History's Where You Find It
Good documentary on the Discovery Channel last night, Gangs of New York--which is not to be confused with the forthcoming Scorsese picture it was created to promote. Luc Sante and others tell fascinating stories of the ethnic gangs of 19th-century Manhattan: their roots in the tenements and firehouses (early fire brigades were strictly volunteers, and the city's fire companies sprang out of rival gangs), their roles in the making of Tammany Hall and the notorious draft riots of 1863. (Sante's book Low Life is a history of lower Manhattan's lumpen classes in the late 19th century; you can browse a few pages of it at that last link.)
It airs again this Saturday, 12/14, at 2:00 p.m., and on New Year's Day at 3:00 p.m. Definitely worth taping and keeping.
11:03:06 AM 
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