Nigger Mike's is where a singing waiter named Izzy Balin (Later known as Irving Berlin) started his march to fame. He also sang in The Chatham Club on Doyers Street. According to "Low Life" by Luc Sante, the kind of song that went over best with the thieves, murderers, extortionists and assorted muscle was the sentimental ballad. The tune that supposedly launched Izzy Baline's carreer at Nigger Mike Saulters was Arthur Lamb and Harry von Tilzer's "The Mansion of Aching Hearts":
She lives in a mansion of aching hearts,
She's one of the restless throng;
The diamonds that glitter around her throat,
They speak both of sorrow and song;
The smile on her face is only a mask
And many is the tear that starts,
For sadder it seems, when of mother she dreams,
In the mansion of aching hearts.
Callahan's hired two singing waiters, the Yoelson brothers, who changed their name to Jolson. The younger was named Al. And the rest is history.
During the tong wars, the bend at Doyers had more murders than any spot in NY. Incidentally, next door to 12 Pell St is the headquarters of the Hip Sing Tong, one of the participants in the tong wars. It's opponent, the On Leong Association, is still around also.
Lombardi's has expanded to become a saloon. It was the first pizzeria in North America and in my opinion is still the best. I haven't been there in several years though. They have swallowed up the neighboring businesses and expanded to open a bar. Even though it was raining, there was a line waiting to get in. They are at 32 Spring St, NYC, NY 212-941-7994. http://www.FirstPizza.com
McGurk went on to greater fame to open his Suicide Hall, where people came to kill themselves and others came hoping to witness a suicide. That building was recently flattened to make way for a luxury high rise condominium.
Brodie, of course, is the gentleman who supposedly jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge and survived to tell the tale.
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