Today I’d like to talk about my new location – 35th and 6th on 7th, Rock and Soul.
This is a whole new store for me because in the back there’s the professional DJ, On the left side at the front of the store is a phone store with these three young men own or run – I don’t know what’s going on but they’re Syrian Jews. I get along better with the Syrian-Jews than in the other because they’re the closest to the Italians. They’re from Brooklyn, their mannerism is like Italians. They’re very aggressive selling then they have their young kid adventures so we get to talk about a lot of things. I got to tell then some old war stories so I’m getting more go with these three guys.
But who I really enjoy is a gentleman in front of the store who just says constantly, “All phones are unlocked. We have the best phones, whatever.” He’s a street guy. He’s exactly my age, 55. He’s a good looking Black guy. This guy is the real deal, the real hustler. He’s been in the garment district for, I guess, 30 years. He knows everybody. So while I’m outside all day he’s introducing me to this one, that one. And this is the only Black gentleman I know from New York City who hustled in the Florida Keys when I was there. Jewelry, clothes – this guy has connections for everything. This is my new buddy outside so I hang with him a lot and talk.
Anyway, yesterday Rock and Soul had their DJ party. These are the best DJ’s from tri-state area. One was a national champion so I got to go back there and photograph and – I’ll tell you these mixes that these guys do are great. They had old songs mixing with their beat. I mean it was – I asked them for a CD. That’s how great it was.
The leading winner of the national DJ championship is a guy named VJ Swiftee. I talked to him for a minute because the name Swiftee is what all my relatives call me in Key West when I worked with my grandfather. It was also the little rabbit that runs around the dog track in Key West. They have a dog track and just before the race starts they go, “Here comes Swiftee,” and the metal rabbit comes out of the track and it runs along this metal track while the dogs chase it. So I tell him about that name, where it came from. He thought the story was very funny. I took some great pictures of him. Another thing, this new street, the garment district – 7th Avenue if you remembered
[audio:101001-2.mp3]What I was saying is that – what was I saying? Oh, anyway, this whole garment district thing – these guys – these are like the guys from Seinfeld. If you remember Gerry’s father was a raincoat salesman. Coincidentally, these trench coats – the raincoats – they’re coming back. A lot of young people wearing this cool long raincoats like they wore in the 60’s. They’re the ones that Gerry Seinfeld’s father sold. There are a couple of episodes about him and his coats.
But what I really enjoyed the photography is these oldtimers older than me like 65 or 70. They’re still dressed to the tea but they got like a 70’s outfit on or 80’s. The reason why they could wear these clothes ’cause these are very expensive suits and sports jackets so they have these things for like 30 years. And they got their cool sunglasses on, they get their hair cut once a week, they got their shoes shined. They’re great and they’re great photographs.
Anyway, getting back to all my new buddies in the Rock and Soul, these three Syrian kids are a riot. The way they play around with the customers, they’re like typical Syrian salesmen. Let me put in two cents. These Syrian Jewish kids they all get married between like 22 and 25. I always told them throughout the years I say, “Listen, the way you guys stare at women now,” I’m talking about women, “And you’re all going to get married in a year from now,” I said, “It’s just going to get worse.” I said, “You’re going to put yourself in jail,” and they continually say, “You know, it’s the community way.”
I guess I’m trying to save men from getting married early. It doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish, Italian, Catholic, Black. I see a lot of these young kids getting married and just – I think it’s doomed. It really should be none of my business anyway.
Tonight’s going to be Friday night. I got some big wine testing party. Of course I’m going with Tony Roma and Johnny Skyscraper. I think Big Mike’s going to come too. Big Mike – I never really talked about him that much but he comes to a lot of my events. I’ll be talking to you guys tomorrow morning.
Signing off.