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urban education director at ther roosevelt presidential library and museum. and on behalf of the fdr presidential library and museum i like to welcome you all to the 20th anniversary of the roosevelt rating festival. fdr plans for the library to become the premier research institution for the study of the entire roosevelt era. libraries researche room is consistently with the busiest of all the presidentialth librarie. the wide variety of research done here and similar institutions throughout the country. let me quickly go through we are going to talk for about 30 -- 40 minutes or so. then there will be time to your questions and answers. we are in the c-span room. if you're going to have to question we need you to come up to the microphone. don't ask a question and to get the microphone. ask the question then the author

will respond. we want to make sure we get the question on audio. and it is my pleasure to introduce our next author david pietrusza is the author of many books including 1932 the rise of hitler and fdr to tales of politics betrayal and unlikely destiny. roosevelt sweeps the nation 1936 land site and the triumph off te liberal idea. i'm in gangster and plant a tour through the dark heart of jazz age new york city. he is a pretty morning joe, the voice of america, the history channel, american heroes channel, espn, npr and c-span. he is spoken at the fdr presidential library in the past. at the john f. kennedy library and also determine presidential libraries. as well as grants cottage national baseball hall of fame and museum in various

institutions universities across the country. here lives in new york state and here to talk with us about his recent book. >> thank you. i think the first question is first offered thanks to all the great people here for having me. it's an honor to be here everyone is so nice. it's an event i look forward to even when i am not speaking i show up as a spectator, that is how much i like it. why write a book like this if you are a presidential historian and such? before that i was doing in baseball history and in the book gangster.ld underground figure in a few

years ago a couple years ago i got a call from somebody i had been doing one of these things on cable tv we argue about the events of the day. i says hey it, and do a radio show about broadway would you come on and talk aboutbo arnoldn broadway in time square? i said yes i can. because right after writing the book which is now about 20 years ago i was hired to go on a walking tour of times square. because it is time square where you keep your hand on your wallet i was stiffed on payment for that tour. but i kept all of my notes and more remarkably i could find them and the hovel that passes for my office.

and so i thought i will do the interview and may be i could publish a little pamphlet. i tend to get carried away. one of the reasons i could get carried away is because unlike today'ss newspapers which leap outim all sorts of details. for tickly about crimes and criminals and locations, the newspapers then or just full of details. hope you have plenty of details to be full of and the pro- admission era and times square. and then i took the thing forward and did like part two in the book about the upper west side. i was quite surprised to learn was mobbed up back then. it is a direct shot from times square where the upper west side to where the action was in times square. so the newspapers would tell you all of the details. and they would tell you not only

the street that something occurred on they would say the street number and they would tell you the apartment number. i found a guidebook for 1920 which lifted the addresses of famous people in the city. still it would tell you where undersecretary avenue in a beat franklin rooseveltok lived. imagine that in today's world. i'm so one of the things i said was please, let me speak about this book at the roosevelt reading set festival. i promise i will bring in politics front and center to that. because, we talk about intersection analogy now and politics. there is an intersection analogy or overlap about this story and about how gangsterism worked in the 20s and times square. until you got the usual

murderers and shakedownwn artiss and speakeasies and bootlegging. but you also have politics. this is a big a factor which plays into it. they need g protection. and it goes into sports where they are fixing certain sporting events. and it goes into the theater where every gangster appears seems to have a show girl, girlfriend. and not all gangsters. may beat franklin roosevelt doesn't. but william randolph hearst certainlye, does. his first wife and then his second wife. so you see this over and over again. you also see the plot lines of 1930s movies that are fanciful and hackneyed are based on today's headlines or yesterday's

headlines. so with the politics the cornerstone of the story is tammanycr hall. the democratic organization y which runs everything in new york city at that time and for a very long time. blanca roosevelt has a surly reputation in the united states senate as being a forceful opponent of. with the most prominent tie in to the violence and gore in this area and in this era is the lower east side a guy named big tim, sullivan. sullivan, in their sexuality overlap. aside from the lower east side being a state senator and a congressman was also a partner in a vaudeville change.

he had an office for his chain of 1440 broadway. so sullivan also protects up-and-coming young gamblers. one is arnold rothstein and another is a guy named beatty rosenthal. he is a gambling house at 10445th street. he gets are being shaken down by a tenant also protected by sullivan called lieutenant charles a becker. becker is one main crooked cop. rosenthal says you know who i am? i am a friend i'm a protégé of big tim and you're picking on me and i'm not going to take it. whereupon his gambling houses wrecked by the police. this happens one more time. because manhattan at that point is one of those rare intervals went manhattan has a republica'

d.a. he's going to go to the d.a., he's going to go to the press. trouble in river city. becker and big tim sullivan ironically is the first fond of the gun-control law in the united states. the sullivan act. also involved in the murder which is the first drive-by shooting in united states history. they sort of go by him after hiring some killers through another gambler named brigitta weber who had a pharaoh house 102 west 42nd street. which is nowow whole foods. the one by a brand to park. so rosenthal is no more. becker goes to the chair so many first in this case.

the first and i think only cop the only united's of america. we have that but surviving this ms is arnold rothstein. and rothstein there many, many sites one can visit which are associated with him in new york city. most notably is the park central hotel very near to carnegie hall big hotel still in business now 250 west 56th street. he is killed in an upper room there. by another gambler main georgia make manners. that is my theory anyway. it was the das theory as well. but not the jury. but pretty much the fix was in there.

to let him go. i was involved in rum running, loan sharking, i'm bootlegging speakeasies. fixing things he is the great middleman of things. one of the middle men there is an adjunct or detour from the thatrothstein story. he has a relative of his is a cousin and married to a guy named george ringler. george ringler was a sort of -- you get around in political circles again politics. worked for the new york daily news. as a photographer and a go to guy and would feed to the reporters and stuff like this.

who served as a summons. because there is an entertainer at this time by the name of frank tenney. tinney. a blackface entertainer. and you could listen to a recording of his act. not in blackface, on youtube. frankk taney's first recording the second is called second recording. and it is remarkably funny. but asot so funny. after his beautiful girlfriend emma jane will is accosted by a news photographer and times square and beats him up too. whereupon george ringler will serve him with a summons on behalf of the beat up photographer. ringler is connected to mayor james j walker.

the corrupted mayor of new york city was removed from office, eventually by governor franklin delano roosevelt. ringler is so close to walker he accompanies a walker up to albany. to argue his case and try to save his office. but if you think a wrangler going up to albany is impressive, i will tell you what ise impressive. we have ended george ringler's granddaughter sitting in the front row randy ringler. so, you weren't expecting that, or you? she has got information which we are not going to discuss further. even though this meeting is hosted by the feds it. .[laughter] another politician involved is a

guy named maurice. he has an office 152 west 42nd street. the assembly met on the upper upper upper west side somewhere past columbia university is in there for a couple of terms. he is rothstein's attorney at the end. he is fixing everything for him. i shot of the park central hotel and is dying at the polyclinic hotel which and by the way valentino died at an marilyn ann monroe was treated at. when rothstein is giant can tour produces shows up at the death the bed and says arnold remember that will you asked me too prepare a few weeks ago? you never got around to signing. i happen to have it right here.

sign here for this was contested by arnold's relatives but that's the sort ofhe fellow maurice cantor was. whichny is why it was about to collapse. they also had to vet arnold's papers. which randy may have with her, i do not know. she says no. was the 17th district a guy name nathan overcome. the guys were not dumb. burkett was the best entertainment lawyer in the country pretty represented, you name all of the stars of the island era. you name all the studios. he represented them all. he was hot stuff. he was good. oddly enough his grandson jonathan is now the congressional cochairman for new

york state republican party. [laughter] the story never seems to end. bill fallon another lawyer i've been an assistant d.a. and westchester county. he was born right near the church of saint mary and times square. if you're ever in times square go see it. it is the hidden gem of times square. it is beautiful. f she became a rather dissolute shall he save it quick quite flamboyant, great jury fixer et cetera et cetera. at the hotel bill clear in aprin bursts into the rooman where hes and throws some form of acid into his face. remarkably they get into a hospital and not only is he not blinded he is not even scarred.

he is sort of the type of lawyer that is portrayed in the musical chicago. when william randolph hearst bringing chargers or when they are bringing jury charges against alan at one point, he puts hearst on trial. he said they're picking on me. the hearst papers are picking on me. you know why?es i have a secret birth certificates of the twins are fathered by william randolph hearst and william davies. there was no birth certificate. there weree no twins. there were no children. he was acquitted. so, because of the sort of people we are dealing with. and last but not least in the early 1930s theirs as a judge judge joseph forrest crater who

goes to dinner at billy's chophouse on times square and then steps into a taxicab after words and disappears. and is never seen again. forces of one of the many, many many corrupt judges new york city a product of tammany hall. but connected to some pretty respectable names. he hadna been the secretary to senator robert wagoner and wagoner labor relations act. they moved on from that to being a supreme court judge. i pointed to that position by governor franklin delano roosevelt. there are some theories as to what happened to crater. nonene of them stand up to absolute proof. he may have been propositioned

by a legs at diamond who had a garage with him and taken to coney island to have some sense beaten intoo him. had they beat a bit too much sense into him and he was buried under the boardwalk. that is a theory. or one at things i talked about intersection lt or did not talk about prostitution he may have gone to one of polly adler's infamous or famous of in the city had not survived in a different form. and was dumped in the hudson river. but pay it your money and take your choice on what happened to him. e speakeasies are just everywhere. in the west of 50s. texas is the most famous speakeasy operator hostess to bg their movies made about her while she is doing this but

helen morgan is a big musical comedy star stars in the original showboat like a day after showboat opens her speakeasy is rated. that is how commonplace this was. another big speakeasy operator is larryry fay. they operated a bunch of taxicabs they would operate in montréal and come back with booze and such like this. and later on is down on his luck casablancaon looks to cut the wages the doorman shoots himim dead. shoots him dead.0. he had 10 sins in his pocket when he died. crime does not necessarily pay.

he is also noted for something else. before it was unpopular or before it was a really popular in some places and then really unpopular everywhere else he would festoon his speakeasies and taxicabs with giant swastikas.ay so goodbye to larry fay. other speakeasy operators who you may havera heard of art jimy durand a. arnold rothstein has a crab game operating and the club durrant. and billy rosen. billy rose was a great showman. he did that movie in the 50s with jimmy duranty called jumbo. and he was at one point married to fanny bryce for he ran a speakeasy called the backstage club. which, he was propositioned by one of these and those guys.

i like to buy a share of your establishment. i am not interested says rated by the cops. everything is smashed up. same thing happens again finally gets the message. but it's not really at these, them, those guys he's doing at thein behest. he gets a cut the police get a cut everything like that. being married to fanny bryce okay had been married earlier to a guy name nikki. they left out in that movie largely that nikki was a confederate a great admirer of arnstein. here's a comment in his own right a lot of government bond robberies back then could cash

them in. if you got a shipment of bonds coming up from wall street to a bank or something they would be hit. and robbed. arnstein was involved in this. once on the lamb at one point and got sick of being on the land. turn himself in and arnold gave him some advice. instead of just turning yourseln some boring away they would have a police a parade on fifth avenue every year. why don't you get in a car and ride it down and the police a parade passed the commissioner of police. he did. the police were not amused. he did go to leavenworth. provided that bail money to fanny bryce. but he also said i was not just altruism. while we are here i haven't

importing business. and you have a a new apartment. why don't you buy all of your furniture from me?ou he did and it was seriously, seriously overpriced. she was not amused. nor was a woman name ann nichols. ann nichols produced, wrote, a show in the 1920s called iris roesch. read the old plot jewish guy god knows where the first of anything starts. but she had the first big hit with that. it was the longest running show and broadway history for a long time. it was a big hit but was not it first. and, like all the broadway show miracles and movies -- if we could only stay on the show is legs.to have it's going to be a hit. i believe in it.

and she goes to arnold rothstein for money to keep it going. because rothstein finance the building of the theater on 42ndut street. he would put the money up for just about anything if he could make money back. says sure i can lend you the money. and she said youof would a piece of the show? no i don't want it. i just want the money back with interest soon. on time. and also while you are here, i am in the insurance business. i like you to take out insurance policies on your life. with me as a beneficiary. this is common practice by hammett. she is not amused. the onlynl clear about $3000.

wheeling and dealing which is going on there. everybody had a show girl, chorus girl, girl friend. diamond did, when the marx brothers are on broadway in their second show called the coconuts it's at lyric theatre. harpo decides i've got a new gag i'm going to try to catch groucho unaware and see if i get him flat-footed and not know what to do. they were not across the stage and graded chaser honking my horn. w the point of the story is after words someone says harpo, do you know who that course girl is associated with? no. quickset legs that diamonds current girlfriend. why don't you get another blonde? and so he did.

[laughter] all of those things would be going on. they also make a show called room 349 foror that to the room number of work rothstein was killed at park central what is now the theater just below 42nd street. it's not a very good show. atrf last for a handful of performances. it has done very soon after his death the names are changed to protect the guilty. what is remarkable is that his mistresses in the show a woman named inez in norton. these are indeed wild, wild times. sports? there is a guy most people have forgotten but was vague than his name was oh one or owning the killer madden. we have got a nickname in these

circles like is that killer, yes he did he went to sing sing for about eight years or so. it comes out becomes a big bootlegging guy also involved in sports with a couple associates big bill duffy and frenchy. they promote guy from italy remote card era of big giant of a guy really cannot box his way out of a paper bag. but if you have friends like these you will become heavyweight champion of the worldd because fights are fixed. how are they fixed? and oh 1k's a it's a guy named george a raft, the actor. the actor and before he became an actor it was an associate of guys like madden. but also worked in texas

speakeasy as perhaps the fort fortmost charleston dancer in america. see if you can find on youtube where he does a brief charleston. he is good. i one point he has propositioned by madden to go to eddie big boy peterson a fighter to throw a fight to threaten him. he does not want to threaten him so he slips my mickey and makes him a little shaky before the fight. this happens at the hotel claridge on west 44th street which is the headquarters of lucky k luciano. all these things connect and go around in circles are happening and happening. the jewel robberies, amazing amazing numbers involved $305,000 in jewel robberies. 265 murders of showgirls

having -- one of the showgirls is insured through the jewels are insured by arnold frosting. just before she was robbed and d murdered the policy lapses. these are tough times. i'm one i of the jewel robberies in the 305,000-dollar robbery is ay woman name buddha godman. fate rod from harry rv glenview hairnet fortune. big money and hairnets. [laughter] so she is involved in that. she gets caught in one of her associates commit suicide. she shows up in our story a couple decades before that she comes in from chicago with a rich businessman.

that check into the s hotel the place is rated by detectives except they're not detectives, not detectives this is a badger game at black mail operation. they went to shake this guy down for money. he haso i don't care, i am not paying she has to take it on the llama. she comes back into the city where she becomes the mistress of one charles who was the owner after 1917 the new york baseball giants. remove the giants in san francisco. horace stoneham was a stockbroker i was involved in an type of operation called a bucket shop. what's a bucket shop? you should go in they know it's a stinker they don't over valued

can youy give them the money ad they don't buy the stock. because they know it is a stinker it is been inflated by rumors and it is going to go down. and they may throw additional rumors and press reports and as to how about the company is. the moons i think you should get out before it goes lower than they return a little sliver of the money paidai in for it and keep the rest of s it. source was involved in that. we've sort of operations were protected by tammany hall. they are protected by arnold frosting. you have all of those things going on as well. i think i'm about ready to be yanked off in terms of this. there is much more. it is in the book. i will be around later on to discuss anything you want and anything you want to talk about

now. to the microphone. cooks are there any questions come on over. and have at it. >> my main question am guilty of it myself is why are we so fascinated by such bad people? >> when you are baptized the priest asked the infant do you reject stay tuned? do you reject the glamour of evil? evil has a certain glamour that is way dixie succeeds. that is why stay tuned is so successful. he does not come to you or someone who is repulsive to tempt you. he comes at you with all the showgirls.he at the bubbly, the champagne,

the good times why the 20s? why do we talk about the 20 so much? it is a fun era but in a bad way. i do like to say about sin, sin is like eating at mcdonald's. that seems like a good idea at the time but you always regret it. [laughter] next question. >> thanks very much. can you talk just a little bit about fdr's involvement with tammany hall? how he maneuvered with them, around them, and the state let your time? and his time as governor? >> back when that united states senators elected by legislators there is a deadlock, i fdr is a big part of the deadlock. the democrats have majority in

the legislature which was unusual at the time. i deal is made of eventually putting another democrat in. in the meantime he gets a lot of amity from him but then i think he is -- he's a good politician and i realizes a few were it not going to move to wyoming or somewhere you better make your peace with tammany hall. by the time of the 19th 20 convention he is been a member of the wilson administration anm is learning the ropes more and more and he's picked up a guy named louis how who's going to say kulik, franklin.ow don't shoot all of your your amn here. eve got to live to fight another day. he is palling around out smith the 19th 20 convention. at some point he gives them a voter to and smith becomes a

protégé of smith. smith built them up with 19204 convention as in 19208 convention. makes him the governor, really. when tammany dedicates a new wigwam or headquarters on union square franklin roosevelt is there. he is not hands-off anymore and he is appointing guys like judge crater to the bench. he doesn't have to but the art of the politics and you do what you do. he also appoints a nefarious a friend of mayor walker to a judgeship around that time. him probably many, many more. even when walker is going down he's kind of careful as to not go too far and not get too

inflammatory against him. because it is a balancing act but once he's in the white house the patronage goes to other people like laguardia or flint in the bronx. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> yes? >> just a fun thing that if you could comment on is damon runyon was sitting at lindy's with the time taking notes. so his stories people would have a lot of fun reading her base and its real life characters and guy's and dolls was based on. mindy's instead of at lindy's and the cheesecake and the strudel. love that and sports. >> at some point not too far into the story and there is

eight lindy's at times square now which is not related. they are to an opposite sides of broadway after a a while. the first one or arnold was they got the phone call to go to park central hotel come out of that something to discuss and by the way i would like to kill you. i don't think he wanted to kill him i think of some sort of accident it was whatever. that's an interesting thing that was a mob hit, right? no a mob hit blows your head off it does not shoot shoot once in the >> so you can wander down the stairs and be picked b up by the police and go to the hospital. that is not professional. that is an amateur who does that. that is what ever. but at the other lindy's across from carnegie hall, these things go on in times square. at park central albert anastasia 1956 of murderr inc. is killed n

the barber chair there. and also in 1956 or around that time, there is a crusading newspaperman who i met later on. guy named victor result you can remember him. he went after the union's corruption hammer and tongs. in one day he came out of it radio broadcast nearby is standing in front of lindy's this is in the 50s this is not the roaring 20s. and at goon throws acid and his face. he is not as lucky as bill fallon. but he goes on. the goon is killed by the mob. good. they silenced him. result goes on to continue writing a column for decades after words. and to become head of an

international newspaper reporting association. as i sayhi i met him and i lookd into his face and saw the sunglasses which were covering the scars. and i do not admire those guys. thank you. [applause] indeed we do you have your book signed out there in the lobby. if you are enjoying book tv set for a newsletter using the qr code on the screen to receive a schedule of upcoming programs, author discussions, book festivals and more. book tv every sunday on cspan2 or any time online at booktv.org. television for serious readers.