1920's New York City History

As with Songbird, I’d like to leave you with a few tidbits from the Roaring Twenties. This one came as a surprise to me, especially with the immense historical research I’ve done for all of my books. 

Did you know that before the 1920s, ‘cocktails’ were unheard of? Beer, shots of liquor, and wine were the only common alcoholic drinks. Prohibition was passed on January 17, 1920. Shortly afterward, women won their right to vote on August 26. Therefore, more and more women began frequenting clubs and speakeasies. To accommodate them, the club owners began introducing different liquors combined with various mixers, which appealed to women far more than beer or shots. And cocktails were born.

Also, regarding the Wall Street Bombing that took place at 12:01 pm on September 16, 1920, the fatalities and wounded were mostly young people who worked as messengers, stenographers, clerks, and brokers within the J.P. Morgan & Co. bank. The bomb caused more than two million ($25.8 million today) in property damage. The NY Stock Exchange quickly closed down to avoid a panic, and their prompt clean-up did, indeed, spoil efforts to find those responsible. The case remains unsolved, although many historians have different theories.

Last tidbit, the Green Mill Lounge in Chicago opened in 1907 and made its mark during prohibition as a popular speakeasy. Johnny Torrio, a major mobster in Chicago, and his right-hand man, Al Capone, were frequent guests. They had a special booth in the middle of the bar to make sure they could see both the front and back doors. After Al Capone took over Torrio’s business in 1927, his annual income was estimated at around $60 million. Since his involvement in the Valentine’s Day Massacre (February 14, 1929) could not be proven, it wasn’t until 1931 when Al Capone was finally arrested for tax fraud and served eleven years in prison.

The following are a few of the more popular tunes from that era that I included in the book. The first song is I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (I love the name of that song!). According to documents, it was written by Armand J. Piron and published in 1922.  Yet, Louis Armstrong claimed that he had written the song, and he sold it for $10, which he never received. The song itself is referring to a woman named Katie Townsend, who was a murdered brothel madame. This is Betty Grable’s 1930 rendition. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

This next song was recorded in 1923 and originally recorded by Marion Harris, one of the most popular singers of that era. Many of you might be familiar with Connie Francis’ remake in 1958 when it once again became a hit song. Who's Sorry Now? 

Lastly, My Man was originally recorded by Fanny Brice of the Ziegfeld Follies in 1923, but my favorite is the 1968 rendition by Barbara Streisand from the movie, Funny Girl, based upon Fanny Brice’s life. My man

Thank you again for your time and interest!