Jonathan Mahler's 'Ladies And Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning'

Improved Essays
Jonathan Mahler, writer of the book, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning,” discusses the political, economical, and social fall of New York in 1977. The term originated in 1972 after a documentary series episode of the same title was aired. The term became more socially recognized during the 1977 World Series game where the New York Yankees faced the Los Angles Dodgers. Helicopter camera views show video clips of actual fires during the arson breakout caused by the economic fall of the South Bronx during the 1970s.
Socially, the Bronx was changing drastically in the 1970s, which Mahler contributes to the recent changes in the Newspaper industry. Rupert Murdoch, after purchasing the New York Post began a new wave of sensationalism in
…show more content…
The abandoned buildings and tenement housing that was left was to be re constructed. Asian-Americans moved from Chinatown and Flushing queens that helped fill up the low income housing that was being re constructed. Money was set aside for the St. Barbara’s church to fix their organ. Sunday mass soon was a popular outing again, another source of strength revitalizing the Bronx after a long downfall. Referring back to the newspaper industry of the time, “North Brooklyn News” helped publish local stories which Mahler says, “chartered the community’s rehabilitation, commending its heroes, exposing its villains, flushing out corruption, and, most of all, keeping alive the story of a neighborhood that might otherwise have been forgotten as the long hot summer of 1977 began to fade into New York’s collective memory.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning” tells the story of the collapse of the Bronx from start to finish. Mahler depicts the summer of 1977 describing the effects of decay, along with the sources of strength, Yankees carrying the community with a sense of pride and hope, as well as urban renewal efforts revitalizing the borough. Many factors contributed to “The Bronx is Burning” but the main factor was the poor economic conditions. Although the Bronx still may feel the effects of deconstruction from the fall, as described in the book, in todays society, it is important to know what was going on politically, socially, and economically to understand fully what happened to the Bronx in the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Ms. Moore starts off with an incisive criticism of segregation, its underlying causes and the apparent unwillingness of Chicago Mayors to focus on it. However, Moore argues that even so, the South Side is a “magical place”. She describes it as a strong community with “vibrant business, bars, funeral homes”. The author briefly describes what is beautiful about having been raised in the South Side and then proceeds to relay her point to the readers: Diversity is worth celebrating, high-poverty segregation is not. She then explores the negative effects of segregation and then proceeds to briefly examine the effects on segregation the housing crisis had.…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The “Pruitt-Igoe Myth” is a documentary directed by Chad Freidrichs, that brings you back to St. Louis in the 1950-1970’s. It takes you through the construction, to the deconstruction of Pruitt-Igoe with the help of a few of its former residents. Pruitt-Igoe, short for the Wendell O. Pruitt Homes and William Igoe Apartments, were made up of 33, 11-story buildings on 57 acre on the north side of St. Louis (Bristol). The former tenants recall their excitement about first moving into Pruitt-Igoe and take you through the slow decline of the complex, to its inevitable demolish in 1972. The film talks about a few different reasons why Pruitt-Igoe failed, the decline of population in St. Louis after World War II, being the main culprit.…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Baseball has been a fixture in America’s past since the early days and one may say is it is America’s pastime. Charles Alexander writes the book, Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Great Depression Era with that in mind. Alexander has complied a book about what baseball was like during the years when America lived in a time of great poverty and economic troubles. Alexander writes with the aim of writing a chronology of baseball and how it the happenings of the world influenced this sport. Baseball has had a great following and Alexander explains the National pastime in a way that feels like you are right there during the season.…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    However, E.B. White’s writing includes many thoughtful ideas that connect to more than one aspect of New York. By reading this short essay I think this semester will include a lot of analysis regarding New York and how to observe the city better. This essay taught me to appreciate the place I live in because there are so many great things about it. Additionally, by White including the 9/11 attacks at the end of his essay, I believe we will also focus on several incidents that have affected the New York lifestyle. Living through these types of moments are what shape a New Yorker and learning about it will be very…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bensonhurst Research Paper

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Research Assignment Final: Bensonhurst Like many neighborhoods in New York, Bensonhurst has also been subjected to gentrification and reurbanization. Undeniably, over the years, my neighborhood has experienced death and life as an authentic urban place. Essentially, the drastic changes of the population, social relations, and etc. have led to the development of its current authenticity related to its new beginning. Bensonhurst has undergone a cultural, social, and economic transformation; evident from how the attributes of the new, innovative Bensonhurst remold the old, historical one.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    She relates the fact that in the late 40s South Bronx neighborhoods where getting filled with whites and discrimination against blacks and possibly other minorities was prevalent with the use of red-lining by banks and the idea that landlords developed that burning down their buildings would be a more profitable advantage. With short notices to the residents this popular trend Cater says left 600,000 people displaced. Moreover, Carter makes the point that this withdraw that started in the 1960s is what made way for the issue the followed from then and that she was currently dealing with at large. Carter then uses the strategy of a circular close by referring again to the story she began with when she first presented the speech.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Francisco Silva LTC Humphrey HIST 2123 April 30, 2015 Past Time Baseball as History In the book “Past Time” by Jules Tygiel he shows us how great the history of baseball can be by going further than just the teams, the records set, and the players. This book has nine chapters resembling that baseball has nine innings to it, starting from the 1850’s to the 1980’s. Tygiel talks about how this book is more about American history then the actual development of baseball. As Tygiel talks more about the American history he relates baseball to the changes that occurred in our society.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rina Swentzell Thesis

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Modernizations and upgrades of property leads to profit, and profits lead to the “American Dream.” One may be forced to sacrifice their dream in order to make a stepping stone for another’s dream. Rina Swentzell and Rory Caroll were witnesses to gentrification, yet at different emotions. Swentzell reflects on the sadness of the gentrification of her Native American tribal land, whereas, Rory, a journalist, who’s reporting the anger of the Boyle Heights residents fighting the current neighborhood gentrification.…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the readings Bracing for gentrification in the South Bronx by and “The SoHo Effect” by Roman Mars. They both talk about gentrification and how it affects permanent residents. Gentrification is used to describe the arrival of wealthier people to an urban district, which relates to increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district character and culture. Gentrification is often used negatively because it has often led to displacement of the poor and establishment of the rich. However, gentrification leads to new investment, for example, construction of buildings, new services such as grocery stores, improved educational programs and it increases the economy of the area.…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Harlem has been deeply associated with the vibrant life of african americans for more than a century. Harlem is the place where musician and bootleggers lived together, poet and pickpocket ate in the same dining room and preachers, physician all were aristocrats. On the contrary, Harlem 1920-1980s experienced deterioration of housing stocks, high crime rates and devastating effects of Crack and Cocaine. However, major changes have taken place in the last two decades where Harlem is no longer considered a slum, but a modern neighborhood designed to attract wealthy individuals and corporate business. The article “Ethnic Cleansing Comes to Harlem” by Mamadou Chinyelu and Figure 1 illustrate the effects of gentrification through a socio-economic…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The year was 1887, and the place was New York City. Immigrants flooded into America’s streets in search of a better life, a life that fulfilled the American dream. The city was overcrowded, and the people were poor. The tenement district overflowed with new immigrants and one police reporter discovered light.…

    • 1681 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “A City Ready to Burn” By:Talyn Houghton On October 8, 1871, Chicago, Illinois was a city ready to burn. In the book The Great Fire, the author Jim Murphy gave enough evidence to show that Chicago was a city ready to burn into a mountain of flames in 1871. At the onset, the city was a windy city anyway…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The changes in policy over the course of the three different mayoral administrations in New York City showcases how the priority of that administration and the perceived value of the campaign affected how helpful the government was in achieving the goal. Neighborhood Women’s past experiences also show how there is a tension between the members of the community wanting improvement and the government which wants to accomplish its own goals. As shown by the progress of the hospital, the current rules and structures that are in place have had a direct impact on the…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction • A shoe brand called the Hush Puppies became popular out of nowhere between 1994-1995. • The crime rates in New York dropped drastically in 1995. • When small factors causes something to become an epidemic or trend, it is known as a "Tipping Point". Chapter One-…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Research Essay Portfolio Task 5 Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”-1957 is a landmark composition in the development of the American musical and it took many years for the idea to be developed into a musical. They had the idea of writing a deep meaning musical which would show people what real life was all about. The original idea was for a Jewish girl and a Catholic boy to fall in love. This theme however changed when the Puerto Ricans moved into New York and the story line was altered to focus rather on an American-Puerto Rican love story.…

    • 3075 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Great Essays