Kamis, 20 Oktober 2011

Mobsters - James Farley - "King of the Strikebreakers"



He began as a simple change of boys in New York, but throughout his life Fast and the Furious, James Farley became known as the "King Strikebreakers ."

James Farley was born in 1874 in the sleepy town of Malone, New York, just miles from the Canadian border. Although he became an alter boy in the Malone Catholic Church, Farley is a rough and tumble kid, always looking for trouble, and most find it.

When he was 15 years old Farley ran away from home and headed south in the State of New York. In 1889, Farley's work with Frank Robinson cirkus.Cirkus ran their course in Middletown, New York, so that Farley has traveled near Monticello, where he found a job in Madison House. There he worked as an assistant poolroom, a clerk, then a waiter. His bosses loved Farley intelligence and stamina, and soon made ​​director of the Madison home.

One day, Farley need some dental radio did. While sitting in the dentist chair, Farley accidentally swallowed a big lump of cocaine, which was then used as a painkiller. Farley completely panicked, and instead of getting his dental work completed, he bolted from the dentist's chair, ran madly from the dentist, and disappeared into the woods. For a couple of weeks, Farley was living like an animal in the forest, while the local police sent a search party looking for him.

effects of cocaine overdose after finally wore off, and Farley, knowing his managerial position at Madison House is toast, headed further south, until he reached Brooklyn, New York. Farley's first job in Brooklyn as a guard rail for the Revenue Service, but was soon transferred Farley Brooklyn City Railway Company, where he labored in the power house, mostly shoveled coal.

In 1895, relations between the railway workers' union (the District Assembly No. 75 Knights of Labor) and the Brooklyn City Railroad Company, a frazzled to the point where a strike was inevitable. There was a collective agreement in place since 1886, which was renewed annually. However, this time the owners insisted on bringing in non-union workers who will work cheaper. The union will have none of it. So, the owners of the employees "strikebreakers" to convince the workers, mostly by force, that the owner of the path was the right thing to do.

Farley, for some reason, left his union, and began to fight for their bosses. During the riots between union workers and strikebreakers, according to various accounts, Farley was shot, a knife, hit with bricks, clubs and baseball bats. And he had the scars to prove it. Finally, the owners won the battle, and the union is marginalized.

A local newspaper reported on the railroad town of Brooklyn "Strikebreakers come from all parts of the country and as a result of the railway companies have been able to fully reorganize their working staffs. When the attackers sought to interfere with operations, 7500 State soldiers were sent into the city at the request of the mayor car began operations under the military protection of the January 22 Two soldiers rode in each car in a meeting, photos were exchanged between the strikers, strikebreakers and trunk; ... one man was killed and wounded a number. "

In addition to breaking the strike, which work in favor of the owners, they are looking to ask Farley for work done on their behalf. As a reward for his faithful service, Brooklyn City Railroad Company to put Farley in charge of special officers for fifteen. And that's how Farley's strike breaking career.

For the next seven years, Farley deals with breaking the strike throughout the country, almost all of them have links with the railway industry. He hired people who are rough and tumble, and some of them carrying weapons, who were not afraid to use it. Farley paid them more than any other agency not to break the strike action, and to buy Farley a little loyalty.

Farley himself set an imposing figure, with a revolver in a holster Colt.38 hanging on his right flank, as he was ready to fight in order Corral. Farley was smoking a cigar like a chimney. Rumor is that he was smoking 50 cigarettes a day, usually fat Maduro coronas of Havana, Cuba.

According to an article in the United Mine Workers Journal, Farley "stood before his mercenaries, mainly heavy lumpenproletarians the big-city slums, 's air potentate", wearing a long coat the rice. And people looked at him with gaping mouths ."

In 1902, Farley, after he had already broken many strikes, opened his own detective agency, which is in direction opposition to the more famous Pinkerton Detective Agency to break up the strike jobs. However, the Pinkertons were varied, and Farley stuck strictly strikebreaking.

In 1905, immediately after the construction of IRT subway in New York, the workers went on strike. The owner of IRT is August Belmont, one of the richest men in America. Belmont hired Farley to make strikebreaking, and Farley and his men immediately went to work.

Although the increased tension between Farley's and men's attacker, a reporter tried to interview one of the strikebreakers of Belmont is a strategy ended štrajk.Štrajkbreher barked at the reporter, "Who the hell is Belmont? Farley running show ."

On successful completion of the work for Belmont Farley, Farley allegedly paid a royal sum of $ 300,000.

Farley largest strikebreaking attack took place not in New York, but more than 3000 miles away in San Francisco, California. Patrick Calhoun, an official San Francisco, United Railroad, contact Farley in New York and begged Farley carry out west rebellion in Carmen Tram Union. 5th May 1907, after their demands for the 8-hour workday and paid the $ 3 per day is deducted from the San Francisco United Railroad, Carmen Union went on strike.

On Tuesday morning, 7th May, entitled "Bloody Tuesday," said strikebreakers and strikers finally met face to lice.Brigade Farley's men are locked and loaded and looking for trouble, as they stood within six coaches who had just pulled out of Turk and Fillmore car štali.Šest cars were immediately pelted by bricks and rocks thrown by the attacker. Rather than jump to the vehicle and engage in hand to hand combat, Farley's men opened fire in a crowd, estimated at 300 people.

eyewitness told strikers, "was shot down like dogs ."

the police came to crushing the rebellion, and were caught in the crossfire. When the dust clear, the three attackers was killed and a dozen wounded. Two policemen were also shot but survived. As a result, police arrested twelve Farley's strikebreakers, and charged them with murder and attempted murder.

Farley and San Francisco Railroad United turned out to be the big winners when the next day, the union called off their strike and ordered his men back to work.

You would think, given the harsh and sometimes deadly tactics employed Farley, would be displayed in the press as one of the thugs and gangsters. However, this is not always the case. After the railway strike of 1907 in San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle Farley spoke in a soft tone as "a man who loves hot blood in the water as a beverage." Newspapers across the country are part of Farley's, portraying him as a noble character, protecting the company against the "communist agitators" and "foreign bomb throwing activists ."

Farley hid behind a cloak of decency, when he claimed that, although it is broken up 50 straight strikes all over America, not in one case, he defended the company, which is believed to be wrong. Farley said that, if after having examined the circumstances and determined that the workers were correct in their actions, he would turn strikebreaking job down flat.

However, Jack London, the most prominent journalist of the time, I do not think so kindly of Farley. In London, the novel Iron Heel, London Farley mentioned by name. London, left-wing union sympathizer, wrote that Farley "was an example of a dangerous trend, men who are" private soldiers of the capitalist ... well-organized and well armed ... held in readiness to throw in special trains to any part of the country where the work went on strike or were locked by employers. Strikebreakers the bad omen of bad times ahead ."

Regardless of how you felt about Farley, one thing is true. He has paid millions of railroad companies, and regardless of the brutal tactics used by Farley, he did his job well.

, however, Farley did not live long enough to enjoy all their money. Of his life in the circus, Farley's love for horses. He has invested huge sums of money to buy a horse and foot, and competitors. He keeps them in a large farm he bought in Plattsburgh, New York.

In 1913, Farley contracted a fatal case of tuberculosis. Farley knew he did not have long to live. Against his doctor's orders, Farley's bed to put on grass Yonkers Race Track in order to watch your horses in the race.

Farley said, "My horses are all I live for now ."

On 11 September 1913, New York Times article said: "James Farley, the strike notice, batteries, and cavalry, died this morning at 12:10 at his home in Plattsburgh, New York."

Farley, 39 years at the time of his death.

Minggu, 16 Oktober 2011

'Harry Brown' Film Review



Many of you May have heard of the movie "Harry Brown" (as a British film starring Michael Caine), and many of you have seen May be a cheap rip-off Britain Clint Eastwood's 'Gran Torino' . However, after seeing the film twice now, i can assure you that the cheap rip-off it is, instead of being one of the best films of 2009 (the last decade), which contains one of the best actors ever to grace our screens.

The film basically follows the main character (Harry Brown) who lives in one of the worst estates in England (right in the heart of the 'Elephant and Castle' in London). Harry and his neighbors are tormented day and night gang of young men that seem to run riot without fear of reprisals and police intervention.

If you are from England and live in England for a meaningful time (especially in the suburbs of a big city), then you will no doubt be familiar with what we call 'chavs'. Chavs are basically scum of society that no-hope teenagers with nothing better to do than hanging around on street corners (or in this case the film, in the underpass) and abused by everyone who walks past.

I think a large part of the appeal watching Harry Brown is seeing Michael Caine (who is, after all one of the greatest actors ever to the country) had been beaten by a group of chavs because they killed his best friend. They say that movies are basically just a fantasy, and I know many people who would love to do what Caine in this film, so they find the experience of watching almost therapeutic.

Kamis, 13 Oktober 2011

Las Vegas "Elvis" Weddings



Got a yen for Elvis? A lot of people. There are many variations on the theme -. And each of them is available in Las Vegas and only in Las Vegas,

Las Vegas Elvis weddings phenomenon has been a big seller in Las Vegas since the king of rock and roll shook his hips and sang Hound Dog on the Ed Sullivan Show, long ago. There is every variation on the Elvis wedding that you probably could think of - and many would not come to the fold. How about a nude Elvis? It is not your thing. Ok. How about multiple Elvis impersonators - each representing the different Elvis looks and costumes the King wore at different times in his career. How about Black Elvis? Dwarf Elvis? Even a female Elvis is available to make your wedding plans complete. You can have Elvis on stage, Elvis performing your wedding, Elvis serving food for you and of course Elvis will sing the songs you want at the very moment when they want to hear.

You and your bride can dress up as Elvis as well, to be married by the Elvis minister, given away by Elvis Daddy, runs around the city by the limo driver and sang Elvis over a romantic dinner to Elvis himself. This is the Elvis weddings of your dreams is limited only by your imagination and the amount of money you want to spend and the amount you want to see Elvis.