50's & 60's

The fifties brought national attention and fame to New Orleans in general and especially Bourbon St. New Orleans had become a player in the Rock and Roll recording industry and the newly developed “TV” industry was producing “NOPD” and “Peter Gunn” and “Bourbon ST Is My Beat” all of which I watched as a kid growing up in Kansas City. The movie industry had, had presence in New Orleans for some time. Motion Picture Advertising a New York based company had established a production house in a old Jewish temple on Carrondelett St by “Lee’s Circle” and New Orleans was only behind N.Y. and L.A. in film and TV production. The Elvis Presley movie “King Creole” is a classic film of the time. There are many great Bourbon St. and French Quarter shots in this movie as well as what I consider to be one of the great lines of Am. Film when Elvis says….“I’ve cleaned every toilet on Bourbon St.”… and so have I Elvis, so have I
With all the glimmer, and glitz there was also a real down side. The French Quarter in general was really run down. The streets along the river front Decatur and North Peter were seedy and dangerous places to be late at night. Prostitution and street walking were common, and there were many ways to relive a tourist of his money. Gambling was controlled by the mafia and the power was so strong that New Orleans did not have gang warfare like other cities. There was just one gang and everyone belonged to it. I have always had respect for the job the NOPD does with Mardi Gras and the major events that New Orleans has but there has always been a darkness about the New Orleans police that only a city like New Orleans would create. The city of New Orleans has always been two-faced. This is how it should be and this is the reality. Now where is this more evident then with the NOPD. As I matured and learned about the ways of Bourbon St. I was told many stories and experienced my of these things myself. It was not unusual for the club owners to have police on their payroll and they would come in to get paid and get their envelope of cash on payday like every one else. I was told by one old time club owner how he was the fence for the police. That when they would arrest a drunk or some time just pick them up and roll them or accept bribes to not arrest them, then they would take the rings and watches, ect to this club owner and he would buy all the stuff.
Of course when there was a dispute between the customer and the club owner and the police was called in you know who would wind up getting their money and who would wind up going to jail.