1.
Galveston, Texas
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Galveston is a coastal resort city on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U. S. state of Texas. The community of 209.3 square miles, with a population of 50,180 in 2015, is the county seat. It is within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area, the Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its independence from Spain. The city was the port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution. During the 19th century, Galveston became a major U. S. commercial center and it was devastated by the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, whose effects included flooding and a storm surge. The natural disaster on the barrier island is still ranked as the deadliest in United States history. Much of Galvestons economy is centered in the tourism, health care, shipping, the 84-acre University of Texas Medical Branch campus with an enrollment of more than 2,500 students is a major economic force of the city. Galveston Island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes who called the island Auia, the Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and his crew were shipwrecked on the island or nearby in November 1528, calling it Isla de Malhado. They began their trek to a Spanish settlement in Mexico City. During his charting of the Gulf Coast in 1785, the Spanish explorer José de Evia named the island Villa Gálvez or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez. The islands first permanent European settlements were constructed around 1816 by the pirate Louis-Michel Aury to support Mexicos rebellion against Spain, in 1817, Aury returned from an unsuccessful raid against Spain to find Galveston occupied by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Lafitte organized Galveston into a kingdom he called Campeche, anointing himself the islands head of government. Lafitte remained in Galveston until 1821, when the United States Navy forced him, in 1825 the Congress of Mexico established the Port of Galveston and in 1830 erected a customs house. Galveston served as the capital of the Republic of Texas when in 1836 the interim president David G. Burnet relocated his government there. In 1836, the French-Canadian Michel Branamour Menard and several associates purchased 4,605 acres of land for $50,000 to found the town that would become the city of Galveston. As Anglo-Americans migrated to the city, they brought along or purchased enslaved African-Americans, some of whom worked domestically or on the waterfront, in 1839, the City of Galveston adopted a charter and was incorporated by the Congress of the Republic of Texas. The city was by then a port of entry and attracted many new residents in the 1840s and later among the flood of German immigrants to Texas. Together with ethnic Mexican residents, these tended to oppose slavery, support the Union during the Civil War
2.
Gangster
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A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime, gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster. Gangs provide a level of organization and resources that support much larger, gangsters have been active for many years in countries around the world. Some gangsters, such as Al Capone have become infamous, gangsters are the subject of many novels and films, particularly from the period between 1920 and 1990. Some contemporary criminals refer to themselves as gangsta in reference to non-rhotic Black American pronunciation, in todays usage, the term gang is generally used for a criminal organization, and the term gangster invariably describes a criminal. Much has been written on the subject of gangs, although there is no consensus about what constitutes a gang or what situations lead to gang formation and evolution. For example, the view that illegal drug distribution in the United States is largely controlled by gangs has been questioned. A gang may be a small group of people who cooperate in criminal acts, as with the Jesse James gang. But a gang may be a group with a formal organization that survives the death of its leader. The Chicago Outfit created by Al Capone outlasted its founders imprisonment and death, the term organized crime is associated with gangs and gangsters, but is not synonymous. A small street gang that engages in sporadic low-level crime would not be seen as organized, an organization that coordinates gangs in different countries involved in the international trade in drugs or prostitutes may not be considered a gang. The Sicilian Mafia, or Cosa Nostra is a syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is an association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure. The origins lie in the upheaval of Sicilys transition out of feudalism in 1812, under feudalism, the nobility owned most of the land and enforced law and order through their private armies. After 1812, the feudal barons steadily sold off or rented their lands to private citizens, primogeniture was abolished, land could no longer be seized to settle debts, and one fifth of the land was to become private property of the peasants. Organized crime has existed in Russia since the days of Imperial Russia in the form of banditry and thievery, in the Soviet period Vory v Zakone emerged, a class of criminals that had to abide by certain rules in the prison system. One such rule was that cooperation with the authorities of any kind was forbidden, in 1988 the Soviet Union legalized private enterprise but did not provide regulations to ensure the security of market economy. Crude markets emerged, the most notorious being the Rizhsky market where prostitution rings were run next to the Rizhsky Railway Station in Moscow, as the Soviet Union headed for collapse many former government workers turned to crime, while others moved overseas
3.
Rum-running
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Rum-running, or bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. Smuggling is usually done to circumvent taxation or prohibition laws within a particular jurisdiction, the term rum-running is more commonly applied to smuggling over water, bootlegging is applied to smuggling over land. The term rum-running most likely originated at the start of Prohibition in the United States and it was said that some ships carried $200,000 in contraband in a single run. It was not long after the first taxes on alcoholic beverages that someone began to smuggle them, the British government had revenue cutters in place to stop smugglers as early as the 16th century. Pirates often made extra money running rum to heavily taxed colonies, an irony of the history of prohibition in North America is that industrial-scale smuggling flowed both ways across the Canada–US border at different points in the early twentieth century. National prohibition in the United States did not begin until 1920, as well, Canadas version of prohibition had never included a ban on the manufacture of liquor for export. Soon the black-market trade was reversed with Canadian whisky and beer flowing in large quantities to the United States, again, this illegal international trade undermined the support for prohibition in the receiving country, and the American version ended in 1933. One of the most famous periods of rum-running began in the United States with the Prohibition began on January 16,1920 and this period lasted until the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, on December 5,1933. At first, there was action on the seas. This was the start of the Bimini–Bahamas rum trade and the introduction of Bill McCoy, with the start of Prohibition Captain McCoy began bringing rum from Bimini and the rest of the Bahamas into south Florida through Government Cut. The rum-running business was good, and McCoy soon bought a Gloucester knockabout schooner named Arethusa at auction. He installed an auxiliary, mounted a concealed machine gun on her deck. In the days of rum running, it was common for captains to add water to the bottles to stretch their profits, any cheap sparkling wine became French champagne or Italian Spumante, unbranded liquor became top-of-the-line name brands. McCoy became famous for never watering his booze, and selling only top brands, although the phrase appears in print in 1882, this is one of several folk etymologies for the origin of the term The real McCoy. On November 15,1923, McCoy and Tomoka encountered the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca, a boarding party attempted to board, but McCoy chased them off with the machine gun. Tomoka tried to run, but the Seneca placed a shell just off her hull, the small, quick boats could more easily outrun Coast Guard ships and could dock in any small river or eddy and transfer their cargo to a waiting truck. They were also known to float planes and flying boats. Soon others were following suit, the limit became known as Rum Line
4.
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
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The United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in northeast Kansas. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice and it also includes a satellite federal prison camp for minimum-security male offenders. USP Leavenworth is located 25 miles northwest of Kansas City, Kansas, the civilian USP Leavenworth is the oldest of three major prisons built on federal land in Leavenworth County, Kansas. It is often confused with, but separate from the United States Disciplinary Barracks, the USDB is 4 miles north and is the sole maximum-security penal facility of the United States Military. Prisoners from the original USDB were used to build the civilian penitentiary, in addition, the militarys medium security Joint Regional Correctional Facility, located southwest of the new USDB, opened in 2010. The USDB and JRCF operate independently from the USP-Leavenworth, the prison was described by Pete Earley, the only writer at that time who had ever been granted unlimited access to the prison, in his book, The Hot House. The prisons history has also covered in the pictorial history titled U. S. Penitentiary Leavenworth by Kenneth M. LaMaster. USP Leavenworth was the largest maximum-security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005 when it was downgraded to a medium-security facility, USP Leavenworth was one of three first generation federal prisons which were built in the early 1900s. Prior to its construction, federal prisoners were held at state prisons, in 1895, Congress authorized the construction of the federal prison system. The other two were Atlanta and McNeil Island, the prison follows a format popularized at the Auburn Correctional Facility in New York where the cell blocks were in a large rectangular building. The rectangular building was focused on indoor group labor with a staff continually patrolling, the St. Louis, Missouri architecture firm of Eames and Young designed both Leavenworth and the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta. Leavenworths prison cells are back to back in the middle of the structure facing the walls, the prisons walls are 40 feet high,40 feet below the surface and 3,030 feet long and enclose 22.8 acres. Its domed main building was nicknamed the Big Top or Big House, the domed Disciplinary Barracks two miles to the north was nicknamed the Little Top until it was torn down in 2004 and replaced with a newer structure. 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth chose site for new fort,1875, Fort chosen as the site for a military prison. Within a year, Fort Leavenworth housed more than 300 prisoners in a remodeled,1894, Secretary of War conceded to the House Appropriations Committee that War Department could do without the military prison. 1895 July 1, Congress transferred the military prison from the War Department to the US Department of Justice, the Department of Justice took over the plant and inaugurated the United States Penitentiary. Commandant of the prison, James V. Pope. Warden of the USP, James W. French,1896, House Judiciary Committee recommended that the facility be replaced
5.
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta
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The United States Penitentiary, Atlanta is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Atlanta, Georgia. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice, the facility also has a detention center for pretrial and holdover inmates, and a satellite prison camp for minimum-security male inmates. In 1899, President William McKinley authorized the construction of a new prison in Atlanta. Georgia Congressman Leonidas F. Livingston advocated placing the prison in Atlanta. William S. Eanes, an architect from St. Louis, Missouri, construction was completed in January 1902 and the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary opened with the transfer of six convicts from the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in upstate New York. They were the beneficiaries of the Three Prisons Act of 1891, which established penitentiaries in Leavenworth, Kansas, Atlanta, Georgia, the first two remain open today, the third closed in 1976. The Atlanta site was the largest Federal prison, with a capacity of 3,000 inmates, inmate case files presented mini-biographies of men confined in the penitentiary. It encompassed 300 acres and had a capacity of 1200 inmates, the facility was subsequently renamed the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta when US government created the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1930. In the 1980s, USP Atlanta was used as a center for Cuban refugees from the Mariel Boatlift who were ineligible for release into American society. USP Atlanta is currently one of several facilities, including the Federal Transfer Center, Oklahoma City, as of 2006, the prison was housing three to five in-transit prisoners in each approximately 56-square-foot isolation cell for up to eight weeks at a time. At least one prisoner was killed, local hospitals reported admitting a total of eight Cubans suffering gunshot wounds, along with two prison guards who were slightly injured. *Inmates released from custody prior to 1982 are not listed on the Bureau of Prisons website
6.
Beau Brummell
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George Bryan Beau Brummell was an iconic figure in Regency England, the arbiter of mens fashion, and a friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV. He established the mode of dress for men that rejected overly ornate fashions for one of understated and this look was based on dark coats, full-length trousers rather than knee breeches and stockings, and above all immaculate shirt linen and an elaborately knotted cravat. Beau Brummell is credited with introducing, and establishing as fashion and he claimed he took five hours a day to dress, and recommended that boots be polished with champagne. The style of dress was referred to as dandyism, Brummell was born in London, the younger son of William Brummell, a politician, of Donnington Grove in Berkshire. The family was middle class, but the elder Brummell was ambitious for his son to become a gentleman, and young George was raised with that understanding. Brummell was educated at Eton and made his precocious mark on fashion when he not only modernised the white stock, or cravat, that was the mark of the Eton boy, but added a gold buckle to it. He progressed to Oxford University, where, by his own example, he made cotton stockings and dingy cravats a thing of the past. While an undergraduate at Oriel College in 1793, he competed for the Chancellors Prize for Latin Verse, coming second to Edward Copleston and he left the university after only a year at the age of sixteen. In June 1794 Brummell joined the illustrious Tenth Royal Hussars as a cornet, the lowest rank of commissioned officer and his father died in 1795, by which time George had been promoted to lieutenant. His father had left an inheritance of £65,000, of which Brummell was entitled to a third, ordinarily a considerable sum, it was inadequate for the expenses of an aspiring officer in the personal regiment of the Prince of Wales. The officers, many of whom were heirs to noble titles and lands, for such a junior officer, Brummell took the regiment by storm, fascinating the prince, the first gentleman of England, by the force of his personality. He was allowed to parade, shirk his duties and, in essence. Within three years, by 1796, he was made a captain, to the envy and disgust of older officers who felt that our general’s friend was now the general. When his regiment was sent from London to Manchester he immediately resigned his commission, citing the poor reputation, undistinguished ambience and want of culture. Although he was now a civilian, Brummells friendship with, and influence over and his simple yet elegant and understated manner of dress, coupled with his natural wit, gained him entry to the Princes society. Brummell took a house on Chesterfield Street in Mayfair and for a managed to avoid the nightly gaming. That amount is approximately £103,000 in 2012 currency, the wage for a craftsman at that time was £52 a year. Brummell put into practice the principles of harmony of shape and contrast of colours with such a result that men of superior rank sought his opinion on their dress
7.
Organized crime
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Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, are politically motivated. Sometimes criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for so-called protection, gangs may become disciplined enough to be considered organized. A criminal organization or gang can also be referred to as a mafia, mob, or crime syndicate, European sociologists define the mafia as a type of organized crime group that specializes in the supply of extra-legal protection and quasi law enforcement. There is a tendency to distinguish organized crime from other forms of crime, such as crime, financial crimes, political crimes, war crime, state crimes. This distinction is not always apparent and academics continue to debate the matter, for example, in failed states that can no longer perform basic functions such as education, security, or governance, organised crime, governance and war sometimes complement each other. The term Oligarchy has been used to describe democratic countries whose political, social and economic institutions come under the control of a few families, in the United States, the Organized Crime Control Act defines organized crime as he unlawful activities of a highly organized, disciplined association. Criminal activity as a process is referred to as racketeering. In the UK, police estimate that organized crime involves up to 38,000 people operating in 6,000 various groups, bureaucratic/corporate organized crime groups are defined by the general rigidity of their internal structures. An estimate on youth street gangs nationwide provided by Hannigan, et al. marked an increase of 35% between 2002 and 2010, the term “street gang” is commonly used interchangeably with “youth gang, ” referring to neighborhood or street-based youth groups that meet “gang” criteria. Some reasons youth join gangs include to feel accepted, attain status, a sense of unity brings together many of the youth gangs that lack the family aspect at home. Zones of transition are deteriorating neighborhoods with shifting populations, in such areas, conflict between groups, fighting, turf wars, and theft promote solidarity and cohesion. Participation in gang-related events during adolescence perpetuate a pattern of maltreatment on their own children years later, klein like Spergel studied the effects on members of social workers’ interventions. More interventions actually lead to greater participation and solidarity and bonds between members. Downes and Rock on Parker’s analysis, strain theory applies, labeling theory, control theory and these may also be defined by age or peer group influences, and the permanence or consistency of their criminal activity. These groups also form their own identity or public representation which are recognizable by the community at large. Some studied street gangs involved in drug dealing - finding that their structure, members saw themselves as organized criminals, gangs were formal-rational organizations, Strong organizational structures, well defined roles and rules that guided members’ behavior. Also a specified and regular means of income, padilla agreed with the two above. However some have found these to be rather than well-defined and lacking persistent focus, there was relatively low cohesion, few shared goals
8.
Free State of Galveston
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The Free State of Galveston was a whimsical name given to the coastal city of Galveston in the U. S. state of Texas during the early-to-mid-20th century. Today, the term is used to describe the culture. During the Roaring Twenties, Galveston Island emerged as a resort town. Gambling, illegal liquor, and other vice-oriented businesses were a part of tourism. The Free State moniker embodied a belief held by many locals that Galveston was beyond what they perceived were repressive mores and laws of Texas and the United States. The success of vice on the island, despite being illegal, was enabled by lax attitudes in the society, much of this period represented a high point in Galvestons economy. It is sometimes referred to as the era or the wide-open era because the business owners. The tourist industry spawned by the illegal businesses helped to offset Galvestons decline as a commercial, however, crackdowns against gambling and prostitution in Texas during the mid-20th century made these businesses increasingly difficult to sustain. By the 1950s, this era of Galvestons history had ended, the island of Galveston, which lies on the Gulf of Mexico, held one of the first major settlements in the eastern part of what is now Texas. During the mid-to-late-19th century, it became the largest city in the state and its downtown was known as the Wall Street of the Southwest and by 1900 the city had one of the highest per capita incomes in the U. S. Though nearby Houston was emerging as an important city in its own right, Galveston was the states cultural and economic center at the time. Vices such as prostitution and gambling, which were common throughout Texas during the 19th century, the 1900 Galveston hurricane was an unparalleled disaster. According to some estimates 6,000 people died on the island, in addition to more on the Gulf Coast. In the same year, the Galveston–Houston Electric Railway opened and became recognized as the fastest interurban rail system in the country, Galvestons port was also rebuilt quickly, and by 1912 had become the second-leading exporter in the nation, behind New York. Nevertheless, after the 1900 storm and another in 1915, many avoided investing in the island, Galveston had been a major port of entry for Texas and the West during the 19th century, and a new wave of immigration came through the port in the early 20th century. For a time it was known as Little Ellis Island, of particular note are the Sicilian immigrants who formed a significant community in Galveston County, as well as the nearby city of Brazoria. The opening of the Houston Ship Channel in 1915 further challenged the port city, cotton shipping, which Galveston had thoroughly dominated on a worldwide level, began migrating to other ports in Texas and on the West Coast. As Galvestons traditional economy declined, Texas oil boom began in 1901, with oil wells, Galvestons direct role in this boom was minimal as investors avoided building pipelines and refineries on the island itself
9.
Prohibition in the United States
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Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages that remained in place from 1920 to 1933. One result was that many communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries introduced alcohol prohibition, Prohibition supporters, called drys, presented it as a victory for public morals and health. Promoted by the dry crusaders, a movement was led by rural Protestants and social Progressives in the Prohibition, Democratic and it gained a national grass roots base through the Womans Christian Temperance Union. After 1900 it was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon League, Prohibition was mandated in state after state, then finally nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Enabling legislation, known as the Volstead Act, set down the rules for enforcing the ban, for example, religious uses of wine were allowed. Private ownership and consumption of alcohol were not made illegal under federal law, in the 1920s the laws were widely disregarded, and tax revenues were lost. Opposition mobilized nationwide, and Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, some states continued statewide prohibition, marking one of the last stages of the Progressive Era. Anti-prohibitionists, known as wets, criticized the ban as an intrusion of mainly rural Protestant ideals on a central aspect of urban, immigrant. Some researchers contend that its failure is attributable more to a changing historical context than to characteristics of the law itself. Criticism remains that Prohibition led to unintended consequences such as the growth of urban crime organizations, as an experiment it lost supporters every year, and lost tax revenue that governments needed when the Great Depression began in 1929. The U. S. Senate proposed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 18,1917, upon being approved by a 36th state on January 16,1919, the amendment was ratified as a part of the Constitution. The Wartime Prohibition Act took effect June 30,1919, with July 1,1919, on October 28,1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act, the popular name for the National Prohibition Act, over President Woodrow Wilsons veto. The act established the definition of intoxicating liquors as well as penalties for producing them. Although the Volstead Act prohibited the sale of alcohol, the government lacked resources to enforce it. By the terms of the amendment, the country went dry one year later, by 1925, in New York City alone, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs. While Prohibition was successful in reducing the amount of liquor consumed, it stimulated the proliferation of rampant underground, organized, many were astonished and disenchanted with the rise of spectacular gangland crimes, when prohibition was supposed to reduce crime. Prohibition lost its advocates one by one, while the wet opposition talked of personal liberty, new tax revenues from legal beer and liquor, and the scourge of organized crime. On March 22,1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Cullen–Harrison Act, legalizing beer with a content of 3. 2%
10.
Seabrook, Texas
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Seabrook is a city in Harris County in the U. S. state of Texas, with some water surface area located within Chambers County. The population was 11,952 at the 2010 census, several fish markets line the citys waterfront, while antique shops and bed and breakfast establishments are found in the citys downtown area. The city is home to miles of trails, which connect multiple city parks to each other. Seabrook is known for its markets on Waterfront Drive where resident shrimpers. Besides bordering the bay, the city encompasses marshes through which runoff from inland fields drain to the bay, the piece of land was purchased by Seabrook W. Sydnor in 1895. In March 1903, the Seabrook Company of Houston created a layout of the proposed Seabrook Town site, the new town attracted fishermen, merchants and even a few residents. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 demolished the school, but by 1905 it was restored and was run by three teachers who taught 100 students. The local schools part of the Clear Creek Independent School District in 1947. The population of Seabrook rose from 200 to 560 before the Great Depression, but fell to 200 in 1936, and remained at 400 from 1940 until 1947 and it could handle 150 boats, and opened up jobs and is the main cause of the population increase. Despite damage from Hurricane Carla, a bridge linking Seabrook and Kemah was completed in 1961, with the opening of the bridge and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Seabrooks population rose to approximately 6,000. In 1986, the decision was made to start the construction of a bridge that was tall enough for sailboats to pass under. After this bridge was finished, Highway 146 was linked all the way from Galveston to Texas State Highway 225 and this spurred a further increase in the population of Seabrook to its present level of nearly 12,000 people. Seabrooks residents are quite diversified and are employed in a variety of professional positions, quite a few residents have ties to the chemical and oil industry as well as the NASA space program. Seabrook is located on Galveston Bay at Clear Lake, southeast of Houston near Pasadena and La Porte. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 21.3 square miles, of which 5.3 square miles is land and 15.9 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 9,443 people,4,094 households, the population density was 1,647.5 people per square mile. There were 4,536 housing units at a density of 791.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 88. 92% White,2. 11% African American,0. 51% Native American,3. 31% Asian,0. 02% Pacific Islander,2. 76% from other races, and 2. 36% from two or more races
11.
Al Capone
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Alphonse Gabriel Al Capone, sometimes known by the nickname Scarface, was an American gangster who attained fame during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit. His seven-year reign as crime boss ended when he was 33 years old, Capone was born in Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants. He was considered a Five Points Gang member who became a bouncer in organized crime such as brothels. A conflict with the North Side Gang was instrumental in Capones rise, Torrio went into retirement after North Side gunmen almost killed him, handing control to Capone. Capone apparently reveled in attention, such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at ball games and he made donations to various charities and was viewed by many to be a modern-day Robin Hood. The federal authorities became intent on jailing Capone, and they prosecuted him for tax evasion in 1931, a federal crime and a novel strategy during the era. During the highly publicized case, the judge admitted as evidence Capones admissions of his income, Capone was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. After conviction, he replaced his old team with experts in tax law, and his grounds for appeal were strengthened by a Supreme Court ruling. He was already showing signs of syphilitic dementia early in his sentence, on January 25,1947, Capone died of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke. Al Capone was born in Brooklyn in New York City on January 17,1899 and his parents were Italian immigrants Gabriele Capone and Teresa Capone. His father was a barber and his mother was a seamstress, ralph and Frank worked with him in his criminal empire. Frank did so until his death on April 1,1924, ralph ran the bottling companies early on, and was also the front man for the Chicago Outfit for some time until he was imprisoned for tax evasion in 1932. Gabriele Capone worked at a barber shop at 29 Park Avenue. When Al was 11, the Capone family moved to 38 Garfield Place in Park Slope, Capone showed promise as a student, but had trouble with the rules at his strict parochial Catholic school. His schooling ended at the age of 14, after he was expelled for hitting a teacher in the face. He worked at odd jobs around Brooklyn, including a candy store, during this time, Capone was influenced by gangster Johnny Torrio, whom he came to regard as a mentor. Capone initially became involved with gangs that included the Junior Forty Thieves. He then joined the Brooklyn Rippers, and then the powerful Five Points Gang based in Lower Manhattan, during this time, he was employed and mentored by fellow racketeer Frankie Yale, a bartender in a Coney Island dance hall and saloon called the Harvard Inn
12.
Chicago
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Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois, and it is the county seat of Cook County. In 2012, Chicago was listed as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $640 billion according to 2015 estimates, the city has one of the worlds largest and most diversified economies with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. In 2016, Chicago hosted over 54 million domestic and international visitors, landmarks in the city include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus, the Willis Tower, Museum of Science and Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicagos culture includes the arts, novels, film, theater, especially improvisational comedy. Chicago also has sports teams in each of the major professional leagues. The city has many nicknames, the best-known being the Windy City, the name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as Checagou was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir, henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the wild garlic, called chicagoua, grew abundantly in the area. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by a Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi, the first known non-indigenous permanent settler in Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African and French descent and arrived in the 1780s and he is commonly known as the Founder of Chicago. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, on August 12,1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 4,000 people, on June 15,1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as U. S. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4,1837, as the site of the Chicago Portage, the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicagos first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois, the canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad, manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade listed the first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts and these issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage
13.
Portugal
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Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, to the west and south it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain. The Portugal–Spain border is 1,214 kilometres long and considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union, the republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments. The territory of modern Portugal has been settled, invaded. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians and the Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigothic, in 711 the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors, making Portugal part of Muslim Al Andalus. Portugal was born as result of the Christian Reconquista, and in 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Portugal, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the worlds major economic, political and military powers. Portugal monopolized the trade during this time, and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia. After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established, democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories, Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today. Portugal is a country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard. It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world, maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government and it has the 18th highest Social Progress in the world, putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France, Spain and Italy. Portugal is a pioneer when it comes to drug decriminalization, as the nation decriminalized the possession of all drugs for use in 2001. The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula located in South Western Europe, the name of Portugal derives from the joined Romano-Celtic name Portus Cale. Other influences include some 5th-century vestiges of Alan settlements, which were found in Alenquer, Coimbra, the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by Neanderthals and then by Homo sapiens, who roamed the border-less region of the northern Iberian peninsula. These were subsistence societies that, although they did not establish prosperous settlements, neolithic Portugal experimented with domestication of herding animals, the raising of some cereal crops and fluvial or marine fishing. Chief among these tribes were the Calaicians or Gallaeci of Northern Portugal, the Lusitanians of central Portugal, the Celtici of Alentejo, a few small, semi-permanent, commercial coastal settlements were also founded in the Algarve region by Phoenicians-Carthaginians. Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC, during the last days of Julius Caesar, almost the entire peninsula had been annexed to the Roman Republic. The Carthaginians, Romes adversary in the Punic Wars, were expelled from their coastal colonies and it suffered a severe setback in 150 BC, when a rebellion began in the north
14.
New Orleans
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New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The population of the city was 343,829 as of the 2010 U. S. Census, the New Orleans metropolitan area had a population of 1,167,764 in 2010 and was the 46th largest in the United States. The New Orleans–Metairie–Bogalusa Combined Statistical Area, a trading area, had a 2010 population of 1,452,502. The city is named after the Duke of Orleans, who reigned as Regent for Louis XV from 1715 to 1723, as it was established by French colonists and it is well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music, and its celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is referred to as the most unique in the United States. New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, straddling the Mississippi River, the city and Orleans Parish are coterminous. The city and parish are bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany to the north, St. Bernard to the east, Plaquemines to the south, and Jefferson to the south and west. Lake Pontchartrain, part of which is included in the city limits, lies to the north, before Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish was the most populous parish in Louisiana. As of 2015, it ranks third in population, trailing neighboring Jefferson Parish, La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded May 7,1718, by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of the Kingdom of France at the time and his title came from the French city of Orléans. The French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris, during the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port for smuggling aid to the rebels, transporting military equipment and supplies up the Mississippi River. Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez successfully launched a campaign against the British from the city in 1779. New Orleans remained under Spanish control until 1803, when it reverted briefly to French oversight, nearly all of the surviving 18th-century architecture of the Vieux Carré dates from the Spanish period, the most notable exception being the Old Ursuline Convent. Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, and Africans. Later immigrants were Irish, Germans, and Italians, Major commodity crops of sugar and cotton were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city. The Haitian Revolution ended in 1804 and established the republic in the Western Hemisphere. It had occurred several years in what was then the French colony of Saint-Domingue
15.
1900 Galveston hurricane
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It remains to the present day the deadliest single day event in US history. The hurricane appears to have started as a trough from West Africa, causing unsettled weather in the Caribbean. Owing to contradictory forecasts, the people of Galveston felt no alarm until the hurricane warning of September 7. Next morning a storm surge of 15 ft washed over the long, flat island-city which was only 8 ft above sea level, knocking buildings off their foundations, the disaster ended the Golden Era of Galveston, as the hurricane alarmed potential investors, who turned to Houston instead. The whole island of Galveston was presently raised by 17 ft, the Hurricane of 1900, also known as the Great Galveston Hurricane, made landfall on September 8,1900, in Galveston, Texas, in the United States. It had estimated winds of 145 miles per hour at landfall and it was the deadliest hurricane in US history, and the second costliest hurricane in U. S. history based on the dollars 2005 value. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 is the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the United States, the hurricane occurred before the practice of assigning official code names to tropical storms was instituted, and thus it is commonly referred to under a variety of descriptive names. Typical names for the storm include the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the Great Galveston Hurricane, and, especially in older documents and it is often referred to by Galveston locals as the Great Storm or the 1900 Storm. The storms origins are unclear, because of the limited observation ability at the end of the 19th century. Ship reports were the only tool for observing hurricanes at sea, and because wireless telegraphy was in its infancy. The 1900 storm, like many powerful Atlantic hurricanes, is believed to have begun as a Cape Verde–type hurricane—a tropical wave moving off the western coast of Africa. The first formal sighting of the hurricanes precursor occurred on August 27, about 1,000 miles east of the Windward Islands, the storm passed through the Leeward Islands on August 30, probably as a tropical depression as indicated by barometric pressure reports from Antigua. Three days later, Antigua reported a severe thunderstorm passing over, followed by the hot, by September 1, U. S. Weather Bureau observers were reporting on a storm of moderate intensity southeast of Cuba. Continuing westward, the storm made landfall on southwest Cuba on September 3, on September 5, it emerged into the Florida Straits as a tropical storm or a weak hurricane. However, a region of high pressure had pushed the storm to the west into the Gulf of Mexico, details of the storm were not widespread, damage to telegraph lines limited communication. The Weather Bureaus central office in Washington, D. C. ordered storm warnings raised from Pensacola, Florida, by the afternoon of September 7, large swells from the southeast were observed on the Gulf, and clouds at all altitudes began moving in from the northeast. Both of these observations are consistent with a hurricane approaching from the east, the Galveston Weather Bureau office raised its double square flags, a hurricane warning was in effect. The ship Louisiana encountered the hurricane at 1 p. m. that day after departing New Orleans, captain Halsey estimated wind speeds of 100 mph
16.
Gambling
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Gambling is the wagering of money or something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning money or material goods. Gambling thus requires three elements be present, consideration, chance and prize, the term gaming in this context typically refers to instances in which the activity has been specifically permitted by law. However, this distinction is not universally observed in the English-speaking world, for instance, in the United Kingdom, the regulator of gambling activities is called the Gambling Commission. Gambling is also an international commercial activity, with the legal gambling market totaling an estimated $335 billion in 2009. In other forms, gambling can be conducted with materials which have a value, many popular games played in modern casinos originate from Europe and China. Games such as craps, baccarat, roulette, and blackjack originate from different areas of Europe, a version of keno, an ancient Chinese lottery game, is played in casinos around the world. In addition, pai gow poker, a hybrid between pai gow and poker is also played, many jurisdictions, local as well as national, either ban gambling or heavily control it by licensing the vendors. Such regulation generally leads to gambling tourism and illegal gambling in the areas where it is not allowed, there is generally legislation requiring that the odds in gaming devices are statistically random, to prevent manufacturers from making some high-payoff results impossible. Since these high-payoffs have very low probability, a bias can quite easily be missed unless the odds are checked carefully. Most jurisdictions that allow gambling require participants to be above a certain age, in some jurisdictions, the gambling age differs depending on the type of gambling. For example, in many American states one must be over 21 to enter a casino, E. g. Nonetheless, both insurance and gambling contracts are typically considered aleatory contracts under most legal systems, though they are subject to different types of regulation. Under common law, particularly English Law, a contract may not give a casino bona fide purchaser status. For case law on recovery of gambling losses where the loser had stolen the funds see Rights of owner of money as against one who won it in gambling transaction from thief. This was a plot point in a Perry Mason novel, The Case of the Singing Skirt. Religious perspectives on gambling have been mixed, ancient Hindu poems like the Gamblers Lament and the Mahabharata testify to the popularity of gambling among ancient Indians. However, the text Arthashastra recommends taxation and control of gambling, ancient Jewish authorities frowned on gambling, even disqualifying professional gamblers from testifying in court. For these social and religious reasons, most legal jurisdictions limit gambling, in at least one case, the same bishop opposing a casino has sold land to be used for its construction. Although different interpretations of law exist in the Muslim world
17.
The Bahamas
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The Bahamas, known officially as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an archipelagic state within the Lucayan Archipelago. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence, the designation of the Bahamas can refer either to the country or to the larger island chain that it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands. As stated in the mandate/manifesto of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas is the site of Columbus first landfall in the New World in 1492. At that time, the islands were inhabited by the Lucayan, although the Spanish never colonised the Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 until 1648, when English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera, the Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. After the American War of Independence, the Crown resettled thousands of American Loyalists in the Bahamas, they brought their slaves with them, Africans constituted the majority of the population from this period. Slavery in the Bahamas was abolished in 1834, Today the descendants of slaves and free Africans make up nearly 90% of the population, issues related to the slavery years are part of society. The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1973, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, in terms of gross domestic product per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas, with an economy based on tourism and finance. The name Bahamas is derived from either the Taino ba ha ma, alternatively, it may originate from Guanahani, a local name of unclear meaning. In English, the Bahamas is one of two countries whose self-standing short name begins with the word the, along with The Gambia. Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 11th century and they came to be known as the Lucayan people. An estimated 30,000 Lucayan inhabited the Bahamas at the time of Christopher Columbus arrival in 1492, Columbuss first landfall in the New World was on an island he named San Salvador. Some researchers believe this site to be present-day San Salvador Island, an alternative theory holds that Columbus landed to the southeast on Samana Cay, according to calculations made in 1986 by National Geographic writer and editor Joseph Judge, based on Columbuss log. Evidence in support of this remains inconclusive, on the landfall island, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayan and exchanged goods with them. The Spanish forced much of the Lucayan population to Hispaniola for use as forced labour, the slaves suffered from harsh conditions and most died from contracting diseases to which they had no immunity, half of the Taino died from smallpox alone. The population of the Bahamas was severely diminished, in 1648, the Eleutherian Adventurers, led by William Sayle, migrated from Bermuda. These English Puritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they named Eleuthera—the name derives from the Greek word for freedom and they later settled New Providence, naming it Sayles Island after one of their leaders. To survive, the settlers salvaged goods from wrecks, in 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas in North America
18.
Cuba
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Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is south of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital, other cities include Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 109,884 square kilometres, prior to Spanish colonization in the late 15th century, Cuba was inhabited by Amerindian tribes. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, as a fragile republic, Cuba attempted to strengthen its democratic system, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. Further unrest and instability led to Batistas ousting in January 1959 by the July 26 Movement, since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. A point of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, a nuclear war broke out during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America, Cuba is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses. It is one of the worlds last planned economies and its economy is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee, according to the Human Development Index, Cuba is described as a country with high human development and is ranked the eighth highest in North America. It also ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care, the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant, authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Taíno, the Guanajatabey, and the Ciboney people. The ancestors of the Ciboney migrated from the mainland of South America, the Taíno arrived from Hispanola sometime in the 3rd century A. D. When Columbus arrived they were the dominant culture in Cuba, having a population of 150,000. The name Cuba comes from the native Taíno language and it is derived from either coabana meaning great place, or from cubao meaning where fertile land is abundant. The Taíno were farmers, while the Ciboney were farmers as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers, Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain and named it Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511, the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa, other towns soon followed, including San Cristobal de la Habana, founded in 1515, which later became the capital
19.
Jamaica
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Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles. The island,10,990 square kilometres in area, lies about 145 kilometres south of Cuba, Jamaica is the fourth-largest island country in the Caribbean, by area. Inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494, Many of the indigenous people died of disease, and the Spanish imported African slaves as labourers. Named Santiago, the island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, under British colonial rule Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter, with its plantation economy highly dependent on slaves imported from Africa. The British fully emancipated all slaves in 1838, and many chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. Beginning in the 1840s, the British imported Chinese and Indian indentured labour to work on plantations, the island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962. With 2.8 million people, Jamaica is the third-most populous Anglophone country in the Americas, Kingston is the countrys capital and largest city, with a population of 937,700. Jamaicans predominately have African ancestry, with significant European, Chinese, Hakka, Indian, due to a high rate of emigration for work since the 1960s, Jamaica has a large diaspora around the world, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Jamaica is a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch and her appointed representative in the country is the Governor-General of Jamaica, an office held by Sir Patrick Allen since 2009. Andrew Holness has served as the head of government and Prime Minister of Jamaica from March 2016, the indigenous people, the Taíno, called it Xaymaca in Arawakan, meaning the Land of Wood and Water or the Land of Springs. Colloquially Jamaicans refer to their island as the Rock. Slang names such as Jamrock, Jamdown, or briefly Ja, have derived from this, the Arawak and Taíno indigenous people, originating in South America, settled on the island between 4000 and 1000 BC. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1494, there were more than 200 villages ruled by caciques, the south coast of Jamaica was the most populated, especially around the area now known as Old Harbour. The Taino still inhabited Jamaica when the English took control of the island in 1655, the Jamaican National Heritage Trust is attempting to locate and document any evidence of the Taino/Arawak. Christopher Columbus claimed Jamaica for Spain after landing there in 1494 and his probable landing point was Dry Harbour, now called Discovery Bay, although there is some debate that it might have been St. Anns Bay. St. Anns Bay was named Saint Gloria by Columbus, as the first sighting of the land, the capital was moved to Spanish Town, then called St. Jago de la Vega, around 1534. Spanish Town has the oldest cathedral of the British colonies in the Caribbean, the Spanish were forcibly evicted by the English at Ocho Rios in St. Ann. In 1655, the English, led by Sir William Penn and General Robert Venables, the English continued to import African slaves as labourers
20.
Gulf of Mexico
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The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. The U. S. states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas border the Gulf on the north, Atlantic and Pacific coasts, or sometimes the south coast, in juxtaposition to the Great Lakes region being the north coast. One of the seven main areas is the Gulf of Mexico basin. The Gulf of Mexico formed approximately 300 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics, the Gulfs basin is roughly oval and is approximately 810 nautical miles wide and floored by sedimentary rocks and recent sediments. It is connected to part of the Atlantic Ocean through the Florida Straits between the U. S. and Cuba, and with the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba, with the narrow connection to the Atlantic, the Gulf experiences very small tidal ranges. The size of the Gulf basin is approximately 1.6 million km2, almost half of the basin is shallow continental shelf waters. The basin contains a volume of roughly 2,500 quadrillion liters, the consensus among geologists who have studied the geology of the Gulf of Mexico, is that prior to the Late Triassic, the Gulf of Mexico did not exist. It was created by the collision of plates that formed Pangea. As interpreted by Roy Van Arsdale and Randel T. Cox, geologists and other Earth scientists agree in general that the present Gulf of Mexico basin originated in Late Triassic time as the result of rifting within Pangea. The rifting was associated with zones of weakness within Pangea, including sutures where the Laurentia, South American, first, there was a Late Triassic-Early Jurassic phase of rifting during which rift valleys formed and filled with continental red beds. Second, as rifting progressed through Early and Middle Jurassic time and it was at this time that tectonics first created a connection to the Pacific Ocean across central Mexico and later eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. This flooded the basin created by rifting and crustal thinning to create the Gulf of Mexico. While the Gulf of Mexico was a basin, the subsiding transitional crust was blanketed by the widespread deposition of Louann Salt. Initially, during the Late Jurassic, continued rifting widened the Gulf of Mexico and progressed to the point that sea-floor spreading, at this point, sufficient circulation with the Atlantic Ocean was established that the deposition of Louann Salt ceased. During the Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous, the occupied by the Gulf of Mexico experienced a period of cooling. The subsidence was the result of a combination of stretching, cooling. Initially, the combination of stretching and cooling caused about 5–7 km of tectonic subsidence of the central thin transitional
21.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
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The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often abbreviated as Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. Chartered in February 1859, the reached the Kansas-Colorado border in 1873 and Pueblo, Colorado. To create a demand for its services, the set up real estate offices. Despite the name, its main line never served Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the terrain was too difficult, the Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport, an enterprise that included a tugboat fleet and an airline. Its bus line extended passenger transportation to areas not accessible by rail, the AT&SF was the subject of a popular song, Harry Warren & Johnny Mercers On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, written for the film, The Harvey Girls. The railroad officially ceased operations on December 31,1996, when it merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway was chartered on February 11,1859, to join Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, with Santa Fe, in its early years, the railroad opened Kansas to settlement. Much of its revenue came from wheat grown there and from cattle driven north from Texas to Wichita, rather than turn its survey southward at Dodge City, AT&SF headed southwest over Raton Pass because of coal deposits near Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico. D&RG paid an estimated $1.4 million to Santa Fe for its work within the Gorge and agreed not to extend its line to Santa Fe, while Santa Fe agreed to forego its planned routes to Denver and Leadville. Building across Kansas and eastern Colorado was simple, with few natural obstacles and it set up real estate offices in the area and promoted settlement across Kansas on the land that was granted to it by Congress in 1863. It offered discounted fares to anyone who traveled west to land, if the land was purchased. AT&SF reached Albuquerque in 1880, Santa Fe, the destination of the railroad, found itself on a short branch from Lamy. In March 1881 AT&SF connected with the Southern Pacific at Deming, New Mexico, the railroad then built southwest from Benson, Arizona, to Nogales on the Mexican border where it connected with the Sonora Railway, which the AT&SF had built north from the Mexican port of Guaymas. The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad was chartered in 1866 to build west from Springfield, Missouri, the infant A&P had no rail connections. The line that was to become the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway would not reach Springfield for another four years, A&P started construction in 1868, built southwest into what would become Oklahoma, and promptly entered receivership. In 1879 A&P struck a deal with the Santa Fe and Frisco railroads to construct a line for each. The railroads would jointly build and own the A&P railroad west of Albuquerque, in 1883 A&P reached Needles, California, where it connected with an SP line. A&P also built a line between Tulsa, Oklahoma and St. Louis, Missouri for the Frisco, but the Tulsa-Albuquerque portion remained unbuilt, by January 1890, the entire system consisted of some 7,500 miles of track
22.
Great Depression
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The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, in most countries it started in 1929 and it was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the economy can decline. The depression originated in the United States, after a fall in stock prices that began around September 4,1929. Between 1929 and 1932, worldwide GDP fell by an estimated 15%, by comparison, worldwide GDP fell by less than 1% from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession. Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s, however, in many countries, the negative effects of the Great Depression lasted until the beginning of World War II. The Great Depression had devastating effects in both rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%, unemployment in the U. S. rose to 25% and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries, farming communities and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by about 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as mining and logging suffered the most. Even after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 optimism persisted for some time, john D. Rockefeller said These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come, prosperity has always returned and will again. The stock market turned upward in early 1930, returning to early 1929 levels by April and this was still almost 30% below the peak of September 1929. Together, government and business spent more in the first half of 1930 than in the period of the previous year. On the other hand, consumers, many of whom had suffered losses in the stock market the previous year. In addition, beginning in the mid-1930s, a severe drought ravaged the agricultural heartland of the U. S, by mid-1930, interest rates had dropped to low levels, but expected deflation and the continuing reluctance of people to borrow meant that consumer spending and investment were depressed. By May 1930, automobile sales had declined to below the levels of 1928, prices in general began to decline, although wages held steady in 1930
23.
Speakeasy
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A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the Prohibition era, during that time, the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States. Speakeasies largely disappeared after Prohibition was ended in 1933, and the term is now used to describe some retro style bars, according to an 1889 newspaper, Unlicensed saloons in Pennsylvania are known as speak-easies. They were so called because of the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, the phrase, speak softly shop, meaning a smugglers house, appeared in a British slang dictionary published in 1823. Many years later, in Prohibition-era America, the became a common name to describe a place to get a drink. Different names for speakeasies were created, the terms blind pig and blind tiger originated in the United States in the 19th century. These terms were applied to lower-class establishments that sold alcoholic beverages illegally, the operator of an establishment would charge customers to see an attraction and then serve a complimentary alcoholic beverage, thus circumventing the law. In desperate cases it has to betake itself to the exhibition of Greenland pigs and other animals, charging 25 cents for a sight of the pig. Are in a place called a blind tiger, drinking the very bad whiskey for which Prohibition is indirectly responsible. Blind tiger also referred to illegal drinking establishment in which the identity was concealed. A drawer runs into a wall of what appears to be a billiard saloon. You pull out the drawer, drop in your change, shove the drawer back, call for what you want and then out the drawer again and there it is. Nobody is heard or seen, and the tiger, apparently without any keeper. Speakeasies, though illegal, were numerous and popular during the Prohibition years, some were operated by people who were part of organized crime. Even though police and agents of the Bureau of Prohibition would often raid them and arrest their owners and patrons, the speakeasy soon became one of the biggest parts of American culture during this time. Several changes happened as speakeasies formed, one was with integration, with black and tans, people of all races, black or white, would gather together and even mingle. People would mix together and have few or no problems, another change that occurred was more participation from women. Many businesses would set up their speakeasies to attract women to get more profits, women also began to insert themselves into the business of speakeasies
24.
Arnold Rothstein
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Arnold Rothstein, nicknamed the Brain, was an American racketeer, businessman and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish mob in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, according to crime writer Leo Katcher, Rothstein transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity by hoodlums into a big business, run like a corporation, with himself at the top. His notoriety inspired several characters based on his life, portrayed in contemporary and later short stories, novels, musicals. Rothstein refused to pay a large debt resulting from a poker game and was murdered in 1928. His illegal empire was broken up and distributed among a number of other organizations and led in part to the downfall of Tammany Hall. Ten years after his death, his brother declared Rothsteins estate was bankrupt, Arnold Rothstein was born into a comfortable life in Manhattan, the son of a well-off Jewish businessman, Abraham Rothstein, and his wife, Esther. His father was a man of character who acquired the nickname Abe the Just. Arnold was highly skilled at mathematics but was uninterested in school. His older brother, on the hand, studied to become a rabbi. Rothstein was known to be a child and harboured a deep jealousy over his older brother Harry. Rothsteins father believed that his son always craved to be the center of attention and his father pointed to an event in 1890 to prove this. Rothsteins mother had gone to visit her mother across state, she took her eldest son Harry and her daughter with her. The night she left, Rothsteins father found him crying in the bottom of a closet, Rothstein reportedly said, She hates me and you hate me, but you all love Harry. While still a child, Rothstein began to indulge in gambling, in 1921, Rothstein was asked how he became a gambler, I always gambled. I cant remember when I didnt, maybe I gambled just to show my father he couldnt tell me what to do, but I dont think so. I think I gambled because I loved the excitement, when I gambled, nothing else mattered. By 1910, Rothstein at age 28 had moved to the Tenderloin section of Manhattan and he also invested in a horse racing track at Havre de Grace, Maryland, where he was reputed to have fixed many of the races that he won. Rothstein had a network of informants, very deep pockets from amongst his fathers banking community
25.
Christmas
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In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family. Although the month and date of Jesus birth are unknown, by the fourth century the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar and this is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December 25. Although it is not known why December 25 became a date of celebration, December 25 was the date the Romans marked as the winter solstice, the shortest, and therefore darkest day of the year. Jesus was identified with the Sun based on an Old Testament verse, the date is exactly nine months following Annunciation, when the conception of Jesus is celebrated. Finally, the Romans had a series of pagan festivals near the end of the year, so Christmas may have been scheduled at this time to appropriate, or compete with, one or more of these festivals. The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, the economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world. Christmas is a form of Christs mass. It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse, which is from Old English Crīstesmæsse, crīst is from Greek Khrīstos, a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ, Messiah, meaning anointed, and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist. The form Christenmas was also used, but is now considered archaic and dialectal, it derives from Middle English Cristenmasse. In addition to Christmas, the holiday has been known by other names throughout its history. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the feast as midwinter, or, more rarely, Nativity, meaning birth, is from Latin nātīvitās. In Old English, Gēola referred to the corresponding to December and January. Noel entered English in the late 14th century and is from the Old French noël or naël, itself ultimately from the Latin nātālis, the canonical gospels of Luke and Matthew both describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem in Judea, to a virgin mother. In the Gospel of Luke account, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census and it says that angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him. In the Matthew account, magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later settles in Nazareth. The Nativity stories of Matthew and Luke are prominent in the gospels, the first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in 336. Christmas played a role in the Arian controversy of the fourth century, the feast regained prominence after 800, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day
26.
New York City
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The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
27.
Hotel Pennsylvania
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The Hotel Pennsylvania is a hotel located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Hotel Pennsylvania was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and operated by Ellsworth Statler and it opened on January 25,1919 and was designed by William Symmes Richardson of the firm of McKim, Mead & White, which also designed the original Pennsylvania Station located across the street. Following the sale of all 17 Statler hotels to Conrad Hilton in 1954 and it operated under this name until 1979, when it was sold to developer William Zeckendorf, Jr. for $24 million. The hotel was renamed the New York Statler and was operated by Dunfey hotels, the hotel was sold again for $46 million in August 1983. The new owners renamed the hotel the New York Penta and undertook a massive renovation, in 1991, Pentas partners bought out the chains stake in the hotel and returned it to its original name, Hotel Pennsylvania. The threat of the Hotel Pennsylvanias demolition was first introduced in 1997 when Vornado Realty Trust bought the hotel, Vornado announced in 2007 that the hotel was to be demolished to make way for a new office building with Merrill Lynch as its anchor tenant. Owner Vornado Realty Trust intended to build a 2,500, in 2006 the Save Hotel Pennsylvania Foundation was created. In November 2007, Manhattan Community Board 5 voted 21-8 to have New York City Council landmark the historic hotel, however, in February 2008 the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission denied the request for landmarking. Emmanuel Goldstein of 2600 noted that while people overseas expressed concern over the fate of the hotel, in May 2010 the hotel was again in danger of demolition. Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer gave a conditional approval overruling Manhattan Community Board 5, on July 14,2010 the New York City Department of City Planning voted unanimously in favor of the construction of the tower. On August 23,2010 the NYC Council voted to approve the proposed Uniform Land Use Review Procedure submitted by the building owners, on December 14,2011 Vornado proposed to delay the demolition of the hotel due to market conditions. On March 4,2013 Vornado revealed they were abandoning plans to demolish the hotel, the decision was followed by a statement by chairman Steven Roth, Were not going to tear down the hotel. In fact, were going to invest in it aggressively and try to make it into a really profitable, Vornado has confirmed they will be renovating and improving the hotel, but beyond that not much else is known. Preservationists as well as those in the Hotel Pennsylvania Preservation Society would like to see the renovations develop into restorations, the hotel has the distinction of having the New York phone number in longest continuous use. The number, PEnnsylvania 6-5000, is the inspiration for the Jerry Gray composition of the same name, the most popular version was performed by Glenn Miller, with the Andrews Sisters version not far behind. For several decades, when callers dialed the hotel they would hear the Glenn Miller recording until an operator answered and this bit of nostalgia was discontinued in 2012, and operators answer all calls. The Cafe Rouge was originally the main restaurant in the Hotel Pennsylvania and it served as a nightclub for many years, but now operates as a separate venue from the hotel entirely, serving as a basketball court. The Cafe Rouge measured 58 feet by 142 feet, with a height of 22 feet, with a main central level
28.
Hollywood
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Hollywood is an ethnically diverse, densely populated neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It is notable as the home of the U. S. film industry, including several of its studios, and its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the industry. Hollywood was a community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. It was consolidated with the city of Los Angeles in 1910, in 1853, one adobe hut stood in Nopalera, named for the Mexican Nopal cactus indigenous to the area. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished, the area was known as the Cahuenga Valley, after the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately to the north. According to the diary of H. J. Whitley, known as the Father of Hollywood, along came a Chinese man in a wagon carrying wood. The man got out of the wagon and bowed, the Chinese man was asked what he was doing and replied, I holly-wood, meaning hauling wood. H. J. Whitley had an epiphany and decided to name his new town Hollywood, Holly would represent England and wood would represent his Scottish heritage. Whitley had already started over 100 towns across the western United States, Whitley arranged to buy the 500-acre E. C. Hurd ranch and disclosed to him his plans for the land. They agreed on a price and Hurd agreed to sell at a later date, before Whitley got off the ground with Hollywood, plans for the new town had spread to General Harrison Gray Otis, Hurds wife, eastern adjacent ranch co-owner Daeida Wilcox, and others. Daeida Wilcox may have learned of the name Hollywood from Ivar Weid, her neighbor in Holly Canyon and she recommended the same name to her husband, Harvey. In August 1887, Wilcox filed with the Los Angeles County Recorders office a deed and parcel map of property he had sold named Hollywood, Wilcox wanted to be the first to record it on a deed. The early real-estate boom busted that year, yet Hollywood began its slow growth. By 1900, the region had a post office, newspaper, hotel, Los Angeles, with a population of 102,479 lay 10 miles east through the vineyards, barley fields, and citrus groves. A single-track streetcar line ran down the middle of Prospect Avenue from it, but service was infrequent, the old citrus fruit-packing house was converted into a livery stable, improving transportation for the inhabitants of Hollywood. The Hollywood Hotel was opened in 1902 by H. J. Whitley who was a president of the Los Pacific Boulevard, having finally acquired the Hurd ranch and subdivided it, Whitley built the hotel to attract land buyers. Flanking the west side of Highland Avenue, the structure fronted on Prospect Avenue, the hotel was to become internationally known and was the center of the civic and social life and home of the stars for many years. Whitleys company developed and sold one of the residential areas
29.
Clara Bow
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Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in silent film during the 1920s and successfully made the transition to talkies after 1927. Her appearance as a shopgirl in the film It brought her global fame. Bow came to personify the Roaring Twenties and is described as its leading sex symbol and she appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as Mantrap, It, and Wings. She was named first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929 and second box-office draw in 1927 and 1930 and her presence in a motion picture was said to have ensured investors, by odds of almost two-to-one, a safe return. At the apex of her stardom, she received more than 45,000 fan letters in a single month, after marrying actor Rex Bell in 1931, Bow retired from acting and became a rancher in Nevada. Her final film, Hoop-La, was released in 1933, in September 1965, Bow died of a heart attack at the age of 60. Bow was born in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn at 697 Bergen Street, in a bleak and her birth year, according to the US Censuses of 1910 and 1920, was 1905. The 1930 census indicates 1906 and on her gravestone of 1965, the inscription says 1907, Bow was her parents third child, but her two older sisters, born in 1903 and 1904, had died in infancy. Her mother, Sarah Frances Bow, was told by a not to become pregnant again, for fear the next baby might die. Despite the warning, Sarah became pregnant with Clara in late 1904, in addition to the risky pregnancy, a heat wave besieged New York in July 1905, and temperatures peaked around 100 °F. Years later, Clara said, I dont suppose two people ever looked death in the more clearly than my mother and I the morning I was born. We were both given up, but somehow we struggled back to life, Bows parents were descended from English-Irish and Scottish immigrants who had come to America the generation before. Bow said that her father, Robert Walter Bow, had a quick, All the natural qualifications to make something of himself, but didnt. everything seemed to go wrong for him, poor darling. I do not think my mother ever loved my father, she said, and it made him very unhappy, for he worshiped her, always. When Bow was 16, her mother Sarah fell from a second-story window and she was later diagnosed with psychosis due to epilepsy. From her earliest years, Bow had learned how to care for her mother during the seizures, as well as how to deal with her psychotic and she said her mother could be mean to her, but didnt mean to. Still, Bow felt deprived of her childhood, As a kid I took care of my mother, Sarah worsened gradually, and when she realized her daughter was set for a movie career, Bows mother told her she would be much better off dead. One night in February 1922, Bow awoke to a knife held against her throat by her mother
30.
Nancy Carroll
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Nancy Carroll was an American actress. Of Irish parentage, the daughter of Thomas and Ann Lahiff and her education came at Holy Trinity School in New York, but she left there at age 16 to work in an office. Carroll and her sister once performed an act in a local contest of amateur talent. This led her to a career and then on to screen stardom. She began her career in Broadway musicals. She became an actress in talkies because her musical background enabled her to play in movie musicals of the 1930s. Her film debut was in Ladies Must Dress in 1927, in 1928 she made eight films. One of them, Easy Come, Easy Go, co-starring Richard Dix, in 1929 she starred in The Dance of Life with Hal Skelly, and The Wolf of Wall Street along with George Bancroft and Olga Baclanova. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930 for The Devils Holiday, under contract to Paramount Pictures, Carroll often balked at the roles the studio offered her and she earned a reputation as a recalcitrant and uncooperative actress. In the mid-1930s under a contract with Columbia Pictures, she made four rather insignificant films and was no longer an A-list actress. Carroll retired from films in 1938, returned to the stage, in the following year, she guest-starred in the television version of The Egg and I, starring her daughter, Patricia Kirkland. On August 6,1965, Carroll was found dead after failing to arrive at the theater for a performance, the cause of her death was an aneurysm. For her contributions to the picture industry, Carroll has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1725 Vine Street Vine Street. It was dedicated February 8,1960
31.
Champagne
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The primary grapes used in the production of Champagne are black Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier but also white Chardonnay. Champagne appellation law only allows grapes grown according to rules in specifically designated plots within the appellation to be used in the production of champagne. Royalty became associated with Champagne in the 17th, 18th, the leading manufacturers made efforts to associate their Champagnes with nobility and royalty through advertising and packaging, which led to popularity among the emerging middle class. Patricia Harmsworth, Viscountess Rothermere, the English socialite, was nicknamed Bubbles after her love of champagne, wines from the Champagne region were known before medieval times. The Romans were the first to plant vineyards in this area of north-east France, with the region being cultivated by at least the 5th century, later, churches owned vineyards and monks produced wine for use in the sacrament of Eucharist. French kings were anointed in Reims, and Champagne was served as part of coronation festivities. The Champenois were envious of the reputation of the wines made by their Burgundian neighbours to the south, however, the northerly climate of the region gave the Champenois a unique set of challenges in making red wine. At the far extremes of sustainable viticulture, the grapes would struggle to fully and often would have bracing levels of acidity. The wines would be lighter bodied and thinner than the Burgundy wines they were seeking to outdo, the oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, which was apparently invented by Benedictine Monks in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Carcassonne in 1531. They achieved this by bottling the wine before the initial fermentation had ended, Merret presented a paper at the Royal Society, in which he detailed what is now called méthode champenoise, in 1662. French glass-makers at this time could not produce bottles of the quality or strength. As early as 1663 the poet Samuel Butler referred to brisk champagne, in France the first sparkling Champagne was created accidentally, the pressure in the bottle led it to be called the devils wine, as bottles exploded or corks popped. In 1844 Adolphe Jaquesson invented the muselet to prevent the corks from blowing out, initial versions were difficult to apply and inconvenient to remove. Even when it was produced as a sparkling wine, Champagne was for a very long time made by the méthode rurale. Champagne did not use the méthode champenoise until the 19th century, the 19th century saw an exponential growth in Champagne production, going from a regional production of 300,000 bottles a year in 1800 to 20 million bottles in 1850. In 2007, Champagne sales hit a record of 338.7 million bottles. In the 19th century Champagne was noticeably sweeter than the Champagnes of today, the trend towards drier Champagne began when Perrier-Jouët decided not to sweeten his 1846 vintage prior to exporting it to London. The designation Brut Champagne was created for the British in 1876 and they include codification of the most suitable growing places, the most suitable grape types, and a lengthy set of requirements specifying most aspects of viticulture
32.
Theda Bara
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Theda Bara was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the most popular actresses of the silent era and her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname The Vamp. Bara made more than 40 films between 1914 and 1926, but most were lost in the 1937 Fox vault fire, after her marriage to Charles Brabin in 1921, she made two more feature films and retired from acting in 1926 having never appeared in a sound film. She died of cancer on April 7,1955, at the age of 69. She was born Theodosia Burr Goodman in the Avondale section of Cincinnati and her father was Bernard Goodman, a prosperous Jewish tailor born in Poland. Her mother, Pauline Louise Françoise, was born in Switzerland, Bernard and Pauline married in 1882. She had two siblings, Marque and Esther, who became a film actress as Lori Bara. She was named after the daughter of US Vice President Aaron Burr, Bara attended Walnut Hills High School graduating in 1903. After attending the University of Cincinnati for two years, she worked mainly in theater productions, but did explore other projects, after moving to New York City in 1908, she made her Broadway debut in The Devil. Most of Baras early films were shot around the East Coast, primarily at the Fox Studios in Fort Lee, Bara lived with her family in New York City during this time. The rise of Hollywood as the center of the American film industry forced her to relocate to Los Angeles to film the epic Cleopatra, no known prints of Cleopatra exist today, but numerous photographs of Bara in costume as the Queen of the Nile have survived. Between 1915 and 1919, Bara was Fox studios biggest star and her final Fox film was The Lure of Ambition. In 1920, she turned briefly to the stage, appearing on Broadway in The Blue Flame, Baras fame drew large crowds to the theater, but her acting was savaged by critics. Her career suffered without Fox studios support, and she did not make another film until The Unchastened Woman for Chadwick Pictures Corporation. Bara retired after making one more film, the short comedy Madame Mystery, made for Hal Roach and directed by Stan Laurel. At the height of her fame, Bara earned $4,000 per week and she was one of the most popular movie stars, ranking behind only Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Baras best-known roles were as the vamp, although she attempted to avoid typecasting by playing wholesome heroines in films such as Under Two Flags and she also appeared as Juliet in a version of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Although Bara took her seriously, she was too successful as an exotic wanton woman to develop a more versatile career
33.
Central Park
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Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City. Central Park is the most visited park in the United States, with 40 million visitors in 2013. The park was established in 1857 on 778 acres of city-owned land, construction began the same year and the parks first area was opened to the public in the winter of 1858. Construction continued during the American Civil War farther north, and was expanded to its current size of 843 acres in 1873, Central Park was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior in 1962. The Conservancy is a organization that contributes 75 percent of Central Parks $65 million annual budget and is responsible for all basic care of the 843-acre park. Between 1821 and 1855, New York City nearly quadrupled in population, as the city expanded northward up Manhattan, people were drawn to the few existing open spaces, mainly cemeteries, to get away from the noise and chaotic life in the city. Since Central Park was not part of the original Commissioners Plan of 1811, John Randel, Jr. surveyed the grounds. The only remaining surveying bolt from his survey is still visible, it is embedded in a rock just north of the present Dairy and the 65th Street Transverse, the bolt marks the location where West 65th Street would have intersected Sixth Avenue. The state appointed a Central Park Commission to oversee the development of the park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux developed what came to be known as the Greensward Plan, which was selected as the winning design. The Greensward Plan called for some 36 bridges, all designed by Vaux, ranging from rugged spans of Manhattan schist or granite, to lacy Neo-Gothic cast iron, several influences came together in the design. Landscaped cemeteries, such as Mount Auburn and Green-Wood had set examples of idyllic, naturalistic landscapes, the most influential innovations in the Central Park design were the separate circulation systems for pedestrians, horseback riders, and pleasure vehicles. The crosstown commercial traffic was entirely concealed in sunken roadways, screened with densely planted shrub belts so as to maintain a rustic ambiance, before the construction of the park could start, the area had to be cleared of its inhabitants. Most lived in villages, such as Harsenville, the Piggery District, or Seneca Village, or in the school. Approximately 1,600 residents were evicted under the rule of eminent domain during 1857, Seneca Village and parts of the other communities were razed to make room for the park. During the parks construction, Olmsted fought constant battles with the park commissioners, between 1860 and 1873, most of the major hurdles to construction were overcome and the park was substantially completed. The work was documented with technical drawings and photographs. More gunpowder was used to clear the area than was used at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War, the parks commissioners assigned a name to each of the original 18 gates in 1862. The names were chosen to represent the diversity of New York Citys trades, for example, Mariners Gate for the entrance at 85th Street
34.
Houston
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Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within an area of 667 square miles, it also is the largest city in the southern United States and the seat of Harris County. Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, it is the city of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land. Houston was founded on August 28,1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou and incorporated as a city on June 5,1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded, the burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the citys population. Houstons economy has an industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics. Leading in health care sectors and building equipment, Houston has more Fortune 500 headquarters within its city limits than any city except for New York City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled, the city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. Houston is the most diverse city in Texas and has described as the most diverse in the United States. It is home to cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has a visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District. In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, purchased 6,642 acres of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the general at the Battle of San Jacinto. The great majority of slaves in Texas came with their owners from the slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through the slave trade. New Orleans was the center of trade in the Deep South. Thousands of enslaved African Americans lived near the city before the Civil War, many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. Houston was granted incorporation on June 5,1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor, in the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
35.
Spaghetti
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Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical, solid pasta. It is a food of traditional Italian cuisine. Like other pasta, spaghetti is made of milled wheat and water, Italian spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but elsewhere it may be made with other kinds of flour. Originally spaghetti was notably long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the half of the 20th century. A variety of dishes are based on it. Spaghetti is the form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago. The first written record of pasta comes from the Talmud in the 5th century AD and refers to dried pasta that could be cooked through boiling, some historians think that Arabs introduced pasta to Europe during a conquest of Sicily. The popularity of spaghetti spread throughout Italy after the establishment of factories in the 19th century. Spaghetti is made from grain and water. Whole-wheat and multigrain spaghetti are also available, at its simplest, spaghetti can be formed using no more than a rolling pin and a knife. A home pasta machine simplifies the rolling, and makes the cutting more uniform, fresh spaghetti would normally be cooked within hours of being formed. Commercial versions of fresh spaghetti are manufactured, the bulk of dried spaghetti is produced in factories using auger extruders. While essentially simple, the process requires attention to detail to ensure that the mixing and kneading of the ingredients produces a homogeneous mix, the forming dies have to be water cooled to prevent spoiling of the pasta by overheating. Drying of the newly formed spaghetti has to be controlled to prevent strands sticking together. Packaging for protection and display has developed from paper wrapping to plastic bags, fresh or dry spaghetti is cooked in a large pot of salted, boiling water and then drained in a colander. In Italy, spaghetti is cooked al dente, fully cooked. It may also be cooked to a softer consistency, spaghettoni is a thicker spaghetti which takes more time to cook. Spaghettini is a form which takes less time to cook
36.
Seawall Boulevard
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Seawall Boulevard is a major road in Galveston, Texas in the United States. The boulevard is conterminous with Farm to Market Road 3005 south of 61st Street and it runs along the Gulf coast waterfront of the island near the main parts of the city. It is named for the Galveston Seawall built along the beaches, the sidewalk adjacent to Seawall Boulevard on the south is claimed to be the longest continuous sidewalk in the world at 10.3 miles long. Seawall Boulevard is home to hotels and entertainment venues including the famous Hotel Galvez. A sunset clause which was part of the 2011 referendum eliminates paid parking after 7 years of service, during Galvestons Open Era the road became quite famous as a lavish, nationally known tourist venue and casino district featuring elegant hotels and clubs. The boulevards prominence began with the construction of the club and casino Maceos Grotto in 1929, other famous locations on this road included Murdochs Bath House, the Buccaneer Hotel, the Pleasure Pier, and the Mountain Speedway roller coaster. The boulevard became the point for tourism events such as the International Pageant of Pulchritude of the 1920s. The event would be held on the beach in front of the seawall attracting tourists from around the nation, other events along the boulevard included the spectacular Mardi Gras parade and celebration. This era of prosperity declined during the 1940s and ended in the 1950s with the closing of the casinos by the Texas Rangers, Galveston, a history of the island. Baird, David, Peterson, Eric, Schlecht, Neil E. Frommers Texas
37.
Sam Maceo
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Salvatore Maceo, also known as Sam Maceo, was a businessman, community leader, and organized crime boss in Galveston, Texas in the United States. Because of his efforts, Galveston Island became a known resort town during the early and mid 20th century. He and his brother, both Sicilian immigrants, owned numerous restaurant and casino venues including the now-vanished Hollywood Dinner Club, sometimes known as the Velvet Glove, Sams smooth style and ability to influence people were legendary. He was able to wield influence comparable to an official and he held relationships with celebrities and politicians throughout Texas. During his lifetime he and his home were known nationwide. The culture and economy Sam and the Maceo syndicate helped create on the island engendered the nickname Free State of Galveston and he was also involved in the development of the Las Vegas Strip during the late 1940s, particularly the establishment of the Desert Inn. Salvatore Maceo was born in Palermo, Sicily to Vito Maceo, in 1901 the Maceo family immigrated to Leesville, Louisiana in the United States. He trained as a barber and moved to Galveston in 1910, shortly before World War I, as Prohibition took hold the brothers began to give gifts of wine that they were able to smuggle to their customers. As their customers became more interested in the liquor they gradually became more serious bootleggers, the Maceo brothers allied themselves with the Beach Gang, opened a cold drink place, and invested in the gangs gambling operations. Eventually the Beach Gang leader Ollie Quinn and the brothers opened the Hollywood Dinner Club, Sams smooth personality quickly made him the face of the nightclub. He is said to have developed his style and interpersonal skills by modeling Quinns facility in dealing with politicians, fortuitous arrests of the leaders of the gangs allowed the brothers to gain control of the islands underworld. The Maceos gradually invested in numerous clubs and other entertainment ventures in the city involving gambling and bootlegging and their other big venture, besides the Hollywood, was a club and casino called Maceos Grotto which opened in 1929. The Maceos soon controlled most of the gambling, prostitution, and their wealth and Sams ability to deal with influential figures allowed him to exert increasing influence over other businesses and the government of the island. The syndicate created by the Maceos quickly became a business empire, through business dealings and partnerships Sam Maceo was able to earn millions for the syndicate. The headquarters of the Maceo syndicate was the Turf Athletic Club, in addition to gymnasium and steam room facilities the club contained a bookmaking parlor for baseball and horse race betting as well as two clubs, the Studio Lounge and the Western Room. The business empire included dozens of bookmaking parlors, casinos, and clubs throughout the island and Galveston County, particularly Kemah, additionally the Maceos came to dominate vice and narcotics as far north as Dallas. The crown jewel of the Maceo empire was the Hollywood Dinner Club, once the Hollywood was shut down by the Texas Rangers in 1939 the Balinese Room became the premiere club in the syndicates holdings. Other properties held by the Maceos included the Moulin Rouge, Murdochs Bingo, investments in oil speculation helped to diversify the Maceos portfolio and add to their wealth leading to the creation of Gulf Oil Properties
