Jay Z's quote about the hustler relates to the court because of his personification of the figure as representing the "global audience." Much of the gangster influence we have studied has followed a trend of examples set by generations of gangster figures as precedents for what it means to be a gangster. It relates to O'Kane's argument of the crooked ladder as well, and the young hustler struggling to "find his fortune." The crooked ladder tells a story of the downtrodden immigrants and citizens who fail at opportunities presented to them by honest, american values, and turn to criminal activity for their source of success. Jay-Z sees this as the "ultimate human story" because, at one time or another, most humans came from an immigrant background. Whether it was generations before the individual in question, they have all been affected by nativist treatment towards speculated immigrant inferiority. This defined generations of Americans especially because the choice the first generation immigrants made to reach the parables success would have an influence on the values and beliefs of later generations. The cracked sidewalk is almost the crooked path, it's a bumpy road to success for the hustler. "Story of the celebrity becomes the story of the audience" Keyterm: STORY

According to Martinez, American minority groups draw upon their own cultures to resist oppression by colonialism. Music is one of the most influential cultural aspects. Used as an early form of storytelling before written language, music was also a cultural preservative for those threatened native groups endangered by nativists. You certainly can't take music away from anybody because there is no tangible thing to be taken. Therefore, it will endure for as long as the followers will practice and pass down the information. For example, folk songs that accompany traditional African, Native American, or Mexican American dances are forms of resistance because they still endure despite the assimilation colonists attempted to force upon them. Rappers are still in a resistance today because unfortunately, we do no live in a word in which all cultures are unconditionally accepted. These Rappers challenge the beliefs of those who are non-accepting, hence resisting their criticism or disapproval, while upholding their own values through song.

In the past, we’ve read many profiles on fictional and true gangsters and their characteristics. We’ve defined gangsters as immigrants, impoverished, rags-to-riches. Gangsters have come from all kinds of backgrounds in our readings: as drastically different as Michael Corleone and Jay Gatsby. Titling the movie this way suggests that American Gangster, though isolated by race, background, reputation, and identity, still have the same qualities as other gangsters. Frank Lucas is an entirely other breed of gangster from what we’ve analyzed, but the title of the movie makes a claim that he falls into the same category that these other gangsters were a part of.

Immigrant gangsters have become cultural and celebrity icons much like Braudy's argument. I believe that it is human nature to have a certain fascination with the sensational. Gangsters build up their "talked of selves" enough to become celebrities, and their stories evolve into iconic narratives nearly every pop-culture-inclined person is familiar with.

Corleone begins on the straight ladder, with little involvement in the family gang business. He begins as a sucker and is taken advantage of by his brothers who buddy-up with Vito to become the next successor to his power. At the expense of Michael, they rob their brother of the opportunity to gain power or favor in the family. Later, Michael transitions to a sharpie as he becomes aware of this power struggle and takes a vital opportunity when it is presented to him. One night when he is guarding his father's hospital room, he receives a slug from a police officer outside of the building. He sees this as an opportunity and kills the officer and an investigator. From that moment on, Michael is a wise guy. He runs the family business and when Vito dies, assumes the position of godfather. This rise to power is similar to that of his own fathers. As an immigrant, Corleone had the similar struggle to power. He realized as a sucker how he was getting passed over for opportunities to succeed in the new world. He got involved in organized crime and, after favor after favor, groveling for opportunities, Vito assumes the power he desired at the beginning of his struggle.

Isn't it ironic that there are hierarchies among the wise-guys in the same way that that there are "suckers, sharpies, and wise-guys?"

Funny that Ruth uses this word choice...

"Who lives, who dies, who tells your story" (Hamilton)

Braudy and the gangster's "story"

Emphasizes the gangster's obsession with their legacy, as well as the American fascination with their "story."

Not only was Sinatra influenced by the Mafia, he also served as an influence for fictional Mafia figures. The most notable connection would be the almost exact parallel between Sinatra and Johnny Fontane from Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather. Fontane is portrayed in both the movie and film as an Italian-American singer-turned-actor, much like Sinatra. He leaves his first wife to marry a beautiful Hollywood star, just as Sinatra left his first wife Nancy to marry Hollywood starlet, Ava Gardner. Falling on hard times, Fontane eyes a blockbuster film of which he is sure will revive his slumped career, much like Sinatra desired the role of Maggio in From Here to Eternity. After initially being denied the part by the unreasonable director, Fontane requests a favor from Don Corleone to secure the role. “The main character is a guy just like me. I wouldn't even have to act, just be myself,” Fontane remarks in the movie: a direct parallel to Sinatra’s connection with the Maggio role. Though Sinatra did not plant a severed horse head in the bed any directors, he did allegedly turn to the Mafia’s intimidation tactics on the Hollywood studio industry to procure his desired role in the film. The resemblance between Sinatra and Fontane was uncanny, and the entertainment industry teemed with rumors that Sinatra proved a success only because of mob influence. However, because the Godfather film was regarded as such a success, these accusations became unavoidable once audiences but two and two together, only elevated his talked-of self and providing Sinatra with his most notorious connection to the mob.

For example: Frank Sinatra

In addition to his fascination with Mafia culture, Sinatra was also a defiantly proud Italian-American whose heritage was displayed and underlined in all aspects of his career. He refused to change his name even though he often received discrimination for it because it “ended in a vowel,” especially during the 1930s when many Americans associated Italians with either mobsters or minstrel-show stereotypes. His personal goal in Hollywood was to change the perception and representation of Italian-Americans in film through characters of complexity and torment. However, although he physically did not resemble the Italian ethnicity, his adoption of Mafioso “sartorial elegance” resulted in Italian sub context in nearly every role. This also branded him one of the most sought after gangster character in Hollywood and resulted in Sinatra being cast in many gangster roles in movies such as Ocean’s Eleven, Guys and Dolls, and Robin and the Seven Hoods. He acted these parts beautifully, relating to the characters with whom he shared similar backgrounds. Sinatra most notably connected with his Oscar-Winning role of New Jerseyan, “Maggio," in the film, From Here to Eternity: “I knew him,” Sinatra remarked, “I was beaten up with him in Hoboken.”

No one has more resilience or matches my tactical, practical brilliance--Building his TOS bc he's not fighting now, Has no freedom of action because GW won't let him fight

Duel=competition Demand satisfaction About reputation and respect Lee raked Washington's name through the mud, he suffers the consequences Lupshaw: Related to the idea of gangsters having a code, duels have rules, second is to shoot the rule breaker if someone turns too fast

This describes how elevated Vito's "talked-of self" has become at this point. A comparison to an "apostle of peace" and the "pope" is building his image to that of a figurehead in the public eye. Additionally, it's ironic that he's compared to holy figures (TOS) while he achieves the successes they list by means of villainous criminal activity (UES).

This "alternative world view" is characteristic of the gangster figure because of reasons explained by Lupsha's argument: gangsters have a completely different view of traditional American values that have been accepted by society. For this reason, gangsters created their own world view to justify this perversion of an accepted American institute. Additionally, O'Kane explains that because of the restrictions set in place by nativists that kept immigrants from obtaining success, those taking the wise-guy route to success were required to create this alternative route or world view in order to overcome their suppressors.

This "Irish Catholic" description of Fitzgerald's heritage is similar to what we know about nativists from O'Kane's work. Irish Catholics versus Italian Immigrants is a a common theme in gangster movies and pop culture: those who were originally settled in the United States fighting to protect their "native country" from the newcomers of which they could take advantage so easily.

This "frailty" is a moral weakness that makes the tragic gangster figure liable to give into temptation. For example: in O'Kane's article we read later in this class, he describes that because of nativist pressure and discrimination against immigrants that prohibits them from obtaining legitimate job and money-making opportunities in order to gain success and support their families, immigrants sometimes decide to find alternative means by which they achieve these goals. This could be why they choose to take the "crooked ladder" path to success, because their tragic flaw is frailty of moral compass and it ultimately corrupts their character.

The author is making a comparison between Remus and Gatsby, comparing the "lavish furnishings" and "numerous parties" both men had in common. This reminds me of another writer's description of Gatsby as a gangster: Ruth's inventory of goods, sartorial excess, and refined consumption. Remus flaunted his wealth with his huge mansion and in numerous lavish objects with which he filled his home, while Gatsby does the same thing to outwardly display his wealth and success to both Daisy and the rest of the world. Their sartorial excess is characterized by the immense amount of expensive goods both men possess in order to justify and showcase their wealth. Additionally, these goods could be considered refine consumption because each man wanted the best in their homes: expensive paintings, solid gold piano, exotic plants, marble pool, imported shirts... These all have a refined characteristic in order to display each man's successes.

This is contrary to Ruth's argument that the gangster uses this "sartorial excess," or refined consumption while purchasing the finer things in order to build his wealth and status as a gangster. Even when adding O'Kane into the argument, this "inventory of goods" collected by the gangsters is a display to the public of how far they've climbed up the "crooked ladder," or criminal route to gaining success. Instead, Fleischmann is accused by his observers as having "poor taste and shallow values" evident from his sartorial excess. According to the author, "this simply confirm[s] his origins to be well down the social ladder" also contrary to O'Kane's belief that refined consumption is evident of high status on the crooked ladder.

"This is why the hustler's story--through hip hop--has connected with a global audience. The deeper we get into those sidewalk cracks and into the mind of the young hustler trying to find his fortune there, the closer we get to the ultimate human story, the story of struggle, which is what defines us all."

American Gangster: "Success took a shot at you."

Success is the tragic flaw of many gangsters. They are ironically killed by their "shot" once they reach the top of the crooked ladder.

Hamilton gambles the national bank away from Madison and Jefferson in exchange for the capital. In the end he cheated them out of the deal: it doesn't matter where the capital is because it will always belong to the government, but now the bank belongs to Hamilton.

"Give me a position, show me where the ammunition is" from My Shot is similar to Hamilton's view on Burr's neutrality. He has no problem taking a stance and arguing for it "cause he knows it his chance to socially advance."

We discussed how Ruth's depiction of Gangsters in their elaborate dress characterizes Gatsby's style, "'An Oxford man!' He was incredulous. 'Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.'" I can't help but picture another pink-suited dandy we've been studying: Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton's modern depiction of the founding father shows him in a pink suit, literally "swinging a cane" during his second act number. He's criticized by Hamilton for his lavish lifestyle in France where he's been serving as an American ambassador, related to Ruth's inventory of goods. Check it out!

An example of "Sharpies," who are characterized by their "front" (business or career) behind which they hide their criminal activity. An example similar to those presented by Lupsha is Gatsby's encounter with the cop who pulls him over then dismisses his offense once he realizes Gatsby's involvement with Meyer Wolfsheim. The fact that employees of central government system engage in this kind of organized crime is indicative of corrupt political structures in American government. Perhaps this contributes to O'Kane's corrupt American dream: those who are supposed to serve on the side of the general public are really the ones who take advantage of the "suckers" for personal gain.

Not only do the history books portray these examples of social mobility, but so has American fiction. For centuries our culture has been fascinated with the rags-to-riches ascent stories that personify the "American Dream." The best stories are those of the average Joe who beats the odds and rises to the top on their own terms. Whether it's the self-invented fictional figures like Gatsby, or the orphan immigrant historical figures like Hamilton, our society's enthrallment with the Horatio Alger Route has and will endure.