David Rotenstein

64 Followers
77 Following
279 Posts
Racketeering raconteur, historian and folklorist based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Research interests: organized crime history, gentrification, industrial history. PS: Don't shoot the messenger & ask me about toasted garbage.
LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/dsrotenstein
Bloghttps://blog.historian4hire.net/
Steel City Vicehttps://steelcityvice.com/
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/steelcityvice/
I block all trash originating in Decatur, Ga.

"... state sponsored erasure of African American history in Decatur" is an apt description.

I'm guessing the chamber of commerce won't be sharing this new article that mentions the city and my work.

Our Missing Middle Housing Didn’t Just Go Missing. It Was Torn Down.

Op-ed: Decatur’s new zoning amendment to allow for so-called “missing middle housing” is a step forward for affordable housing – after two decades of walking backward.

Who killed Pittsburgh West End automaker and dealer Joe Kossler in 1922? A Steel City Vice (sort of) whodunit: https://steelcityvice.com/2023/04/24/who-killed-joe-kossler/
Who Killed Joe Kossler?

Steel City Vice
A Prohibition-era bootlegger's garage & the first known place where Rolling Rock beer was sold is slated for demolition in Pittsburgh. https://blog.historian4hire.net/2023/04/20/is-it-time-to-tear-down-a-bootleggers-home-and-garage/
Is It Time To Tear Down A Bootlegger’s Home and Garage? [UPDATED]

Last year the Pittsburgh City Council voted to designate a former bootlegger-turned-brewery executive’s home as a historic landmark. Joe Tito became a booze and gambling kingpin during Prohibition.…

History Sidebar
So, I'm watching my mailbox on the off chance that NARA has declassified some 50s records (a request I placed three years ago), while a Bay Stater barely old enough to drink legally can share highly classified current intelligence with his gaming buddies? I give up.
Two of my NEXTpittsburgh articles made the finalist cut! Proud to be part of this talented bunch. https://nextpittsburgh.com/latest-news/nextpittsburgh-nominated-for-9-awards-by-the-press-club-of-western-pennsylvania/
NEXTpittsburgh nominated for 9 Golden Quill Awards by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania

The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania announced that NEXTpittsburgh has received nine nominations in the annual Golden Quills competition. Journalists from the 29 counties in Western Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Ohio and West Virginia are eligible for the awards, which recognize excellence in the profession. The NEXTpittsburgh finalists are: Excellence in Written Journalism Traditional […]

NEXTpittsburgh
Life in the GOP’s America: a new magnetometer to screen people entering the hospital.
The draftsman

Louis A.S. Bellinger (1891-1946) was Pittsburgh’s only licensed and practicing Black architect for the entire time that he practiced in the Steel City. My recent NEXTpittsburgh article digs d…

History Sidebar
This might be my best email subject line this week!