1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm to Believe a chalk reboarding and I'm Sarah Dowdy. 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: And we couldn't let Marty Gras pass without doing a 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: podcast on it, especially because, as you know, Sarah, I 6 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: used to live and work in Mobile, Alabama, which is 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: said to be the site of America's first Marty Grass celebration. 8 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: So just a little piece of trivia for you there. 9 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: It may come as a surprise to a lot of 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: people because although it may have been the first in Mobile, 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: the holiday is most often associated with the city we're 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: going to focus on today, which is New Orleans, Louisiana. 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,599 Speaker 1: And that's yeah, that's the big one obviously. Yeah you've 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: been to that one, right, I have been to that one. 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: I went. I've been twice, but I went a couple 16 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: of years ago, and I remember one of the funniest 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: things was like checking flight information at the New Orleans 18 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: Airport and seeing that Zulu coconut were acceptable for like 19 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: that month only, Well they have to be. That's one 20 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: of the best prizes to the best throws to get 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: scary too, a little scarier, But that's a topic for 22 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: another day. I think today we just want to focus 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: a little bit on a different event that happened on 24 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: a very specific Marty Gras many years ago. But back 25 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: to New Orleans and it's Marty Gras celebration. It's been 26 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: going on for so long, and it's such a big 27 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: part of the city's cultural identity and its economy. I mean, 28 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: it draws thousands of tourists every single year, like me, 29 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: like you, It's really hard to imagine the city purposely 30 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: canceling it for any reason at all. Yet that's exactly 31 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: what happened in nineteen seventy nine, when a police strike 32 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: of all things brought Mardi Gras festivities to a grinding halt, 33 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: deterred tourists, and cast kind of a shadow over New 34 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: orleans first Black mayor's first Marty Grown office. So, yeah, 35 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: we're just gonna take a little look into why that 36 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: happened in the first place, why a police strike at 37 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: Mardy Gras of all times, and also take a look 38 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: at it um what caused the strife between the city's 39 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: administration in its police department in the first place, and 40 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 1: how that led to the Marty Gras cancelation. And this 41 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: is kind of an interesting part, but we're gonna look 42 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: into why some locals still refer to the Marty Gras 43 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: of nineteen seventy nine as the best Marty Gras. Ever, 44 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: we were not being ironic with the title of this episode. 45 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: Some people think it really is the best. Yeah. But first, 46 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: of course, as we always do, will give you a 47 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: little background on New Orleans Marty Gras, which is widely 48 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: known as the greatest free show on Earth. And now, 49 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: if you're only familiar with Marty Grass this big, huge, 50 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: raucous party, you may be surprised to learn that the 51 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: celebration actually has its roots in Catholicism. Carnival Is. Marty 52 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: Gras is sometimes known begins on Epiphany or Twelfth Night 53 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: in early January and last until Lent, and Pope Gregory 54 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 1: is the one who actually had it declared a holiday 55 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: an official holiday in fifty two, and the actual Marty 56 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,839 Speaker 1: Gras Day, known as Fat Tuesday, is considered the one 57 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: last day to kind of party, get your debauchery in 58 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: before limp begins. Yeah, before Ash Wednesday. Um, and it's 59 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: celebrated not just in New Orleans and Mobile too, Obviously, 60 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: it's celebrated all over the world. Some of the big 61 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: celebrations are in Rio, there's one in Sydney. Lots of 62 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: people have fun Marty Gras parties, definitely, But how did 63 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: it get to New Orleans. Well, historical counts about that 64 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: are a little bit sketchy as to the exact year, 65 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: but in general Marty Gras most people think it may 66 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: have been celebrated in New Orleans as early at seventeen eighteen, 67 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: which was the year that the city was founded. It 68 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: was really small scale at that point though. I mean, 69 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: we're talking only wealthy, high society folks in exclusive social 70 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: clubs throwing exclusive but very elaborate and fancy society balls. 71 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: It's a it's a party you're not invited to. Probably 72 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: write a party we wouldn't be invited to. No editors allowed, 73 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: none of the parades or anything like that that they 74 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: have today. Little class people marked also marked this holiday, 75 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: but they marked the beginning of Lent by attending church 76 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: services and having more small and formal events. Yeah, but 77 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: starting around the eighteen hundreds there was a new generation 78 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: of wealthy people who weren't as interested in these really tiny, 79 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: exclusive elite balls. And they started forming fraternal clubs, and 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: these clubs did some of the parading that were that 81 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: we associate with Marty Grass today. Um, but it wasn't 82 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: quite like the parade. It wasn't the big floats and 83 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: the costumes and all of that. It It was more 84 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: like just s meandering around and getting reality, causing trouble 85 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: in the streets, just taking the party outside essentially, right. 86 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: So the first really big change to that came in 87 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven when the Mystic Crew of Comus appeared 88 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: on the scene, and this was kind of the intro 89 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: to Marty Grass as we know it. This was the 90 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 1: first appearance of the more organized parade, the floats, the 91 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: live music, the rev lers in costume, and the ball 92 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: that went along with it. So it was sort of 93 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: the prototype for all the crews that came after that. 94 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: The Twelfth Night Revelers came soon after that in eighteen seventies, 95 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: so you just started seeing more and more of The 96 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: Rex debuted in eighteen seventy two, which was a big 97 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: deal because it introduced the first day parade, which really 98 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: increased participation from you know, various citizens, kids could take part, 99 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: probably more because it was a little more respectable as 100 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: opposed to that, you know, just meandering in the streets 101 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: that you mentioned before, and introduced a new King of 102 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: Carnival to the event. Um, it's a pretty big deal. 103 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: And then I think the same year, the Nights of 104 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: Moments made their debut. So yeah, we're having all of 105 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: these crews that we still know today, uh coming into 106 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: existence and really forming Marty Girl like we know it. 107 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: But around the time that our story is going to 108 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: take place, there was another really big change, probably the 109 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: first really big change about a hundred years here, and 110 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: it came out of the New Orleans hospitality industry. They 111 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: were looking for ways to start making a little bit 112 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: more money off of Mardi Gras by having bigger parades 113 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: and balls that were less exclusive and celebrities involved, you know, 114 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: really really figure out ways to draw tourists to New Orleans, right, 115 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: And so when they introduced Bacchus in nineteen sixty nine, 116 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: that's exactly the purpose that served. It took place the 117 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: Sunday before Marty Grass, so it gave people a reason 118 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: to kind of extend their stay in town, and it 119 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: was the template for what would be known as the 120 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: Super Crew. So it featured national celebrities. I think the 121 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: first monarch was actor Danny Kay. Huge dinner dances and 122 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: several parades followed suits. Several crews I should say followed 123 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: suit after this. In Demion was one um. It used 124 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: to be a small suburban parade and it became one 125 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: of these super crews around nineteen seventy four. So this 126 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: was kind of a state of New Orleans Marty gras 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: around the time when Ernest Morial, who was also known 128 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: as Dutch Morial, became mayor of the city in nineteen 129 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: He was forty nine when he took office, and he 130 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: was the city's first black mayor, so pretty big deal 131 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: at the time. His resume was really impressive. He'd had 132 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: I think previous careers as a local and double a 133 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: c P president and assistant U S Attorney, a state 134 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: legislature and a judge, and at the time he seemed 135 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: kind of like a long shot to win the election 136 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: when he entered the mayoral race, but he ended up 137 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: winning of the black vote and twenty percent of the 138 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: white vote, which made him the black elected official with 139 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: the largest constituency in the South at the time. Yeah, 140 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: but obviously with only of the white vote. Things were 141 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: kind of shaky for him when he took office, and 142 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: according to New Orleans Magazine, he faced a lot of 143 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: resentment from some whites who felt that they were losing 144 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: their political power, and even the Carnival establishment, who you know, 145 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: they're sort of the elite whites of the city, or 146 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: some of them largely white. They were concerned earned how 147 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: he would quote regard their social structure and tradition. So, yeah, 148 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: a little tension coming into this Marti Gras, and that 149 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: was just one aspect of it. On the other hand, 150 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: he had an even more pressing problem that was coming up, 151 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: and that was a situation with the New Orleans Police Department. 152 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: They'd been unhappy with their salaries and their whole benefits 153 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: package for a while before Morial came to office, but 154 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: he made matters worse in a couple of ways. One 155 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: of those ways is that his first one of his 156 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: first official acts as mayor, i should say, was tax reform, 157 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: which kind of sent a message to the police that, 158 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,319 Speaker 1: whether it was true or not, it sent the message 159 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: that he didn't really care so much about their economic 160 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: plight at the time. The other thing that he did 161 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 1: was that he chose a guy named James C. Parsons 162 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: who was formerly police chief in Birmingham, Alabama, as his 163 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: superintendent of police. Now, Parsons was really qualified for his job, 164 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: but the local police they took this as kind of 165 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: an affront because then it kind of looked like the 166 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: mayor had passed up other qualified people within their department. 167 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: None of them were good enough, right, And I think 168 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: that's sort of how promotions had been done before in 169 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: the department, someone from within had been promoted up. So 170 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: it was kind of a slap in the face. Yeah, 171 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: So he's obviously dealing with some problems in the police department. 172 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: And one really important thing to keep in mind before 173 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: we we get into the later issues in this episode 174 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: is that at this point the city was definitely more 175 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: on the side of the cops, more sympathetic to their 176 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: plight than to the new guy, the new mayor. So 177 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: the situation escalated and talks of strikes started actually mid 178 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: to late ninety eight, since the police unions were having 179 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: trouble bringing the city to the table to even talk 180 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: about the things they were concerned about. So just to 181 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: give you a little background before we go too much 182 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: into the whole strike discussion. There were two unions at 183 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: the time to police unions. One was the Fraternal Order 184 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: of Police the FOP. This was made mostly a veteran 185 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: police and retirees. And then on the other hand, there 186 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: was the Policeman's Association of New Orleans p a n O. 187 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: And the Piano had more members in the FOP, and 188 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: those numbers kind of continued to grow as the situation progressed. 189 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: And they were led by a patrolman named Vincent Bruno, 190 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: who had recently been a part of getting the Piano 191 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,839 Speaker 1: affiliated with the Teamsters, and this is one reason that 192 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: Moril really didn't want to negotiate with them. He didn't 193 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: like that association with the Teamsters very much. The Piano 194 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: basically their goal was they wanted to win soul bargaining 195 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: agent status with the city, so they wanted to be 196 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: the ones that the city was bargaining with making decisions with, 197 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: rather than the FOP. So they kind of had the 198 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: same goals in mind, I guess both unions, but it 199 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: was sort of a little struggle between them as to 200 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: who was actually the one coming to the table and 201 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: a different kind of membership to UM. But by the 202 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: beginning of nineteen seventy nine, the city was conceding to 203 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 1: some of their requests. They approved a fifteen percent pay 204 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: raise for the department, but the police weren't satisfied with that, 205 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: and part of the reason was because their benefits, including 206 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: thickly vacation time, had been slashed at the same time, 207 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: so it was it was essentially just canceling out what 208 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: they had lost. Um So p a n O started 209 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: to seriously plan a walk out at that point because 210 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: they weren't happy with the situation, and it took place 211 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: on February eighth, nineteen seventy nine, and it lasted for 212 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: thirty hours and was considered pretty successful. There were more 213 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: than one thousand policemen out of fifteen hundred who participated, 214 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: so a pretty big crowd and a lot of the 215 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: more T shirts that had the slogan had the police 216 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: seal with the slogan take this job and shove it, 217 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: so you can imagine that made a big impression on 218 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: the city. Yeah, they were not messing around, and they 219 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: continued to get support. Many FOP members actually switched over 220 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: and joined the p a n O side, And in 221 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 1: addition to that, there were some commanding officers including Parsons 222 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: who refused to take discipline reaction on the strikers, so 223 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: presumably he's like the mayor's own guy exactly, So again 224 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: a lot of support coming in here. Another problem that 225 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: presented itself for the mayor was that Marti Gras, which 226 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: is typically celebrated for two weeks prior to fat Tuesday, 227 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: was fast approaching, so his hand was kind of forced 228 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: in the situation, and he ended up agreeing to a 229 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 1: few things, including the following recognition of p A and 230 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: O as the exclusive bargaining agent with the police, the 231 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: commencement of immediate negotiations for the things that the police wanted, 232 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: amnesty for all the strikers, restoration of leave benefits, and 233 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: double time and half pay for six holidays. So that's 234 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: just a few of the things. I think there were 235 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: a few more, but the police, suffice to say, considered 236 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: this a pretty big victory. Yeah, this was a huge 237 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: coup for them. But the problem was that there wasn't 238 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: an official contract made at this point, and they really 239 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: needed to get something in writing to make sure that 240 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: it wasn't just going to be all smoke and mirrors 241 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: well and to make sure that the mayor actually had 242 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 1: the power to promise them these things, right. That was 243 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: also something that was in question. Did the mayor actually 244 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: have the power to promise things like pay increases? They 245 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: weren't sure, so they wanted to get it all down 246 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: and make it official, so they gave the city a 247 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: week deadline. Made the deadline February six, which was a Friday, 248 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 1: or they would strike again. As kind of a backup, 249 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: the Teamsters flew in a guy named Joseph Valenti from Detroit, 250 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: and this just stirred the pot even more because for 251 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: one thing, he was an outsider and for another thing, 252 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is kind of stereotyping, we know, but 253 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: at the time, people thought, Okay, he's got an Italian name, 254 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: and the Teamsters they have these sort of mob affiliation, 255 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: so it just it didn't look good. And more than that, 256 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: I think it just gave the city administration some more 257 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: fuel to not really cooperate with their requests. Yeah that 258 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: they thought bringing in this outsider was even necessary. Um, 259 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: but the negotiations didn't speed up with this Valenti guy present. 260 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: In fact, they go really really slowly and Marty Gras 261 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: celebrations were set to kick off that weekend, So Mariel 262 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: asked for a quote cooling down period until after Marti Gras, 263 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: like please, can we all just put our differences aside 264 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: us and like get through Marty Gras and then get 265 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: back to the table. But P A n O wouldn't 266 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: agree to that cooling off period. They wanted all their 267 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: issues to be resolved before the festival, before the big 268 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: weekend began, and they wanted the unresolved issues to be 269 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: submitted to binding arbitration, which basically meant that if the 270 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: two sides couldn't come to an agreement together, there would 271 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: be a third party who would decide the issues, decide 272 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: the outcome of the issues, and each of the other 273 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: sides would be legally bound to honor that decision. And 274 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: of course Mariel was not going to have that. Um 275 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: I mean, who would this third party be in the 276 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: first place. It just seemed like too big of a 277 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: risk for the city to take. Yeah, so Mariel kind 278 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: of drew the line in the sand there, and the 279 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: second strike did in fact begin that Saturday, February, and 280 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: Moril ended up having to cancel that first big weekend 281 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: of Marty Gross celebrations. That first weekend of parades that 282 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: everyone was so looking forward to. He's still at that 283 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: point had hoped so that the next week of celebrations 284 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: would continue. But they had a lot of things to 285 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: work out. Yeah, and the Piano was still slow to negotiate, 286 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: even though it was the group that originally wanted to 287 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: speed this whole process up. So um Memorial had to 288 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: call in the National Guard about one thousand, one hundred 289 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: troops and some of the state police to to supplement 290 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: the non striking police force, because obviously, you can't even 291 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: have a canceled Marty Gras with no police. There's still 292 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: gonna be people in New Orleans milling about. You still 293 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: need police around. And I think that they canceled time off. 294 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: They made him work twelve hour shifts. So it was 295 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: a lot to take on for those who weren't part 296 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: of the strike. As they were negotiating, Moril had to 297 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: start announcing parade cancelations one day at a time, which 298 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: was sort of torturous for the city. In fact, in 299 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: a New Orleans magazine story, writer Liz Scott refers to it, 300 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: I think in a really interesting way. She says, to 301 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: the parade loving citizenry, it was like Chinese water torture. 302 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: Every one at a time, one falls and thanks God. 303 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: Dramatic too, I guess because the police side was trying 304 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: to escalate the situation to hopefully resolve it before Marty Gras. 305 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: But Valenti and Bruno started going on TV and showing 306 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: up on the front pages of the newspapers, and they 307 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: did some stuff that really took things too far. Um, 308 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: the union bowed to stay off work, quote until doomsday 309 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: if necessary. They made it clear that they didn't give 310 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: a hoot about Marty Gras. Um. They were looking to 311 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: resolve these issues, and they passed out one hundred thousand 312 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: leaflets to tourists that some of the big points of 313 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: entry to the city up, saying that New Orleans was unsafe. 314 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: You know, turned back, don't bother going to Marty Gras 315 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: because we're not here to protect you. So now not 316 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: only were there negotiations just incidentally preventing Marty grow from 317 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: taking place, they were actively going out and discouraging tourists, 318 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: discouraging dollars from coming into the city, and actively going 319 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 1: out there and preventing Marty Garraw from happening. Yeah, and 320 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: Baruno then took it to the next level for real, 321 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 1: and the heat of the moment, he told reporter that 322 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 1: if the police didn't get their way, they would quote 323 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: wreck the city. So nobody likes to hear that from 324 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 1: the guy representing the police group. And he apologized later, 325 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: but it was it was really too late, and by 326 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:40,360 Speaker 1: this point public sentiment did a complete one eighty. They 327 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: were no longer on the side of the police and 328 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: and trying to support their requests. They turned against the 329 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: police because everyone was affected by what was going on, 330 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,199 Speaker 1: either financially, you know, you have people running hotels and 331 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,679 Speaker 1: restaurants and they're expecting all those tourists to come in, 332 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: or personally because Marty gross fun and people who live 333 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: in New Orleans often work long and hard to get 334 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: ready for these parades, planning their costumes and and working 335 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 1: on it. So for all of those people who were 336 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: planning on attending, and for celebs. Two celebrities were involved. 337 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 1: Don't forget about that Ron Howard Ron Howard, Yes, he 338 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: was apparently inconvenienced by the strike. Ron Howard, Frankie Avalon 339 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: the rock group Kiss. All these people were supposed to 340 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: be raining over various parades that year, and they didn't 341 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: get to come. So yeah, people are understandably not very 342 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: happy about what the police is doing at this point, 343 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: and so Marty Graw organizers do something that's really interesting. 344 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: They decide that they weren't going to take this lying 345 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: down anymore. No. It was actually in a really famous 346 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: gesture the carnival captains, they literally all got up and 347 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,640 Speaker 1: stood behind the mayor as he announced on Tuesday, February 348 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: twentie that all remaining Marty Gras parades would be canceled, 349 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: the entire thing, the entire celebration. One of the crew 350 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 1: captains said, We're not going to let Marty Gras be 351 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: held hostage by the teamsters. It is wrong to use 352 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: Marty grass blackmail in this dispute. The same procedure can 353 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:11,959 Speaker 1: be used every year, and we're not going to let 354 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: our organizations be puppets in such a plan. So with that, 355 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: the police were out of their bargaining chip. Marty Gras 356 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: was not going to be used by anyone, and the 357 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: mayor and the administration really got the upper hand and 358 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: the strike lasted for about sixteen days total, but the 359 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: anti strike sentiment remained really high, and once Marty Gras 360 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: was over and the police didn't have that leverage anymore. 361 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: The whole thing really fizzled out. I mean the city, 362 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: the city had the control. Yeah, if there was a winner, 363 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 1: the city certainly turned out to be the winner in 364 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: the situation, which I don't know, we're kind of talking 365 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: about it before. It was sort of unfortunate because the 366 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: police did there what they wanted was valid, had legitimate complaints, 367 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: they really did. But then the way that things turned 368 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: out once they made Marty Gras part of their plan 369 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: for leverage their bargaining chip, as you said, it sort 370 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: of all fell apart definitely. And as for Marty Gras itself, 371 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: I mean officially canceled. That means it's ruined, right. I mean, 372 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: some people estimate that the city lost six million dollars 373 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: because of the cancelation. And again this is nineteen nine, 374 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: so it's a lot. But the Marty Grass spirit and 375 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: celebrations somehow managed to live on, which is really interesting me. 376 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: The old line cruise on one hand, Comus Rex Momus proteus. 377 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: They didn't parade. They said, if they couldn't pray in 378 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: the city, they didn't want to parade at all. But 379 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: there were a few others like Endymion that moved their 380 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: parades to the suburbs. But also on Fat Tuesday, while 381 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 1: there weren't any official praise in the city, it was 382 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: just this gorgeous, warm day, and it turned out that 383 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 1: a lot of locals really did just throw on costumes 384 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: and head down to the French Quarter and they partied anyway, 385 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: extra hard, apparently extra hard dancing, second lining in the streets, 386 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: and it was almost sort of like some people describe 387 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: it as an active defiance towards the strikers. Yeah, and 388 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: probably just letting loose, cutting some of those tensions that 389 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: had been so high in the city for the past 390 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 1: few weeks. And um, incidentally, there were a few other 391 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: acts of defiance. Um there's a rumor that in a 392 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: voodoo shop on Bourbon Joe Valenti hex dollies were for sale. 393 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: Um already stuck full of hat pins so I could 394 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: get your revenge, I guess on the team stir. Yeah, 395 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: we giggled a little bit, but I don't know if 396 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: that's really funny. Actually it's kind of frightening. Maybe not 397 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 1: so funny after all. So because of all the fun 398 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: that they had partying in the streets, texting people, um, 399 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: and of course the lack of tourists in there, that 400 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: was another aspect of it. Some did call it the 401 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: best Marty Gras ever. In the Scott article she actually 402 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: describes it, and again I really love the way she 403 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: says this one of those. She describes it as one 404 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 1: of those arming little weddings with just immediate family and 405 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: close friends. So yeah, I mean, it sounds like a 406 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: good time, and I can see how it would be 407 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: a drag to lose all your money if you were 408 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: maybe in the hotel business, but it also does still 409 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: sound like a really great party. It does. And as 410 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,719 Speaker 1: for whether it was the best Marty Grab or not, 411 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: I think maybe a lot of people now would call 412 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: the two thousand six Marty Grout the US one of 413 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: the best ones ever because that was the one that 414 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: happened just a few months after Katrina, and it was 415 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: sort of, you know, proof that the city was alive 416 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: and kitching. Yeah, resurgence and restoration, and both of these 417 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: situations though, seemed to kind of really reflect the enduring spirit, 418 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: you know, not to sound hokey, but the enduring spirit 419 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: of natives of New Orleans. Definitely Okay, well that's the 420 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: end of this Marty Gross story. But if you have 421 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: your own Marty Gross story g rated of course, that 422 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: you would like to share with us, please feel free 423 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: to email us at History Podcast at how stuff works 424 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also look us up on Facebook 425 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: and where it Twitter at Myston History. And we also 426 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: have an article on Marty Grawl conveniently enough, if you're 427 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: looking to do a little bit of light reading before 428 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: you get in the car, or board a plane, or 429 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,400 Speaker 1: just go outside your door and enjoy the celebrations. It's 430 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: called how Marty Gral Works, and you can find it 431 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 1: by searching for Marty Gral on our homepage at www 432 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: dot how stuff works dot com. For more on this 433 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com. 434 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: To learn more about the podcast, click on the podcast 435 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: icon in the upper right corner of our homepage. The 436 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: how stuff Works iPhone app has a rise. Download it 437 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: today on iTunes.