Mobsters in America – Boss Tweed – The Most Crooked Politician in New York City's History

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William "Boss" Tweed was so outlandishly a crooked politician, what he did in elected office in New York City was almost too devilish to believe. He stole so much cash from the New York City coffers, by 1870, Tweed had become the third largest land owner in the entire city.

William Tweed, a third generation Scottish-Irishman, was born on April 3, 1823 at 24 Cherry Street on the Lower East Side. His father was a chair maker and the young Tweed tired to follow in his father's footsteps, but the lure of the streets was too much for him to overcome. He ran with a motley crew of juvenile delinquents called the "Cherry Street Gang," who wrecked havoc on local merchants, by stealing their wares and selling them on the street's black market. Soon Tweed became boss of the "Cherry Hill Gang," and he (as did most gang members of that day) joined various volunteer fire companies, which were a springboard for men with big political ambitions. Tweed helped found American Fire Engine Company No. 6, which was called the Big Six. During his time in the volunteer fire business, Tweed forged friendships with people of all ancestries; Irish, Scottish, Germans, anyone who could help him climb the ladder of public services, with only one thing in mind, steal often and steal big.

In 1850, Tweed ran unsuccessfully for assistant alderman on the Democratic ticket. But a year later was elected alderman, a non-paying job, but with unlimited power for anyone smart enough and crooked enough to take advantage of its perks. Just scant weeks after he became an alderman, Tweed brokered a deal to buy land on Wards Island for a new potters field. The asking price was $ 30,000, but Tweed paid $ 103,450 of the city's money for the land, then split the difference between himself and several other elected civic-minded officials.

In 1855, Tweed was elected to the city board of elections, which was another cash cow for the greedy Tweed. He sold city textbooks for his own profit and sold teacher's jobs to whomever had the money to buy one. In once instance, he peddled a teacher's position to a crippled schoolmarm for $ 75, even though the job only paid $ 300 a year. In 1857, Tweed was appointed to the New York County Board of Supervisors, which propelled Tweed into a much more profitable form of thievery. He formed what was known as the "Tweed Ring," which was nothing more than Tweed and his buddies controlling every job and work permit in the entire city of New York. Every contractor, artisan and merchant, who wanted to do business with the city, had to cough up cash, and they coughed up plenty. It is estimated that Tweed's board of supervisors pocketed 15% of every dollar spent on construction in New York City.

Concerning Tweed and his cronies, American lawyer and diarist George Templeton Strong wrote in 1860, "Our city government is rotten to the core."

By 1865, Tweed's wealth had grown to impressive proportions, as did his girth. Standing 5 feet 11 inches, Tweed's weight ballooned to 320 pounds. His reputation for eating was legendary and he consumed enormous amounts of the finest foods. He floundered around town like a whale out of water, with a huge diamond stuck right in the middle of his fancy shirt, flouting his tremendous wealth.

It is estimated, from 1865 to 1871, Tweed's gang stole as much as 200 million dollars from the New York City treasury. They did this by over-billing the city for everything imaginable. They paid out of the city's coffers $ 10,000 for $ 75 worth of pencils; $ 171,000 for $ 4,000 worth of tables and chairs, and $ 1,826,000 for the plastering of a municipal building that cost only $ 50,000 to plaster. Tweed also gave citizenship to over 60,000 immigrant, none of whom could read or write, but who could vote for Tweed and his cohorts on election day.

Tweed's downfall began on December 25, 1869, when Harper's Weekly published a cartoon of Tweed and his gang breaking into a huge box, with the caption "Taxpayers 'and Tenants' Hard Cash." Upon seeing the cartoon, Tweeds reportedly said, "Stop them damned pictures. I do not care so much what the papers say about me. My constituents do not know how to read, but they can not help seeing them damned pictures! "

With the pressure mounting to unveil the extent of Tweed's corruption, a blue ribbon panel, headed by future Presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden, was formed to investigate New York City's financial documents. When the books were checked, it was discovered that money had gone directly from city contractors into Tweed's pocket. The next day, Boss Tweed was arrested.

His first trial, in January 1873, ended in a hung jury – a jury many people thought was bought by Tweed's money. But in November of that same year, Tweed was convicted on 204 out of 220 counts and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was incarcerated at the Ludlow Street Jail, but was allowed home visits. During one such visit, Tweed fled the country and traveled to Spain, where he worked as a seaman on a commercial ship. He was recognized, because his picture was frequently in the newspapers, and returned to America. He again was imprisoned at the Ludlow Street Jail; this time with no home visits allowed.

On April 12, 1878, Boss Tweed died in the Ludlow Street Jail from a severe case of pneumonia. He was buried in Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery, and due to Tweed's outlandish treachery, New York Mayor Smith Ely would not allow the City Hall flag to be flown at half staff in Tweed's memory.

No one could account for what became of Boss Tweed's vast amounts of ill-gotten gains, since there were no reports of a Wells Fargo stagecoach following his horse-drawn hearse.

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Source by Joseph Bruno

Mobsters – George Appo – The Most Famous Pickpocket in the History of New York City

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His father was a crazed Chinese murderer, and his mother – an Irish alcoholic. In spite of his lack of proper family upbringing, George Appo's mission in life was to be the quintessential "Good Fellow."

George Appo's definition of the phrase "Good Fellow," was a man who was an expert thief, one who would not cooperate with authorities, and who absolutely refused to testify in court, even against their enemies. Appo wrote in his 99-page autobiography, which was never published, "What constitutes a 'Good Fellow' in the eyes and estimation of the underworld is a nervy crook, a money getter and a spender. A 'Good Fellow' valiantly accepts the consequences and punishment of an arrest, even if the crime was committed by another. A 'Good Fellow' was a member of a fraternity of thieves. "

In the late 1840's, George Appo's father Quimbo Appo, ran his own tea business in New York City, before he moved to New Haven, Connecticut. In 1855, Quimbo Appo met Catherine Fitzpatrick, an Irish immigrant who was only in America a few short years. They married, and in 1856, Catherine Appo gave birth to two children. The first reportedly died in childbirth, but the second was described as "A handsome, healthy boy, very sprightly, as white as his mother, a Yankee boy to all appearances, with only the Chinaman's breadth between his eyes."

Shortly after George Appo was born, his father returned with his family to New York City. After working as a tea tester for several companies, in 1859, Quimbo Appo opened his own tea store on Third Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth Streets.

Quimbo Appo had a violent temper, made worse by his wife's incessant drunkenness. On March 8, 1859, Quimbo Appo came home from work and found his wife, as usual, three sheets to the wind. He began beating Catherine Appo, so viciously, the landlady of their building, Mary Fletcher, and two other tenants Margaret Butler and Mary Gavigan, interceded and tried to stop the beating. Quimbo Appo became so enraged, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Fletcher twice in the chest. Fletcher fell fatally wounded to the floor, screaming, "My God." Quimbo Appo then stabbed Gavigan in the arm, and Butler in the head.

Quimbo Appo ran to another Chinese boardinghouse, but was soon found by the police hiding under a bed. After he was arrested, Quimbo Appo told the police, "Yes, I killed her.

The front page of the Herald Tribune read the following day, "Murder in the Fourth Ward."

Quimbo Appo's trial took place on April 11, 1859. It took the jury less than one hour to reach a verdict of guilty. Even though the prosecutor, District Attorney Nelson J. Waterbury, recommended life imprisonment, a month later, Judge Davies sentenced Quimbo Appo to the death penalty. However, Quimbo Appo's lawyer appealed the case, and on May 8, 1860, Gov. Morgan commuted Quimbo Appo's death sentence, and instead gave them a 10-year term in the state penitentiary at Sing Sing.

However, Quimbo Appo's 10-year bit evolved into a life sentence, because of Quimbo Appo's penchant for violence, and also because he was basically a lunatic. As a result of several violent incidents, and bizarre behavior on his part, Quimbo Appo never became a free man again. He died at the Watteawan Hospital for the Criminally Insane on June, 23, 1912.

After his father's incarceration, George Appo and his mother returned to their slum apartment on Oliver Street. Soon after, Catherine Appo decided to take her son, and his younger sister, on the ship The Golden Gate, to visit Catherine's brother in San Francisco. However, the ship was caught in a violent storm and sank. Both Appo's mother and sister perished, but Appo somehow survived.

Appo wrote, "I can not explain how I was saved, only that a sailor brought me to New York and left me with a very poor family named Allen."

The Allen family lived in the rear-yard tenement alley "Donovan's Lane," also called "Murderer's Alley," located on a tiny strip of hidden dirt, with the tenements so close together, hardly any daylight could penetrate into the alley.

Appo wrote, "One entrance was on Baxter and the other entrance was on Pearl Street. Poor people of all nationalities lived on this Donovan's Lane. It was a common sight to see every morning at least 6 to 10 drunken men and women sleeping off the effects of the five-cent rum bought at 'Black Mike's,' which was located at 14 Baxter Street. Next door to Mike's was a second-hand clothing store owned by a man named Cohen, who was a fence, where all the crooks used to get rid of their stolen goods. Up over Cohen's store was where all the Chinamen of the city lived. At the time there were only about 60 Chinamen in all the city and then the lane was called Chinatown. "

Donovan's Lane, or if you wish – Chinatown, was in the heart of New York City's worst slum called "The Five Points." In this cesspool of humanity, Appo learned the tricks of the trade that enabled him to make a decent living in a life of crime. Appo, at about the age of 10, became part of a group of scavengers, which the people at that time called "street urchins," "arabs," "street rats," or gutter-snipes. "While Appo was making an honest buck at low level jobs, like shinning shoes, sweeping sidewalks, and selling newspapers, Appo also perfected his true love – the art of picking pockets.

It was quite easy for a young boy selling newspapers, to pick the pocket of an unsuspecting mark. Appo used the guise of the "newspaper dodge," a ruse, in which, while he was ostensibly selling newspapers, Appo, with one hand, would wave the newspaper in a customer's face, then with the other hand, he'd pick the victim's pocket.

Appo's pickpocketing mentor was a master craftsman named Jim Caulfield. Caulfield once told a policeman, "If you will stand for a newspaper under your chin, I can take your watch, your watch and chain, and even your socks."

In the winter of 1871, Appo was caught picking the pocket of a downtown businessman. The businessman grabbed Appo by the neck, and handed him off to a passing policeman saying, "This boy just robbed $ 28 from my vest pocket."

Appo pleaded guilty before Judge Joseph Dowling. The judge sentenced Appo to an undetermined time on floating reform school, which was located on the naval vessel The Mercury. The Mercury housed on board 242 boys, who were convicted of such crimes as vagrancy, truancy, and larceny. On board The Mercury, boys learned seafaring skills, such as navigation, seamanship, military drills, and making all different kinds of rope knots, which were essential in a seafaring life. There were also classes for the boys in reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Yet, life on The Mercury was anything but idyllic. The food was barely edible. The water was filthy, and contagious germs permeated the ship.

In 1872, the Mercury made a 9-month trip to and from Barbados. Upon its return to Harts Island, off the coast of Manhattan, Appo and several other boys escaped from the vessel by lowering themselves down by a rope to a rowboat. After they arrived at shore in downtown Manhattan, Appo hustled back to Donovan's Lane and commenced picking pockets again.

In 1874, Appo was caught by a policeman picking the pockets of a Wall Street executive. Appo tried to flee the scene, but a passing detective followed him in hot pursuit, firing his pistol at Appo. Appo was hit once in the stomach, but he managed to escape.

Appo staggered into a building at 300 Pearl Street, and went to apartment that was occupied by the Maher family. While Mrs. Maher hid Appo under a bed, she ordered her son to go out in front of the apartment building to see if any policeman were in the area. When the coast was clear, Appo fled the apartment, and received treatment at St. Luke's hospital, from a physician who was friends with one of Appo's confederates. The bullet in Appo's stomach was removed, and soon Appo was back on the streets, doing what he had been doing before. Six months later, Apple was caught picking pockets again. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to two years and six months in Sing Sing prison.

At Sing Sing, Appo was united with his father, who went in and out of lucidity. The senior Appo was normal most days, but on his bad days, he was delirious, and he said things like "I am King of the World."

In Sing Sing, Appo was given job in the laundry room as a "presser" of shirts. After Appo accidentally burned one of the shirts, Appo's teeth were knocked out by one of the guards. Then three guards took Appo to the guard room, handcuffed him from behind, and forced him to lay face down on a paddle board table. There Appo was given nine sharp lashes with an oar on his back and spine, rendering him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, the head keeper said to Appo, "Do you think you can go back and do your work all right now? If you do not, we have a way to make you."

Appo told the keeper, "You punished me for nothing, and the next time I am brought here you will punish me for something."

Appo stumbled back to laundry shop. He immediately took the shirts that were on his table waiting to be ironed, and put them inside a hot stove, where they soon were reduced to ashes. After his dirty deed was discovered, Appo was brought back to guard room. When he was asked why he did what he had done, Appo refused to answer. Appo was immediately taken to one of the "dark cells," where he was imprisoned for 14 days. During those 14 days, Appo was given 2 ounces of bread and a glass of water every 24 hours.

After serving 30 months in Sing Sing prison, Appo was released on April 2, 1876. Surprise, surprise, he immediately went back to picking pockets. In the next eight years, Appo was arrested twice more for pickpocketing, and returned to jail in both instances, the last time on Blackwell's Island. Appo escaped from Blackwell's Island, by shimmying down a rope from the ship where he was working, to the water down below. Appo jumped into a small rowboat and rowed until he docked in downtown Manhattan. Appo immediately sunk the boat, and made his way to Mulberry Street, where he was able to borrow some clothes. The next day Appo absconded to Philadelphia.

Appo did very well picking pockets in Philadelphia, but the lure of his old streets in downtown Manhattan, especially the opium dens, was too much for Appo to resist. Back in the sixth Ward, Appo decided to deviate from his usual pickpocketing and engage himself in the flimflam business. Appo's chief swindle was giving store owners the wrong change for $ 10 or $ 20 bill. This racket went fine for a while, until Appo was caught in a jewelry shop shorting the owner. However, through the machinations of the nefarious law firm of Howe and Hummel, Appo was somehow able to escape prison time.

In the early 1890's, catching pickpocketers and flimflam men became the favorite pastime of the New York City police. So Appo decided to try a new scheme: a scheme where he was less likely to be arrested. This scheme was called "The Green Goods Swindle."

The Green Goods Swindle was a three-pronged operation. It started with the "operators," or the bosses, who hired "writers," who wrote circulars to be sent to all parts of the country. The basis of these circulars was to entice people to agree to purchase counterfeit money. The green goods circular contained wording something similar to this:

"I am dealing it articles, paper goods – ones, twos, fives, tens, and 20s – (do you understand?). I can not be plainer until I know your heart is true to me. Then I will satisfy you that I can furnish you with with a fine, safe, and profitable article that can be used in any manner and for all purposes, and no danger. "

The writers would also include in the circular the prices for their goods. A typical price list would read: For $ 1200 in my goods (Assorted) I charge $ 100. For $ 2500 in my goods (Assorted) I charge $ 200. For $ 5000 in my goods (Assorted) I charge $ 350. For $ 10,000 in my goods (Assorted) I charge $ 600. "

These circulars were sent to people from around the country, who had invested in various lotteries. The feeling of the "operators" was that these were the type of people who most likely would do something illegal for monetary profit. Confederate soldiers were also sent circulars. New York City assistant district attorney Ambrose Purdy explained why, "Former Confederates were so emotionally embittered and economically indebted, that they viewed green goods as a good way to hurt the government."

Once communication had been established between the "marks" and the "operator," The marks were directed to take a train to New York City, or to the suburbs close to New York City. There the marks would meet the third cog in the Green Goods Swindle, who was called the "steerer."

The steerer, one of whom was George Appo, would meet the marks at the railroad station and take them to the operator, or the "turning point," who was waiting for the mark, either at a bogus storefront, or in a hotel room . The operator would show the marks a sample of his "counterfeit" money, which was actually legal tender. The mark being satisfied that the money he had been shown certainly looked legal, would give the operator the money that had been agreed upon to purchase the "queer bills." The operator would then put the bonus counterfeit money into a cheap suitcase. A diversion would then occur, temporarily deflecting the mark's attention. During this diversion, the "operator" would switch the suitcase, and replace it with an identical one given to him by one of his confederates. Of course, the second suitcase was filled would plain ordinary paper, and sometimes even sand.

A this point, the job of the steerer was to get the mark quickly out-of-town, before the mark realized he had been swindled. As added insurance, the operator sometimes employed the services a local cop, or detective, and sometimes even several local cops, or detectives. If the steerer had a problem with the marks, either on the way to the train station, or on the train before it left the station, the crooked cop, or detective would jump in and threatened the mark with arrest, if the mark didn ' t leave town immediately. The mark would have no recourse, since he had been attempting an illegal transaction in the first place.

One such illegal Green Goods Swindle almost cost George Appo his life. In February of 1893, Appo was working a Green Goods Swindle with Jim McNally as his operator. Appo was directed by McNally to meet two men at a hotel in Poughkeepsie, New York. Appo went to the New York Hotel in Poughkeepsie, and entered the room of two men named Hiram Cassel and Ira Hogshead, shady entrepreneurs from North Carolina. Appo gave the men a letter identifying Appo as the connection between the Old Gentleman (the operator) and the two men. Appo said that he would take the two men to the train station to board a train for Mott Haven, where they would see the counterfeit money they were purchasing. After the transaction was completed, Appo said he would take the men directly to the train station, pay their fare, and send them on their way back home. Appo told the men that on the way to the train station, they must walk 10 feet behind Appo, and they must speak to no one, including Appo.

When Appo arrived at the train station, he was met by Hiram Cassel, but Ira Hogshead had stopped just short of the station, and was talking to a policeman, the same policeman who recently had a problem with Jim McNally, over his cut in a previous swindle. Appo approached Hogshead and asked him why he was speaking to the policeman. Hogshead said, "I do not care to do business. I've changed my mind."

Appo walked the men back to the hotel room, where Hogshead insisted the deal was done, and he demanded that Appo leave the hotel room immediately. As Appo was shaking Cassel's hand, Hogshead shot Appo in the right temple. Appo was taken to the hospital hospital in critical condition. In a few days, Appo's right eye became infected and it had to be removed.

Cassel and Hogshead went on trial for shooting Appo. However, since Appo, staying true to the code of a "good fellow," refused to testify against the two men, which prompted the judge to release Cassel and Hogshead, with a simple $ 50 fine. Appo, however, was arrested for running the Green Goods Swindle, and was sentenced to three years and two months at hard labor. Plus, Appo was fined $ 250.

Luckily for Appo, after spending only a few months in Clinton prison, on November 28, 1893 the New York Court of Appeals overturned Appo's conviction.

Feeling betrayed by Jim McNally, and by green goods operators in general, Appo agreed to testify before the Lexow committee, which was looking into police corruption, and their involvement in the Green Goods Swindle in particular. Appo did not tell the committee anything they already did not know, but he was branded a rat on the streets of New York City, and was shunned by the very people he had done business with for many years.

George Appo caught a break, when in September of 1894, he was approached by George W. Lederer, a renowned theater producer. Lederer offered Appo a part in his new play entitled "In the Tenderloin," in which Appo's was to simply play himself, in a play about New York's underbelly. Appo toured the country in this play for several years, but when the play's run ended, Appo was stiffed by Lederer for $ 15,000 in unpaid salary. Appo, although he tried for several years, never did collect his money from Lederer.

At the start of the 20th century, George Appo decided to live a life free from crime. He worked as a car cleaner at Grand Central Terminal, and also as a handyman at Calvary Church, the Sallade dress factory, and in the home of millionaire reformer a Alexander Hadden. In 1915, Appo began working for the government, during its investigations of opium dens. Appo received a salary of six dollars a month, in addition to another six dollars a month for rent for his apartment. Soon, Appo's salary was increased to $ 10 a month.

In his final years, little was heard about George Appo. What is known, is that Appo lived in a small apartment in Hell's Kitchen, on the west side of Manhattan. On August 10, 1929 George Appo was admitted to the Manhattan State Hospital on Wards Island. By that time, Appo was nearly deaf, and almost entirely blind.

On May 17, 1930, even though he had been shot four times, stabbed twice (once in the throat), and brutally beaten in prison, George Appo died at the age of 73, from nothing more than the effects of old age.

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Source by Joseph Bruno

5 Places Every Girl Should Visit With Her Gang While She's Single

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Goa – For the Beach Break

Goa is always in full-on party mode and it is the young people who have the most fun here with the swimming, dancing, karaoke and drinking. Sip martinis in your LBDs at any of the North Goa night clubs open well past midnight and carry your bikinis for a dip at any of the amazing beaches. Go shopping with the girls, try seafood, visit the churches during daytime, and if you manage to time your visit with the December Sunburn festival you are surely in for a treat.

Jaipur – For the Cultural Extravaganza

When your clique is in a mood to enjoy some time exploring and immersing themselves in history, Jaipur's well preserved relics from the past make it the best place to go to. This colorful city will provide you something much more stimulating than the cocktails you will get at bars – it is like a sip of the cocktail of tradition, spellbinding monuments, and bazaars crammed with unusual goodies to discover.

Mumbai – For the Chick Fiesta

Mumbai has something for everyone to do. The foodies can try the amazing street food, the fashionistas can visit the trendy markets in Colaba or Bandra, the Bollywood junkies can view the stars' houses, and the thrill seekers can try rafting, kayaking, or rappelling. Drive to the seafronts and gorge and gossip all day, and then enjoy the extreme nightlife of this city which never sleeps.

Coorg – For the Spa Holiday

After going through a tough break-up instead of binge-eating junk food, travel with your girls to Coorg. Renowned for its healing Ayurveda spas and resorts, give yourself a chance to do some recovery, contemplate, and revitalize yourself. After spending a few days in solace, you will leave Coorg much calmer, and happier.

Dharamshala – For the Trek Vacay

When you are looking for some spirituality, choose to vacation in Dharamshala. The city has a unique, transcendent quality with its monasteries, stupas, and temples. You can get your adrenaline pumping with the tough treks, and then cozily sit and talk in front of the fire and relax.

These are 5 absolutely fabulous places every single girl and her gang must travel to.destinations that make a budget traveller's dreams come true. Enjoy your travel trip.

A single girl in the city always needs to keep in touch with the latest trends in fashion, make-up, magazines, hobbies … everything really. And while trends come and go – friendships never seem to go out of style when you are young.

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Source by Neha Jain

Barriers To Effective Communication – And How To Overcome Them

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Just as multi-faceted communication itself is, the barriers to effective communication can be just as wide and deep. They can be physical or psychological, individual or social.

Some people have problems communicating which in turn brings the worse in others. If you have two people with good communication skills relating to each other, the conversation or the relation can be just as effective, wonderful and enjoyable as it can be. But the moment you pair one good communicator together with one bad, you create barriers to effective communication.

Some of the barriers are tangled into a problem of individual attitude. This can be the result of rebelling against poor communication coming from management in a work place environment, or parents at home, or a spouse, or friends in other personal areas.

Some people may have psychological problems from personal health or struggles. Communication barriers can come from language misunderstandings stemming from cultural differences, etc. They can be linguistics which is the use or misuse of uncommon or difficult words. They can be from types of personality which is a major player in creating barriers to effective communication.

All these can be found within personal, interpersonal, social, organizational, etc., making for a myriad of barriers to effective communication that one can avoid only through learning and training.

Some of the difficulties might be from a lack of sensitivity either from a sender or a receiver's point of view, or a lack of basic communication skills, or a lack of knowledge on a subject matter that one might be too proud to admit.

Other communication difficulties may be from emotional instabilities such as anger, hostility, resentfulness, fear, mood swings. All of these create conflicts and barriers to effective communication. As you can see, there is no limit to this subject list.

But the good news in all of it is that something can be done about overcoming these barriers. There is room for improving our communication skills, no matter at what level we are. Even a professor in communication can have problems communicating, because of one or another of the areas listed above.

The barriers to effective communication could be called just as well, the problems to effective communication. So we need to ask ourselves, what are the problems that I'm finding in communicating with others? As we list the problems, it is important to recognize which side those problems belong to. You might have a problem communicating with someone at work because he / she can not communicate.

Communication is a two-way street. If you are the only one communicating, it will be pretty difficult to resolve the problems. Then what do you do? Send the individual to a communication course? Teach them how to communicate every time there is a misunderstanding, a conflict or no communication at all? They may not be too receptive to the idea.

Sometimes, the only thing we can do in such cases is to ignore, give understanding, forgive and work around it. But with the problems or barriers to effective communication that fall squarely on us, the thing to do is to start working on them through taking courses and seminars, reading books, etc. Then the next most important factor is to put what we learn into relentless practice – one problem or barrier at a time./dmh

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Source by Dr.

American Mobsters – The Gophers – The Five Hundred-Member Gang That Ruled Hell's Kitchen

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The Gophers street gang was formed in the 1890's from a conglomerate of other Irish street gangs that patrolled the west side of Manhattan. They were given their name, because after they performed one misdeed, or another, they hid themselves in the cavernous neighborhood cellars to avoid arrest. The Gophers first ruled the area from Seventh to Eleventh Avenues, from Fourteenth Street to Forty Second Street, but later moved as far north as Fifty Seventh Street. Their numbers swelled and eventually reached over five hundred thugs, all murderous hooligans of the worst kind.

Their first base of operations was a notorious saloon called Battle Row, also the name of the area on 39th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenue, where the Gophers committed most of their mayhem. Battle Row was owned by a thug named Mallet Murphy, who was given that nickname because he corrected drunks and other miscreants with a wooden mallet, instead of a bludgeon, which was the weapon of choice of that day.

Due to death, or imprisonment of their bosses, the Gophers went through several leaders. The most famous Gopher boss was Owney "The Killer" Madden, whose reign ended in 1913, when he was sent to the slammer for ten years, for killing Little Patsy Doyle, his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, and an ambitious man intent on replacing Madden as the leader of the Gophers.

Another such boss was One Lung Curran, who originated a practice that determined the fashion wear of his gang. One day Curran, dismayed that his girlfriend did not have a proper winter coat, snuck up on a passing policeman, clubbed him over the head and stole his winter police coat. He gave the coat to his girlfriend, and after a few alterations, she produced a swell model, with a military cut. Other Gophers followed this trend, and soon there was an epidemic of police officers staggering back to their station house on West Forty Seventh Street, blood dripping from their heads and dressed only in their shirts, shoes and trousers. This prompted the police captain of that precinct to send groups of four and five cops into the Gophers' domain, to bludgeon enough Gophers that the sartorial vogue was soon over.

Another Gopher leader was Happy Jack Mulraney, so called, because his face seemed to be set into a permanent smile. This smile was not intended, but in fact caused by a quirky paralysis of Mulraney's face muscles. His cohorts enjoyed inciting the psychopathic killer Mulraney into a rage by telling him someone had made fun of his unintentional grin. One day, Paddy the Priest, a bar owner on Tenth Avenue and a close friend of Mulraney's, made the horrible mistake of asking Mulraney why he did not smile out of the other side of his face. Mulraney shot Paddy the Priest in the head, killing him instantly, then robbed his cash register. For his temporary lapse in judgment, Mulraney was sentenced to life in prison.

One day, in August of 1908, several Gophers wandered out of their West Side domain and smack into the middle of a shootout on the Lower East Side between Monk Eastman's gang and Paul Kelly's Five Pointers. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, the Gophers opened fire, shooting at members of both waring gangs. One Gopher later said, "A lot of guys were poppin 'at each other, so why should not we do a little poppin' ourselves?"

For years, the Gopher's main source of income was plundering the freight cars and train depot of the New York Central Railroad, which ran along Eleventh Avenue. The New York City police was unable, and sometimes unwilling, to stop these shenanigans. So the railroad organized its own "police force," which was comprised mostly of ex-cops, who had been brutalized by the Gophers in the past and were looking for revenge. The result was, the "special police" went into Hell's Kitchen, beating the Gophers from one end of the neighborhood to the other, or as one of the cops said, "From hell to breakfast." Sometimes they used clubs, and if needed, they fired guns. Being former policemen and well trained in firearms, they were the much better at gunplay than the Gophers.

In 1917, after the arrest of One Lung Curran, and with Madden still in jail and Mulraney in jail until his final breath, the Gophers gradually dissipated. By 1920, the Gophers street gang ceased to exist, only to be replaced in later years by another murderous group called "The Westies."

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Source by Joseph Bruno

What Filipino Men Are Like: The Inside-Scoop

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Getting the inside view on what Filipino men are like is as easy as looking into the glass. Typically, most Filipino men are the same. Inwardly, they are all protective. Being males, like most animals, they make sure that their mates are well-cared for. Instinctively, men will do anything to protect their women. This is the reason why, when crossing the street, the men are always on the danger side of the women.

Filipino men are programmed to be gentlemen. Since they were kids, they were taught to respect their elders and be polite. They open doors for their dates, pull out the chairs, open the car doors, etc. When they get down from the vehicle, they hold the woman's hand to help her down and to prevent her from tripping. These gestures may sound a bit old-world, and some feminists may disapprove, but that's how Filipino men are. They say "po" or "opo" to address their elders. Being polite and courteous is stitched into their DNA.

They can also be conservative because that's how they were raised. Old-fashioned Filipino men still prefer women who show less skin to those who show more skin. Sometimes, they also prefer timid and nice girls to the loud and wild ones. Case in point, some men would shun away smoking, alcoholic girls who party all night. Other guys make like these girls, but the typical nice and sweet guy would rather cuddle with the nice girls who stay at home.

Wanting to learn what Filipino men are like is the first step to getting closer to one. One thing about these men is that they are friendly and jolly. They love looking at smiling faces and would rather be with laughing with friends, having a few drinks. They are also outgoing. Even though the Philippine culture is quite conservative, it does not stop people from throwing parties and social get-togethers.

Although they are outgoing, Filipino men have a tendency to keep quiet when it comes to expressing their feelings. They do not really know to say what they feel, and they prefer to keep silent. This is true in situations where they opt to be inoffensive.

Filipino men are known to be generous and very hard-working. When they have something to share, they do share it with friends or family. They are considered to be excellent breadwinners of their families because they always put the needs of the entire family first. This is the reason why men work hard and concentrate on their work.

Filipino men, especially those raised Christian, are God-fearing. Thus, they are loyal and faithful to their loved ones, and their wives. Once they say their vows, it's until death do you part.

Guys with these characteristics are worth getting to know, and who knows? They may grow on you. Men who are nice, thoughtful, caring, respectful, loyal, smart, outgoing and God-fearing are scarce. They are rare and are the type to settle down and get serious. These characteristics embody what Filipino men are like once you take the time to know them better.

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Source by Annielyn Summers

Radley Bags and How to Avoid Buying a Fake!

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Radley bags are the biggest selling handbag brand in the UK Although Radley bags can be purchased in a number of high street stores they can also be bought online. eBay UK literally offers thousands of different Radley handbags both new and used, in fact, the pre-owned Radley Markey is extremely active.

We all know that it's possible to make huge savings by buying on the internet as compared to buying from a designer boutique but buying online brings with it it's own risks and this guide is here to steer you through the process. Radley handbags are sold with a shiny, cardboard tab attached to the outside of the bag. A fake bag will have the Radley "Scottie" logo in red at the bottom of this label whereas an original Radley will NOT have this. A genuine bag will just have the words "RADLEY" typed across it.

It is the same with Radley wallets and purses, if the tab has a red dog on it then it is fake. Genuine Radley bags have a leather cutout of the Radley dog ​​attached to the bag but in such a way that it can be removed easily. On a counterfeit bag this cutout is usually attached permanently to the handbag. Radley handbags are sold complete with a fabric, protective pouch that is closed with a drawstring.

Ask If there is a Radley dog ​​appliqued to the face of the bag then it should not have the word "Radley" stamped across it-if it does then you know it's a fake. You may see the word "Radley" stamped on the Scottie dog but this would only be on the "swing tag" that dangles from the outside of the bag. When you buy a new Radley bag then it will come with a leather after care kit, ask the seller if this is included (although these often do go missing). Bear in mind that as the buyer you have the prerogative to ask the buyer as many questions as you feel is necessary.

If the seller avoids your questions then it may suggest they are hiding eBay has a wonderful feedback system where you can view the credibility score of sellers and see the opinions of other buyers who have bought from that particular seller. The higher the score then the more credible and reliable that seller is. When you check the feedback score try to ensure there is a healthy number of recent transactions as this also helps to demonstrate that the seller has recently been selling items on eBay without problems.

Some balance should be applied to this method as new eBay sellers will obviously have low or zero feedback ratings. This does not necessarily mean they are untrustworthy but extra caution should be taken. By following these simple steps you can be assured that your Radley bag is authentic and bona fide.

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Source by Marek Kamella

Book Report: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

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Book Title: The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole

Book Genre: Novel presented through the form of a diary of a teenage boy called Adrian Mole

Author: Sue Townsend

A. PSYCHIC BOOK REPORT:

What I expect this book is about / will contain: As the title itself implies, this is a secret diary of the person named Adrian Mole. I expect to read some of his personal thoughts, beliefs and secrets. I assume that the book contains short notes about the boy's every day activities, how the main character feels while doing them and what are the consequences of the actions taken by him.

Post why?

I think that the diary format of this novel makes it very easy to read and understand. The dates written in the diary give us a clear idea of ​​when exactly the action happened, where and who are the people to take part in certain activities.

B. NOTE ON THE AUTHOR: Susan Lillian Townsend is the creator of Britain's best loved and bestselling diarist, Adrian Mole. She was born on 2nd April 1946 in Leicester and went to Glen Hills Primary School. She is an English novelist, playwright screenwriter and columnist, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole books. Her father was a postman and she was the eldest of five sisters. After failing her 11-plus exam, Townsend then went to the secondary modern South Wigston High School. She left school at the age of 15 and worked in a variety of jobs including factory worker and shop assistant. She married a sheet-metal worker and had three children by the time she was 22. She joined a writers' group at the Phoenix Theater, Leicester in her thirties. She has four children: Sean, Daniel, Victoria and Elizabeth. At the time of writing the first Adrian Mole book, Townsend was living on the Saffron Lane Estate. The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole was reputedly based on her children's experiences at Mary Linwood Comprehensive School in Leicester. Several of the teachers who appear in the book are based on actual staff who worked at the school in the early 1980 s. When the book was filmed, it was mostly filmed at a different school nearby. Mary Linwood Comprehensive was closed in 1997. The first two published stories appeared in a short-lived arts journal entitled simply magazine, the editing and production of which Townsend was involved. The first two books in the series appealed to many readers as a realistic and humorous treatment of the inner life of an adolescent boy. Townsend has suffered from diabetes for many years, as a result of which she was registered blind in 2001, and has woven this theme into her work. For her work she has been presented with several awards. On February 25, 2009, Leicester City Council announced that Townsend will be given the Honorary Freedom of Leicester. She is married and has four children and five grandchildren and still lives in Leicester.

C. POINT OF VIEW: Teenagers will always be teenagers. All of them have school and love problems, as well as problems with their parents. Although the book was originally written in 1982, ten years before I was even born, all the ideas and feelings in the book are still valid today.

D. TONE: (How does the author feel toward her subject, her protagonist or perhaps even her audience?)

The author has made this book enjoyable and easy to read and understand. Through Adrian Mole she addresses all the teenagers in the world by telling them that this period of growing up and becoming mature could be difficult, yet interesting and funny.

E. SETTING:

1. TIME: (When is the book set? What characterized the time in question?)

The book is set in the 1980's. The references to the Royal Wedding, Abba, Punks and Margaret Thatcher may be confusing to some younger readers. It makes you realize how little things change. The Sun, bad city schools, spots, school plays and Marmite are all part of everyday British life and will probably always be with us. One thing I would say is that there are so many references to uniquely British objects in this book that overseas readers might get confused. There are numerous references to PE shorts, Marmite, Spotted Dick, the Sunday Mirror, the RSPCA and so on.

2. PLACE: (What locations are included in the book?)

When we start reading the book, the first place we're introduced to is Adrian's house. According to him, the house where he lives has two floors. On the first floor there is the kitchen, where Adrian cooked a meal when both of his parents were ill. Apparently, the bedrooms are upstairs, because he said that he had to run upstairs and downstairs all day long to help them recover. There's a small garden where the dog usually runs away. The house has a front door and a back door where Mr. Lucas ran away from. There is another house next to Adrian's house. It's Mr. and Mrs. Lucas's house with a garden. The second location that Adrian takes us to is his school. It's got a school dining room where the students have their lunch during break. Students had to wait in lines in order to get their meal. Next to describe is the old house of Bert Baxter. It is not clean and it smells horribly because of the fact that Bert Baxter smokes and drinks a lot. When Adrian gets the job of delivering newspapers, he gave a short description of the street where the wealthy people lived. He said that the houses were very big. The name of the street was Elm Tree Avenue. It was the street where Pandora lived with her family. Finally, the whole action in the book takes place in the city of Leicester, situated in the East Midlands of England. It is one of the oldest cities in England.

F. SHORT PLOT SUMMARY:

13 year old Adrian starts his diary on January 1st in the early 80's. He writes an entry every day for nearly two years. He reflects on his school, his unrequited love (Pandora Baithwaite), and his parents (including his hilariously awful feminist mother). Adrian decides that he is an "undiscovered intellectual" and tries desperately to improve his brain by reading as many books as he can. He usually misses the point in all the books he reads but is confident about his wrong assertions. Here lies the some of the humor – we see the world through Adrian's eyes and we can understand what is really going on between his mother and Mr "Creep" Lucus. But Adrian does not quite understand it all yet. You feel so sorry for Adrian when his parents argue or when he is bullied, but the next laugh is always just round the corner.

Main conflict?

This book is very effective at communicating the confusion that adolescence can often be. It is also hugely touching.

Turning point – Adrian's thought of having a better life and the thought that he deserves better life than the life he lives now. He realised that it was high time for his father to find a job, to be well paid and to increase Adrian's pocket money.

Resolutions / Outcomes?

First of all Adrian promised to help the poor, so collected some old comics and brought them to a boy who lived nearby. Then he promised not to squeeze his spots, but he did not really keep his promise. He did not fulfill his resolution about drinking alcohol, because he drank whisky while he was staying at Nigel's house. Adrian said that he would not try smoking and this is one of the resolutions that he stuck to.

G. CHARACTERS: (complete descriptions of the main characters in the book, including appearance, personality, relationships which help define the character, as well as the character's progress and / or transformation through the course of the book)

1. Adrian Mole is a teenage boy who is 13 ¾ years old at the beginning of the book. Being a teenage boy, he is not very sociable and talkative as girls at that age. Since he does not speak about his problems, he decides to keep a diary, where he will write everything that happens to him. He starts his diary with a several new resolutions for the New Year because he wants to be a new and a good person. His life situation is very bad because his parents do not pay attention on him and because they're always arguing. He thinks that he has spots on his face and that one particular spot is growing very big, because his mother does not know anything about vitamins, and his diet is very poor. I think that he should have more attention from his parents, especially from his mother. We always understand and feel for Adrian's emotional problems and the physical changes he goes through. Adrian is like any other teenager – he has spots and he reads pornography. Adrian use to be alone and he has to be more sociable, he should have someone that really loves him and takes care of him too. The relationship between Adrian's parents is really bad. They're arguing all the time. At school, a new girl called Pandora has arrived and he thinks that he has fallen in love with her. She sits next to him in Geography classes and he soon realizes he has feelings for her. They have a love relationship, but Pandora thought it was very serious so they decided to slow down a bit. However the most embarrassing of all situations for Adrian was when he was building his model aeroplane. He decided to try an experimental sniff of the glue, he smelled the glue and his nose stuck to the plane. Adrian's father took Adrian to hospital and everyone laughed at him. No matter what happened to him, he remained a decent and kind person.

2. Character 2

Pandora is Adrian Mole's beautiful, treacle-haired first girlfriend and lifelong obsession. Pandora is the girl Adrian fells in love with. She sits next to Adrian in Geography classes and she likes being called Box. "Box" has got long hair the color of the treacle and she has a good figure. She lives on Elm Tree Street and has a horse that she likes to ride. Pandora thinks that Adrian's father is a racist because when an Indian family moved into the Lucas 'old house his father said it was `the beginning of the end of their street'. She did not buy a present to Adrian for his birthday. She said she had given all her money to a poor man. She smokes five cigarettes a day, but Adrian does not really mind that because he's in love with her. When Adrian asks her to make love to him she said refused him saying that she did not want to be a single parent to her children, so they stopped seeing each other for a while.

3. Character 3

Bert Baxter is an old person Adrian cares for. He smokes, drinks and has a big dog called Sabre. Adrian thinks that he is not a nice old man, because of his constant complaints about everything. He's a filthy 89-year-old communist who has sworn not to die until capitalism is destroyed; eventually becoming the oldest man in Leicester. Lives on beetroot sandwiches, Vesta curry and brown ale, and speaks fluent Hindi. Once, Bert Baxter phoned Adrian's school because he had lost his artificial teeth which have a sentimental value from him as they were given to him by his father. Adrian becomes his toe-nail cutter, bottle washer and friend. Bert has a new girlfriend called Queenie and they have got married. They are moving into a new house and their honeymoon will be in the old people's home.

4. Character 4

Nigel is Adrian's life-long best friend, a cynical observer of his suffering over the years. Nigel's big house and big room as well as the things he possesses are a constant reminder to the young Adrian of his relative poverty and parental neglect. After spending a weekend at Nigel's house, Adrian thought that this particular weekend with Nigel had opened his eyes: he had lived in poverty for 14 years; he lived in a horrible house, ate terrible food and did not get enough pocket money. He thought his father would have to look for a better job. Nigel has got a new bike with a lot of gadgets and at one point Adrian said that if he had to choose between Pandora and Nigel's bike, he would definitely choose Nigel's bike. Adrian told him about his love for Pandora, but he only took an advantage of that fact. Nigel first became Pandora's boyfriend and ruined the friendly relationship between himself and Adrian.

5. Character 5

George Mole is Adrian's father. His many episodes of hospitalization, arguments, depression and unemployment have taken their toll. Adrian's father and mother are separating because Adrian's mother was cheating his husband with Mr. Lucas. Once, when Adrian's father went fishing, Mr Lucas went to Adrian's house for dinner. He ate three pieces of his father's favorite cake. Then, when his father arrived home and came in the front door, Mr Lucas went out the back door. There was no cake left for Adrian's father, and his mother gave him a cheese sandwich for his supper. His father threw it at the wall and said he was not a mouse, he was a man. After this big raw, when Adrian's father knew that Adrian's mother was going to Sheffield with Mr. Lucas, Adrian's father got angry and then, he fought with Mr. Lucas in the front garden. Despite their many tribulations he still loves Pauline Mole. He's more than happy when he finds out that she is coming back to him.

H. ASSOCIATIONS: (Ideas, situations, or characters that remind you of other texts you have read)

1. Connection: "Brigit Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding to "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole"

Commentary: Brigit Jones is a 30 and something years old single women who I find similar to Adrian Mole because she also has a diary and she has her own resolutions (as well as Adrian). Her resolutions are: to lose 7 pounds, to stop smoking and to develop Inner Poise.

Commentary: The other thing why I find these two books and characters similar is the way both Brigit and Adrian write about things – in a funny way, full of self-improvement thoughts and self-awareness. Also the fact that just like every teenage boy can find himself in the head of Adrian, in the same way every woman can find herself dealing with the same problems that Brigit deals with.

2. Connection: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney to "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole"

Commentary: Greg Heffler is a middle-school boy that deals with almost the same problems as Adrian Mole. They both write about the advantages and disadvantages of growing up.

Commentary: Both books have humor in them and both are very easy to read and are meant for the same type of readers – mainly teenagers who find themselves in the same situations like the main characters in both of the books.

I. CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE BOOK:

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ is the first book in the Adrian Mole series of comedic fiction, written by Sue Townsend. I liked this book a lot. It has a strong sense of humor which is my favorite category of book, it also was written in a diary style which I really enjoy. It used simple grammar so it was really easy to read and follow. It was like you were in the head of an adolescent boy. It's a very lighthearted story told through the diary entries of a British boy who considers himself a misunderstood intellectual. The sad topics (parent separation, unemployment, old age, etc.) are filtered though the eyes of a narrator who is not always aware of what's really going on.

I would recommend this book to anyone. The diary format makes it very easy to read, but there is also a great deal of depth and thought to the book. There are so many memorable and funny characters in this book. There are also so many great moments. The book is sensitive but also deeply funny. When you finish this book you'll want to read the other volumes of Adrian's Diary.

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Source by Dobrica Nastova

Sadie "The Goat" Farrell – The Queen of the Waterfront

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Volume 3 – Mobsters – Farrell, Sadie "The Goat" – The Queen of the Waterfront

She was not as vicious with her claws as the Dead Rabbits' Hellcat Maggie. Nor as big and strong as an Amazon riverfront bouncer named Gallus Mag. But Sadie "The Goat" Farrell made more money than both women combined when she was the "Queen of the New York Waterfront."

Sadie Farrell was born and raised in the slums of the Fourth Ward near the East River. As a young girl she hung around with street hustlers and thieves. Slight of built, but mean and vicious, Sadie usually worked the streets around the docks in concert with a male companion, who gave her the muscle backup she needed. When a mark emerged drunk from one of the local dives, Sadie would take a running start, then ram the top of her head into the victim's stomach.

This was a dangerous maneuver, since sometimes the person delivering the headbutt does more damage to themselves than to the intended victim. But Sadie was a pro, and she made sure only the top of her head made contact with the victim's gut, and not sensitive areas like her nose and forehead. The headbutt stopped the victim in his tracks, and as soon as he turned his attention to Sadie, her male companion used a slingshot to propel a rock to the side of the victim's head. If that did not work, a bat or a sap always did the trick. Then Sadie and her partner would take everything of value from the unconscious mark, even his shirt, pants and shoes. This was small-time work for Sadie, but it still puffed up her reputation on the East Side docks.

One day, Sadie made the mistake of having one too many belts in the Hole-in-the-Wall bar on Dover Street, just two blocks from the East River. The bouncer at the Hole-in-the-Wall was a six-foot female creature from England named Gallus Mag. Mag patrolled the bar with a small bat strapped to her wrist, which she was not reticent to use on unruly customers. If after a few whacks on the head the drunk was still feisty, Mag would then wrap him in a headlock, then bite off one of his ears, before she flung him out the front door. The ear would then go into a jug of alcohol, which Mag proudly displayed behind the bar. The jars filled with ears behind the bar was called "Gallus Mag's Trophy Case."

Sadie being Irish and Mag being from England was an accident waiting to happen. It's not certain who started the slurs first, but it's a good bet it was Sadie, and that was not a smart thing to do. Mag, who was twice Sadie's size, bopped Sadie on the head a few times with the bat, but Sadie still flailed away at Mag with a vengeance.

Another not a smart thing to do.

Mag enveloped Sadie's head with her massive arms, and in a flash, one of Sadie's ears had been detached from the side of her head. Mag deposited Sadie on her rump on Dover Street, then deposited Sadie's ear in an alcohol-filled jug, and proudly displayed it behind the bar. Mag even scripted on the jug, "Sadie the Goat's Ear."

Disgraced and disheartened, Sadie took her show on the road and wound up on the West Side docks, clear around to other side of Manhattan from her former haunts. One day while wandering around trying to figure out how to make a score, Sadie witnessed members of the Charlton Street Gang unsuccessfully attempting to board a small sloop anchored in the middle of the North River (now called the Hudson River). The Charlton Street Gang was so inept and disorganized, the ship's crew had no trouble beating them back and beating them up in the process. Sadie figured with her expert direction, the gang would do much better than before if she were the boss. So Sadie helped the gang members lick their wounds, and then convinced them with her brains and their brawn, they could make a very successful team indeed.

A few days later, with Sadie leading the gang, they were able to hijack a much larger sloop, and with the "Jolly Roger" (skull and crossbones) flying from the masthead, Captain Sadie led the gang up and down the North and Harlem Rivers, up to Poughkeepsie and beyond. They raided small villages; robbing poor people's farm houses and the riverside mansion of the rich. Because ocean liners and major shipping vessels were so well-protected, Sadie and her crew concentrated on raiding smaller up-river merchant ships instead.

Sadie was so into her "River Pirate" routine, she began reading voraciously on pirate history and pirate lore. After discovering that pirates had once kidnapped Julius Caesar, she ordered her crew to go on a kidnapping spree. In the spirit of old pirate traditions, some true, some contrived, Sadie even forced several members of her own gang to walk the plank if they did not do exactly as she demanded.

For several months, Sadie and her crew were extremely successful in their endeavors. They stashed their booty in several hiding places, until they could dispose of it for cold, hard cash, though the various fences along the North and East Rivers. One of these fences was Marm Mandelbaum, who through her store on Clinton Street, was said to be the largest fence on the entire east coast of America.

But all good things must come to an end.

After several home owners were murdered by Sadie and Charlton Street Gang, the upstate Hudson Valley residents banded together and formed a force of resistance. The farm folk ambushed the Charlton Street Gang as it came ashore, and police patrolling New York's harbor stopped them from pillaging the small merchant ships on the North River. Soon, so many gang member were killed, Sadie was forced to abandon her pirating ways. What was left of the Charlton Street Gang went back to the West Side docks, and soon they completely disbanded.

Sadie decided to return to her old haunts in the Fourth Ward, where she was now hailed as the "Queen of the Waterfront." With the cash she had earned from her pirating days, Sadie opened up her own gin mill.

Soon after Sadie's return to the East Side docks, the Hole-in-the-Wall bar was the site of seven murders in just two months. As a result, the New York City police shut down the Hole-in-the-Wall bar for good. But before last call at the Hole-in-the-Wall, Sadie visited Gallus Mag. The two girls made up, and Mag was so gracious, she went behind the bar, retrieved Sadie's pickled ear, and returned it to its rightful owner.

Sadie wore her severed ear in a locket around her neck for the rest of her life.

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Source by Joseph Bruno

Tips to Make Your Golf Cart Tires Last Twice As Long

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Tired of ordering expensive replacement golf cart tires every season due to tread wear? Tired of having your tires losing their traction and "stickiness"? Tired of having dry looking tires wrapped up on your clean aftermarket wheels? No … there is no punchline here pitching you a magical product to increase the life of your golf cart tires. We are wish there was.

But what we can offer you, free of charge, are these 4 great tips for getting the most out of your golf cart tires; whether your tires are turf / street tires, all terrain tires or off road tires. Read on for tips that can save you money and keep your tires looking fresh longer!

Check Your Air Pressure
This is a simple, but commonly overlooked practice. We know, we know … you would much rather be out conquering the next dirt trail or gravel pathway with your ride than sitting in your garage (like a nerd) ensuring the proper pressure has been established in your golf cart tires. But trust us when we say that checking your tire pressure every few weeks can help you conquer more terrain on a smaller tire budget.

It is best to check your tires when they are cold (before driving your cart) as driving the cart before checking will heat up your tires and give you a false, higher tire pressure reading. It is wise to check your tire pressure once a month (every 3 to 4 weeks) because 1 pound of air pressure or more can be lost each month due to permeation resulting in lower gas mileage and additional / uneven tire wear. Even more permeation than this can occur in the warmer months of the year.

Tires that are under-inflated run hotter than those that are properly inflated due to excess room for air expansion in the under-filled tire. Over inflating a golf cart tire, on the other hand, can cause tire blow outs at higher operational temperatures.

You do not trust strangers … right? Good. Do not trust the strange tire pressure gauge at the gas station or club house. Those things are about as useful as scraping your knee in the parking lot. Get yourself a good tire pressure gauge (they are only a few bucks). Use it on ALL your vehicles and start realizing better gas mileage and less wear. It's un-American not to do it.

Check your Camber
Walk to the front of your glorious golf cart, turn around and stare back at the modern marvel you have worked so feverishly on. After you snap a few art-museum worthy photos and posted them to Facebook (wait until you get at least 3 likes), take a second to observe the camber of your golf cart. Camber is the angle of tilt the tire shows toward or away from the frame of your golf cart. If your tires slant inwards – (with the tops closer together than the bottoms, like a school child holding in the need to go to the bathroom) – your tread will wear away on the inner portion of the tire first. If the tops of the tires tip outwards then the opposite is true and there will be more wear on the outside of the tire.

The way to mitigate a camber issue is to make sure your tires are in proper alignment. This brings up the issues of toe, tie rods, alignment adjustments, camber and more. Quick out our lands check guide on fine-tuning your golf cart Your alignment at home to help you tackle this Easily mpeg.

Toe is not difficult to check. Toe is a simple way of measuring the stance of your tires, Think about it as "camber from a birds eye view" because in this case we will be looking at our tires from the side of the cart and not the front or rear. Your golf cart tires are on one axle and this axle can be thought of as the "foot". Staring at your cart from the side ( after snapping a few more pictures) Toe in means that the tires are slightly closer together at the front of the tire which will cause additional tread wear from the outside. Toe out means that the rear of the tires are closer together (imagine the visual of putting your heels together) which will cause the tires to wear from the inside more quickly.

Avoid Hazards and Potholes

Unless you have one mean off road tire , you should probably not purposefully attack every curb or embankment you see. Try to avoid road hazards and high speed pothole / hole-in-the-path impacts. This simple trick will no doubt increase the life of your tires by 1,000 miles. Even if you are running an aggressive tire, it is wise to avoid powerful impacts to the tire construction.

Keep Your Shoes Clean!

Go grab a good tire shine / protectent to shield your tires from unnecessary ultraviolet wear. Wipe that baby all over your sidewalls LIBERALLY . You can always get another can!

Hope these tips help extend the life of your tires. As much as we love selling you your next set of tires (nothing better than fresh rubber), we do not want you to spend your hard earned cash before it is necessary (or before you decide you need both off road and low profile wheel and tire sets).

Keep up the good work, studs!

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Source by Alex Sturwold