ABC Gotham

Fiorello LaGuardia

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was one of the greatest mayors in US history.  New Yorkers agree-- they reelected him twice.  The Progressive Republican ran the city from 1934 to 1945, managing to turn around the city after the Depression, defeat Tammany Hall, and crack down on the mob starting with having Lucky Luciano arrested on LaGuardia's very first day in office.  A straight shooter with zero tolerance for bullshit,  this is the guy who said  "Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of American people do not want it enforced and are resisting its enforcement." To check out after listening: Bette Davis is a gun moll who testifies against her mob boss in The Marked Woman, based on the prosecution of Lucky Luciano. The Pulitzer Prize- winning musical Fiorello! For a ton of information on everything related to LaGuardia, go to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at CUNY. Follow Fiorello on Twitter, courtesy of WNYC. (He REALLY cares about food.)

The Kissing Sailor

It's August 14, 1945, V-J Day, in Times Square. The war is finally over and everyone's celebrating.  A sailor grabs a nurse and plants one on her.  "Life" magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt happens to be nearby, and the rest is history.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about the coincidences, mysteries, lawsuits, and controversies behind that image in this episode of ABC Gotham. To see the alternate picture of that exact same couple at the exact same moment (by US Navy photojournalist Victor Jorgensen), photos of kisses in other cities on V-J Day, other photos by Alfred Eisenstaedt (including Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels  giving him the stink-eye), modern re-enactments of the image, and MANY other relevant pics, visit our Facebook page!!

Jefferson Market Courthouse: Special Micro-Episode!

Stunning and unusual, with a basement dungeon and a tower you ascend by spiral staircase, Jefferson Market served as a courthouse, survived the 6th Ave elevated train,  was saved from destruction, and finally became a branch of the New York Public Library system. Your ABC Gotham hosts Kathleen and Kate tell you all about famous court cases and the criminals that passed through here on their way to the women's correctional facility, which used to be next door.  Special ABCG controversy:  Kate loves the long-gone Art Deco women's correctional building but Kathleen hates it.  Check our the picture on our Facebook page and vote: love it or hate it?? To check out after listening: The 10th Annual "Open House New York" will be Oct 6- 7 this year

Islands

The largest cemetery in the United States is right here in New York City, on Hart Island in the Bronx.  There's a sovereign nation on U Thant Island just below Roosevelt Island.  And you'll find thriving seaside communities on City Island and Broad Channel.  Learn about some of New York City's smaller, lesser- known islands with Kate and Kathleen in this episode  of ABC Gotham. But keep your kayak away from the islands that are off- limits bird sanctuaries, or the double- crested cormorants will squawk your head off!  (Seriously.  They will.) Helpful links to check out after listening to us: Hart Island pics on Kingston Lounge Broad Channel Historical Society The City Island Chamber of Commerce The City Island Nautical Museum and Historical Society Hunter Island Virtual Tour Complete list of all the smaller islands in New York City "The Other Islands of New York City" by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller

Hell Gate & the H.M.S. Hussar- special micro- episode!

The Hell Gate, part of the East River that passes between Astoria in Queens and Randall/ Ward's Islands, is the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.  Hear about the biggest sunken treasure in NYC history!

Governors Island

Crumbling ruins + free bicycle rentals + people in Revolutionary War uniforms + ice cream + art + hammocks + Buttermilk Channel = Governor's Island! Governors Island opens for the summer starting May 26, 2012!!

Five Points

In Episode F, your hosts Kate and Kathleen describe the fetid rancid squalid nightmare that was the Five Points neighborhood.  This was the worst slum in the history of the planet.  (Okay, tied for worst with London's East End circa 1841.)  Learn where it was and how it came about.  Hear about the horrific living conditions, famous criminals from the area (including Hellcat Maggie!), and the reformers who helped spur unprecedented recovery. If you want to learn more: Five Points: The Book! Gangs of New York: The Book!

Evelyn Nesbit & the Trial of the Century

The Trial of the Century was a smoking- hot mess that made a mockery of justice and ultimately destroyed the life of  the luminously beautiful It Girl  Evelyn Nesbit.  Her cracked-out husband, Pittsburgh heir Harry K. Thaw, shot her paramour, world- class architect Stanford White, in the FACE, killing him before hundreds of witnesses.   The resulting arrests, court cases, and aftermath gripped a nation obsessed with the kinky stories of the rich and famous.  And NONE of this is exaggeration.

Debunked

In Episode D, ABC Gotham's amateur historians Kate and Kathleen debunk some of the NYC stories you learned in school or heard from friends.  Albino alligators in the sewers are just the beginning.  There are a million myths in this town and we deliver the truth about the best of them.  If your grandparents came through Ellis Island, if you're afraid of the Mole People, or if your neighborhood  cops sometimes seem a bit TOO ticket- crazy, you need to listen to this one!

Contagion: Special Mega-Episode

In Episode 3,  ABC Gotham's amateur historians, Kate and Kathleen,  discuss the history of contagions  NYC, including intractable battles with yellow fever, cholera, smallpox, and Spanish influenza.  This mega- episode will tell you about famous patients, major hospitals, heartless conspiracies, and the leisurely beginnings of the New York City Board of Health.  You'll want to wash your hands both before and after hearing this podcast. Links to check out after listening: Amazing pictures of North Brother Island Our theme song in its entirety Big Rude Jake, the composer and performer of our theme song