On this day in 1855, French writer, poet, essayist and translator Gérard de Nerval died by hanging himself from a sewer grating in the Rue de la vieille-lanterne, a narrow lane in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, at the age of 46. Born Gérard Labrunie in Paris on 22 May 1808. He was a major figure of French romanticism who worked in many genres. He is best known for his poems and novellas, especially the collection Les Filles du feu (The Daughters of Fire), which includes the novella Sylvie and the poem El Desdichado.
The Final Footprint – Nerval left a brief note to his aunt: “N’attendez pas pour moi ce soir, pour la nuit sera noire et blanc”. (Do not wait up for me this evening, for the night will be
La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval”, by Gustave Doré, 1855
black and white.) Baudelaire said; he “délier son âme dans la rue la plus noire qu’il pût trouver” (delivered his soul in the darkest street that he could find). After a religious ceremony at the Notre-Dame cathedral (which was granted despite his suicide because of his troubled mental state), he was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, at the expense of his friends Théophile Gautier and Arsène Houssaye, who published Nerval’s Aurélia as a book later that year. Other notable final footprints at Père Lachaise include: Honoré de Balzac, Georges Bizet, Jean-Dominique Bauby, Maria Callas, Chopin, Colette, Auguste Comte, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Max Ernst, Molière, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Camille Pissarro, Marcel Proust, Sully Prudhomme, Gioachino Rossini, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Simone Signoret, Gertrude Stein, Dorothea Tanning, Alice B. Toklas, Oscar Wilde, and Richard Wright.
#RIP #OTD in 1920 painter and art model, common-law wife of Amedeo Modigliani, Jeanne Hébuterne died with her unborn baby, from a fall out of her fifth-floor apartment in Paris, the day after Modigliani died, aged 21. Next to Modigliani in Père Lachaise Cemetery
On this day in 1962, Sicilian mobster, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, died from a heart attack in the Naples International Airport in Naples, Italy at the age of 64. Born Salvatore Lucania on 24 November 1897 in Lercara Friddi, Palermo, Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in America. He was instrumental in creating the five Mafia crime families in New York City and in establishing the first commission. Luciano was the first official boss of the modern Genovese crime family. He and his associate Meyer Lansky, were instrumental in the development of the “National Crime Syndicate” in the United States. On 17 January 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages. Prohibition remained in force until its repeal in 1933 and reduced the consumption of alcohol but had the unintended effect of stimulating the proliferation of rampant underground, organized and widespread criminal activity. Organized crime gained a new source of revenue through illegal alcohol sales. In the 1920’s, New York’s two leading mobsters were Joe “The Boss” Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. They were engaged in what would be known as the infamous Castellammarese War. Luciano worked his way up to be Masseria’s top aide, but Luciano made a deal with Maranzano whereby Luciano would set up the death of Masseria in return for Maranzano’s support of Luciano becoming the head of the Masseria family and thus ending the destructive war. Masseria was assassinated in a Coney Island restaurant by Bugsy Siegel, Vito Genovese, and Joe Adonis. Maranzano then declared Luciano his number two man, and set up the Five Families of New York (Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, and Bonanno) under him, promising that they would all be equal and all be free to make money. However, Maranzano declare
d himself capo di tutti capi (Boss of all Bosses), which meant every Don in the country had to pay up to him. Luciano began planning to eliminate Maranzano. Luciano became the most powerful mobster in the country when Maranzano was killed in his office. Luciano set up The Commission comprised of the heads of the Five Familes plus; the Philadelphia crime family, the Buffalo crime family, Los Angeles crime family and the Chicago Outfit of Al Capone; later, the Detroit crime family, and Kansas City crime family. Genovese became Luciano’s Underboss, while Frank Costello was his consigliere. Michael “Trigger Mike” Coppola, Anthony Strollo, Adonis, and Anthony Carfano all served as caporegimes. Lansky and Siegel were both unofficial advisors. I suppose he was lucky in that he died from a heart attack as opposed to being murdered.
The Final Footprint – Luciano is entombed in the Lucania Family Private Mausoleum in Saint John Cemetery, Middle Village, New York. The inscription on his crypt plate reads: IL NOSTRO CARO FRATELLO (our dear brother) SALVATORE LUCANIA and shows his birth and death dates.
#RIP #OTD in 1992 actor (Cyrano de Bergerac, Moulin Rouge, The Caine Mutiny, Lawrence of Arabia, Ship of Fools, Dune) and director José Ferrer died of colorectal cancer in Coral Gables, Florida, aged 80. Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
| Abe Vigoda | |
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 as Phil Fish in Barney Miller in 1977 |
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On this day in 2016 United States Army Veteran, actor Abe Vigoda died from natural causes at his daughter’s home in Woodland Park, New Jersey, at the age of 94. Born Abraham Charles Vigoda on February 24, 1921 in Brooklyn. Perhaps best known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather (1972) and Phil Fish in Barney Miller (1975–1977, 1982).
My favorite role he played is that of Tessio in The Godfather (1972). He also appeared briefly in The Godfather Part II in a flashback sequence at the end of the film.
According to Francis Ford Coppola’s commentary on the DVD’s widescreen edition, Vigoda landed the role of Tessio in an “open call”, in which actors who did not have agents could come in for an audition.
Vigoda first wife was Sonja Gohlke. The marriage ended in divorce. His second marriage to Beatrice Schy lasted from 1968 until her death in 1992.
The Final Footprint
On January 31, 2016, Vigoda’s funeral was held. He is interred in Beth David Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery located at 300 Elmont Road in Elmont, New York.
On this day in 2020, 5x NBA Champion, Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant died along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, at the age of 41. Born Kobe Bean Bryant on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. In my opinion, one of the greatest players of all time. Bryant helped the Lakers win five NBA championships, and was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth on the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists.
Bryant was recognized as the top high-school basketball player in the U.S. while at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft after graduation, and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; the Hornets then traded him to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and he was named an All-Star by his second season. He and teammate Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault following an accusation by a young female hotel clerk. The criminal charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court. Bryant issued a public apology and admitted to a sexual encounter but denied the assault allegation and said it was consensual.
After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O’Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single game in league history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. Bryant led the team to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions. He continued to be among the top players in the league through 2013, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon at age 34. He subsequently suffered season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively, in the following two seasons. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season.
Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. He was also the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his 2017 film Dear Basketball.
The Final Footprint
On February 7, Bryant and Gianna were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, California. A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe’s and Gianna’s jersey numbers) at Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting. Speakers at the service included Vanessa, Jordan, O’Neal, Diana Taurasi, and Geno Auriemma.
The NBA had postponed the Lakers’ game against the Clippers just two days after the accident on January 28 – the first time an NBA game had been postponed for any reason since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing led to the postponement of a Celtics game. On January 30, the first game after the crash was played at Staples Center between the Clippers and the Kings, the Clippers honored Bryant before the game, with Southern California native Paul George narrating a video tribute to Bryant. The next day, the Lakers played their first game after the crash against the Trail Blazers. Ahead of the match, the Lakers paid tribute to Bryant and all who lost their lives in the crash with a ceremony held just before tip off, with Usher singing “Amazing Grace” and Boyz II Men singing the National Anthem, while Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth reunited to perform “See You Again” – originally their tribute to Paul Walker after his death while filming Furious 7 – at halftime. James also delivered a speech to the crowd before the game, and every player in the Lakers starting lineup was announced with Bryant’s name. The game was the second-most-watched in ESPN history, averaging 4.41 million viewers.
Also, beginning with the Spurs and the Raptors in their game in San Antonio on the day of the crash, teams paid tribute to Bryant at the start of their games with intentional on-court violations referring to his uniform numbers on their first possession – either a 24-second shot clock or an 8-second backcourt violation. On February 15, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the All-Star Game MVP Award would be renamed to the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player in Bryant’s honor.
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards went ahead as scheduled at the Staples Center on the day of the crash, but included tributes by multiple artists and groups, including host Alicia Keys opening the show with a tribute speech and joining Boyz II Men to sing “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”. Bryant also appeared at the start of the In Memoriam segment of the 92nd Academy Awards, having won an Oscar in 2018, and Spike Lee wore a suit in tribute to him at the ceremony.
Another notable final footprint at Pacific View is that of John Wayne.
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On this day in 1990, Oscar nominated actess, Ava Gardner, died from pneumonia, in her London home at the age of 67. Born Ava Lavinia Gardner on 24 December 1922 in Grabtown, North Carolina. Her Academy Award for Best Actress nomination was for her work in Mogambo (1953). Gardner appeared in several high-profile films from the 1950s to 1970s, including; Show Boat (1951), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), The Sun Also Rises (1957), On the Beach (1959), The Night of the Iguana (1964), Earthquake (1974), and The Cassandra Crossing (1976). She was married three times; Mickey Rooney (1942 – 1943 divorce), Artie Shaw (1945 – 1946 divorce) and Frank Sinatra (1951 – 1957 divorce). Gardner would later say in her autobiography that of all the men she had had, Sinatra was the love of her life. Sinatra left his wife, Nancy, for Ava and their subsequent marriage made headlines and Sinatra was savaged by gossip columnists, the Hollywood establishment, the Roman Catholic Church, and by his fans. Sinatra’s career was suffering while hers was prospering. Reportedly, Gardner used her considerable clout to get Sinatra cast in his Oscar-winning role in From Here to Eternity (1953). That role and the award revitalized both Sinatra’s acting and singing careers. They reportedly remained friends after the divorce. Gardner had other famous friendships; Howard Hughes and Ernest Hemingway. 
On this day in 1920, painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani died of tubercular meningitis at the Hôpital de la Charité in Paris at the age of 35. Born Amadeo Clemente Modigliani on 12 July 1884 in Livorno, Italy. Modigliani worked mainly in France and is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by elongation of faces and figures, that were not received well during his lifetime, but later found acceptance. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, where he studied the art of antiquity and the Renaissance, until he moved to Paris in 1906. 
How ironic: Johnson and the Kennedys, inextricably linked in life. And linked in death.
On this day in 1995, American philanthropist, the wife of Joseph P. Kennedy, and the mother of nine children, among them United States President John F. Kennedy, United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and United States Senator Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy, Countess (title granted by Pope Pius XII), Rose Kennedy died from complications from pneumonia at the age of 104 in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Born Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on 22 July 1890 in the North End neighborhood of Boston. 
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On this day in 2002, jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack in Bel Air, Los Angeles, at the age of 81. Born Norma Deloris Egstrom on May 26, 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota. Her career spanned six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman‘s big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and performer. During her career, she wrote music for films, acted, and recorded conceptual record albums that combined poetry and music. Lee was nominated for twelve Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit “Is That All There Is?” In 1995 she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Final Footprint
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On this day in 1996, U.S. Congresswoman, Texas Senator, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Barbara Jordan, died in Austin, Texas. Born Barbara Charline Jordan on 21 February 1936 in Houston, Texas. She was the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate after reconstruction and the first Southern black woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Jordan was mentioned as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter in 1976. That year, she became the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor teaching ethics at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
