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111-525: In the Bronx in 1959, waiter and aspiring singer-songwriter Vincent "Vinnie" Vacarri is informed by his best friend and piano accompanist, Gino "G.G." Pilato, of their upcoming time slot at a recording studio, while working at his family's restaurant. After fighting with the mobster who owns the studio, he later tells his mother he lacks the necessary looks and charisma to be a singer. Inspired by observing his friend Tomaso DeLorusso charismatically playing saxophone at

222-442: A $ 64 million lawsuit at the time of the picture's release, claiming the film made him look like "a totally manufactured singer, a mere pretty face without any singing ability or acting talent." The filmmakers insisted that the movie presented only fictional characters (although Marcucci was a paid consultant on the film). Forte claimed they settled out of court, where he and his wife received apologies and Marcucci's 7.5% ownership of

333-571: A New Jersey nightclub, Vinnie convinces him that he is destined to be a headline act. Over the next few months, he molds him into a singer under the name "Tommy Dee" and produces a record with him. In order to promote Tommy by starting a record company, he reluctantly asks his father Frank for a $ 10,000 loan, criticizing him for selfishly abandoning his family for money and women. Vinnie presses Tommy's records, and eventually Tommy successfully performs his debut single "Here Is My Love" on disc jockey Walt Bennett's show. Afterward, Walt pretends Tommy's song

444-522: A Vacation (1962), he romanced (and sang with) the daughter of a family man played by James Stewart; this was a big hit. So too was The Longest Day (1962), Fox's all-star epic about the D-Day landings; Fabian appeared among a number of other teen idols as US Rangers. Less popular, though still widely seen, was Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), Irwin Allen 's take on Jules Verne ; Fabian sang one song but again it

555-458: A fish out of water. And we made a record. And it was horrible. Yet it got on Georgie Woods . For some reason, Georgie Woods played it." The song was "Shivers", which was a local hit in Chicago. This helped Fabian meet Dick Clark , who agreed to try Fabian at one of Clark's record hops, where singers would perform to teenage audiences. Fabian lip synched to a song and Clark wrote "the little girls at

666-511: A good role in a surf movie made for Columbia, Ride the Wild Surf (1964) (with Tab Hunter ), and was reunited with James Stewart for Fox's Dear Brigitte (1965) – the film failed to repeat the success of Hobbs . Harry Alan Towers cast him as one of the victims in Ten Little Indians (1965). In October 1965, Fox announced it had picked up Fabian's option to make three more films for

777-485: A heart attack, and, while he was being taken away in an ambulance, Marcucci spotted Fabian. Fabian later recalled, "He kept staring at me and looking at me. I had a crew cut, but this was the day of Rick Nelson and Elvis . He comes up and says to me, 'So if you're ever interested in the rock and roll business...' and hands me his card. I looked at the guy like he was out of his mind. I told him, 'Leave me alone. I'm worried about my dad.'" When Fabian's father returned from

888-473: A large talent agency, and agrees to find Tommy a movie role. Meanwhile, following his father's advice, he transforms busboy Guido Bevaloqua into a singer named "Caesare" and assuages a jealous Tommy when he sees Vinnie grooming Caesare instead of joining him on tour. Later, Vinnie arranges a tryout for Caesare at a small club. In the dressing room, Tommy's advice to Caesare to smoke to calm his nerves sickens Caesare. On stage, he nervously runs off before finishing

999-821: A promontory on the Hudson in Riverdale . Nearer the borough's center, and along the Bronx River , is Bronx Park ; its northern end houses the New York Botanical Gardens , which preserve the last patch of the original hemlock forest that once covered the county, and its southern end the Bronx Zoo , the largest urban zoological gardens in the United States. In 1904 the Chestnut Blight pathogen ( Cryphonectria parasitica )

1110-632: A quarter of the Bronx's area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery , Van Cortlandt Park , Pelham Bay Park , the New York Botanical Garden , and the Bronx Zoo in the borough's north and center. The Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Garden is thousands of years old and is New York City's largest remaining tract of the original forest that once covered the city. These open spaces are primarily on land reserved in

1221-399: A railroad suburb. Faster transportation enabled rapid population growth in the late 19th century, involving the move from horse-drawn street cars to elevated railways and the subway system, which linked to Manhattan in 1904. The South Bronx was a manufacturing center for many years and was noted as a center of piano manufacturing in the early part of the 20th century. In 1919, the Bronx was

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1332-418: A red light. To prevent the misdemeanor from being publicized, Vinnie gives the officer concert tickets and threatens to drop Caesare as an act. When Vinnie hands Brenda a report, revealing that Ellen, her best reporter, has had similar relationships prior to her fling with Caesare, Brenda warns that Ellen's dismissal will upset Caesare. However, Vinnie claims that because he will be on tour, Teen Scene can cover

1443-469: A remake of the film was in the works, with Craig Brewer to direct, and Justin Timberlake to produce (along with the two producers of the original film, Hawk Koch and Gene Kirkwood). The remake never materialized. The Bronx The Bronx ( / b r ɒ ŋ k s / BRONKS ) is the northernmost borough of New York City , coextensive with Bronx County , in the U.S. state of New York . It

1554-497: A role originally intended for Avalon in Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966), supporting Vincent Price and directed by Mario Bava . Back in the United States, he made another stock car racing film for AIP, Thunder Alley (1967), opposite Funicello and directed by Richard Rush . His fourth movie for AIP was Maryjane (1968), where Fabian played a school teacher fighting the evils of

1665-541: A system of major Bronx parks connected by park-like thoroughfares is usually attributed to John Mullaly . Woodlawn Cemetery , located on 400 acres (160 ha) and one of the largest cemeteries in New York City, sits on the western bank of the Bronx River near Yonkers . It opened in 1863, in what was then the town of Yonkers, at the time a rural area. Since the first burial in 1865, more than 300,000 people have been interred there. The borough's northern side includes

1776-405: A teenage fan who screamed. Marcucci was angry that he did not see the film and hit the singer. In 1963, he signed a contract with Dot Records. He spent the next thirteen years concentrating on acting. Fabian later said in 1971 that "I must say I never knew [Marcucci] to cheat me out of any money due me and he never promised me anything he didn't deliver." He stated he left his manager because "all

1887-595: Is Here". It worked and "Turn Me Loose" went into the Top Ten, peaking at number 9. This was later followed by "Hound Dog Man", (US #9; UK #46), and his biggest hit, "Tiger", which reached No. 3 on the US charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . A review in Variety of a concert featuring Fabian in early 1959 declared the singer "was undoubtedly

1998-517: Is an American singer and actor. Forte rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand . He became a teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Eleven of his songs reached the Billboard Hot 100 . Fabian Forte was born on February 6, 1943, in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. Born to Italian-American parents, he is the son of Josephine and Dominic Forte. His father

2109-409: Is based on the Bronx River , while the other strictly separates South Bronx from the rest of the borough. The Bronx River divides the borough nearly in half, putting the earlier-settled, more urban, and hillier sections in the western lobe and the newer, more suburban coastal sections in the eastern lobe. It is an accurate reflection on the Bronx's history considering that the towns that existed in

2220-454: Is capitalized ("The Bronx") at the beginning of a sentence or in any other situation when a normally lowercase word would be capitalized. However, some people and groups refer to the borough with a capital letter at all times, such as Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan , The Bronx County Historical Society , and the Bronx-based organization Great and Glorious Grand Army of The Bronx, arguing

2331-678: Is land and 15 square miles (39 km ) (27%) is water. The Bronx is New York City's northernmost borough, New York State's southernmost mainland county and the only part of New York City that is almost entirely on the North American mainland, unlike the other four boroughs that are either islands or located on islands. The bedrock of the West Bronx is primarily Fordham gneiss , a high-grade heavily banded metamorphic rock containing significant amounts of pink feldspar . Marble Hill – politically part of Manhattan but now physically attached to

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2442-442: Is mediocre until Vinnie bribes him into putting Tommy’s record in rotation. Later, Vinnie convinces Teen Scene magazine editor Brenda Roberts to feature Tommy on the magazine's upcoming cover. Sometime later, Tommy performs his follow-up single "Sweet Little Lover" on the television show National Bandstand , ignoring the rehearsed choreography and spontaneously interacting with the female audience. While celebrating his new success at

2553-448: Is performing his debut single "Baby", ripping his clothing, but once more security is added, he successfully finishes his performance. Instead of allowing Caesare to tour, Vinnie places him in seclusion to increase his mystique. After five months, a restless Caesare borrows Gino's car to spend a romantic evening with Teen Scene reporter Ellen Fields. While he is returning, a cop gives him a ticket for driving while intoxicated and running

2664-513: Is south of Westchester County ; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan , across the Harlem River ; and north of the New York City borough of Queens , across the East River . The Bronx, the only New York City borough not primarily located on an island, has a land area of 42 square miles (109 km ) and a population of 1,472,654 at the 2020 census . Of the five boroughs, it has

2775-432: Is unmotivated until his mother finally inspires him to return to the restaurant. Months later, he invites Brenda to witness him perform, but she declines. One night, Brenda encounters him on stage performing his own self-written composition "I Believe It Can Be Done", approvingly nodding at him. Marcucci approached producer Gene Kirkwood with the idea for the film. In the original script, the singers were more sympathetic and

2886-752: The American Revolutionary War , the King's Bridge toll was abolished. The territory now contained within Bronx County was originally part of Westchester County , one of the 12 original counties of the English Province of New York . The present Bronx County was contained in the town of Westchester and parts of the towns in Yonkers , Eastchester , and Pelham . In 1846, a new town was created by division of Westchester, called West Farms. The town of Morrisania

2997-521: The Battle of New Market , where Virginia Military cadets took on union soldiers. The movie was never made. In April 1961 Fox announced Fabian would star in Blue Denim Baby and Bachelor Flat ; the former was never made and the latter was made with Richard Beymer. Instead Fabian co-starred opposite Tuesday Weld in an episode of The Dick Powell Show , titled " Run Till It's Dark ". In Mr. Hobbs Takes

3108-502: The Bedford Park neighborhood; the reservoir was built in the 1890s on the site of the former Jerome Park Racetrack . Further south is Crotona Park , home to a 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) lake, 28 species of trees, and a large swimming pool. The land for these parks, and many others, was bought by New York City in 1888, while land was still open and inexpensive, in anticipation of future needs and future pressures for development. Some of

3219-552: The Hound Dog Man title song was a top ten hit but the film was not a financial success – in contrast to Presley and Boone's first films. The studio, however, tried again in two smaller roles, supporting a bigger star – High Time , with Bing Crosby , and North to Alaska , with John Wayne . Both films were popular especially the latter and in November 1960 his contract with the studio was amended with an increase in salary – it

3330-575: The Hutchinson River (named after the religious leader Anne Hutchinson , killed along its banks in 1641), passes through the East Bronx and empties into Eastchester Bay . The Bronx also includes several small islands in the East River and Long Island Sound , such as City Island and Hart Island . Rikers Island in the East River, home to the large jail complex for the entire city, is also part of

3441-574: The Spuyten Duyvil Creek ; Marble Hill's postal ZIP code , telephonic area codes and fire service, however, are shared with the Bronx and not Manhattan. The Bronx River flows south from Westchester County through the borough, emptying into the East River; it is the only entirely freshwater river in New York City. It separates the West Bronx from the schist of the East Bronx . A smaller river,

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3552-429: The 1970s and into the 1980s, ultimately culminating in a wave of arson in the late 1970s, a period when hip hop music evolved. The South Bronx , in particular, experienced severe urban decay . The borough began experiencing new population growth starting in the late 1990s and continuing to the present day. The Bronx was called Rananchqua by the native Siwanoy band of Lenape (also known historically as

3663-666: The Australian film, Rock 'n' Roll . Due to a contractual dispute, however, his appearance was quickly removed from the film. That same year, Forte told a judge he was earning $ 250,000 a year (equivalent to $ 2,613,000 in 2023) though an earlier report put this at $ 137,000. He kept up his studies and graduated from high school in June 1960. During the payola scandal of the 1960s, Forte testified before Congress that his recordings had been doctored electronically to "significantly improve his voice". His career in music basically ended when he

3774-441: The Bronx changed during 1950–1985 from a predominantly moderate-income to a predominantly lower-income area with high rates of violent crime and poverty in some areas. The Bronx has experienced an economic and developmental resurgence starting in the late 1980s that continues into today. The Bronx was a mostly rural area for many generations, with small farms supplying the city markets. In the late 19th century, however, it grew into

3885-692: The Bronx was designated an All America City by the National Civic League , acknowledging its comeback from the decline of the mid-century. In 2006, The New York Times reported that "construction cranes have become the borough's new visual metaphor, replacing the window decals of the 1980s in which pictures of potted plants and drawn curtains were placed in the windows of abandoned buildings." The borough has experienced substantial new building construction since 2002. Between 2002 and June 2007, 33,687 new units of housing were built or were under way and $ 4.8 billion has been invested in new housing. In

3996-521: The Bronx – is so-called because of the formation of Inwood marble there as well as in Inwood, Manhattan , and parts of the Bronx and Westchester County. The Hudson River separates the Bronx on the west from Alpine , Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County, New Jersey ; the Harlem River separates it from the island of Manhattan to the southwest; the East River separates it from Queens to

4107-502: The Bronx's decline may have been the development of high-rise housing projects , particularly in the South Bronx . Yet another factor may have been a reduction in the real estate listings and property-related financial services offered in some areas of the Bronx, such as mortgage loans or insurance policies—a process known as redlining . Others have suggested a " planned shrinkage " of municipal services, such as fire-fighting. There

4218-561: The Bronx. The Bronx's highest elevation at 280 feet (85 m) is in the northwest corner, west of Van Cortlandt Park and in the Chapel Farm area near the Riverdale Country School . The opposite (southeastern) side of the Bronx has four large low peninsulas or "necks" of low-lying land that jut into the waters of the East River and were once salt marsh : Hunt's Point, Clason's Point, Screvin's Neck and Throggs Neck . Further up

4329-700: The Delawares ), while other Native Americans knew the Bronx as Keskeskeck . It was divided by the Aquahung River (now known in English as the Bronx River ). The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck ( c.  1600–1643 ), a European settler whose precise origins are disputed. Documents indicate he was a Swedish-born immigrant from Komstad, Norra Ljunga parish in Småland , Sweden, who arrived in New Netherland during

4440-504: The South Bronx. The IRT White Plains Road Line ( 2 and ​ 5 trains) began to show an increase in riders. Chains such as Marshalls , Staples , and Target opened stores in the Bronx. More bank branches opened in the Bronx as a whole (rising from 106 in 1997 to 149 in 2007), although not primarily in poor or minority neighborhoods, while the Bronx still has fewer branches per person than other boroughs. In 1997,

4551-537: The Third Avenue Bridge as people buy apartments and renovate them. Several boutique and chain hotels opened in the 2010s in the South Bronx . New developments are underway. The Bronx General Post Office on the corner of the Grand Concourse and East 149th Street is being converted into a market place, boutiques, restaurants and office space with a USPS concession. The Kingsbridge Armory , often cited as

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4662-476: The Town of Westchester (which had voted against consolidation in 1894) and parts of Eastchester and Pelham. The nautical community of City Island voted to join the city in 1896. Following these two annexations, the Bronx's territory had moved from Westchester County into New York County, which already included Manhattan and the rest of pre-1874 New York City. On January 1, 1898, the consolidated City of New York

4773-662: The acquired land was set aside for the Grand Concourse and Pelham Parkway , the first of a series of boulevards and parkways ( thoroughfares lined with trees, vegetation and greenery). Later projects included the Bronx River Parkway , which developed a road while restoring the riverbank and reducing pollution, Mosholu Parkway and the Henry Hudson Parkway . In 2006, a five-year, $ 220-million program of capital improvements and natural restoration in 70 Bronx parks

4884-578: The area prior to annexation to the City of New York generally did not straddle the Bronx River. In addition, what is today the Bronx was annexed to New York City in two stages: areas west of the Bronx River were annexed in 1874 while areas to the east of the river were annexed in 1895. Under this system, the Bronx can be further divided into the following regions: Fabian Forte Fabian Anthony Forte (born February 6, 1943), professionally known as Fabian ,

4995-632: The basic lack of talent." In October 1974, Carr – by then no longer his manager – said that Fabian was "a sensational lounge act in Nevada and shouldn't play anywhere else except on prom nights. He's not a middle of the road act in a middle of the road room. At the 12.30 am show at the Blue Max, when the conventioneers had had a few drinks it was terrific... This boy probably made $ 18,000 last year; this year he'll make about $ 270,000." He often performed in Las Vegas in

5106-599: The borough's southern and western fringes. Most predominantly non-Hispanic White communities today are in the eastern and northwestern sections of the borough . From the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, the quality of life changed for some Bronx residents. Historians and social scientists have suggested many factors, including the theory that Robert Moses ' Cross Bronx Expressway destroyed existing residential neighborhoods and created instant slums, as put forward in Robert Caro 's biography The Power Broker . Another factor in

5217-457: The borough's southwestern neighborhoods. This migration has left a mostly poor African American and Hispanic (largely Puerto Rican ) population in the West Bronx. One significant factor that shifted the racial and economic demographics was the construction of Co-op City , built to house middle-class residents in family-sized apartments. The high-rise complex played a significant role in draining middle-class residents from older tenement buildings in

5328-420: The borough. As evidence of the change in population, by 1937, 592,185 Jews lived in the Bronx (43.9% of the borough's population), while only 54,000 Jews lived in the borough in 2011. Many synagogues still stand in the Bronx, but most have been converted to other uses. Bootleggers and gangs were active in the Bronx during Prohibition (1920–1933). Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Polish gangs smuggled in most of

5439-516: The bridges across the Harlem River plagued the period of British colonial rule. The King's Bridge, built in 1693 where Broadway reached the Spuyten Duyvil Creek , was a possession of Frederick Philipse , lord of Philipse Manor . Local farmers on both sides of the creek resented the tolls, and in 1759, Jacobus Dyckman and Benjamin Palmer led them in building a free bridge across the Harlem River. After

5550-404: The building they lived in so they could qualify for emergency relocations by city social service agencies to better residences, sometimes being relocated to other parts of the city. Out of 289 census tracts in the Bronx borough, 7 tracts lost more than 97% of their buildings to arson and abandonment between 1970 and 1980; another 44 tracts had more than 50% of their buildings meet the same fate. By

5661-514: The coastline, Rodman's Neck lies between Pelham Bay Park in the northeast and City Island . The Bronx's irregular shoreline extends for 75 square miles (194 km ). Although Bronx County was the third most densely populated county in the United States in 2022 (after Manhattan and Brooklyn ), 7,000 acres (28 km ) of the Bronx—about one fifth of the Bronx's area, and one quarter of its land area—is given over to parkland. The vision of

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5772-427: The coextensive "Borough of the Bronx". The United States Postal Service uses "Bronx, NY" for mailing addresses. The region was apparently named after the Bronx River and first appeared in the "Annexed District of The Bronx", created in 1874 out of part of Westchester County . It was continued in the "Borough of The Bronx", created in 1898, which included a larger annexation from Westchester County in 1895. The use of

5883-505: The definite article is attributed to the style of referring to rivers. A time-worn story purportedly explaining the use of the definite article in the borough's name says it stems from the phrase "visiting the Broncks", referring to the settler's family. The capitalization of the borough's name is sometimes disputed. Generally, the definite article is lowercase in place names ("the Bronx") except in some official references. The definite article

5994-484: The definite article is part of the proper name. In particular, the Great and Glorious Grand Army of The Bronx is leading efforts to make the city refer to the borough with an uppercase definite article in all uses, comparing the lowercase article in the Bronx's name to "not capitalizing the 's' in 'Staten Island ' ". European colonization of the Bronx began in 1639. The Bronx was originally part of Westchester County , but it

6105-412: The early 1980s, the Bronx was considered the most blighted urban area in the country, particularly the South Bronx which experienced a loss of 60% of the population and 40% of housing units. However, starting in the 1990s, many of the burned-out and run-down tenements were replaced by new housing units. In May 1984, New York Supreme Court justice Peter J. McQuillan ruled that Marble Hill, Manhattan ,

6216-473: The family restaurant, Vinnie becomes intoxicated, berates a clumsy waiter, and complains that Tommy will not follow his advice to study acting, frightening an overly concerned Brenda. Sometime later, Vinnie gives his father a check to repay part of the loan, who warns him to remain humble and protect his investment while simultaneously advising him to draw up a contract with Tommy and recruit more clients. Later, Vinnie meets with Phil Delano, an agent from I.A.A.,

6327-539: The film passed to Forte. He appeared in a 1982 television commercial for The Idols of Rock n' Roll and in the documentary film The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania (2005). In the 1980s, he developed some sitcoms for television. Forte hosted and headlined in the hit show The Original Stars of Bandstand at The Dick Clark Theater in Branson, Missouri. The show starred Forte and Bobby Vee and featured The Chiffons , Brian Hyland , Chris Montez and rare footage of

6438-473: The first six months of 2007 alone total investment in new residential development was $ 965 million and 5,187 residential units were scheduled to be completed. Much of the new development is springing up in formerly vacant lots across the South Bronx. In addition there came a revitalization of the existing housing market in areas such as Hunts Point, the Lower Concourse, and the neighborhoods surrounding

6549-407: The first song. As Caesare vomits in the alley, Vinnie reassures him that he will not let him down. Afterwards, Vinnie creatively markets Caesare by splashing his photograph across town. As both continue rehearsals, an abandoned Tommy expresses a desire to obtain the part in a television series that Vinnie denied him and threatens to fire him. At Caesare's next concert, girls attack him on stage while he

6660-456: The fourth-largest area, fourth-highest population, and third-highest population density . The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a hillier section in the west , and a flatter eastern section. East and west street names are divided by Jerome Avenue . The West Bronx was annexed to New York City in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895. Bronx County was separated from New York County (modern-day Manhattan) in 1914. About

6771-473: The hop went wild. They started screaming and yelling for this guy who didn't do a thing but stand there. I've never seen anything like it." Clark told Marcucci "you got a hit, he's a star. Now all you have to do is teach him to sing." Clark eventually put the young singer on American Bandstand where he sang "I'm in Love". Fabian later admitted this song "was not very good either" but "the response – they told me –

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6882-420: The hospital he was unable to work, so when Marcucci persisted, Fabian and his family were amenable, and he agreed to record a single. Frankie Avalon , also of South Philadelphia, suggested Forte as a possibility. Fabian later said, "They gave me a pompadour and some clothes and those goddamned white bucks and out I went." "He was the right look and right for what we were going for", wrote Marcucci later. Fabian

6993-494: The illegal whiskey, and the oldest sections of the borough became poverty-stricken. Police Commissioner Richard Enright said that speakeasies provided a place for "the vicious elements, bootleggers, gamblers and their friends in all walks of life" to cooperate and to "evade the law, escape punishment for their crimes, [and] to deter the police from doing their duty". Between 1930 and 1960, moderate and upper income Bronxites (predominantly non-Hispanic Whites) began to relocate from

7104-495: The inspiration for the character of Guido/Caesare, Forte claimed the film made him look like "a totally manufactured singer, a mere pretty face without any singing ability or acting talent." He went on to say they settled out of court, requiring he, his wife, and family receive apologies in The Hollywood Reporter and Variety , and Marcucci's 7.5% ownership of the film passed to Forte. In 2014, Variety reported that

7215-487: The instruction of professional driver Bill Simpson when he rolled his car and suffered minor cuts and bruises. In 1982, a jury found him 40% liable for the accident (Fabian testified that Simpson repeatedly urged him to drive faster while Simpson testified that Fabian suddenly accelerated wildly in spite of his orders to slow down). He received $ 32,000 in an out-of-court settlement (equivalent to $ 101,000 in 2023). Forte has been married three times. His first marriage

7326-473: The largest armory in the world, is currently slated for redevelopment. Under consideration for future development is the construction of a platform over the New York City Subway 's Concourse Yard adjacent to Lehman College . The construction would permit approximately 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m ) of development and would cost US$ 350–500 million . Despite significant investment compared to

7437-537: The largest park in New York City— Pelham Bay Park , which includes Orchard Beach —and the third-largest, Van Cortlandt Park , which is west of Woodlawn Cemetery and borders Yonkers . Also in the northern Bronx, Wave Hill , the former estate of George W. Perkins —known for a historic house, gardens, changing site-specific art installations and concerts—overlooks the New Jersey Palisades from

7548-430: The late 19th century as urban development progressed north and east from Manhattan. The word "Bronx" originated with Swedish -born (or Faroese -born) Jonas Bronck , who established the first European settlement in the area as part of the New Netherland colony in 1639. European settlers displaced the native Lenape after 1643. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bronx received many immigrant and migrant groups as it

7659-510: The local tribes. He eventually accumulated 500 acres (200 ha) between the Harlem River and the Aquahung, which became known as Bronck's River or the Bronx [River] . Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Bronck's Land . The American poet William Bronk was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, either Jonas Bronck's son or his younger brother, but most probably a nephew or cousin, as there

7770-402: The lot. I was on the plane with Marlon Brando for eight hours coming back from Tahiti." The Fox contract included television series as well as films. Fabian was cast by director Robert Altman as a psychotic killer in " A Lion Walks Among Us ", an episode of the television series Bus Stop . This episode was highly controversial due to its violent content, with many affiliates refusing to run

7881-526: The marijuana trade. He returned to racing car dramas with The Wild Racers (1968), partly financed by Roger Corman and shot in Europe. This was not a big hit on release but has developed a cult following; Quentin Tarantino described it as his favorite racing car movie. The Devil's 8 (1968) was an AIP rip-off of The Dirty Dozen (with a script co-written by John Milius ). His seventh and final film for

7992-404: The mid 1970s until he fell into difficulties with the authorities after attacking a Las Vegas district attorney, and resultant bankruptcy. He retired once more in 1977, then resumed performing in 1981. He never regained his teenage popularity, but has continued performing. The film The Idolmaker (1980), written by Edward Di Lorenzo and the first feature film directed by Taylor Hackford ,

8103-507: The novel by Fred Gipson (who had written Old Yeller ) and directed by Don Siegel . He co-starred with the more experienced Stuart Whitman and sang several songs, including the title track. The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film featured a photo of Forte's screen test where he appeared in the same outfit that Elvis Presley wore in Fox's Love Me Tender . "Acting came natural to me. I don't know why", Fabian later said. Fabian's recording of

8214-559: The official maps of the city. Since the late 1980s, significant development has occurred in the Bronx, first stimulated by the city's "Ten-Year Housing Plan" and community members working to rebuild the social, economic and environmental infrastructure by creating affordable housing . Groups affiliated with churches in the South Bronx erected the Nehemiah Homes with about 1,000 units. The grass roots organization Nos Quedamos' endeavor known as Melrose Commons began to rebuild areas in

8325-548: The performers and Dick Clark . As part of a long-running concert tour, Fabian has toured with fellow Philadelphian 1950s teen idols Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon as Dick Fox's Golden Boys. On January 8, 2002, Forte was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements in live theatre. He was drafted, but rejected, for military service during the Vietnam War. According to USMC Lt. Col. Arthur Eppley, Forte

8436-432: The poorest congressional district in the United States , New York's 15th . The borough also features upper- and middle-income neighborhoods, such as Riverdale , Fieldston , Spuyten Duyvil , Schuylerville , Pelham Bay , Pelham Gardens , Morris Park , and Country Club . Parts of the Bronx saw a steep decline in population, livable housing, and quality of life starting from the mid-to-late 1960s, continuing throughout

8547-427: The post war period, many exacerbated social problems remain including high rates of violent crime, substance abuse, overcrowding, and substandard housing conditions. The Bronx has the highest rate of poverty in New York City, and the greater South Bronx is the poorest area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Bronx County has a total area of 57 square miles (150 km ), of which 42 square miles (110 km )

8658-406: The producer less so. The film features an original music score by Jeff Barry and choreography by Deney Terrio . On August 27, 2013, Shout! Factory released The Idolmaker on Blu-ray. Fabian Forte filed a $ 64 million lawsuit against the film, alleging defamation and invasion of privacy. Forte, a teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s, had been managed by Bob Marcucci. Having served as

8769-604: The program, so much so, that it was even mentioned in the US Senate. However, the series was good for Fabian's acting career, and saw him regarded with more respect. He later said he regarded this as his best performance. Paramount borrowed him from Fox to co-star with teen idol Tommy Sands in Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961). In 1961, Bob Marcucci announced that Fabian and Avalon would star in Virginia Ridge by Clarence Fillmore about

8880-620: The site of 63 piano factories employing more than 5,000 workers. At the end of World War I , the Bronx hosted the rather small 1918 World's Fair at 177th Street and DeVoe Avenue. The Bronx underwent rapid urban growth after World War I. Extensions of the New York City Subway contributed to the increase in population as thousands of immigrants came to the Bronx, resulting in a major boom in residential construction. Among these groups, many Irish Americans , Italian Americans , and especially Jewish Americans settled here. In addition, French , German , Polish , and other immigrants moved into

8991-400: The songs were sounding the same. So I bought myself out of the contract. It cost me plenty – a lot more than I thought it would." 20th Century-Fox had enjoyed success casting teen idol pop stars in movies, such as Elvis Presley and Pat Boone . They decided to do the same thing with Fabian and signed him to a long-term contract. His first leading role was Hound-Dog Man (1959), based on

9102-452: The southeast; and to the east, Long Island Sound separates it from Nassau County in western Long Island. Directly north of the Bronx are (from west to east) the adjoining Westchester County communities of Yonkers , Mount Vernon , Pelham Manor and New Rochelle . There is also a short southern land boundary with Marble Hill in the Borough of Manhattan, over the filled-in former course of

9213-581: The spring of 1639. Bronck became the first recorded European settler in the present-day Bronx and built a farm named "Emmaus" close to what today is the corner of Willis Avenue and 132nd Street in Mott Haven . He leased land from the Dutch West India Company on the neck of the mainland immediately north of the Dutch settlement of New Haarlem (on Manhattan Island ), and bought additional tracts from

9324-538: The standout of the show, who floors the kids with his gyrations and groans of “Hard Headed Wornman,” “I'm a Man,” “Turn Me Loose” and, for an encore, “Stop Thief”." Other singles that charted included "String Along", "About This Thing Called Love" (written by a man who went on a crime spree ) and "This Friendly World", which reached No. 12 on the US charts. At age 15, he won the Silver Award as "The Promising Male Vocalist of 1958". His first album, Hold That Tiger reached

9435-518: The story exclusively. The tour begins in Memphis, Tennessee, but in the theater, Brenda criticizes Vinnie for being manipulative and reminds him she will cover his acts without special favors. After winning over the Memphis audience with his Elvis-inspired song "However Dark the Night", Caesare opts to switch management and signs with Phil Delano, with Gino following him. Returning to his old neighborhood, Vinnie

9546-745: The studio re-opened. He was to have supported Stewart again in Take Her, She's Mine (1963) but did not appear in the final film. Samuel Z. Arkoff of American International Pictures said he wanted Fabian to play the lead in Beach Party (1963) but was unable to do it because of his Fox contract. Fabian had not become a film star but was in demand as an actor, appearing in episodes of series like The Virginian , Wagon Train , The Greatest Show on Earth and The Eleventh Hour . Variety described his performance in Wagon Train as "most effective". He had

9657-610: The studio was A Bullet for Pretty Boy (1970). Fabian also played Josh Ashley in Little Laura and Big John (1973) for Crown International Pictures . He performed in John Loves Mary in summer stock in 1962. Forte later admitted the pressures of his career and home life caused him to start drinking in the 1960s. From June 1969 onwards he was billed as "Fabian Forte". In 1973, he began singing again. To raise his profile, he posed nude for Playgirl magazine. "I knew it

9768-415: The studio, starting with Custer's Last Stand . However, that film was not made and Fabian made no further films for Fox. In November 1965, he signed a seven-picture deal with American International Pictures (AIP). His first film for the company was alongside Beach Party stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in the 1966 stock car racing film Fireball 500 . AIP then sent him to Italy to play

9879-670: The top 15 within two weeks. The song "Think of Me", although it did not chart in the US, was a big hit in some Asian countries including Sri Lanka in 1964. A review of Hold That Tiger in Variety stated, "Fabian is a hardbelting rocking singer who has the faculty of projecting his emotions. Fabian's voice is only adequate but be delivers with a beat that is undeniably commercial. Fine backing by combo and chorus lend an important assist." In October 1959, he toured five major cities in Australia including several concerts in Sydney that were turned into

9990-458: The workers at his iron works. The consolidation of the Bronx into New York City proceeded in two stages. In 1873, the state legislature annexed Kingsbridge, West Farms, and Morrisania to New York, effective in 1874; the three towns were soon abolished in the process. The whole territory east of the Bronx River was annexed to the city in 1895, three years before New York's consolidation with Brooklyn , Queens , and Staten Island . This included

10101-456: Was 18 after he bought out of his contract with Marcucci for $ 65,000. (This was announced in July 1963. In 1974, he said, "I felt controlled. I felt like a puppet. It was frightening, like a three-year nightmare." Marcucci later admitted to punching Fabian on one occasion when the singer sat in the aisle of a movie theater, not in the middle of the row like Marcucci had asked; Fabian was spotted by

10212-524: Was a Philadelphia police officer. He is the eldest of three brothers and grew up in the South Philadelphia 's Lower Moyamensing neighborhood. Forte was discovered in 1957 by Bob Marcucci and Peter DeAngelis, owners of Chancellor Records . At the time, record producers were looking to the South Philadelphia neighborhoods in search of teenage talents with good looks. Marcucci was a friend of Fabian's next-door neighbor. One day, Fabian's father had

10323-569: Was a mistake the minute I saw the thing sold in a paper bag. I could barely live with myself." In January 1974, he started an act at the MGM-Grand in Las Vegas. He was managed at this stage by Allan Carr . In March 1974, he performed at the Blue Max of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago. A review said "he seems rather lost in the act he was putting on... he's giving it the old beach party try. But all that, unfortunately, can't distract for long from

10434-410: Was a supporting role. In April August 1961 Fabian had to go to court to get his contract with Fox approved. It was for six years, covering nine films for a gross sum of $ 545,000. In October 1962 Fabian changed management to Jack Spina, who managed Pat Boone. When Fox temporarily shut down following cost overruns on Cleopatra , Fabian was one of the first actors whose options were exercised after

10545-434: Was a thinly disguised biography of Fabian (called Caesare in the film), as well as songwriter/producer Marcucci (called Vinnie Vacarri) and Frankie Avalon (called Tommy Dee). In the movie version, singer Caesare—a pretty boy with little singing talent—goes through a whirlwind of success in a short time, and in a fit of pique, he abruptly fires his songwriters and quits his record label. The real-life Fabian launched

10656-411: Was also much debate as to whether rent control laws had made it less profitable (or more costly) for landlords to maintain existing buildings with their existing tenants than to abandon or destroy those buildings. In the 1970s, parts of the Bronx were plagued by a wave of arson. The burning of buildings was predominantly in the poorest communities, such as the South Bronx. One explanation of this event

10767-569: Was an age difference of 16 years. Much work on the Swedish claim has been undertaken by Brian G. Andersson, former Commissioner of New York City's Department of Records, who helped organize a 375th Anniversary celebration in Bronck's hometown in 2014. The Bronx is referred to with the definite article as "the Bronx" or "The Bronx", both legally and colloquially. The "County of the Bronx" also takes "the" immediately before "Bronx" in formal references, like

10878-477: Was begun (financed by water and sewer revenues) as part of an agreement that allowed a water filtration plant under Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park. One major focus is on opening more of the Bronx River 's banks and restoring them to a natural state. The Bronx adjoins: There are two primary systems for dividing the Bronx into regions, which do not necessarily agree with one another. One system

10989-556: Was born, including the Bronx as one of the five distinct boroughs . However, it remained part of New York County until Bronx County was created in 1914. On April 19, 1912, those parts of New York County which had been annexed from Westchester County in previous decades were newly constituted as Bronx County, the 62nd and last county to be created by the state, effective in 1914. Bronx County's courts opened for business on January 2, 1914 (the same day that John P. Mitchel started work as Mayor of New York City ). Marble Hill, Manhattan ,

11100-568: Was ceded to New York County in two major parts ( West Bronx , 1874 and East Bronx , 1895) before it became Bronx County. Originally, the area was part of the Lenape 's Lenapehoking territory inhabited by Siwanoy of the Wappinger Confederacy. Over time, European colonists converted the borough into farmlands. The Bronx's development is directly connected to its strategic location between New England and New York ( Manhattan ). Control over

11211-516: Was created, in turn, from West Farms in 1855. In 1873, the town of Kingsbridge was established within the former borders of the town of Yonkers, roughly corresponding to the modern Bronx neighborhoods of Kingsbridge, Riverdale , and Woodlawn Heights , and included Woodlawn Cemetery . Among the famous people who settled in the Bronx during the 19th and early 20th centuries were author Willa Cather , tobacco merchant Pierre Lorillard , and inventor Jordan L. Mott , who established Mott Haven to house

11322-515: Was declared 4F (unfit for service). In 1982, he was arrested for reportedly sticking his cigarette into a passenger who asked him to put out the cigarette in a non-smoking section of an aircraft. The passenger turned out to be a district attorney, but ultimately no charges were brought. In 1978, Fabian was participating in a charity racing event in Watkins Glen, New York . He was practicing at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park under

11433-532: Was found for the first time outside of Asia , here, at the Bronx Zoo. Over the next 40 years it spread throughout eastern North America and killed back essentially every American Chestnut ( Castanea dentata ), causing ecological and economic devastation. Just south of Van Cortlandt Park is the Jerome Park Reservoir , surrounded by 2 miles (3 km) of stone walls and bordering several small parks in

11544-405: Was given an allowance from the record company of $ 30 a week (equivalent to $ 325 in 2023). He also kept working part-time at a pharmacy as well as studying at South Philadelphia High School, while practicing his singing. Fabian later said "I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew my goal, to try to make extra money. That meant a lot to our family. I rehearsed and rehearsed, and I really felt like

11655-427: Was giving me more experience, but I still felt like a fish out of water." Pomus' biographer later wrote Fabian's "labored reading of a macho lyric lent him a vulnerability that couldn't have been missed by his pubescent fans." The song made the top 40. Marcucci heavily promoted Fabian's next single, "Turn Me Loose", using a series of advertisements saying "Fabian Is Coming", then "Who is Fabian?" then finally "Fabian

11766-414: Was now a seven-year deal with an option for two films a year. He later said that "acting wasn't like the singing, because it was very private – quiet on the set. No screaming [teenage fans]. It was a wonderful experience. I got to meet and work with John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart , and Peter Lorre . Elvis came over to meet me when I was on the lot. Marilyn Monroe , Natalie Wood and Gary Cooper were also on

11877-475: Was now connected to the Bronx by filling in the former waterway, but it is not part of the borough or county. The history of the Bronx during the 20th century may be divided into four periods: a boom period during 1900–1929, with a population growth by a factor of six from 200,000 in 1900 to 1.3 million in 1930. The Great Depression and post World War II years saw a slowing of growth leading into an eventual decline. The mid to late century were hard times, as

11988-452: Was overwhelming. I had no idea. All during that period, I was doing record hops. Not getting paid for it, but for the record company promotions. Just lip synching to my records. The response was really good." Marcucci gave a song written by Mort Shuman and Doc Pomus to Fabian, "I'm a Man" (not the Bo Diddley hit ), which Fabian later said he "liked a lot and was very comfortable with. It

12099-512: Was simultaneously part of the Borough of Manhattan (not the Borough of the Bronx) and part of Bronx County (not New York County) and the matter was definitively settled later that year when the New York Legislature overwhelmingly passed legislation declaring the neighborhood part of both New York County and the Borough of Manhattan and made this clarification retroactive to 1938, as reflected on

12210-423: Was that landlords decided to burn their low property-value buildings and take the insurance money, as it was easier for them to get insurance money than to try to refurbish a dilapidated building or sell a building in a severely distressed area. The Bronx became identified with a high rate of poverty and unemployment, which was mainly a persistent problem in the South Bronx. There were cases where tenants set fire to

12321-673: Was transformed into an urban community, first from European countries particularly Ireland , Germany , Italy , and Eastern Europe , and later from the Caribbean region (particularly Puerto Rico , Trinidad , Haiti , Guyana , Jamaica , Barbados , and the Dominican Republic ), and immigrants from West Africa (particularly from Ghana and Nigeria ), African American migrants from the Southern United States , Panamanians , Hondurans , and South Asians . The Bronx contains

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