Brooklyn’s finest

What do film stars Woody Allen, Eddie Murphy, Rhea Perlman, Steve Buscemi, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Tony Danza, Alyssa Milano, Jackie Gleason, the best comedy team of all times – the 3 Stooges (brothers: Moe, Shemp and Curly), musicians Lena Horne, Stephanie Mills, Jay-Z, Lil Kim, Carole King, Pat Benatar, Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Biggie Smalls, former New York Yankees and Mets manager Joe Torre, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, politicians Shirley Chisholm, who became the first black woman to be elected to Congress, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg have in common? All were all born in Brooklyn.  “Judge Judy” Judith Sheindlin grew up in Brooklyn, Founder of the popular fitness club, Lucille Roberts, immigrated to Brooklyn from the then Soviet Union. Spike Lee was born in Atlanta and moved to Brooklyn at a young age while Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn and moved out at a young age (he could not handle it!)Spending portions of their childhood in Brooklyn are Lauren Bacall, Mickey Rooney, Mary Tyler Moore and Mae West. Ok Lets focus on South Brooklyn, Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, was born in Sheepshead Bay. Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer and NFL legendary coach Vincent Lombardi grew up in Sheepshead Bay. In Brighton Beach singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka was born and Mel Brooks previously resided. The Neil Simon play, “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, film adaptation was set against the backdrop of Brighton Beach in 1937 and the films “Little Odessa” and “Two Lovers” are both set in Brighton Beach.  Perhaps the most famous residents of Coney Island are fictional. “The Warriors” Walter Hill’s 1979 GREAT cult classic film follows the progress of a street gang as they get framed for killing a powerful gang leader and then have to find, battle and fight their way from the Bronx  to home turf Coney Island with many different creative and artistic gangs chasing them. In Woody Allen’s 1977 classic “Annie Hall”, as a child Alvy Singer lived in Coney Island in a house that was built under the classic Thunderbolt rollercoaster that shook when in route. “The Great Gatsby” invites Nick (not Silver) to go to Coney Island. The 1917 film “Coney Island”, starring Buster Keaton, was set in Coney Island. The video for One of Us by Joan Osborne was shot in Coney Island. The Three Stooges made several references to Coney Island in there classic short comedy routines…and list goes on and on.