Memo from NYC

I love history. Even though this is a blog about NYC, I'm obsessed with late 19th and early 20th century European history, the decades where the various rulers of the great empires in Europe made terrible decisions that led to war and revolution -- and shaped the world we live in today.

And in so many ways the lessons that can be learned from that time and place apply to our country and NYC today. 

"It was hard to be Tsar." So begins the British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore's book about the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for 300 years. Ruling an empire, a country, a region or a city is hard work. Well, it's hard if you take the job seriously, if you strive to do it well, if you try not to make mistakes, and if you truly care about the welfare and progress of your people and your land.

But if you don't take it seriously, or handle it badly, catastrophe ensues. 

In the years leading up to World War I, three of Europe's biggest empires were ruled by people who were unfit to rule. In short, they were really bad at their jobs. They were incompetent, arrogant, delusional, prone to magical thinking, made huge mistakes, and it all ended in horror.

In Germany there was Kaiser Wilhelm II. An erratic, arrogant, narcissistic man-child, he engaged in building up a navy that Germany didn't need, just to piss of England (and his English relatives), tried to play different countries against each other, fired the best Chancellor that Germany ever had (Bismark), and finally plunged Germany into war in 1914 that forced it to fight on two fronts. Eventually Germany lost the war and Wilhelm fled the country -- leaving his country in ruin, eventually leading to the rise of the Nazis.

In Austria-Hungary, you had Emperor Franz Joseph, an amiable but unimaginable ruler who refused to give the 11 nationalities of his empire any real political sovereignty or respect. He was also vulnerable to demands of his army chiefs who yearned for war, any war, and eventually capitulated to their demands to attack Serbia -- that triggered World War I. Franz Joseph died in 1916, was succeeded by his very young nephew, and eventually Austria-Hungary lost the war, the empire broke up, and Franz Joseph's dynasty, the Habsburgs, lost power after 600 years.

And finally, in Russia, you had Tsar Nicholas II, the most staggeringly dumb man ever to rule a vast empire, who believed he'd be a great ruler because God wanted him to, who refused to make reforms until violence ensued, started wars (like the one with Japan) that Russia list in 1905, oversaw the massacre of Bloody Sunday, and finally plunged Russia into war in 1914 with an army that was totally unprepared to fight. This led to the fall of the Romanovs and the rise of Communism.

Disastrous rulers all -- and some of the people who worked for them were even more insane (like advisors who wanted wars or encouraged repression or ... Rasputin). It was rule by the unserious, rule by the mendacious, and it had very serious and cruel conseqences.

We see this in America today.

Today we are being ruled by reckless and unserious people who are dismantling our government, draining our country's power, condoning criminality and violence and repression, and destroying our nation's reputation. It's a horror show (unless you hate America, in which case it's a triumph). 

Closer to home we have Mayor Eric Adams, perhaps the worst and most unpopular mayor this city has ever had, a criminal and a narcissist, a disaster. And he sure doesn't take his job seriously -- Adams has even said that his job, being mayor of the country's biggest city, isn't hard! It's like when Donald Trump told Bob Woodward that he didn't think that the COVID crises was a leadership challenge!

Well, if you don't really care about your job or your city or your country or your people or the challenges facing them ... then leadership is easy. Then it's easy to be the Tsar, or the president, or the mayor, or the whatever. Like school. If you don't care about doing your homework or taking tests or getting good grades, then school is a cinch! But if you do care, well, it's a little harder.

If someone tells you that something that is intrinsically hard is in fact easy, then that is not a serious person -- and that person should never be in a position of power or responsibility. 

Last year I did a blog post about the kingdoms of NYC and I included links to a British mini-series from 1974 called Fall of Eagles. In 13 brilliant episodes it dramatizes the 70 years leading up to World War I and the fall of the German, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian empires in 1918. I can't praise this show enough -- it's massively entertaining and also shows how the warped personalities and priorities of these rulers and their minions created hell.

I strongly recommend you watch it and you can find all the episodes for free on YouTube here. The best episodes, in my opinion are: Episode 4 about the 1889 Mayerling tragedy; Episode 5 about the Nicholas II and Lenin (played by a very young Patrick Stewart); Episode 9 about the annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary; and Episode 10 about the start of World War I. 

These episodes most of all demonstrate the failures of people unfit to lead or who operate through delusion and lies. And it makes you look at the people leading America and NYC today and realize that what happened in the past sadly is happening again today here at home. 

Remembering "Serpico" the TV Series

In 1973 a movie called Serpico starring Al Pacino about the corruption whistler-blower NYPD cop Frank Serpico came out. To this day it remains a classic flick with one of Pacino's best early career performance (it came out between the first two Godfathers).

Then in 1976 a TV series called Serpico starring a guy named David Birney about an NYPD cop named Frank Serpico who busts other corrupt cops came out, ran for 15 episodes, got cancelled, and was promptly forgotten.

This being Mr NYC, I'm naturally interested in little forgotten cultural nuggets like this. And even though it wasn't a great show, it's certainly an interesting late 1970s slice-of-life. The show's pilot aired in April 1976 and then for half-a-season from September 1976 to January 1977.

Interestingly enough (for me) the show aired at the same time the recently deceased Jimmy Carter was elected and when yours truly was born. It also went off the air at the start of one of the most consequential years in NYC history. 

If you have any interesting in watching this show, you can actually see the whole series here. And believe it or not, as of this writing, Frank Serpico is still alive at the age of 88! 

Interview: Lisa Cintrice Gets Back In Front of the Camera

In the early 1980s Lisa Cintrice blazed a short, memorable trail in the NYC adult movie business. She worked with Jamie Gillis, Bambi Woods, and other big stars of the time, partied and rocked'n'rolled in nightclubs and swinger clubs, and lived a fun, wild life -- before getting clean, getting out the business, and living a more healthy, normal life.

Lisa's gone on to have a great career as a CPA and great kids. And she was kind enough, in 2021, to give Mr NYC two interviews -- one about her life and career, another about her family's relationship with old school mob guys.

But that's the past. Lisa's living her best life in the present and looking towards the future. And she's still sexy! In fact, she has gotten back in front of the camera for the first time in over 40 years. Recently Lisa did a photoshoot with an erotic model/photographer named Cerise, and I'm honored that this legend of the NYC adult business is giving Mr NYC her first interview about her return to the camera -- and what might come next! 

How did this photoshoot come about and what made you want to do it?

I did it for a couple of reasons. One being that I have been posting a lot of photos from my past, and I wanted more recent photos to post. I am proud of my body. As you know I work out a lot and I wanted to see if I can still be sexy and model at 62. As far as Cerise I saw her on X and found her unique and attractive and after speaking with her and getting to know her I found her to be a good fit for this shoot. I asked her if she was interested, she said yes and we set it all up to shoot in Texas.

What was the theme or idea for the photoshoot, what were you and the photographer hoping to achieve?

I honestly had no idea what we were going to shoot. I wanted it to be sexy sensual and relations. As we went through the process it was clear nudity was not required to achieve that goal. Next photoshoot might be different. I did get a good response from my fans. That does not mean I won't be more provocative later on.

What were some of the poses you did and kinds of pictures you took?

We did a variety of shots trying to convey sexuality and attraction with myself and Cerise and maybe a little mystery. We tried various poses and shared the best ones.

How did it feel doing this kind of adult work after so many years?

I was very nervous and anxious and excited also a little scared considering my age and how long it's been since I did a photo shoot. But once we started it came back pretty quick. Between the photographer and Cerise I was comfortable with it. But I will say it's definitely hard work.

Do you think you'll do this kind of thing again in the future?

I will absolutely do this again I am already thinking about the next shoot because of the positive response I got from my fans with this shoot. Who knows it might even be more salacious depending on the vibe.

Anything else you want to tell us about this photoshoot?

My time in the industry was short and I wanted fresh pics. I am also launching a website to promote my tax business and also my porn star wedding officiating by a porn star business. Of course I will sell autographed photos and have an interactive blog. So I plan on doing fresh shoots a few times a year. I want people to know what I look like now instead of only seeing pics of me at 18.

Thanks Lisa, all the best in the future! And Lisa was kind enough to send us some of the photos which you can see here:

Barry Michael Cooper RIP

The early 1990s were the Golden Age of the inner-city movie -- movies about the brutal, violent experience of black American city life in the time of crack and rampant police violence. This era last about five years, roughly from the time of Boyz in the Hood in 1991 to Dead Presidents in 1996.

In the interim three such movies were released, all written by a guy named Barry Michael Cooper. While many of these kinds of movies were set in Los Angeles, Cooper's movies were set in NYC, specifically in Harlem. The first and best of these was New Jack City (which made Wesley Snipes a star) followed by Sugar Hill and Above the Rim (featuring Tupac Shakur). 

Before he turned to screenwriting, Cooper was a journalist covering the same territory. He actually wrote one of the first articles about the crack epidemic for otherwise lily-white Spin Magazine in 1986 with the brilliant, chilling title "Crack, a Tiffany Drug at Woolworth Prices." He also invented the term "New Jack Swing."

Cooper recently died at the age of 66, far too young. But he chronicled and contributed to an important, pivotal moment in American culture, and left a great legacy. 

Houseboat NYC

So many people want to live in NYC -- close to 9 million of them -- that they'll grab any piece of the it and make a home. This includes the docks and shores of the city where people moor their houseboats.

The idea of living in a houseboat has always seemed rather romantic to me but it's not an easy existence -- as this article points out. You still have to pay rent for your houseboat, you still have to worry about being evicted if your marina or dock closes -- and then there's the waves.

Just another reminder that we are a city of islands, the world's greatest archipelago.

Mr NYC Goes to Bluesky

On this otherwise miserable day, it feels good to take action -- even if it's a small one. So I'm making a change to the Mr NYC social media presence: I'm getting off "Twitter/X", whatever it is, and moving over to Bluesky. You can find the link on the updated social media list on the right-hand side. 

I don't wait to stay on and patronize a business that is owned by a fascist and that spews fascist propaganda. I try be an erudite, well-spoken gentleman with a strong vocabulary but, as I leave "X", all I can say is ...

Fuck Elon Musk. Fuck Donald Trump. Fuck MAGA. Fuck the Republican party. Fuck everyone who votes or supports them, fuck them all, they are not good people. 

I hope Bluesky is a little less toxic. Fingers crossed. 

"Severance" @ Grand Central Terminal

David Lynch's NYC Department of Sanitation PSA

The brilliant, visionary director David Lynch has died.

He was one of those artists, during both my youth and adulthood, who just always seemed to be ... there ... working ... doing something ... almost always weird. Loved his movies Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and Lost Highway, and Twin Peaks is a milestone not only in television but in all of American culture. 

Now David Lynch and his unique, wonderful mind have gone into the Red Room (if you know Twin Peaks, you know what I'm talking about). We'll never see his likes again.

Amazingly, when Lynch was at the height of his career (with Twin Peaks and Wild at Heart big successes), he created this PSA for the NYC Department of Sanitation in 1991. Wasn't that just like the guy -- doing something totally unexpected, bizarre, and fun.

RIP, David. Say hello to Laura Palmer for us. And that chewing gum you like is really coming back into style. 

End Credits for "Slaves of New York" (1989)

I've written extensively about the book and movie Slaves of New York over the years. The book by Tama Janowitz came out in 1986 and the movie version in 1989.

If you want to find the complete Mr NYC Slaves of New York archive, go here.

And even though I can't find a full version of the movie available anywhere, you can watch the end credits, with wonderful shots of late 1980s downtown Manhattan -- a place both very familiar and quite distant.

End credits for movies usually aren't that interesting but I suggest you read these for a few reasons:

1) The cast inludes, in minor roles, actors who would go on to big careers: Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci, Mercedes Ruehl, and Anthony LaPaglia. It's odd to see them next to people who ... wouldn't go on to big careers.

2) At the end of the credits, they thank Mayor Ed Koch -- and this movie came out just a few short months before he was bounced out of office.

3) You will notice that two future Mr NYC interviewees are in these credits: Tama Janowitz herself and Barbara Nitke who served as an on-set photographer. 

Enjoy! Watch these credits, go into the archive, and revisit the world of bohemian NYC!

Memo from NYC

I thought Americans voted for lower grocery prices and the cost of living but really it was to free Greenland from 700 years of Danish oppression and turn Canada into the 51st state. And invading Panama.

And if you didn't realize that's what the election was all about, then it proves that you're just a part of the Globalist Transgender DEI Deep State Fake News Media!

Let Seth Meyers put this into perspective for you: