Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 731

person. I went, accompanied only by Johnny Flynn and Packy I guess. As we walked through the square, I realized I was in little Italy again. The people began to say, “Oh, la signora! Oh, la signora!” waving their hands at me. That was “all righta, all righta.” They gave you their good faith. You'd been “all righta,” so “we'll be all righta.” It was that sort of thing. I stood up on a bench and made a little speech. I could speak a little Italian. I spoke a little Italian. That was very pleasant. What I said was, “We're going to try to have law and order. I want everybody to cooperate. We'll hear everything you have to say.” It had been a terrible day for me.

After I'd seen the judge and it was dark so that nobody could see us Johnny and I went off. I wouldn't let Packy go because I told him he must not know what we were going to do. I felt it was very hazardous for him to know, because somebody still might get hurt. Johnny Flynn, Ludovicci and I went to two houses. Johnny Flynn was an organizer for the Metal Polishers so he didn't have anything to lose. We went to two houses. There were people whose names I did not know, whose names I never knew. Ludovicci did most of the talking. I would speak in English or in a few little words of Italian to show that I understood what Ludovicci said and I did understand it. He told them he knew what they





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help