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“The hot weather last night took Weegee, the photographer, to the Lower East Side…”

May 23, 2021
1941, Naked City, PM

Newspaper PM, article about Murder Inc. member or associate
PM, May 23, 1941, p. 9

“Up From the Slums, or How Young Knadles Nitzberg Made His Nark” by John Kobler

PM newspaper, Weegee photo of kids on fire escape
PM, May 23, 1941, p. 23

“Record of a New York Day”

“The hot weather last night took Weegee, the photographer, to the Lower East Side, where he found these children sleeping on a tenement fire escape at Irving and Rivington Streets. Weegee says he gave the kids $2 for ice cream, but their father took charge of the dough.”

Weegee's book Naked City
Weegee, Naked City, pp. 22-23

“Tenement Penthouse

But the other fire escape is somewhat overcrowded… its not so bad sleeping that way… except when it starts to rain… then it’s back to the stuffy tenement rooms.”

[$2 had the same buying power as $38.15 in April 2021.]


“Tenement Symphony,” Larry Clinton’s Bluebird Orch.; Kuller; Golden; Borne; Peggy Mann and Butch Stone, 1941


PM, May 23, 1941, p. 13 (photo by Gene Badger)

A Hot-Weather Fashion Preview by the Dead End Kids
Scene: East River. Time 3 p.m. Temperature: 90.7.

“Yes, but I had my manner of living. It was my business.”

May 18, 2021
1941, PM


PM, May 18, 1941

Annual hobo convention in Jersey City, NJ… “What Are We Going To Do About It?”… Abe Reles believes in God… “Yes, but I had my manner of living. It was my business.” (Murder really was his business… too.)… “The Human Element is Important, Too…”… Rev. Utah Smith at MoMA’s “Coffee Concert”…

Louis and Louis…

May 13, 2021
1941, music, PM


PM, May 11, 1941, p.10

“This is ridiculous!”


PM, May 11, 1941, p.58 (Photos by David Eisendrath, Jr., 1914-1988)

“Satchmo, 40, Looks Good for Another 20 Years

The photographs on this page were taken at a recent Decca recording session…

Photos were made during a recording of Hey Lawdy Mama, released this week. Decca, 35 cents.”


Hey Lawdy Mama, Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra, 1941.

Armstrong looked and sounded great for another 30 years…

Lepke (1897-1944) and Armstrong (1901-1971)… two years older and two years younger than Weegee…

“Record of a New York Day” (Murder Inc., Museum Therapeutics, War Preparations) – May 25, 1941

May 25, 2020
1941


PM, May 25, 1941, p.20

The latest in Aimée Crocker, Murder Inc., and pigeon news…


PM, May 25, 1941, p.51 (by Robert Rice)

“How N.Y. Prepares to Defend Itself From Bombers”

New York City prepares for war. (About seven months before they entered the war.)


PM, May 25, 1941, p.51


PM, May 25, 1941, p.52

“Emergency Services are Ready for Action”


PM, May 25, 1941, p.52


PM, May 25, 1941, p.53

“Museum Therapeutics
As far as property damage from bombs goes, opinion is that such large buildings as hospitals and museums would be extremely vulnerable. Museum tycoons, however, are not making extensive plans to stow their treasures for the duration. Only small, movable stuff would be transported. The rest would be left both because moving it would be much too difficult and because museums provide a popular form of escapism during a crises.”


PM, May 25, 1941, p.53


PM, May 25, 1941, p.53 (police headquarters, 250 Centre St.)

“Won’t Be Caught

The co-operating organizations are innumerable, ranging from specialized bodies of engineers, doctors, architects and so forth, specifically devoted to defense to all kinds of civilian organization which have nothing but time, energy and good to contribute.

To sum up: The City Fathers are by no means unaware of the possible dangers to New York in the event of war, and they are preparing to meet them. Probably a larger part of the plans have not yet been made public, Some of them never will be. But if the ominous buzz of enemy aircraft ever sounds over New York the city won’t be caught with its guard down.”

Weegee vs. Wallace: “They don’t need an artist like me anymore…”

April 12, 2012
book
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Mike Wallace Asks, Simon and Schuster, 1958
A transcript of the “real” interview indicates that perhaps Weegee and Wallace didn’t have a great rapport; didn’t really like each other very much… This printed version is much edited, and is the only interview of about 50, where Wallace asks one question, and the interviewee rambles on for the entire chapter…
Although it’s only a page long, it’s a great page (a few excerpts: edited edits):

WALLACE: Weegee, you used to be the top murder photographer in the country. Why did you quit?

WEEGEE: Murder, Incorporated went out of business. I used to be the official photographer for Murder, Incorporated. I used to have one a night… I advised the boys on taste…
Murder’s not anything anymore. In the old days Murder, Incorporated, had a garage in Brooklyn… they’d teach them the trade, teach them how to shoot and so on. Train ’em like feudal craftsmen. They made a fine art of it. Each murder was better than the one previous.
But murder has gone out of style. It’s a different trend. Everything is organized these days. Instead of fighting with each other, they call a meeting They’re executives. You know what a an executive is? A guy that doesn’t eat in cafeterias. Today, it’s all organization and efficiency. They don’t need an artist like me anymore…. I’ve changed too. I used to go to Sammy’s on the Bowery. I had my own table… The younger generation is making a mockery of the fine art of murder.

Perhaps the Lili St. Cyr interview is a little more typical…