MedinaNYC:

'Ta to hablao!

What I'm trying to emphasize to our hermanitos is that they will never achieve anything with violence;
New York is a Beast it forces young men to belong to gangs, and clubs for protection; In NYC most people get jumped by a crowd; It's hardly ever a one on one fight; Very rarely is there a fair fight.

My solution is to get out of Dodge; Move to Havestraw; Providence; Mudense pa'l monte!
Fuera de la Manzana que esta podrida!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf9NwNX_mSc&feature=player_embedded

Eddie Palmieri: Piano; vocals: Ismael Quintana; Johnny Pacheco: Flute;
Papo Lucca (Enrique Arsenio): Piano, ETC.;
Roberto Roena: Bongos; Ray Barreto: Congas; Nicky Marrero: Timbales...

That's the truth, can't remember the last time I've seen a "fair" fight. I'm not a proponent of violence, but hey, if you really bad, leave the heaters and knifes home. Arsensio you pass through Haverstraw? Church St. all day!

There are no fair ones anymore. I remember when you would be walking with your girl and a foe would leave you alone out of respect for who you were with alone. You don't see that anymore. These kids coming up are punks. There afraid to lose, that's the bottom line. They'll only fight someone hand to hand if they know with certainty that they have the advantage, otherwise they'll resort to the bitch answer of guns, jumping you, etc.. The problem is that the majority of these kids come from homes where the father isn't present or is a minimal influence in their lives. No one was around to show them how to be men so they pick up from the jerkoffs in the streets. All this is just a reflection of the breakdown of the family in our communities.

Washington Height's Royal Playboys of the early 80's are legendary and inflicted fear in the hearts of both friends and foe. From their street gun battles around Stitt JHS and Gdubs to their bloody climactic rumble against their arch-enemies the ball busters (by Columbia Presbyterian) . Among their ranks were Little Jose, Crazy Lenny, Spanky, Crazy Mike, White Boy Bobby, Bert, Mr. Mor, Tron, Crazy Leo, Manny and others. They had rooftoop hideouts for weapons and escape routes along the cliffsides of highbridge park and edgecombe to flee the arrival of the dt's after rumbles. They reigned terror in those years. Their unbridled youth was a harbinger of darker days, with many of them progressing to criminal enterprises (most notably the wild cowboys). While we do not glorify or romantacize their lifestyle, their unbridled youth and lawlessness impacted us all. Otherwise we would not be talking about them nearly 30 years later. Like you Milton, I was untouchable and ironically growing up in the heights was alot easier due to that untouchable status. I can look back decades later, alive and well because I never had to get involved and was never messed with. Unfortunate for those young kids with such wild youthful indiscretion we still remember as the Playboys, those gone and those present in the shadows.