#10: Uncle Lou’s Scrapbook
INNOCENT VICTIMS OF ADVERSITY.
That’s how Uncle Lou, a geologist turned chauffeur, saw many of the girls in Times Square, who affectionately called him Uncle. His scrapbook documents an era of burlesque queens and porn starlets, whom he remains loyal to decades after their careers ended.
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- Uncle Lou with Number One niece, Raven de la Croix
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- Carrying off Seka during his Clark Gable period
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- With Ginger Lynn
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- Uncle Lou and Josh on 42nd Street
#9: Oh Susanna!
COPPING A FEEL IN TIMES SQUARE.
Show girls, moonlighting nurses, pickpockets and members of a fake marriage ring. Live Nude Girls 25¢ was the neon community catchphrase, and it was all about fast cash.
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- Candy Staton was a worldly show girl who gave it her all in Times Square peep shows.
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- Oxuzana–or Oh Susanna, if you prefer–came from Alabama with a banjo on her knee.
#8: Holy Cross
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH VS. TIMES SQUARE.
Three priests of Holy Cross Church witnessed the rise and fall of Times Square. Father Robert Rappleyea, pastor during the era of porn, saw the human condition reach bottom. He put up a bold front.
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- Holy Cross Church, 329 W. 42nd Street (photo by Jeff Goodman for Tales of Times Square)
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- A young Father Robert Rappleyea, pastor of Holy Cross in the 1970s and ‘80s
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- Father McCaffrey. Darning his socks in the bar with the pimps and the whores. Everyone snores
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- Father Francis Duffy, hero chaplain of the Fighting 69th in WWI
#7: King Heroin
THE TOAST OF BROADWAY.
A lightweight contender in the 1920s, Manny Rosen worked in the kitchen of the Stage Delicatessen for 32 years—in charge of making toast. But he also wrote “King Heroin” for James Brown, after losing his daughter to heroin. He became the right-hand man of Bob Anthony, “Mr. Burlesk,” in the Melody Burlesk back office.
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- Manny strikes familiar pose in front of Melody Burlesk box office. He gave them all a good schtup. (photo by Josh Alan Friedman)
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- Bosom Buddies: Bob Anthony and Manny Rosen. Tough guys with hearts of gold, beloved by the strippers.
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- The Toast of Times Square: Manny worked at the Stage Deli for 32 years–in charge of making toast.
#6: The Peeps
LIVE NUDE GIRLS 25¢.
Peep Shows were a phenomenon as common to Times Square as slot machines to Las Vegas. Live Nude Girls became the neon community catchphrase. We visit Roger K as he creates the technology in his private laboratory at Show World.
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- Roger K’s peep electronics lab was upstairs, at 8th Ave. & 42nd St., in 1984. (photo by Jeff Goodman, for Tales of Times Square)
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- panels from early comix by Josh and Drew Friedman
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- A peep show dancer’s view, if you were to shine a light. (panels from early comix by Josh and Drew Friedman)
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- Coin of the Realm: Live Nude Currency at many emporiums throughout the Square.