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Terryh
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Username: Terryh

Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 3:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Recently, I visited the Burton Historical Collection in the Detroit Public Library to find out where my Grandfather resided when he came to Detroit from Oklahoma. According to the 1927 phone book he lived on St. Antoine and made his living as a driver. In those days the phone books listed the dwellers occupation, and the phone number was a letter followed by a number which I beleive was the home address. I looked up names of Purple Gang members many of whom resided between 12th St. (now Rosa Parks) and Woodward in Virginia Park and Chicago Blvd. Many of them lived a significant distance from their hangout, the Oakland Sugar House on Oakland at Holbrook.In the future I would like to view mugshot and police lineup photos from the 20's and 30's. Besides old magazines, newspaper microfilms are a good source of information. A Jewish cemetary that next to my Apartment allowed me to obtain death certificates of Purple Gangsters which are buried there. It was interesting to note that a Purple leader signed and paid for the plot of one individual who was from New York and died in prison. The FBI website has hundreds of pages on Purple gang activities. Something else I noticed when browsing phone books from past decades was that certain ethnic groups dominated certain areas. Chene south of Grand Blvd remained predominately Polish until late 70s. Oakland Avenue remained Jewish until late 40s but many of the businesses appeared to be Jewish owned as recently as mid 1970's. And of course there are myriad books which contain historical facts and information about Detroit history.
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 768
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 4:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Terryh--I know a living link to the purple gang.

contact me at 56packman (at) twmi (dot) rr (dot) com
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Hockey_player
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Username: Hockey_player

Post Number: 272
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 - 4:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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