Somebody Up There Likes Me

I better ease up on the Newsie stuff or else people will think this is the Newsie Blog. Rocky Graziano was born Thomas Rocco Barbella in 1919. His first home was at 8 Rivington Street, between Chrystie and the Bowery. Later he moved to 14th Street and Avenue A. My father and my Uncle Hy knew him because he would often come to their social club on St. Mark's Place looking for his girl friend. She would sometimes hang out there. The movie was shot a great deal in New York (1956), supposedly a great deal on Rivington Street. Judging however from this clip it looks like Rivington over near the far eastern end that would be torn down for the Masaryk Towers. The rooftop scene and then flight to the streets looks like maybe Madison Street before the LaGuardia Projects were built. It could also be Monroe Street.