During the 1860’s and 70’s, 8 St. Mark’s Place was the office of Madame Van Buskirk, whose real name is Gifford, who was the second most famous doctor in the city, behind only Madame Restell, for “female irregularities” and “menstrual obstructions”, or as we call them today, abortions. Throughout most of the 19th century, common law allowed abortions before “quickening”, which usually begins around the fourth month. But in the years following the Civil War, campaigns resulted in a change in public and legal attitudes…particularly after the sensationalized case of Alice Augusta Bowlsby in 1871. Bowlsby’s decomposing body was found in a trunk at Hudson River Railway depot and eventually traced back to abortionist Jacob Rosensweig. As a result, New York made abortion a felony. In 1876, Juliet Corson opened the New York Cooking School in her apartment here. It was the first cooking school in the United States. Tuition was on an ability to pay basis. By 1888, this was an Italian restaurant, La Trinacria. It was here that Antonio Flaccomio had dinner with a friend, Polazzi, and two brothers, Carlo and Vincent Quarteraro on October 14, 1888. Polazzi was on poor terms with the Mafia for aiding the police with a counterfeit sting, and it is believed the dinner was a setup. When Polazzi got suspicious and excused himself, the brothers turned on Flaccomio accusing him of befriending an informer. He left the restaurant but Carlo caught up with him at the southwest corner of St. Marks Place and Third Avenue, stabbing him in what would become the first recorded Mafia hit in Manhattan. Carlo fled the country, reportedly disguised as a priest. Vincenzo was tried but the jury on his case deadlocked and he was set free. The New York Times reported that day: Inspector Byrnes said yesterday that the persons concerned in the tragedy are Sicilians, and hail from Palermo, the chief seaport of Sicily. The criminal classes of Sicily are banded together in a secret society known as 'The Mafia', all the members of which are pledged to protect each other against the officers of the law. The members of this society are chiefly forgers, counterfeiters, and assassins. Murder with some of them is simply a pastime.

A classic car parked on 108th Street in Corona, Queens. If someone has any more info on this model of auto, please share. /// The working-class, no-nonsense residential neighborhood of Corona lies just to the north of the LIE (Long Island Expressway) from Forest Hills. The neighborhood sprouted up along the path of the IRT #7 Train and really took off when the World's Fairs of 1939 and 1964 came to the nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. As in many areas of the outer boroughs with roots in the early-mid 20th century, there was initially a strong Italian-American presence here- most likely in the form of families who could afford to leave the crowded Lower Manhattan of their parents for the (then) more open spaces of Queens. In the past 20 or 30 years the cycle has continued, as Italian families have moved in increasing numbers to the suburbs of Long Island and are being replaced in Corona by the newest batch of immigrants- in this case, those of predominantly Hispanic origins. Very little of the Italian presence remains- though there are notable hold-outs like the Lemon Ice King, a summer staple. And once in a while you'll catch a waft of Italian cooking on the street. The main attraction now is the vibrant Latin community and there is much great food of that nature to be found here. 10 mile expedition to Old Vlissingen- from Forest Hills through Corona, Willets Point, colonial sights of Flushing, the World's Fair ruins, and back. December 2, 2010