Does anyone remember the lamps made out of old swords on the walls in the men’s bathrooms in the Paradise? I never saw them as we spent all our time in Brownsville, Brooklyn, but my dad used to tell this story.
My dad worked for Frank Costello and was Uncle Manny’s older brother. Uncle Manny as he was known to our family once tried to take a bum named Al “Knuckles” Nicoletti in the Paradise theater in the Bronx in the Summer of 1936. If I remember correctly this was a result of a Contract put out by Ben Siegel and Charlie Lucky because Nicoletti was a bagman who was helping himself. Uncle Manny followed Nicoletti to his girlfriend’s apartment on the Grand Concourse and then in to the Paradise and up to one of several balconies. After making sure the mark had settled in, my Uncle who was was not carrying a weapon got up and started looking around the theater for something to use to fill the Contract. He found these great sword lamps in one of the men’s rooms and tried to rip one out of the wall. He was going to carve up Nicoletti with a men’s room sword lamp in the Paradise balcony! Unfortunately several patrons walked in and my Uncle gave up and left. Everyone got a good laugh out of this story and my Dad even got a few nervous laughs when he told it over the years before he died. I don’t know what ever happened to Nicoletti but assuming he is gone now he never knew how close he came to being carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey in the balcony of the Paradise during the Summer of 1936.
Incidentally, my Uncle’s colleague Pep Strauss also tried to take a bum with a fire ax in a theater in Jacksonville but the guy kept changing seats so Pep finally gave up also. I guess it is hard to whack guys out in movie theaters!
My Uncle died without ratting anyone out in the electric chair in Sing Sing in 1944, not like that piece of garbage Reles or Allie Tick Tock.
I am old now and wanted to tell this story once outside of my family before I go.
Does anyone remember the lamps made out of old swords on the walls in the men’s bathrooms in the Paradise? I never saw them as we spent all our time in Brownsville, Brooklyn, but my dad used to tell this story.
My dad worked for Frank Costello and was Uncle Manny’s older brother. Uncle Manny as he was known to our family once tried to take a bum named Al “Knuckles” Nicoletti in the Paradise theater in the Bronx in the Summer of 1936. If I remember correctly this was a result of a Contract put out by Ben Siegel and Charlie Lucky because Nicoletti was a bagman who was helping himself. Uncle Manny followed Nicoletti to his girlfriend’s apartment on the Grand Concourse and then in to the Paradise and up to one of several balconies. After making sure the mark had settled in, my Uncle who was was not carrying a weapon got up and started looking around the theater for something to use to fill the Contract. He found these great sword lamps in one of the men’s rooms and tried to rip one out of the wall. He was going to carve up Nicoletti with a men’s room sword lamp in the Paradise balcony! Unfortunately several patrons walked in and my Uncle gave up and left. Everyone got a good laugh out of this story and my Dad even got a few nervous laughs when he told it over the years before he died. I don’t know what ever happened to Nicoletti but assuming he is gone now he never knew how close he came to being carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey in the balcony of the Paradise during the Summer of 1936.
Incidentally, my Uncle’s colleague Pep Strauss also tried to take a bum with a fire ax in a theater in Jacksonville but the guy kept changing seats so Pep finally gave up also. I guess it is hard to whack guys out in movie theaters!
My Uncle died without ratting anyone out in the electric chair in Sing Sing in 1944, not like that piece of garbage Reles or Allie Tick Tock.
I am old now and wanted to tell this story once outside of my family before I go.