON LATIN JAZZ million records worldwide, and has amassed fifteen gold and five platinum records since his humble beginning in The Bronx. VI. One Last Word From the start in Cuba, through the coalescence with jazz in Man- hattan, to the popularization in The Bronx, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz has become one of the most important cultural phenomena in the history of New York. The various musical forms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, and other Caribbean nations illustrate the diversity of the city. The story of Afro-Cuban music’s popularity in New York is a microcosm of all the wonderful things that make the city uniquely diverse. The way this music was embraced by native New Yorkers as well as [more recent] immigrants is an amazing tribute to the capital of the world, New York. Musical geniuses brought their incredibly well-trained and knowledgeable background to New York, where they mixed with the native population of jazz musicians, and history was made. The importance of The Bronx in all of this cannot be emphasized enough. It’s because of the borough’s love for Latin music that other musical forms could thrive and be introduced. The music served as a familiar reminder that The Bronx was a place for all people from all over the world. Though many, like Mario Bauzá, detest the term “Latin jazz,” the music itself tells the important story of two cultures merging to form great art. A History of Afro‐Cuban Jazz in The Bronx 67 BRONX BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented to Bronx business leaders who support the humanities and the arts. 2021 Ram Gupta, Chatam 2000 Management Co., Inc. 2020 Michael Max Knobbe, BronxNet 1999 2019 Richard Legnini, Bronx Ad Group 1998 2018 John Calvelli, Bronx Zoo 2017 James H. Alston, McCalls 1997 Bronxwood Funeral Home 2016 Steve Baktidy, S&T Auto Body 1996 Shop 1995 2015 Matthew Engel, Langsam Property Services 1994 2014 Greg Gonzalez, Manhattan Parking Group 1993 2013 Steve Tisso, Teddy Nissan 2012 Joseph Kelleher, Hutchinson 1992 Metro Center 1991 2011 Adam Green, Rocking the Boat 2010 Anthony Mormile, Hudson 1990 Valley Bank 2009 Lenny Caro, Bronx Chamber of 1989 Commerce 2008 Katherine Gleeson, Goldman Sachs 2007 Sandra Erickson, Erickson Real 1988 Estate 2006 Cecil P. Joseph, McDonald’s 2005 Frank Cassano, New Bronx Chamber of Commerce 1987 2004 Dart Westphal, Norwood News 2003 James J. Houlihan, Houlihan- Parnes 2002 David Greco, Mike’s Deli & Caterers 2001 Peter Madonia, Madonia Brothers Bakery John Reilly, Fordham-Bedford Housing Corp. Mario Procida, Procida Construction Corp. Veronica M. White, NYC Housing Partnership Dr. Spencer Foreman, Montefiore Medical Center Monroe Lovinger, CPA Gil and Jerry Beautus, Walton Press William O’Meara, Greentree Restaurant Larry Barazzoto, Soundview Discount Muffler Gail McMillan, Con Edison Susan E. Goldy, ERA Susan Goldy & Co. Mike Nuñez, Bronx Venture Group Mark Engel, Langsam Property Services Carlos Nazario, Metro Beer & Soda Joel Fishman, Nehring Brother Realty Co. Michael Durso, Dollar Dry Dock Savings Bank Elias Karmon, EMK Enterprises REVIEWS Cope, Suzanne. Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN: 9781641604529. $27.99. Suzanne Cope’s expertly written, extensively researched book chron- icles the Civil Rights Movement in the United States through the lived experiences of two unacknowledged Black women champions of the movement, Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers. Cope is a writer, professor, narrative journalist, and scholar. She earned a PhD in Adult Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massa- chusetts and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University, where she is a “food studies scholar with a focus on food as a tool for social and political change.” Cope’s work illuminates the stories of “unsung leaders . . . mainly women of color who are left out of history,” individuals who “elevate women’s work” through their uses of food as a “political tool.” Cope does a magnificent job at presenting this historical survey of the Civil Rights Movement in an easy-to-read manner that meta- phorically transplants the reader to a stool at Aylene Quin’s food counter. In 22 short and detailed chapters, Power Hungry recounts the dual narratives of Aylene Quin’s community organizing and voter rights’ activism out of her McComb, Mississippi restaurant and tavern South of the Border during the Freedom Summer of 1964, on the one hand, and Cleo Silvers’s organizing in the South Bronx, first through VISTA1 and then with the Black Panther Party shortly after the start of the New York Chapter’s Children’s Free Breakfast Program in 1969, on the other. Cope argues that the two womens’ significance to the Civil Rights Movement is not reflected accurate- 1 VISTA: Volunteers in Service to America, part of President Johnson’s Anti- Poverty program and predecesser to today’s AmeriCorps. Cope, Power Hungry 69 ly in the historical record, in which such activity as cooking, if included at all, occurs as footnotes. As a tribute to the scholars whose research has inspired and informed her own work, Cope pro- vides the bibliographical citations preceding her prologue. Aylene Quin, or “Mama Quin” as she was affectionately known in her community of McComb, Mississippi, was a pivotal figure in the local and state-wide civil rights and voter registration efforts. Power Hungry vividly recounts Mama Quin’s story through the events of 1961 leading up to the Freedom Summer of 1964 and beyond. The book captures Mama Quin’s personal sacrifices in preparing and delivering meals to activists jailed, in one case for attempting to stage a sit-in at the McComb Woolworth’s food counter and in another for participating in a high school walk-out and march to the County Hall. Although a visible staple of the community, Mama Quin even took part in the latter as a show of support, alongside her daughter Jacqueline. Cope details the many other civil rights actions su- pported by Mama Quin, like holding secret meetings of the local Black middle-class and business people at her restaurant (who would arrive in the back of delivery trucks) and feeding civil rights wor- kers, such as the SNCC Freedom Riders, and the community at large. 2 Cope describes Mama Quin’s efforts at feeding civil rights activists and the wider community as “community building, done around the kitchen tables rather than on the front lines.” As Cope emphasizes, Mama Quin’s independent “financial means,” as a self-employed business owner, gave her the ability to support the movement with- out direct consequence to her employment status (which was not the case with many others). Cope introduces Cleo Silvers in chapter 4. She affably details Cleo’s beginnings in her hometown of Philadelphia while growing up enjoying Sunday meals at her grandmother’s house. The experience of social gatherings around meals influenced Cleo’s love for what 2 SNCC: The Student Non-Violenct Coordinating Committee, one of the leading student groups of the Civil Rights Movement. 70 PASTOR CRESPO, JR. Cope describes as “culinary diplomacy.” Cope expounds on the myriad ways that Cleo hosted and prepared gatherings around food at her apartment in the South Bronx (and elsewhere over the years), not only to garner financial support for the Black Panther Party but as a mentoring tool for what Cleo called her “Black and Brown cadre.” Cope cogently presents the lessons that Aylene Quin and Cleo Silvers provide as the “power of community organizing” and “the power of food to help create community among activists and local people.” At the same time, Cope takes care to ensure that the reader understands Cleo’s accomplishments in the contexts of navigating patriarchy within the Black Panther Party, on the one hand, and enduring extensive FBI efforts to “neutralize and destroy” the Party’s leaders and the brutality of local law enforcement, on the other. As Cope eloquently posits, “This is the insidious nature of white supremacy, particularly when it infiltrates every nook and cranny of governmental power.” Drawing attention to Mama Quin’s context in Mississippi, Cope warns also of the terroristic lengths white supre- macy is willing to go to maintain a racist system—drive-by shootings, drive-by bombings, firebombs, and economic sanctions. Power Hun‐ gry is a testament to the strength and perseverance of countless unknown, unrecognized, and uncredited African American women leaders and their use of varied foodways to build and feed the community. This is an absolutely captivating book that is a must read. Pastor Crespo, Jr. The Bronx, New York Cope, Power Hungry 71 Sammartino, Annemarie. Freedomland: Co‐Op City and The Story of New York. Ithaca/London: Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2022. 320 pp. ISBN: 9781501716430. $32.95. As its title suggests, Freedomland: Co‐Op City and the Story of New York frames the history of Co-op City, the largest cooperative hou- sing development in the U.S., as a microcosm of wider twentieth- century New York City history. Co-Op City was constructed at the end of the 1960s in the far reaches of the northeast Bronx, carved out of swampland along the Hutch- inson River. The title derives from the ill-fated amusement park, Freedomland, which during the first half of the 1960s occupied a portion of the land on which Co-Op City was built. At the same time, the title evokes the promise of Co-Op City: a place where affordable housing and a cohesive community life would be avail- able to residents without necessitating a move to the suburbs. Here was a place where working- and middle-class New Yorkers could flourish and share in the American dream of home-own-ership. The cooperative housing movement in New York City, of which Co- op City was a part, emerged in the early twentieth century among progressive Jewish and other trade unionists. Tenants, or “co- operators,” would purchase equity shares in an apartment upon move-in and would receive the amount back, plus interest, when vacating the apartment. Early cooperative housing in New Yorkwith pronounced leftwing influence such as the Allerton Coops in The Bronx had some of the first racially integrated housing in New York City. Other cooperatives had a less than stellar record in this regard, and this is a part of the story of Co-op City as well. Co-Op City was built by the United Housing Foundation (UHF), a nonmarket housing corporation known for cooperative projects like 72 ROGER MCCORMACK the Amalgamated Housing Co-operative in The Bronx, opened in 1927, and Rochdale Village in Queens, opened in 1963. Co-op City, whose first apartments opened in 1968, provided middle-income housing at a time when many middle-class New Yorkers had decamped for the suburbs. All of these UHF developments served as crucibles for the inexorable demographic and economic changes buffeting New York City in the second half of the twentieth century —not least because in the late 1960s the UHF was mandated by the state to conform to non-discriminatory housing policies. Racial integration was not without tension in these developments, particularly as the original goals of the cooperative movement lost their luster amid rising crime and the racialized perception among many that an influx of Blacks and Puerto Ricans to Co-Op City heralded the demise of the neighborhood in the late 1970s and 1980s. According to Sammartino, however, Co-Op City never succumbed to New York’s vituperative racial politics to the same extent as Rochdale Village did, with the latter coming apart over busing and integration in the 1970s. UHF initially stressed a homogenously middle-class community at Co-op City and refused to jettison the middle-income requirement to appeal to more Blacks and Latinos, who were on average employed in jobs that paid them less for comparable work done by whites and experienced higher rates of unemployment. The approach of UHF created tension with prominent city agencies and Mayor Lindsay’s administration, which advocated—at least on paper—various policies to uplift Black and Latino populations in the 1960s. According to Sammartino, the common socio-economic level of Co-Op City nourished racial integration, subduing racial tension and rancor at a time when such tensions were high elsewhere in New York. Sammartino argues for Co-Op City’s unusual role within New York City: problems found in the rest of the city, though perceptible in Co-Op City, were diminished by the middle-class character of the development and the ideology of the “cooperators” or residents of Co-Op City, stressing, Sammartino, Freedomland 73 as it did, shared ownership and the diminution of the profit motive in real estate. Other critics of Co-Op City at the time drew attention to its “Tow- ers in the park” model. Towering residential skyscrapers, these critics argued, contributed to urban alienation and malaise. In this telling, Co-Op City would never be able to achieve a spontaneous community. Architectural and urban planners—chief among them Jane Jacobs—celebrated the community life of old, smaller-scale neighborhoods and were quick to denounce massive urban development projects like Co-Op City. Sammartino argues that this portrayal of Co-Op City was false, citing a number of anecdotes from her own life and from other residents highlighting the robustness of community in Co-Op City. Community life was, in fact, celebrated by people of varying ethnicities and backgrounds, most notably Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who moved to Co-Op City as a young girl. Here, Sammartino probably overstates her thesis. While her anecdotes of vibrant community life in Co-Op City are nonetheless true, the development to this day remains isolated from the rest of The Bronx and New York City (many plans for a subway line to Co-Op City have proved abortive), making the development convenient primarily for automobile drivers. Sammartino masterfully describes the ethos of the cooperative’s founders, the United Housing Foundation, and their utopian aims for cooperative housing, desiring nothing less than a wholesale reevaluation of how New Yorkers envisioned housing. She is also unsparing in detailing the corruption of the Mitchell-Lama program (and probably the UHF) and the enormous cost overruns during the construction of Co-Op City, overruns eventually paid for by increases in “carrying charges,” or rents, by the development’s res- idents. The increase in carrying charges and resentment towards the UHF’s 74 ROGER MCCORMACK perceived corruption culminated in the rent strike of 1975–1976, the longest and largest so far in U.S. history. Led by the bombastic labor organizer Charles Rosen—dubbed by the Village Voice “the Lenin of the North Bronx”—Co-Op City cooperators eventually gained board control of Co-Op City but remained bedeviled by the same financial problems the UHF faced. The strike destroyed the UHF: it would never build another cooperative housing complex after the imbroglios involved in the construction and maintenance of Co-Op City. Here, Sammartino uses the example of Co-Op City to chart the history of New York’s social welfare apparatus, where robust funding was provided for education, housing, and a variety of other urban programs in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1970s, this model was in desuetude. Instead, the ruling governing philosophy became “neoliberalism,” which Sammartino defines as market-based solutions to urban problems, and austerity, encapsulated by the federal government’s refusal to bail out New York City during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s (and symbolized by the New York Post’s famous headline, “Ford to New York—Drop Dead!”). Co-Op City, though, founded just prior to the high-water point of these policies in New York City, offered a rival conception of housing, with its roots in the social welfare model of the 1930s and ’40s and the tenant activism of the Lower East Side and The Bronx of this same era. Initially a safe-haven for Jews leaving once prosperous ethnic neighborhoods in the West Bronx, Co-Op City was widely seen as part of The Bronx and yet distinct from older neighborhoods not only because of its far-flung location and towering skyscrapers but also because of the absence of crime and urban blight. Complicating narratives of white flight and twentieth-century urban histories, Sammartino argues against Co-Op City as having a decisive destructive impact on the west Bronx. According to a standard narrative, Co-Op City exacerbated white flight from west Bronx neighborhoods and was one of the main contributors to urban decay in the borough. But, Professor Sammartino notes, many Jewish Sammartino, Freedomland 75 residents of the Grand Concourse had already left for the suburbs of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut before the construction of Co-Op City was finished in 1968. In her view, Co-Op City simply reinforced a social trend already underway. The book also benefits from Sammartino’s measured appraisal of the reasons for the Jewish exodus from the west Bronx. Many previously storied west Bronx neighborhoods had begun to experience decreases in city services and overall building maintenance, and new arrivals to Co-Op City cited actual crimes and a perceived decline in their old neighborhoods. For a time, Co-Op City was seen as an escape from such blight. Unlike many other scholars of this period, however, Sammartino is similarly careful to weigh the largely manufactured fears of white residents of an increase in crime in Co-Op City in the 1980s and 1990s. Sammartino concludes her commendable volume with a paean to Co-Op City’s multicultural identity, even as demographics in the development have shifted, and to its continued existence as a middle-class neighborhood for newer populations of Bronxites. Roger McCormack The Bronx, New York 76 ROGER MCCORMACK SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND GIFTS OF THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY The below items, and additional publications and gifts, are available for purchase in-person at any of our locations; by mail, through writing to The Bronx County Historical Society at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467; or online, at www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/store. Life in The Bronx Series Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Birth of The Bronx: 1609–1900 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx in the Innocent Years: 1890–1925 Lloyd Ultan and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935–1965 Lloyd Ultan, The Beautiful Bronx: 1920–1950 Life in The Bronx, four-volume set History of The Bronx Nicholas DiBrino, History of Morris Park Racecourse Allan S. Gilbert (ed.), Digging The Bronx G. Hermalyn et al., A Historical Sketch of The Bronx, 2nd edition G. Hermalyn and Thomas X. Casey, Bronx Views G. Hermalyn and Anthony Greene, Yankee Stadium: 1923–2008 G. Hermalyn and Robert Kornfeld, Landmarks of The Bronx Kathleen A. McAuley, Westchester Town: Bronx Beginnings Kathleen A. McAuley and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx: Then and Now John McNamara, History in Asphalt: The Origin of Bronx Street and Place Names (encyclopedia), 3rd edition John McNamara, McNamara’s Old Bronx Rubio P. Mendez, A History of the Riverdale Yacht Club Michael Miller, Theatres of The Bronx $30.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $90.00 $10.00 $25.00 $15.00 $12.00 $22.00 $15.00 $15.00 $22.00 $30.00 $20.00 $20.00 $5.00 Lloyd Ultan, Blacks in the Colonial Bronx: A Documentary History Lloyd Ultan, The Bronx in the Frontier Era Lloyd Ultan, Legacy of the Revolution Lloyd Ultan, The Northern Borough: A History of The Bronx George Zoebelein, The Bronx: A Struggle for County Government History of New York City Elizabeth Beirne, The Greater New York Centennial Peter Derrick, Tunneling to the Future G. Hermalyn, Morris High School and the Creation of the New York City Public High School System George Lankevich, New York City: A Short History Lawrence Stelter, By the El: Third Avenue and Its El at Mid‐Century History of New York State G. Hermalyn and Sidney Horenstein, Hudson’s River Elizabeth Beirne, The Hudson River Douglas Lazars et al., Re‐inspired: The Erie Canal Roots of the Republic Series George Lankevich, Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court George Lankevich, The First House of Representatives and the Bill of Rights Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Constitution of the United States Edward Quinn, The Signers of the Declaration of Independence Richard Streb, The First Senate of the United States Lloyd Ultan, Presidents of the United States Roots of the Republic Series, six-volume set Educational Material Anthony Greene, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 1 Roger McCormack, Annotated Primary Source Documents, vol. 2 Dan Eisenstein, Local History Classroom Resource Guide $18.00 $20.00 $15.00 $28.00 $15.00 $20.00 $20.00 $34.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $99.00 $20.00 $22.00 $15.00 Lisa Garrison, The South Bronx and the Founding of America G. Hermalyn, The Study and Writing of History Samuel Hopkins, West Farms Local History Curriculum Guide Alonso Serrano, Latin Bicentennial, comic book The Bronx County Historical Society Journal $15.00 $20.00 $15.00 $5.00 Back issues of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, 1963–2021, are available for purchase for $15.00 an issue, excepting special issues like the Centennial of The Bronx issue, available for purchase for $20.00. Research Center Dominick Caldiero et al., Newspaper Titles of The Bronx G. Hermalyn, Publications and Other Media of The Bronx County Historical Society Since 1955 G. Hermalyn et al., The Bronx in Print G. Hermalyn et al., Education and Culture in The Bronx G. Hermalyn and Laura Tosi, Genealogy of The Bronx Kathleen A. McAuley, A Guide to the Collections of The Bronx County Archives Laura Tosi et al., Ethnic Groups in The Bronx Laura Tosi et al., Index to The Sheet Map Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Elected Public Officials of The Bronx Since 1898 Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Atlas Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Microfilm/Microfiche Collection of The Bronx County Historical Society Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Media Collection Laura Tosi and G. Hermalyn, Guide to The Bronx County Historical Society Video Collection $15.00 $5.00 $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, a documentary on DVD Elizabeth Beirne, Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham Kathleen A. McAuley, Edgar Allan Poe at Fordham Special Interest Peter Derrick and G. Hermalyn, The Bronx Cookbook Remember The Bronx, Bronx history calendar for 2023 Gifts The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug The Bronx Afghan, washable cotton blanket, 50" x 65" The Bronx River Parkway, c. 1915, poster, 20.5" x 29.5" Edgar Allan Poe coffee mug The Grand Concourse, 1892, poster, 25" x 12" The Bronx Comfort gift set, includes The Bronx Cookbook, the Bronx Afghan, and The Beautiful Bronx coffee mug $20.00 $20.00 $15.00 $15.00 $12.00 $7.95 $50.00 $20.00 $7.95 $20.00 $60.00 THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENTS Jacqueline Kutner, 1993– Robert R. Hall, 1986–1993 Raymond F. Crapo, 1976–1986 Robert Farkas, 1976 Lloyd Ultan, 1971–1976 Ronald Schliessman, 1969–1971 Roger Arcara 1967–1969 Thomas J. Mullins, 1964–1967 George J. Fluhr, 1963–1964 Ray D. Kelly, 1963 Fred E. J. Kracke, 1960–1963 Joseph Duffy, 1958–1960 Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, 1955–1958 LIFE MEMBERS Dr. Elizabeth Beirne Louis H. Blumegarten Adolfo Carrión Sam Chermin James Conroy Dorothy Curran John Dillon Dan Eisenstein Mark Engel Natalie and Robert Esnard Ken Fisher Fordham Hill Owner’s Co. Katherine Gleeson Robert Abrams Jorge L. Batista Michael Benedetto Lorraine Cortez-Vazquez Gloria Davis Hector Diaz Ruben Díaz, Jr. Jeffrey Dinowitz Eliot Engel Carmen Fariña Dr. Joseph A. Fernandez Fernando Ferrer George Friedman Carl E. Heastie Lee Holtzman Greg Gonzalez David Greco Robert Hall Daniel Hauben Dr. Gary Hermalyn James Houlihan Marsha Horenstein Dr. Reintraut E. Jonsson Cecil P. Joseph Joseph Kelleher Mark Lampell Douglas Lazarus Maralyn May HONORARY MEMBERS Robert T. Johnson Stephen Kaufman Jeff Klein Joel I. Klein G. Oliver Koppell Jeffrey Korman Lawrence Levine Harold O. Levy Michael M. Lippman James J. Periconi Ricardo Oquendo Nathan Quinoñes Roberto Ramírez Gustavo Rivera Joel Rivera Kathleen A. McAuley Steven A. Ostrow Alan Parisse Jane Mead Peter Joel Podgor Steve Baktidy Marilyn and Morris Sopher Elizabeth Stone Henry G. Stroobants Susan Tane Lloyd Ultan Van Courtlandt Village CC Jac Zadrima José Rivera Ninfa Segarra José E. Serrano Stanley Simon Thomas Sobol THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, New York 10467 718-881-8900 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The publication of this volume was made possible, in part, through the generous support of The National Realty Club Foundation. The Bronx County Historical Society is supported through funds and services provided by: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Historic House Trust of New York City New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council The Office of the President of the Borough of The Bronx The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly The Bronx Delegation of the New York State Senate The H. W. Wilson Foundation The Astor Fund The Isabelle Fund The Elbaum Fund The Ultan Fund The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation The S. Hermalyn Institute The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, Inc. The Susan Tane Foundation The New York Public Library The New York Community Trust The National Realty Club Foundation Volume/Issue Volume and Issue of a periodical. 59/1–2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, vol. 59, nos. 1–2, 2022 Subject The topic of the resource Antonetty, Evelina, 1922-1984 Kingsbridge (The Bronx, N.Y.) Allerton (The Bronx, N.Y.) Gumbs, Bob McFeeters, Harriet Bauzá, Mario, 1911-1993 Colón, Willie, 1950- Afro-Cuban Jazz Description An account of the resource Vol. 59, nos. 1–2 of The Bronx County Historical Society Journal, published 2022. Contents: — Steven Payne, "An Oral History of Dr. Evelina Antonetty," p. 1 — Richard Baum, "Kingsbridge Vignettes," p. 19 — Robert Weiss, "Allerton in the 1940s and 1950s," p. 29 — Mark Naison, "A Tribute to Bob Gumbs and Harriet McFeeters," p. 39 — From the Archives, "Afro-Cuban Jazz in The Bronx," p. 45 — Pastor Crespo, Jr., Review of Cope, Power Hungry (2022), p. 69 — Roger McCormack, Review of Sammartino, Freedomland (2022), p. 72 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Bronx County Historical Society Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource ©2022, The Bronx County Historical Society Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Periodical Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Payne, Steven Baum, Richard Weiss, Robert Naison, Mark Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BCHSJOUR.2022 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Suzanne Ross Video Memoirs Description An account of the resource Pending Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930s–2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:12:29 Media Embedded media file for non-oral history recorded sound and moving images. <br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVnIHjiVkwo?si=3K4W1_AVKm6kVghF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource In this recording, part of a larger video memoir project, lifetime activist and educator Suzanne Ross narrates her family's background. Her father was born to a poor religious Jewish family in Nuremberg, Germany that had migrated from Poland. His mother, Ester Rivke Engelmeier Weber, had rabbis and well-known cantors in her family. Suzanne's mother was born toa more comfortable family, part of the Gere Chasidic clan in Lodz, Poland. Her father was Mordechai Perle and her mother Zisa Borenstein. Both parents died during World War I, when she was six, victims of a typhoid epidemic. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the Item, for non-commercial uses. For any other permissible uses, please review the terms and conditions with the organization that has made the Item available. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Video memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS.003 Title A name given to the resource 1-03. Introduction: Germany, Poland, My Parents' Background Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Chasidic Eastern European Jews Hasidic Poland Suzanne Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Suzanne Ross Video Memoirs Description An account of the resource Pending Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930s–2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:43:43 Media Embedded media file for non-oral history recorded sound and moving images. <br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BYqVhAYdrCA?si=vkJfTkL3wTvh4w7Y" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2-04. Family History and Childhood: Escaping Belgium during the Holocaust Description An account of the resource In this recording, part of a larger video memoir project, lifetime activist and educator Suzanne Ross narrates her immediate family's escape from the Holocaust. Much of her family did not make it out of Europe alive. Suzanne reflects on the relationship between her direct experience of this genocidal history and her white skin and educational privileges. Suzanne narrates her family's travels from Germany to Belgium to France, Spain, North Africa, Portugal, Mozambique, Palestine and ultimately the United States, where she and her family arrived on December 25, 1945. From Suzanne: "Born in 1937 living with an extended family on maternal and paternal sides in Antwerp Belgium. By 1940 the Nazis invade and most of the family tried and even succeeded in leaving. My parents, brother, and I along with different aunts, uncles, and cousins parted ways with some headed for Portugal, some for Palestine, and other remaining in France or Belgium. Traveling for about a year from France to Spain to North Africa, to Portugal and eventually Mozambique, we found a haven in Mozambique for three years, until the colonial power (Portugal) gave us a deadline by which we had to leave. This was now 1944 and we were able to go to Palestine where we remained for a year before we were able to get the visa we needed to go to the US, my parents’ dream. We arrived in the US on December 25, 1945 and soon became part of an orthodox Jewish community in Queens, Far Rockaway. My brother and I attended the Yeshiva, I loved the chaos of this school, with the students able to challenge the adults, and impose a certain student power. In addition to the students ability to disrupt regular routines, the Hebrew education was excellent, especially the training in Talmudic logic and debate which served me in good stead for many subsequent decades of schooling. By the time I went to public high school I was increasingly losing interest in religion and focused more and more on intellectual interests and wanting to go to an elite college." Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the Item, for non-commercial uses. For any other permissible uses, please review the terms and conditions with the organization that has made the Item available. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Video memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS.008 genocide Holocaust Suzanne Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Suzanne Ross Video Memoirs Description An account of the resource Pending Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930s–2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 01:16:33 Media Embedded media file for non-oral history recorded sound and moving images. <br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5emz-VtGXv0?si=eaBMODcqduhcdmWc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2-07. Family History and Childhood: Mozambique, 1941–1945, Racism Description An account of the resource In this recording, part of a larger video memoir project, lifetime activist and educator Suzanne Ross remembers the development of her morality as a child (starting at 00:09:58), both in Mozambique, while observing the life of her family's Black servant and the chain gang in the park, and later in Palestine in the kibbutz, seeing the treatment of religious elders and the attitude toward outsiders coming to the kibbutz. From Suzanne: "Born in 1937 living with an extended family on maternal and paternal sides in Antwerp Belgium. By 1940 the Nazis invade and most of the family tried and even succeeded in leaving. My parents, brother, and I along with different aunts, uncles, and cousins parted ways with some headed for Portugal, some for Palestine, and other remaining in France or Belgium. Traveling for about a year from France to Spain to North Africa, to Portugal and eventually Mozambique, we found a haven in Mozambique for three years, until the colonial power (Portugal) gave us a deadline by which we had to leave. This was now 1944 and we were able to go to Palestine where we remained for a year before we were able to get the visa we needed to go to the US, my parents’ dream. We arrived in the US on December 25, 1945 and soon became part of an orthodox Jewish community in Queens, Far Rockaway. My brother and I attended the Yeshiva, I loved the chaos of this school, with the students able to challenge the adults, and impose a certain student power. In addition to the students ability to disrupt regular routines, the Hebrew education was excellent, especially the training in Talmudic logic and debate which served me in good stead for many subsequent decades of schooling. By the time I went to public high school I was increasingly losing interest in religion and focused more and more on intellectual interests and wanting to go to an elite college." Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the Item, for non-commercial uses. For any other permissible uses, please review the terms and conditions with the organization that has made the Item available. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Video memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS.011 Judaism kibbutz morality Mozambique Palestine religion Suzanne Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Suzanne Ross Video Memoirs Description An account of the resource Pending Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930s–2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data MP4 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 00:10:56 Media Embedded media file for non-oral history recorded sound and moving images. <br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5dDXGUc_Ks?si=45P0_JyKbqSP4rqs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 6-02. Judaism and Anti-Zionism: Palestine and the Kibbutz Description An account of the resource In this recording, part of a larger video memoir project, lifetime activist and educator Suzanne Ross recalls her early experience of being exposed to Zionism in Palestine on the kibbutz in the 1940s, before the creation of the state of Israel. Suzanne recalls that a constituent part of early Zionism was the creation of the "sabra," a tough-guy Jewish persona set up in supposed contrast to Jews who went "willingly" to the Holocaust. Suzanne relates that she learned later about Jews' tremendous resistance to the Holocaust, something she did not learn on the kibbutz in Palestine. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Suzanne Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2022 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Wood, Nat Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the Item, for non-commercial uses. For any other permissible uses, please review the terms and conditions with the organization that has made the Item available. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource MP4 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Video memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context AV-ROSS.088 Holocaust Israel Palestine sabra Suzanne Ross Zionism