Friday, December 31, 2010

Retro: Kimmer

Retro: Kimmer

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!!!!

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 08:50 PM PST






Here's wishing you more happiness
Than all my words can tell,
Not just alone for New Years Eve
But for all the year as well.

THE HOWLING DIABLOS AT THE EMERALD THEATER!

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 01:46 PM PST



THE HOWLING DIABLOS

The Emerald Theater
31 North Walnut Street
Mount Clemens, MI 48043-5610
(586) 913-1920

NAIAS (DETROIT AUTO SHOW) 2011 POSTER CONTEST WINNERS!

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 10:35 AM PST



12th Grade Award, 3rd Place
Alyssa Shirkey
William D. Ford Career Technical Center



11th Grade Award, 3rd Place
Stephanie Miller
Careerline Tech Center



Grand Prize
Chairmen's Award
Reid Dickson
12th grade
Stoney Creek High School

All the winners are in the slide show. These kids really are fantastic!

North American International Auto Show

FRANK NITTI: TRUE STORY OF THE ENFORCER

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 07:16 AM PST



Frank Nitti was born in Sicily in the 1880s. He emigrated to New York City after the end of World War I, and later moved to Chicago, where he set up business as a barber, with a profitable sideline as a small-time jewel thief and fence. Nitti built an extensive network of associates in the Chicago underworld, and eventually came to the attention of Chicago crime boss John "Johnny The Fox" Torrio.


Frank Nitti

Under Torrio's successor, Al Capone, Nitti's reputation soared. Nitti ran Capone's Prohibition-busting liquor smuggling and distribution operation, importing whiskey from Canada and selling it through a network of speakeasies around Chicago. Nitti was one of Capone's top lieutenants, trusted for his leadership skills and business acumen.



Frank Nitti Part 2
Frank Nitti Part 3
Frank Nitti Part 4
Frank Nitti Part 5

In fact, Capone thought so much of Nitti that when he briefly went to prison in 1929, he named Nitti as a member of a triumvirate that ran the mob in his place. Nitti was head of operations, with Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik as head of administration and Tony "Joe Batters," "Big Tuna" Accardo as head of enforcement.


Frank Nitti

Despite the portrayals of Nitti in movies and TV, Nitti was more about brains than brawn. Though I loved the scene in the 1987 Untouchables film... It was pure fiction. Nitti committed suicide... he wasn't tossed off a sky scraper.



Despite his nickname "The Enforcer", Nitti used Mafia "soldiers" and other underlings to commit violence rather than do it himself.



Not that Nitti was averse to using firearms - he had, in earlier days, been one of Capone's most trusted personal bodyguards - but as he rose in the organization, his business instinct dictated that he must personally avoid the "dirty work" - that was what the hitmen were paid for.

In 1931, both Frank Nitti and Al Capone were convicted of income tax evasion and sent to prison. However, Nitti only received an 18-month sentence while Capone was sent away for 11 years. Nitti was not a troublesome prisoner, but he found the year-and-a-half confinement in a cell horrifying because of the closed-in space. When Nitti was released in 1932, the media hailed him as the new boss of the Capone Gang.


Hollywood Nitti

In 1943, Nitti was indicted for extortion. The Outfit was accused of trying to strong arm some of the largest Hollywood movie studios, including MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, and RKO Radio Pictures. The studios had cooperated with The Outfit to avoid union trouble stirred up by the mob.

At a meeting of Outfit leaders at Nitti's home, Underboss Ricca angrily blamed Nitti for the indictments. Ricca said that since this had been Nitti's scheme and that the FBI informant, Willie Bioff, had been Nitti's trusted associate, Nitti should take the fall for the Outfit and go to prison.

A severe claustrophobic as a result of his first prison term, Nitti dreaded the idea of another prison confinement. It was also rumored that he was suffering from terminal cancer at this time. For these or other reasons, he ultimately decided to take his own life.


FindaGrave.com

Nitti shared breakfast with his wife in their Riverside, Illinois home at 712 Selborne Road. As his wife was leaving for church, Nitti told her he planned to take a walk. After his wife left, Nitti began to drink heavily. He then loaded a .32 caliber revolver, put it in his coat pocket, and walked five blocks to a local railroad yard.



Two railroad workers (William F. Sebauer and Lowell M. Barnett) spotted Nitti walking on the track of an oncoming train and shouted a warning. They thought the train hit him, but Nitti had managed to jump out of the way in time. Then two shots rang out.

The trainmen first thought Nitti was shooting at them, but then realized he was trying to shoot himself in the head. The two bullets went through his hat.

Nitti finally sat on the ground against a fence and, with the railroad workers watching from a distance, shot himself in the head. Frank Nitti died on an Illinois Central railroad siding in North Riverside, Illinois on March 19, 1943. He should have hired one of his own hitmen...

Resources:

Worldlingo.com/Frank Nitti
Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti
The Real Frank Nitti

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Sam Giancana and Phyllis McGuire
Infamous Hit on Joey Gallo
Spilotro Brothers Not Killed in a Cornfield
Mob Museum in Las Vegas
Mob Scene Gallery NYC

CANYON OF DREAMS: THE HISTORY OF LAUREL CANYON CA.

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 05:00 AM PST


The Doors

Last year I received this huge book in the mail for Christmas from my pal Heather Harris. She sends me the absolute coolest stuff!

This year I was in a reading jag and pulled this giant book off the shelf and read every word in it. Canyon of Dreams by Harvey Kubernik, looks like a "coffee table book" but it is not! It is packed full of stories on the life and times of Laurel Canyon from the 1920s until present. This book was addictive. After reading one story I just moved to the next one and so on. Fascinating behind the scenes look at Hollywood and the music business. So interesting I give it 5 stars!

Laurel Canyon was a huge foundation of art and music. Just like the famous sounds coming out of Detroit, Philadelphia, and New York, Laurel Canyon was a very unique enclave tucked up in the hills around Los Angeles where the biggest party started.


Canyon of Dreams

So many bands lived, partied and created legendary music from Laurel Canyon. Groups like The Doors, The Turtles, Canned Heat, Monkees, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Eagles, Sonny & Cher and Carole King all cultivated their phenominal music in this L.A.-based musical celebrity community.


Jackson Browne

Just like the amazing collaboration between musicians from my favorite Detroit bands, the Laurel Canyon bands interacted with each other, joining, quitting and rejoining each other's bands. All of course with high drama and lots of party favors to boot.

Canyon of Dreams is a fantastically illustrated inside look at over 75 years of music and the unbelievable culture of Laurel Canyon, California.


The Monkees

Written by Harvey Kubernik the ultimate insider who knows them all, Canyon of Dreams traces the history of the canyon and its enduring legacy.

The only thing I would like to add to Harvey's book is a dvd tour of Laurel Canyon. Wouldn't that be fun? This video below shows Laurel Canyon but I would love a guided tour.



Read More on RK
Retro Favorite Books
Deniz Tek, Jimmy Recca, and The Godoys Meet Heather
Heather Harris Photographs James Williamson
*New Avengers Book

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Latest articles from Retro To Go


Beastie Brat t-shirt at Stardust

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 03:45 AM PST

Beastie

Recognise the image? Yes, the Beastie Brat t-shirt at Stardust is based on a hip hop classic.

That being the original Beastie Boys logo from the debut '86 album, Licensed To Ill. So, not only are you dressing your child, you're making said child far more hip than the rest of the nursery intake with his or her nod to old school hip hop cool.

It's an ethically-made t-shirt, made from a premium interlock cotton, with nickel-free poppers and sizes from 0-6 months to 10 years. The price is £14.50, with an option for 'Beastie Girl' or 'Beastie Baby' if you prefer. If that doesn't appeal, the rest of the range features everyone from Joe Strummer to the Sisters of Mercy.

Find out more at the Stardust website

Morgan Blue vintage-style cycling jerseys

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 03:32 AM PST

Dhb

It's almost the new year, which means it's time for a resolution. If yours involves getting on a bike, maybe you should get yourself something from the Morgan Blue vintage-style cycling jersey range. Although to be honest, it'll look just as cool without the cycle.

Hand-made in Belgium, the jerseys come in six different designs, including some iconic team colours - Molteni was the team led by Eddy Merckxx during his most dominant years, Faema was the powerful pro team from 1955 - 1970, while Solo-Superia was legendary Belgian rider Rik van Looy's team during the 1960s.

All jerseys are a 'casual' fit with a quarter length zip, retro steel zip and with Wool-Acryl construction. £89.99 is the price if you want one.

Find out more at the Wiggle website

Via His Knibs

Louis Chair Cushion

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 02:19 AM PST

RX_Louicush_popup 
If a Louis chair is too grand for your modest abode or two expensive for your post-Christmas budget, then what about the Louis Chair Cushion from RawXclusive?

The 70% wool felt cushion features a screen print in cream of an outline of the classic chair. The cushion is available in a choice of four colours; dark grey, cream, pink or purple. It measures 48cm square, and is sold with a cushion pad to UK customers and without to make shipping easy to overseas customers.

Buy it online, priced £69 from Hidden Art Shop.

Moxi Lolly Roller Skates

Posted: 31 Dec 2010 02:15 AM PST

Mlskates 
Roller skates, as opposed to the modern rollerblades, will always have a retro look, but these Moxi Lolly Roller Skates have an especially 1970s look to them.

They are available in a choice of strawberry or teal, both having a tan plastic sole and clear and would be perfect for a night at your local roller disco (should such a thing still exist).

Sadly for us the UK, these roller skates are exclusive to Urban Outfitters and only available for delivery in the USA. If that doesn't preclude you, then they cost $299.

Don't Be So Quick to Overlook the Maserati Grecale Folgore

If the GranTurismo Folgore is a guide, this Grecale Folgore could be surprisingly competitive. The EV GT was one of the year's best surp...