This is a map exploring the cultural memory of “waterfront crime” often associated with the Brooklyn waterfront. It was issued by the New York City Housing Authority’s 1930 Report “The Slum and Crime” by Irving W. Halpern, John N. Stanislaus, and Bernard Botein, a landmark study of “social engineering”, the premise that better urban planning could affect behavior. The Gowanus Canal has a reputation for being a final resting place for many, a premise that will be tested when the Superfund cleanup crew starts dredging the Canal. In fact, in this map “Murder Inc.” or the “Brownsville Boys”, in central Brooklyn, argues that Gowanus was actually a very quiet place, except for an occasional splash.
