Papa Loves Mambo: Film Project

Ok I think I have the mambo out of my system for now

from a youtubed Musical film project at New York Film Academy.Directed by Thiago Ruivo (8 Week Filmmaking Program's Student)

Papa Loves Mambo: The Perry Como Original

an excerpt from The Papa Loves Mambo Story "written" by Perry in Coronet Magazine February, 1955

How does a song hit 'get born'? It takes a lot of things: clever lyrics, catchy melody, a sixth sense of judgment about the mood of the times, shrewd exploitation. Here's the story behind my recent RCA Victor hit "Papa Loves Mambo," just as it happened.
MONDAY, 4:30 P.M.: Bix Reichner, a Philadelphia songwriter, stops by Hanson's luncheonette at 51st Street and Seventh Avenue in New York for a glass of milk. Hanson's is a hangout for musicians, songwriters and singers. Here they get their phone messages, catch up on news and contacts, and wangle a little credit.
At the counter, Reichner meets dapper, sad-looking Al Hoffman, a fellow songwriter. Reichner knows about Hoffman's work — "Mairzy Doats," "If I Knew You Were Coming I'da Baked a Cake," and "Gilly Gilly Ossenfeller Katzenellen by the Sea." Comparing notes with him now, Bix suddenly realizes Al is the man to write a mambo novelty to a title buzzing in his head for weeks.
As he leaves, Bix, a lanky part-time farmer with a predilection for loud shirts and a close working knowledge of the music industry, says, "I'd like to throw a title at you. See what you think. " Al puts down his root beer: "Shoot!" Bix holds his breath dramatically, then shoots it out: "Papa Loves Mambo." A glint appears in Al's eyes and Bix knows he has hit the target. Hoffman smiles and says, "I Like it. I'll talk it over with Dick Manning and se what we can do."
"It can't miss," Bix says. "The country's in the midst of a mambo mania. Kick it around." He waves goodbye and rushes to catch a train............Perry Como recorded "Papa Loves Mambo" on August 31, 1954; it was released in September, and charted on October 4, eventually peaking at number four, spending eighteen weeks on the charts. It was Perry's 98th hit

Papa Loves Mambo Line Dance

Too bad those community rooms aren't open in the basement. Those karaoke loving Chinese residents would be doing this

Love Finds Andy Hardy

And more and more people are finding Knickerbocker Village. These two lovely ladies (is there such a thing as a non-lovely KV lady?)just came on board this week

Well Hello! I was procrastinating and googling and came across the Knickerbocker blog site. I nearly fell off the chair but I was so thrilled to see the photos from your reunions. I am the daughter of Arnold and Esther Wenig. We lived at 40 Monroe st., apt. FC8 and moved to Warbasse in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn with many other KV families - the Buellers, the Lackows, etc - a move I regretted from day one. I attended PS 177, Hamilton-Madison House, Camp Madison Felicia and the nursery school that was in the basement of KV. I have a recurring dream, that I go to shop for furniture in a vast storage area near the KV laundry room - all the furniture belonging to every family that ever lived at KV is available for purchase. How I miss that place. Remember the live chicken place under the Manhattan Bridge? The little deli that sold the best hero sandwiched and on Friday the always had tuna and companata? Remember the little store that sold hot jelly apples that he dipped right into the jelly and you twirled it until it cooled and stopped dripping. Do you remember sweet potatoes being sold in the street? The knife sharpener? Those wonderful bread bakeries?

Hi David:
I got on your blog through Google and was surprised to see it. I lived in KV for most of my youth, attending PS 177, JHS 65 and then one year at Seward Park at which time my parents relocated to Whitestone. I noticed that you had us in your "annex": Irving and Ida Schnieder with Michael, Mark and Trudy. My real name is in fact Judy and you missed my youngest brother Howard. Glad to see the memories of KV are alive and I'll check the blog often.

Five Points: Gangs Of New York, Part 1

From a documentary done by the History Channel a few years ago called the real Gangs Of New York

Five Points-Part 2

from bowery boys once again. Part 1 of part 2 of their August 2008 series on the Five Points. This time I experimented with pairing the audio with video from a masters of photography series that's been youtubed by user cybelephotography
The photographers highlighted here are Jacob Riis, Eugene Atget, Helen Levitt and Alfred Stieglitz. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. If it's distracting, just close your eyes and listen to the history of the 6th ward. KV is in the old 4th ward.

Yentl: Barbra Streisand And Knickerbocker's Nehemiah Persoff

Two posts ago we were "mamboing" at Forlinis, now we're talmud scholars. Go know?

What Becomes A KV Legend: Passing On The Secrets

Bobby Knuckles passes on his famous Knickerbocker punch-ball secrets to his grandson Zach

Five Points History

Audio from an excellent 2 part podcast from the bowery boys'from august 2008
There should be over 50 images in this slide show but very few are showing. Some of the main sources are Patrick Reynold's comic history of New York City, Big Apple Almanac and
stills from the Gangs Of New York via Evan Richards cinematography blog and the map blog from the nypl digital collection

Five Points was a neighborhood area in Lower Manhattan, northeast of City Hall, at the intersection where Baxter [formerly Orange], Worth [formerly Anthony], Park Street [formerly Cross] came together to form a five point intersection. The area was made famous in the book, The Gangs of New York, by Herbert Asbury, 1928, and the screenplay to the 2002 movie. Matthew Dripps’ 1852 map, pl. 2, has the original street names, and notes the presence of the Pirnics Distillery, but not the Mission or House of Industry.
Matthew Dripps’ 1867 map of New York, pl. 5, still shows the House and Mission. G. W. Bromley’s 1879 Atlas, pl. 4 and the 1885 Robinson atlas, pl. 4, continues to show the Five Points House of Industry and the Five Points Mission, just south of The Tombs, notorious prison. The 1867, 1879 and 1885 maps all show a small underground stream in the area with a dashed line. This Five Points website has additional historical information about Five Points. The Sanborn Manhattan Landbook, pl. 8, shows the current situation with the N.Y. State Office Building and the New York County Courthouse on the old Five Points site.

Papa Loves Mambo (And Forlini's)

Images from the bridge and tunnel club Hey isn't that Joe Bruno with Lorraine Bracco?

Papa loves mambo
Mama loves mambo
Look at 'em sway with it
Gettin' so gay with it
Shoutin' "olay" with it, wow (huh)
Papa loves mambo
(Papa loves mambo)
Mama loves mambo
(Mama loves mambo)
Papa does great with it
Swings like a gate with it
He loses weight with it, now
He goes to, she goes fro
He goes fast, she goes slow
He goes left 'n' she goes right
(Papa's lookin' for Mama)
(But mama is nowhere in sight) (huh)
Papa loves mambo
Mama loves mambo
Havin' their fling again
Younger than spring again
Feelin' that zing again, wow (huh)
Papa loves mambo
(Papa loves mambo)
Mama loves mambo
(Mama loves mambo)
Don't let her rumba and don't let her samba
'Cause Papa loves Mama tonight (huh)
(Papa loves mambo)
(Mama loves mambo)
(Papa loves mambo)
(Mama loves mambo)
He goes to, she goes fro
He goes fast, she goes slow
He goes left 'n' she goes right
(Papa's lookin' for Mama)
(But Mama is nowhere in sight) (huh)
Papa loves mambo
(Papa loves mambo)
Mama loves mambo
(Mama loves mambo)
Havin' their fling again
Younger than Spring again
Feelin' that zing again, wow (huh)
(Papa loves mambo)
Mambo Papa
(Mama loves mambo)
Mambo Mama
(Don't let her rumba and don't let her samba)
'Cause Papa
Loves a mambo tonight

134 White Street: Then And Now

Before moving to Knickerbocker Village Joe Bruno lived at 134 White Street. That's what it looked like in 1934 (the smaller building on the corner) The inset shows the current structure:
from Joe
I WAS BORN AND RAISED ACROSS THE STREET AT 134 WHITE, CORNER OF BAXTER, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE TOMBS. THE BUILDING'S BEEN DOWN SINCE THE 70'S. THE SPACE IS WHERE THE LADIES PRISON NOW IS. I MOVED TO KNICKERBOCKER IN EARLY 1963. AND LIVED THERE TILL 1996. STILL I WENT TO FORLINI'S AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK UNTIL I MOVED. IN FACT, I WAS THERE THE DAY IT OPENED IN 1956. AND I HAD MY DAUGHTER'S CHRISTENING PARTY THERE IN THE BACK ROOM IN 1977.

Five Points Mission

Interesting this plaque is not found in the Five Points, but just a block away from Knickerbocker Village