June 12: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Strong indication from correspondence between the Mayor and the city’s creditors that subway fares will be boosted after the Fall election was greeted yesterday by George Lenz, municipal chairman of the Farragut Civic League, as a logical move toward relieving the city’s financial difficulties. Lenz also welcomed the fare increase hint as the means of settling a rather heated controversy in his own club. A lusty voiced contingent of the league membership assailed bitterly the proposed automobile taxes at last Thursday’s session and an equally emphatic group, who, it seemed, do not own cars, declared the autos, not real estate or transit lines, should be compelled to carry the City through its crisis. They objected also to threats of water rate increases. ‘Our motorist members are objecting strenuously to an increase in the volume of taxes they carry already,’ Lenz declared. ‘They are, for the most part, owners of homes as well as cars and they feel the subway fare should be increased to relieve the burden on real estate. These people can’t afford to pay any additional auto registration taxes. Why, many of them have had their cars parked in their garages since last December. They’re waiting to take advantage of the half rate on State registration plates, which goes into effect July 1.’ A tax on subway riders, Lenz asserted, is far more equitable than additional taxes for the motorist, ‘because the subways have been running heavy deficits for years and because subway facilities are used not only by New Yorkers, who share other city taxes, but also by thousands of out-of-towners.’”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “BIRMINGHAM, MICH. (AP) — Little Frankie Strafaci is giving ‘the folks back home’ a great run for their money. The slim, 21-year-old youth from Brooklyn, playing in his first national open golf championship, is low-scoring amateur as golf’s most grueling test swung into today’s 36-hole final battle. Competing with the greatest campaigners in the game, he doesn’t figure to win — but regardless of his finish he thinks he already has justified the faith his family has placed in his ability. It hasn’t been just a matter of telling Frankie to play golf and then wishing him luck, for the Strafaci clan members have backed their hopes for Frankie with cold cash — cash to play golf as much as he wishes while they work; cash to make a Winter golf practice trip to Florida; cash to come to his first national open. ‘I have four brothers — Dominic plays in the seventies,’ the dark-haired, good-looking youngster said, as he surveyed the other scores about and below his snappy 36-hole card of 142. ‘Any of them probably could beat me if they practiced. But they told me go ahead and play; you’re the best bet and we think you can go someplace.’”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.