My great-grandparents came to New York City in the early 1900s. They lived in a tenement on Rivington Street, alongside other recently arrived Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. They had two children, one of which ended up opening a bar in Times Square — "Killroys Cafe." The place was rather rough-and-tumble, frequented by mob-types and down-and-out alcoholics. My grandfather was tough himself, knowing the crowd his bar drew was sometimes even tougher. My father worked at the bar as well, making vodka neats and old fashioned since he was 12 years old. 

Fights came often. Customers tried to skip on their tabs or picked a fight just for some entertainment. My grandfather, who spent every day lifting and grabbing kegs and gallons of alcohol, kept himself strong. He would throw the second punch — never the first — but then ban the customer only for the remainder of the day. Oftentimes, they would come back within the week.

The photo included is of a customer at the bar, probably a regular, with his middle fingers up towards the camera. My dad took this picture, he reminisces often about the bar and the mobsters who made that place so vibrant and even homely. Now, the bar is a CitiBank — it closed in the mid-late 1900s. 

– Natalie

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