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Is This Neil Diamond Taking On Crack Dealers In 1980s NYC?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 28, 2013
Modified Jan 28, 2013
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 28, 2013
Modified Jan 28, 2013
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Who knew that one of the nation's most beloved adult contemporary musicians (or someone that looks an awful lot like him*) was such a bad ass! In the below video, you'll see Neil Diamond (or some guy that looks like him) single-handedly trying to push out drug dealers and crack addicts in Greenwich Village with his billy club. This was in 1986, when the crack epidemic was hitting its peak in many of the country's cities, and in the below video, this guy—whoever he is—is clearly fed up, saying:
"I live here... they come and urinate in the doorway, they throw their crack vials all over... for residents of the Village it's an atrocity, it's criminal. And no one seems to do anything. I have to come out armed because I'm afraid that by chasing them they'll attack me. The whole neighborhood is a junkyard for drugs."
*Note: It's unclear if this is actually THE Neil Diamond, but we want to believe.
[via Tony Bologne]
Tagged
1980s
1986
crack is whack
flashback
greenwich village
history
neil diamond
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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