What Gangs of New York Misses

City Journal ^ | January 14, 2003 | William J. Stern

[Clemenza]

As I have stated on other threads, I LOVED the movie, despite some historical inaccuracies. The 1863 draft riots are rarely talked about in high school history classes (especially in the early 1960s, when my parents were in school), despite the fact that they were the most violent civil insurrection in American History (other than the "War of Southern Arrogance" of course).

[carlo3b]

THIS MOVIE SUCKS, REALLY SUCKS, and I loved Scorcese with Taxi Driver etc. However, I don't care if the libs screwed up the history or not, it just isn't worth a spit! This one has lots of colors and camera shots of gratuitous fighting, and we usually love gratuitous fighting, but this baby face boy, with a sorry Irish accent, and fighting?... nope.... it doesn't work...we 3 guys walked out after 45 minutes... save your money...came home and watched CONAIR... again!

[wardaddy]

Thanks...I got it now. I know Mulberry well.....used to take visitors to Luna's for Rollatinis(sic) and Ferraras afterwards for Shfotellas (sic again) and espressos.

And yes I knew even then that the best Italian food was in Brooklyn but everybody wanted to see Little Italy and stuff like that joint where Joey Gallo got clipped.

[nopardons]

The riots WERE taught, just a few years ealier, in the '50s.

[wardaddy]

bookmarking...

[Clemenza]

(and not just German and Polish immigrants)

THIS WAS A TOTAL LIE!!! The Germans DID NOT participate in the draft riots and were, in fact, staunch supporters of the Union cause (which got them in trouble when they settled in places like Kerrville, Texas). As for the Poles, THERE WAS NO LARGE POLISH POPULATION IN NEW YORK IN THE 1860s. The few Poles that were in this country were in Panna Maria, Texas. The large wave of Polish immigrants came in the 1880s-1920s and, in any case, preferred places like Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh (to say nothing of Northern New Jersey, where Clemenza's paternal family settled) over NYC.

[nopardons]

Thanks, dear friend, for the review. I'll wait for it to come to cable, so that I can yell at the screen, add historical data, and hoot at little Leo, who can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.

[wardaddy]

It's written by the head chef at Les Halles in Manhattan and is sort of an expose of kitchen culture and his own perilous route through it all. He started out as a prep school kid.

He's the chain smoking tall skinny guy (40s)on the food channel who travels all over the world eating at strange places. His dad was from the SW French coast(south of Bordeaux) and he's had an unusual and rather self indulgent life but seems to have recovered. Lots of jaded irony of course...he is half French...lol

[Clemenza]

I tend to find that the people who dislike this movie 1. HATE historical films in general (unless its a war movie) or 2. Don't give a damn about New York. Since I saw the movie while visiting parents in Boca Raton, FL (aka New York South) those who did not like the film tended to be in the first camp. I'd say that the consensus regarding the film was about 60% in favor with 40% disliking it (no middle ground on this one).

BTW: Taxi Driver is my favorite movie of all time. As for Con Air what a bombastic load of Jerry Bruckheimer produced sh-t!

[nopardons]

Oh dear, I loathe him; he's so smarmy on that show. Maybe the book is better ? ;^ )

[wardaddy]

Clemenza...you are correct..The movie Ride With The Devil deals with pro-Unionist German settlers in Missouri and Arkansas and the uncivil civil war there...not too shabby or preachy.

NP, (dudette)...lol....I hear Thomas Barksdale stirring and it's my time to give him his Enfamil Low Iron since I'm fooling around here and Annette is sawing logs.

Good Night....nice to hear from you....I'll reply about my dilletante anarchist later.

[Clemenza]

It's written by the head chef at Les Halles in Manhattan and is sort of an expose of kitchen culture and his own perilous route through it all. He started out as a prep school kid.

Chef Anthony Bourdain bump!

[wardaddy]

LOL...sorry.

[nopardons]

Dear, it's really " East side, West side, all around the town... " and was written by Mayor Gentle Jim Walker. Please correct your tag line. :-)

P.S. Do you want / need the rest of the lyrics ?

[carlo3b]

I love NEW YORK, and can quote almost every important line in most big budget historical movies in the last &$%# years...LOL I own most of them on DVD VHS... This dog just don't hunt...and I am a bit worried about any guy that doesn't like Con Air, ....just an observation...Ha!

[nopardons]

Give Master Tom a kiss from me and don't worry about how long it takes to reply.

LOLing at the " dudette " thingy and I have a whole bunch of new things to help ya with the " anarchist " pretender. :-)

[nopardons]

Hey sweety, have you been watching the PBS three parter on Chicago ? Tonight's episode was out of this world ! No bias, no lefty garbage; just pure historical fact. :-)

[Clemenza]

Thanks for the correction. For some odd reason, James T. Farrell decided to open Studs Lonigan (which, ironically, includes ANOTHER Black vs. Irish Riot, that of Chicago in 1919) with the lyrics to this song.

[carlo3b]

Don't tell me that !!!!!!! I thought that was next week.. Sh#% ok what have I missed...point me to a review so I can eat my heart out...psst...only just be sure it's not written by Clemenza...smirk....LOL

[nopardons]

Read the book, saw the movie, and the T.V. miniseries of " STUDS LONIGAN ". The book is the best of the three. Why something, taking place in Chicago, would have that song playing as an opener, is beyond me.

I grew up not only singing " SIDEWALKS OF N.Y. ", but doing the trational tap dance ( really a soft shoe ) of it. It's one of those things that is forever engraved in my brain. :-)