Devil in the Details; Is it good for the Jews?

Snow Day - or what passes for one in DC. Being from Buffalo, MAD wasn't impressed. Still it was cold and MAD didn't feel like walking very far. Coming out of exercise a few days ago at the DC JCC I had stopped in at the Real Machers exhibit in the Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery while I was waiting. Not very interested in Jewish Gangsters, I found myself drawn in to the detailed textures in Pat Hamou's pen and ink drawings of these gangsters of the first half of the 20th Century. I still didn't think I was interested in Jewish gangsters - I just couldn't take my eyes off the art.

Pat Hamou is an illustrator and graphic artist from Montreal who is working on an ongoing blog and project Six For Five - an Illustrated History of New York's Jewish Criminal Community 1900-1945 which will tell the story of a whole bunch of these guys. Heeb Magazine included a feature article along with a selection of the drawings. At the start of the exhibit you can read his own words describing his interest in this subject.

But there's more ( I know, I told you I wasn't interested, but it just sort of grabbed me) - each drawing is accompanied by text - in a lovely font- telling about the criminal's family background, life in crime and his (yes, his) punishment and demise. How did Hamou find out the stuff to write these notes?



Many of the crooks are represented by both a full front and a side view portrait. Were these based on mug shots? What about the clothes they are wearing? There are also some photographs in the notes, often of the gangster's funeral or arrest.

Buzzing around has been some recent interest in Jewish gangsters - the Jews of Sing Sing was published by Ron Arons in 2008. Two years ago I heard Steven Silverstein, a Buffalo, NY lawyer with an evident passion for the subject speak in mesmerizing detail about Louis "Lepke" Buchalter.

That was interesting, but this was different.

Between the beauty created by the details of the portraits and the vivid information created by the detail of the text, I couldn't get enough of this stuff. I'll be attending Rapid Repsonsa at the JCC next Thursday evening when a panel consisting of Abbe Lowell, Susan Fishman Orlins and Gerry Kauvar will discuss the topic From Meyer Lansky to Bernie Madoff; Talking about Jewish Criminals.

In the meantime, excuse me while I go see if Hamou posted on his blog today.