  Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 168 Registered: 11-2005 |
Anyone have any pics or stories about the Gotham? | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 169 Registered: 11-2005 |
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Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 619 Registered: 11-2005 |
You bet your sweet ass, I do! Despite what that postcard says, it was known as the Hotel Gotham when this photo was taken, so it must have flipflopped its name: http://s152.photobucket.com/al bums/s164/rhymeswithrawk/Histo ric%20Detroit%20hotels/?action =view¤t=gotham.jpg | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 128 Registered: 10-2006 |
What happend to most of those 18 hotels. Are any up for renovation | ||
Stecks77 Member Username: Stecks77 Post Number: 325 Registered: 08-2006 |
Great pictures. Thanks for sharing them. | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 51 Registered: 11-2006 |
"Detroit's Paradise Valley" by Arcadia Publishing has a chapter on the Gotham Hotel | ||
Jimg Member Username: Jimg Post Number: 820 Registered: 10-2003 |
The author of that book is related to the former Gotham owner - his grandson, I think. That chapter is well worth a read. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1304 Registered: 01-2005 |
Headquarters for Detroit's numbers racket back in the 50s and 60s. Now the state runs it so it's legal. Go figure. | ||
Jimg Member Username: Jimg Post Number: 821 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ray, I heard that too...also heard that the Norwood Hotel was a hotspot during the 30s/40s... | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 170 Registered: 11-2005 |
Yeah it was closed in 62' as a hotel but the numbers racket kept going and the irs and DPD raided it and found a ton of evidence and arrested 41 people. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1309 Registered: 01-2005 |
Funny thing is that the old numbers racket returned 60% of what it took in as winnings. The state, running the same game, returns 50%. As they say here in Las Vegas, bring back the mob. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6230 Registered: 10-2003 |
Speaking of the numbers racket... http://internationalmetropolis .com/?p=93 | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1313 Registered: 01-2005 |
Good one, Andrew. Grandson of Reading even replied...amazing! The police Superintendent who went to the slammer in that deal was named Fred Frahm. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 647 Registered: 02-2007 |
bump | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 1172 Registered: 08-2006 |
What's on this site today? | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 178 Registered: 11-2005 |
These are some of my notes from the raid, thought some of you might be interested. From George edwards original manuscript. Raid on the Gotham Hotel,155-172 The phone rang at 830 pm-- once he had been waiting since 5p.m. it was Art sage head of the VICE squad telling him “ Boss we got it. We got the whole Schmozzle.” The first successful Raid on the gotham Hotel the fortress of the # racket in Detroit. The raid resulted in the arrests of 41 persons, who subsequently pled guilty to or were convicted on gambling charges before state and federal courts. A mountain of gambling paraphernalia and evidence was seized including 60,000 in cash and 120,000 in betting slips. The raid was described by the Federal revenue Agents as on of the biggest and most successful gambling raids ever conducted.155-156 “John White had purchased the hotel in 1943 with the purpose to provide a social center with the announced purpose to provide a social center with some éclat for the negro community which at the time was largely unwelcome in downtown hotels. The other purpose was unannounced -- but it was hardly secret. Within a short time it became common knowledge that numbers operators congregated daily at the Gotham. Runners carrying “the business” were frequently arrested near the hotel but the Gotham itself remained largely immune.”p157 Main reason the hotel had never been taken down was because the difficulty of getting a warrant for the whole hotel. Security was great at the gotham for warning of police. There was a closed circuit tv system and sentries who would warn patrons of police presence. Not to mention an alarm system that alerted everyone. Rooms were switched so that it was never clear where the # RACKET WAS OPERATING FROM. P158 In fall of 1962 however the hotel ceased to function but the # racket still continued. The federal search warrant was issued based on a IRS and police surveillance. 158 | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 210 Registered: 11-2005 |
So I just read Thomas Sugrue say that A.G. Wright owned the hotel so which was it White or Wright? | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 269 Registered: 11-2005 |
So I know this is a stupid question but I was asked this and thought it was an interesting question. Is the Gotham Hotel The basis for the name "gotham city" in batman. Its a dark and dreary place with an underlying theme of Organized Crime. That is what the gotham hotel possessed as well. Its an interesting thought at least. | ||
Jasoncw Member Username: Jasoncw Post Number: 360 Registered: 07-2005 |
Nope, it's not. | ||
Psip Member Username: Psip Post Number: 1857 Registered: 04-2005 |
GAMBLING RAID (Police Dept) DECEMBER 5, 1962 POLICE COMMISSIONER GEORGE EDWARDS HAD SOME BAD NEWS TODAY FOR ANY CUSTOMER WHO USED TO FREQUENT THE GAMING ROOMS IN THE OLD GOTHAM HOTEL. | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 1575 Registered: 10-2003 |
Urbanoutdoors, "Gotham" has always been another term for New York City. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 273 Registered: 11-2005 |
well that is what i always thought to I just wasn't sure when the word gotham originated for NYC bc although I even felt it was kind of silly it did make some sense. |
