A History of Boston's Chinatown and Its Restaurants: 1975-1979 (Part 19)

Let's continue a look at the 1970s in Chinatown, with this article dealing with the second half of that decade. Due to the lengthy size of the prior article, covering the first half of the 1970s, I chose to split the decade into two articles. As I previously mentioned, the 1970s were a time of showcasing the problems of Chinatown, and seeking solutions to help that community. The second half of the 1970s continued addressing these issues. It was also a time when Chinese restaurants were being lauded, some for quality cuisine and others for inexpensive food.     

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We begin with an article in the Boston Globe, January 2, 1975, where the local food critic, Anthony Spinazzola, recapped a year of "good eating." One part of his recap dealt with Chinese food, and he wrote, “To Chinese food there is no end of memorable meals.” He specifically mentioned a famed restaurant, “The Kowloon does wonderful things with squab, just to mention one dish from among several (like the extra fine ribs).” I haven't seen any recent reviews mentioning squab at the Kowloon, and it doesn't seem to be on their menu any longer.  Spinazzola continued, “And I had the best lobster Cantonese I ever had one night at the China Pearl in Chinatown. And on a New Year’s Eve the Imperial egg rolls deserved the name.”

The Boston Globe, January 5, 1975, printed an editorial, touching on the problems in Chinatown. “The plight of Chinatown is another reminder that we should all pay more attention to those who strive without complaining simply to endure with pride in themselves and their community.” It mentioned that in 1973, there had been 22 cases of juvenile delinquency in Chinatown, as opposed to a single case in 1972. It continued, “What they would not ask for themselves, the adults of Chinatown are now asking for their children. That is an end to a not-so-benign neglect by the city as a whole and more positive attention from City Hall to make growing up Chinese in Boston a blessing, not a burden.” The first half of the 1970s had seen some positive progress for Chinatown, but it's obvious that much more work was needed.

24 hour restaurants! The Boston Globe, January 9, 1975, noted that the number of 24-hour restaurants and businesses in Boston was shrinking, including in Chinatown. A couple of the reasons for the problems included that liquor licenses ended at 2am and the MBTA stopped service at 1am. It was then mentioned that the best 24-hour restaurants were in Chinatown, including the Golden Gate, 66 Beach St.; Kim Toy, 2 Tyler St.; and Song Hee, 58 Beach St.

Another gambling raid. The Boston Globe, January 15, 1975, reported that 27 Chinese gamblers had been arrested on December 10, when police raided their Pie Kow game. Over $41,000 was seized during the raid, but none of the Chinese would state whose money it was, so the judge ordered it to be turned over to the state treasury. All of the Chinese pled guilty, paying a fine and court costs. Such gambling raids had been going on since the late 19th century, and they hadn't really changed much at all. 

The Boston Herald American, March 8, 1975, mentioned that a new employment center had opened in Chinatown, under the auspices of the Action for Boston Community Development. A positive sign that hopefully would bring change to the community, and which would reduce some of the issues of juvenile delinquency.  

Venerating the elderly. The Boston Herald American, March 14, 1975, reported on the Second Annual Golden Age Banquet of the Greater South Cove Golden Age Center, Inc. which was held at the China Pearl Restaurant. “The occasion was a splendid tribute to the Chinese elderly. Traditionally, the Chinese have been known for their respect for their elders; not just their own kin, but all their elderly. Consul General Shi-Ying Woo, a speaker, stated, “Respect for the elderly is one of the virtues of the Chinese.”

The Golden Age Center, at 239 Harrison Avenue, was located in a building that's leased from the Boston Redevelopment Authority for only $1, and its Director was Mrs. Ruth Moy. The Center was open 7 days a week, offering many services, including legal assistance, social workers, medical assistance, and interpreting. The Center also served almost 2000 meals a month, at a cost of 50 cents per person. The Center needed additional funding to continue its valuable work.

Positive news about crime. The Boston Herald American, March 27, 1975, reported that crime in Chinatown was on the decrease. In addition, three Chinese-Americans had been recently appointed to the police academy, and were expected to graduate in 9-10 months. 

More details were provided in the Boston Globe, April 18, 1975. It was initially noted that Chinatown was located in Boston Police District 1, which between 1973-1974 showed the 3rd highest overall crime increase, 34%, in the city. However, that didn't mean Chinatown, only one region in that district, saw such an increase and there was only a single murder in Chinatown in 1974. It was also noted that vandalism appeared to be at a minimum, but it's the most frequently voiced complaint by residents. In addition, it was alleged that there was a high percentage of unreported crimes in Chinatown due to the language barrier. 

The Boston Globe, May 8, 1975, provided a 3-star restaurant review of Carl’s Pagoda on 23 Tyler Street, which was open from 5pm-2am and didn't serve alcohol. It was also a small place, holding maybe 40 seats. It was initially noted that in Chinatown, “Today most restaurants there probably do as much business at lunch as they do in the evening. It was not always thus.” This was an interesting change, as Chinatown seems to have acquired a much larger amount of visitors during the day, rather than just people coming for dinner. Nowadays, lunch at Chinese restaurants is very popular, especially people seeking a great value from their inexpensive combination plates. 

As for Carl’s Pagoda, “In an area I thought I knew well and loved, there was a newness and freshness to the food.” The review continued, “Many of the dishes…seem to revolve around fresh produce.” The reviewer did warn that he didn’t try the standard dishes, and if he had tried them, and they were as good as the other dishes, the restaurant might have earned 4 stars. 

The Boston Globe, June 20, 1975, printed an advertisement for the grand opening of King Wah, located at 25-29 Beach Street. It called itself “The Real Chinese Restaurant,” although there was no information on exactly what that meant. The menu had "Typical Cantonese foods," and also offered Chinese Pastry, which likely indicated Dim Sum.

Police discrimination? The Boston Globe, June 21, 1975, reported that leaders in Chinatown had asked Mayor Kevin White to reopen an investigation of alleged police discrimination and insensitivity toward the Chinese during a May 11 scuffle between 2 Chinese and 2 white men in Chinatown. These Chinatown leaders rejected the findings of an internal police investigation and considered it a whitewash. They claimed that the police took 26 minutes to respond to the scuffle and only arrested the 2 Chinese men.

The men involved in this scuffle included Paul Chan, age 29, and Jerry Chu, age 34, both of Harrison Avenue, and they were the manager and superintendent, respectively, of the MassPike Towers on Tremont Street. The other two men included Philip Klimek, age 25, and Raymond Fridinger, age 17. Chan said that one of the other men one had a metal tire iron and attacked Chu after they told the two men to leave the parking lot. Klimek and Fridinger claimed that Chan and Chu attacked them when Fridinger urinated in the parking lot, and then Klimek grabbed the tire iron to defend themselves.  

The police claimed they reached the scene in 5 minutes, and Chan and Chu were taken to police station, while Klimek went to hospital with head injury, having been hit by a wooden board. It was also claimed that Fridinger left alone, although the police claimed all four men had been charged with assault abductions battery. In the end, all of the charges were dismissed. 

The Boston Globe, July 13, 1975, noted that Chinese elderly men outnumbered women by a 6 to 1 ratio, and many of those men lived alone. Mental illness among the elderly often got little medical attention. It was mentioned, “The Golden Age Center in Chinatown remains the major preventative mental resource for the elderly.” The Center had about 700 members, including a 105 year old man, Wong Hong. Wow! He would have been born around 1870. 

The Boston Herald American, August 20, 1975, reported that the Boston Police Academy would graduate its first Chinese patrolmen in February 1976. This would include John Tou, age 26, and Paul Chin, age 26 (both born in China) and James Fong, age 24, of Quincy. These would be the first Chinese patrolmen in Boston.

The Boston Globe, September 14, 1975, provided a snapshot of the restaurants in Chinatown. “Chinese restaurants are countless: In Boston’s Chinatown the House of Roy is favored by students; doctors and businessmen like Yee Hung Guey; China Pearl is a mainstay; Carl’s Pagoda does some exciting Cantonese dishes; Bo Shek is cafeteria-like, the Golden Gate a step above in method. The Shanghai does mandarin and Szechwan cooking, this far the only one of its type in Chinatown. Kim Toy is open all night.”

The first two months of 1976 would bring additional gambling raids in Chinatown. The Boston Herald American, January 20, 1976, reported on a raid at a club on Beach Street, where 17 Chinese were arrested, In addition, the police seized $4000, Chinese dominos, dice and ivory cubes. The Boston Herald American, February 28, 1976 and the Boston Globe, February 28, 1976, reported that 26 Chinese had been arrested on gambling charges at raids at two Tyler Street clubs. The police seized $6,000 and various gambling devices. 

The number of Chinese restaurants! The Boston Globe, January 21, 1976, noted that there were 400 Chinese restaurants in a 15 mile radius of Chinatown. That's quite a large number for a relatively small region, indicating the huge popularity of Chinese cuisine. It was then hypothesized that these restaurants spent about 10% of their food purchases on bean sprouts! The article then went into detail about three local bean-sprout growers.

Interestingly, the Boston Herald American, July 15, 1976, stated that in 1975, 88 Chinese cookbooks were in print in the U.S., compared with only 8 that were published in 1966. In addition, in 1966, no Japanese cooks books had been published, but now 25 were in print. The 1970s had definitely seen a boom in the interest of Chinese and Japanese cuisine, and home cooks were learning how to prepare it at home.  

There was a lengthy article about Chinatown in the Boston Herald American, July 19, 1976. It began with, “Boston’s Chinatown is a pleasant puzzle—more easily enjoyed than fully understood.” It then continued, “Chinatown is aloof, but friendly; poor in some respects, but very rich; problem prone, but strong with resolution; changing steadily, but in essence remaining the same.” And then it was noted, “If there is one solid conclusion you can make about Chinatown, it is this: It will remain here as long as there is a city of Boston. The Chinese with us will see to that.” 

The article also mentioned that “The pains and prejudice the Chinese have endured here for more than a century are hidden to the outsider. He is there to enjoy himself, not to ponder the hard life many adult Chinese still live." The population of Chinatown was said to be about 2800, making it the 4th largest Chinatown in the U.S. There were also about 15,0000 Chinese all across in Boston, with another 5,000 in the rest of Massachusetts and 22,000 more in the rest of New England. In 1900, Chinatown had a population of only about 500, and by 1920, it had doubled to 1000. So, 55 years later, the population in Chinatown had only tripled. 

The article also mentioned the alleged origin of Chinatown. "The first Chinese residents in Boston arrived in 1875. The origin of the present Chinatown was a ‘tent city’ on Ping On st. The Chinese were employed as construction workers on the telephone exchange on Pearl st.” Finally, the article noted that there were about 300 Chinese restaurants in New England, and that 75% of Chinatown residents spoke little to no English, making life more difficult for them.

The Boston Globe, August 23, 1976, reported that Officer Arthur “Red” McDonald, age 33, an off duty State Police officer went to aid a Quincy man who was being attacked by a group of youths. McDonald was then attacked, stabbed and beaten, and he suffered head and body stab wounds. The group consisted of about 10 youths, ages 18-20, who wielded using knives, razors, clubs and “king fu” (sic) sticks. McDonald was treated and released from the hospital. 

The Boston Globe, October 11, 1976, printed an ad for Szechuan Garden, at 21 Harrison Avenue, offering a special that week for a second free lunch with every combination special ordered. Plus, you received a free drink with every dinner.  

The Jewish Advocate, December 9, 1976, published an ad for The Great Wall, at 152 Bowdoin Street, Beacon Hill, noting it was “A Chinese Restaurant Above the Common.”

Starting off the year, the Boston Globe, January 20, 1977, presented the favorite restaurants of their food critic, Anthony Spinazzola. As for Chinese restaurants, Anthony had awarded 4 stars to Peking on Fresh Pond, Peking Gardens in Lexington, and Shanghai in Chinatown. He also awarded 3 stars to Colleen’s in Cambridge and Carl’s Pagoda in Chinatown.  

The Boston Herald American, January 28, 1976, reported that Bob Lee’s Islander in Chinatown had been closed by state health inspectors until a hearing was held. Alleged violations included dirty paint, hairs in the food, open insect spray, moat with slime in it, dirty dishes and roaches.  

The Boston Globe, February 3, 1977, provided a lengthy and informative article, by Anthony Spinnazola, about Chinese cuisine. He began, "Chinese cuisine deserves top rank among the world's cooking because it is versatile, offers variety beyond others and yet retains the identity of the basic materiel used." The article then discusses the basics of Chinese cookery, explains the meaning of certain dishes, what to order at a Cantonese restaurant, and more.

Sad news. The Boston Herald American, February 8, 1977, reported that Hong Wong, Chinatown’s oldest citizen died, died at 106 years old. He came to Boston in 1890 from Los Angeles, and retired from the laundry business in 1930. He was survived by 2 sons, Loy and Warren, owners of the Chong Lung Grocery on Hudson Street, and several grandchildren. 

Bob's Islander strikes back! The Boston Herald American, February 9, 1977, noted that Bob Lee’s Islander would sue the Board of Health, claiming that because of the health violations, business had dropped 95% and Lee stated his reputation had been ruined. Lee “charged he was being discriminated against because of his Chinese ancestry and his civil rights have been violated.” He also claimed the Board had made announcements to the media before giving him a warning or the time to make any changes. Lee was able to re-open once he made the necessary changes. His attorney alleged that Lee was the victim of a power struggle between state health inspectors and Boston ones, and that the state inspectors had thought the Boston ones were too lenient. 

Peking Duck. So delicious. The Boston Globe, February 16, 1977, published a lengthy article about Chinese New Year's Eve and Peking Duck. The article initially mentioned that Peking Duck was a popular dish for special occasions, and then noted how it was traditionally served. After the duck was cooked, the crispy skin was removed and cut into small rectangles, and then the meat was similarly cooked. Then a Mandarin pancake is brushed with a dipping sauce, and the skin, meat and a scallion are placed atop the pancake, which is then wrapped up. 

Cooking Peking Duck is a lengthy and laborious process, so most only order it at restaurants. However, the article provided an easier recipe, from the National Duckling Council, so you could make something similar at home. There were also recipes to make Mandarin Pancakes, Plum Sauce, Hot Mustard Sauce, and Green Onion Brushes.

The Boston Globe, June 16, 1977, had an ad for Bogarts, “Boston’s Newest Chinese Restaurant,” located at 74 State Street. 

The Boston Herald American, July 1, 1977, provided a restaurant review of The Great Wall, providing it 2 stars, which means it is "Good." The restaurant is owned by Sally Wong, and offers Canton, Hunan and Szechuan cuisine. The reviewer stated the menu was typical with many standard dishes. The Shark’s Fin Soup was “uncommonly good and superbly endowed with delicate chicken slivers, fresh crunchy vegetables, and an abundance of whipped eggs.” The appetizers weren’t exciting, and the pupu platter ones were overcooked and slightly underseasoned. However, the main dishes were much better.  

The Boston Globe, September 1, 1977, also provided their own review of The Great Wall of China restaurant, at 152 Bowdoin Street, and they awarded it 3 Stars. The restaurant was located at the site of the former Hotel Bellevue, which had been built in 1899, and the restaurant had been there for 10 month. The review stated, “the Great Wall does a creditable job” and that “The menu is moderately priced, there are the usual appetizers, pu-pu platter and Polynesian drinks, as well as egg foo yong, chow mein, beef, chicken and seafood in traditional ways.” The review continued, “The Great Wall has several less common desserts (fried banana and fried apple) and one which it claims uniquely—fried ice cream. This is a scoop of vanilla ice cream dipped into an egg-like batter and deep fried in a few moments. The ball…. is then topped with chocolate sauce. For lovers of hot fudge sundaes, it's a good choice.” 

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Gangs return! The Boston Herald American, July 22, 1977, reported that members of the Ghost Shadow, a New York City based Chinese youth gang had returned to Boston, attempting to extort local Chinese merchants and engaging in drug sales. However, none of the merchants reported any extortion attempts. The gang had allegedly been in Boston for about 2 months. It possessed about 200 members, male and female, aged 17-21. It had been formed about 5 years ago from members of other gangs who were disenchanted with their old groups. 

The Boston Herald American, December 4, 1977, also published an article on the Ghost Shadows, noting there were about 40 currently in Chinatown. The Ghost Shadows had become the #1 gang in New York City about two years ago. It was also mentioned that white prostitutes in Chinatown had to pay the gang a fee of $20 a night. 

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We've already seen Chinese become policeman this decade, and now maybe firefighters too. The Boston Globe, October 7, 1977, noted that, “For the first time in history, a Chinese-American has a chance of becoming a Boston firefighter. Six Cantonese-speaking candidates are expected to make the civil service list for hiring sometime in November,…”; It was also mentioned, “They made the list after intensive lobbying by Boston’s Chinese community,...”

The origins of the famed Chinatown Gate! The Boston Globe, October 30, 1977, reported on a proposal for a Chinese Gate by John Sloan, a BRA architect who was now the Director of BRA’s Design Section. This new Gate would span Beach Street where it terminates at Atlantic Avenue “creating an emblem and a gateway for Boston’s Chinese community.” Currently, the Gate was contained in 88 crates, and “Each crate is filled with small parts—there are eight boxes of lion parts alone—and the whole thing goes together like a Chinese puzzle, so to speak.” 

It was noted that, “The Gate is a gift from the Republic of China (i.e. Taiwan) to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England. The gift came because Sloan, five years ago, included a drawing of such a gate in a planning document for Chinatown. Leaders of the Chinese community liked it and the donation was the result.” It was also stated that the Chinese Benevolent Association was paying the storage fee for the crates. However, it was noted, “But how to pay for getting it out, assembled, and up?”; Sloan was seeking some money from the bequest of Edward Ingersoll Brown of $610,000, and awaiting the Browne Fund executors for their decision. 

More info. The Boston Globe, November 20, 1977, published a letter from Robert Walsh, Director of Boston Redevelopment Authority. He stated that the idea for a gateway came from the Chinese community, not a staff member of the BRA. The letter added, “The gate will serve as a symbol of the cultural heritage shared by the Chinese community. The gateway will not only strengthen the identity of the Chinese community, but also serve as an interesting addition to the physical environment of downtown Boston.” 

More gambling in Chinatown. The Boston Herald American, November 8, 1977, reported that Charlie Chin and Joe S. Cho, both of Boston, were charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. They had allegedly offered a bribe to an undercover cop to allow them to operate a $10,000 per week gambling casino on Tyler Street. It was claimed that in July, the two men gave the undercover officer $8800. The casino employed 21 persons and was open 16 hours a day. The police eventually raided it, arrested two people working there, and released 15 people who were present. These arrests came on the “first anniversary of the Special Investigation Unit of the Boston Police Department’s probe into corruption and gambling in Chinatown.” 

There was additional information in the Boston Herald American, November 9, 1977. Joe Cho, age 42, was the operator of a West Roxbury restaurant and Charlie Chin, age 36, lived in the South End. They were both released on $25,000 bail. Victor Lee, age 26, and his brother Sun Quien Lee, age 31, both of Brookline, were dealers at the casino.

The Evening Gazette, December 27, 1977, discussed Wong Soon, a family owned and operated noodle business. The owner was Daniel Wong and his father started the business 50 years ago in a small factory on Tyler Street. They produced fresh egg noodles, roll wrappers, won tons, and deep fried noodles. Their factory was now in Dorchester and the old factory in Chinatown was their distribution center. They operated 9 noodle machines and noted, “Humidity is a noodle’s worst enemy.”

The Boston Herald American, January 22, 1978, began the New Year recommending some Chinatown spots. “If you want a gourmet meal for a reasonable price, head down to Chinatown and places like Nadia’s Eastern Star Restaurant (280 Shawmut Ave.), Moon Villa (23 Edinboro St.), or the Seventy Restaurant (70 Beach St.)."

The Boston Herald American, February 9, 1978, reported, “The vinyl roof of the South Cove YMCA in Chinatown collapsed under heavy snow yesterday afternoon. The YMCA is Chinatown’s only full-time recreational facility.” 

A document from the Office of the Mayor, Little City Hall, and dated March 1, 1978, provided a fascinating snapshot of the businesses, services, in more in Chinatown. It listed 23 restaurants in Chinatown, including: Bo Shek, 63 Beach St.; Bob Lee’s Island, 20 Tyler St.; Carl’s Pagoda, 23 Tyler St.; China Pavilion, 14 Hudson St.; China Pearl, 9 Tyler St.; Four Seas, 4 Tyler St.; Fung Wong, 8 Tyler St.; Golden Gate, 66 Beach St.; Good Earth, 5 Tyler St.; House of Toy, 8 Hudson St.; House of Roy, 25 Tyler St.; Ho Yuen Ting, 13A Hudson St.; Henry’s Restaurant, 52 Beach St.; Kim Toy, 2 Tyler St.; King Wah, 25 Beach St.; Moon Villa, 23 Edinboro St.; Munch Brunch, 262 Harrison Ave.; Pak Nin, 84-86 Harrison Ave.; Ying Ying, 58 Beach St.; Seventy Restaurant, 70 Beach St.; Shanghai, 21 Hudson St.; Tai Tung, 227 Harrison Ave.; and Yee Hong Guy, 34 Oxford St.  

In addition, the document noted there were 3 Chinese Pastry Shops, including: Fong On Co., 9 Hudson St.; Ho Yuen Bakery, 54 Beach St.; and May Lee Ice Cream Parlor, 26 Oxford St. There were also 2 Noodle Shops, including: Ho Toy Noodle Shop, 19 Edinboro St. and Wong Soon Noodle Shop, 15 Hudson St. Plus, there were 3 Bean Sprout/Bean Curd Shops, including: Jing Kee Bean Sprouts, 223 Harrison Ave,; Quong Lung Co., 77A Tyler St.; and Cheng Yah Wong’s Bean Curd, 83 Tyler St.

The Boston Globe, March 23, 1978, mentioned that the Boston City Council had listened to testimony from 5 neighborhood agencies seeking Community Development Block Grants. The Chinatown representatives sought grants for youth and elderly programs. “A representative of Chinatown’s YES program said she is concerned with juvenile delinquency in the neighborhood. The YES program provides services that ‘ might keep Chinese youth from becoming a danger and a burden.”

The Boston Herald American, April 4, 1978, printed an article about the Josiah Quincy Community School, “a space-age school fulfilling the same mission as village temples 1000 years ago in China—education, medical care and settlement of political disputes all under one roof,…” It was also stated, “It is the only Boston school to house a Little City Hall, health center, elementary school and community (after school) program.” The school, located at Marginal Way and Washington Streets, was opened in 1976 and had replaced America’s oldest multi-class elementary school, the old Quincy built in 1847.  

The article also discussed the South Cove Community Health Care Center, where residents could now see 18 doctors at low cost. Before 1971, there hadn't been a doctor who spoke Chinese in Chinatown. The Health center now averages 32,000 visits a year, each costing $7 a visit, and all the doctors on staff are bilingual.  

The Boston Globe, April 6, 1978, mentioned that Chinatown had many restaurants open after midnight, too many to include all of them in their article. However, they did note some of the places, including Kim Toy Lunch (2 Tyler St., open 24 hours), China Pearl (9 Tyler St., till 2am), Seventy Restaurant (70 Beach St., 4am), Carl’s Pagoda (23 Tyler St., until midnight), The Four Seas (4 Tyler St., 4am), and House of Roy (25 Tyler St., midnight).  

A stabbing. The Boston Herald American, April 29, 1978, reported that three men from the North End were charged with stabbing two men in a restaurant on Beach Street in Chinatown. Gerlad Scaproatti (age 26), Paul Lanni (age 29), and John Pottore (age 29), were arrested for Assault & Battery with a dangerous weapon. The victims included Gregory Kasabian (age 21), of Waltham, who was stabbed 5 times in the stomach but was currently in stable condition, and John McBrien, of Roslindale, who was stabbed once in the right side, but was also stable.  

The Boston Herald American, April 29, 1978, published an article about William Leong (age 32), the founder and director of the Chinese Economic Development Council. William, educated at Boston University, spent 4 years training himself and reeducating Chinatown’s business leaders “to survival tactics in Boston-style politics.” On July 1, his Council became a federal Community Development Corporation, able to tap a multi-million dollar pool to build housing, shops, training programs, and social services. Leong now has a strong bargaining position against developers who might try to reduce Chinatown. However, there are some critics who believe that that the Council is too elite.

A shooting in Chinatown. The Boston Globe, June 2, 1978, reported that Robert Aiguier, a 32 year old from Quincy, was shot in a leg in altercation in the foyer of a Tyler Street Chinatown restaurant at 3:30am. The assailant also fired 2 shots at witnesses, who gave chase, but missed hitting any of them. The police are investigating.  

The Boston Globe, June 8, 1978, provided a review of Ho Yuen Ting, located at 13A Hudson Street, and gave it 2 Stars. The restaurant had existed for about 30 years, and had been originally operated by the grandfather of the present owners, 5 brothers of the Moi family. The brothers took over the restaurant two years ago, and improved the menu and appearance of the small basement eating place. “Today it might be called the McDonald’s of Chinatown—it attracts a sizeable number of the area’s teenagers.” It has about 40 seats and is “usually crowded with non-Chinese of all ages.” 

It primarily serves Cantonese dishes and the food is cooked to order. The house specialty is conch, but it also serves “less seldom-seen specialties: snails, really periwinkles, stir fried in black bean sauce; Hon Sue duck’s feet and several variations of the Eight Delights recipe—chicken gizzards and livers, shrimp, fish maw, roast pork, ginger, dried mushrooms and squid.” The restaurant does not sell liquor.

The Boston Globe, June 26, 1978, published an article that highlighted the Ho Toy Noodle Co., Inc. Jeffrey Wong (age 34) was the head of the company and had started the business in an old textile shop on Edinboro Street in 1971. The name of the company means “good luck.” Currently, the business has 13 employees, and they produce 100,000 fortune cookies a week, 13,000 pounds of egg rolls, 400 pounds of wonton skins, and 20,500 pounds of noodles. Last year, they did $450,000 in sales, selling to 200 Chinese restaurants, grocery stores and supermarkets in New England, as well as New York, Ohio and South Carolina. 

Wong was born in Canton, China, and at age 10, worked in Wong Soon, his grandmother’s noodle and cookie company. Wong eventually left that company because he wanted his own operation. A couple of his employees have a similar mindset, and will open their own company around the corner on Lincoln Street in a few weeks. 

The article also described the process of making fortune cookies, which were produced by a machine but the fortunes are placed inside by hand. “Two workers sit at the machine, which takes in liquid dough and turns out round flat baked pieces that look like small pancakes. Workers wearing thick gloves pick the pieces off of a rotating skillet-like surface, place the paper fortune in the center and fold the cookies around it. In 10 seconds the cookie hardens.” It continued, “And where do the fortunes come from? Shuck K. Yee, a retired mechanical engineer in Oakland, California, prints up about 4 million a month and mails them all over the United States.” It was then mentioned, “Yee doesn’t write them himself. He bought his stock of about 250 fortunes from Tom’s Bakery in Oakland and has them reprinted over and over again. He said he doesn’t know where the bakery got them. Yee is also the inventor of the completely automatic fortune cookie machine, which he has sold to several companies around the country and which Ho Toy plans to start using shortly.”

Shootings! The Boston Herald American, July 17, 1978, reported that bullets had been fired at a car owned by Joseph Chin (age 27), the manager of the Munch Brunch restaurant at 262 Harrison Avenue in Chinatown. Joseph was not hurt, and mentioned that he had an argument with some youths prior to the shooting. The Boston Herald American, September 29, 1978, reported that there had been a shooting at the Munch Brunch. Five youths, alleged members of the Ghost Shadows, were arrested and one was in possession of a .38 revolver, but police claimed that no shots had been fired. Could these incidents be related to attempted extortion of the merchant? 

The Boston Herald American, October 12, 1978, reported that $275,000 had been appropriated to erect the Ceremonial Gateway, as well as for seats, landscaping and tree planting at that location. 

The Boston Globe, October 19, 1978, in an article titled, Dining Out Without Going Broke,  it was noted, “Chinese restaurants still generally offer the best buys in town, especially when four or more are eating.” It continued, “Chinese—Places are quite comparable, but the smaller the place, the cheaper the price. Bo Shek and Golden Gate are especially reasonable in Chinatown.”

The Boston Globe, November 27, 1978, reported that Thomas St. John, a Boston motorcycle cop, was shot in the left leg on Kingston Street in Chinatown while getting off his bike to approach a car he stopped. The shooter was still on the loose although later editions indicated that 3 suspects were in custody and being questioned. 

The Boston Herald American, November 28, 1978, mentioned that the Chinese community needed about an additional 1100 units of housing, In the past twenty years, the Chinese population had doubled but the community also lost 1200-1500 units of housing because of property taken by the city for the Massachusetts Turnpike, Southeast Expressway and Tufts expansion programs.

The Boston Globe, January 7, 1979, provided more information about the Josiah Quincy Community School, which was more of a community center than just a school. The Center is “topped off with a bright red and yellow mural of drawings done by school children. Red, the Chinese ‘luck’ color, is much used in the building décor. The fortress shape of the building seems no accident. It perfectly reflects the resolute attitude of the young professionals working inside.” The Center includes a public elementary school, K-5, and is staffed by Chinese. It also includes three independent and compatible service organizations: Little City Hall, a Community council which runs a range of civic, educational and cultural activities, and the South Cove Community Health Center.

The article noted that the best estimate for the number of Chinese in Boston was about 15,000, with 4000 in the South End and 4000 in Alston-Brighton. Most were Cantonese or from Hong Kong, although the population also included northern Chinese and ethnic Chinese from Burma and Vietnam. 

The Center catered to all Chinese in eastern Massachusetts and New England. At the center, you could take Cantonese cooking classes, run by Ester Ang, more as a survival skill rather than as a hobby. “Whatever the origin, Chinese food takes no time to cook—once you’ve done the preparation. It is perhaps the world’s most labor intensive cuisine.” It continued, “Like many young American, many young Chinese don’t know how to cook. Even those who come here knowing the basics have to learn to cope with American equipment and products.” Esther Ang also stated, “Another purpose of the cooking class is for them to make friends. If they can make friends they will have someone to telephone, to talk to, when they are lonely or need help.” 

It was also noted, “The babysitter is not part of the Chinese culture.” Thus, the Center taught babysitting courses and even had a day care center. The public school occupied the top 3 floors, and the student population included 300 Chinese, 180 blacks, 150 whites, and 20 Hispanics. 

Few of the Center’s 800 members spoke much English. 10 years ago, this type of community center would not have been established as it “…it was unheard of for the Chinese community to go outside for help—either from pride or ignorance.” As I previously noted, the 1970s saw much changes in the Chinatown community, a greater openness to seek help, especially spurned on by the younger generation. 

The Boston Herald American, February 18, 1979, noted that Weggie’s Pub, at 163 Lincoln Street, in Chinatown, would open at the end of March, owned by Chinese restaurateur Reginald Wong. Wong owns a restaurant supply business and at least 3 restaurants, including the ’70, The Ming Tree in Quincy Market, and The Jade Fountain in Marlboro. Weggie’s will have a Chinese disco, with Chinese disc jockey Matthew Wong (of WBCN) taking care of the music. The restaurant will serve Peking Duck and barbecued spareribs, and will also offer liquor.  

The Boston Globe, April 2, 1979, printed a lengthy article on Chinatown, noting how in the last ten years, Chinatown has been more vocal about their needs. “The Chinese are traditionally modest; we have kept our problems to ourselves. But now the younger generation is saying it’s not so bad to ask for help.” However, there are issues as “Not everyone agrees on priorities. Some emphasize housing and employment; others believe English-as-a-Second-Language programs are essential. Sometimes agency programs overlap and agencies compete with each other for limited government funds.” Despite these differences, “Nevertheless, the mood in Chinatown is one of cautious optimism.”

It was stated that Chinatown had a population of about 5000. Many of the men work 60 hours a week in restaurants or laundries while the women often work as stitchers in garment factories. It was also said that many children rarely see their fathers, which contributes to rising rates of juvenile delinquency and a widening generation gap. “These days residents of Chinatown will not quietly accept any fate which threaten the disintegration of their neighborhood.”

Dim Sum! The Boston Herald American, April 4, 1979, ran an article on Dim Sum. It was noted that King Wah, at 29 Beach Street, served Cantonese dim sum and was “offering one of the largest varieties in the area of dim sum delights and a favorite among local residents.” The Seventy Restaurant, at 70 Beach Street also offered Cantonese dim sum. The Peking Garden, at 27 Waltham Street in Lexington, served Mandarin dim sum.  All 3 restaurants offer dim sum pastries for take out. The Ho Yuen Bakery, at 54 Beach Street, also had a limited variety of dim sum pastries.  

Chinatown Gate. The Boston Globe, June 3, 1979, mentioned the will of Edward Ingersoll Browne, which was made in 1901, but that funds had only recently become available. Those funds were going to six different projects so far, including the Chinatown Gate. Construction of the Gate was going to be to be started in 1979 at a cost of $275,000. 

The Boston Herald American, July 15, 1979, discussed some of the current problems in Chinatown. The article mentioned, “Supervision of grown children in Chinatown is a problem. Parents can’t exert the strict discipline they once did over their children.” It continued, “In more than half of the families,…, the mothers work all day chiefly in garment factories.” In addition, “As many as 80 percent of the fathers in Chinatown work through the night in Chinese restaurants—about the only jobs they can get.” It was also noted, “There is also a lot of depression among teenagers. There is anger towards the system and failure at school because language is so important and they have difficulty with English.”; 

More children were coming to Chinatown each year. “It is estimated that 800 to 900 people a year, most of them 18 or under, arrive from Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. They are trying to build a new life in overpopulated Chinatown where underemployment is the biggest headache of all.” It was also mentioned that “Crime is a problem in Chinatown.” However, “little crime in Chinatown is even reported to the police.” Fortunately, “There are eight Chinese police officers in the department,…, and they are very knowledgeable about what goes on.” 

Another threat to Chinatown from developers. The Boston Herald American, July 18, 1979, reported that Tufts University was buying four tenement buildings on the corner of Harrison Avenue and Harvard Street in Chinatown. Tufts planned to build a Health Science Education Building on the site. However, members of the Chinatown community were going to the Boston Housing Court to fight landlord over the evictions, which they say violate Boston’s Rent Control Laws. It was also estimated that 78% of housing in Chinatown was overcrowded, and that 72% is either deteriorated or dilapidated. The Boston Herald American, July 20, 1979, noted that the evictions were put on hold until lawyers could submit post-trial memoranda.  

The Boston Herald American, August 4, 1979, had a brief bit about the Hing Noodle Company, located on Lincoln Street near Chinatown. Lawrence Wong (age 28), creates 400 pounds of noodles each day "marketed for chow mein fans."

The Boston Globe, September 13, 1979, presented a review of The Beansprout in Medford, giving it 3-Stars. The location had once been Peking on the Mystic and then Wau Pei. The chef is Taiwanese and "has a nice hand." It was also noted, "Sauces are generally light and sauve." They also offer Szechuan dishes. It was also mentioned, "Desserts are limited, but fried ice cream---a large scoop of vanilla ice cream with ground almonds topped with a thin chocolate sauce and canned whipped cream--will appeal to some.” 

Various Chinese cuisines. The Boston Globe, October 18, 1979, provided an article about How To Read A Menu, covering various cuisines. One section dealt with Chinese cuisine, noting there were three main regional types in the Boston area: Cantonese, Mandarin and Szechuan. Cantonese cuisine was the most common, and popular, and was available at places including: China Pearl (Chinatown), Harry Mok's Four Seas (Chinatown), Kowloon, Bali Hai, Yem Mee, and Braintree Five Corners. "It is served in every restaurant in Chinatown almost without exception,..."

There were then descriptions of Mandarin and Szechuan cuisines, noting some of their iconic dishes. Next, the article provided a variety of Chinese terms, and their meanings, which might find on restaurant menus. Plus, there were explanations of some of the most common dishes, from chop suey to chow yoke. 

Housing issues once again. The Boston Globe, December 5, 1979, reported that a developer was planning to construct the first condominiums in Chinatown. The site was two abandoned buildings the developer, Louis Hadaya, had previously purchased for $30,000. The project would entail 10 condominiums at 74-76 Tyler Street, although Hadaya has claimed he might end up making apartments instead. The Chinatown community generally opposed the idea of condominiums, feeling that Chinese couldn't afford to purchase them. Louis Scrima, executive director of the Chinese American Civic Association, stated, "This (Chinatown) is really the last piece of undeveloped land in the downtown area, and building prices are already rising pretty rapidly." It was also noted that "Chinatown suffers from some of the worst overcrowding and housing shortages of any neighborhood in Boston,.."

The Chinatown Gateway. The Boston Herald American, December 21, 1979, ran an article about the Chinatown Gate, and all the problems that had prevented its construction so far. Five years ago, Taiwan sent 55 crates of green ceramic tiles to Boston for the Gate. They were still sitting in a warehouse in South Boston. The city only had to pay for construction costs, about $100,000, but the Boston Redevelopment Authority had greater plans, including sprucing up a playground into a park with trees and benches. During the past five years, plans have been caught up in red tape and bureaucratic snafus. If the Gate was constructed, it would be about 40 feet all and 29 feet wide. There was some hope that it might be completed in 1980. 

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To Be Continued....

A History of Boston's Chinatown and Its Restaurants: 1970-1974 (Part 18)

As I mentioned at the end of my A History of Boston's Chinatown and its Restaurants: 1960s, that decade ended on a dark note, an airing of the myriad of problems which plagued Chinatown, and which needed assistance to resolve. On December 7, 1969, there had been a two-hour meeting between the Chinatown community and city officials, to discuss their many grievances. Chinatown had problems including being overcrowded, having substandard housing, a lack of education and recreation facilities, restive youth and destitute senior citizens, unsatisfactory street lighting and street cleaning and crime. The 1970s would see those problems prominently highlighted and discussed, with some positive efforts made to ameliorate the situation. 

The Boston Globe, January 13, 1970, started off noting that “… the Chinese-American community is discovering that only the squeaky wheel gets grease from government.” The article mentioned the prior month's public hearing, concluding that “Indeed, nothing of substance emerged. Some 250 Chinese, many of whom spoke little if any English, listened to 10 city officials, asked some tough questions, got something less than satisfactory responses, and that was about it.”

The article continued, “Traditionally, Chinese communities in the United States have been able to take care of their own.” However, “Chinese Americans are discovering that their limited economic base, restaurants and laundries, to use the stereotypical examples, is insufficient.” What was the solution to these problems? “The answer, clearly, will have to be organization and activism...From the city, the response will have to be more than new programs, essential as these are. Of more importance, government must demonstrate conclusively that it is capable of responding to the desires of people.” 

Would a solution arise this decade? Would the Chinatown community unite to push for change? And what did all of this mean for the restaurants of Chinatown?

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As a brief aside, the Boston Globe, February 13, 1970, reported that James Chow, age 32, of 79 Harrison Avenue, was rescued from the roof of his burning apartment house, which sustained about $10,000 in property damage. However, James was charged with arson and sent to a "mental hospital" for 10 days for observation. Unfortunately, there weren't any follow-up articles about the situation, so it's unclear as to the fate of James.  

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The Boston Herald Traveler, February 16, 1970, began a three-part series of articles about the problems faced by Chinatown. The first article discussed the serious health issues in Chinatown, noting “There is a lack of convenient, specific services—the emergency room at Boston City Hospital is the only facility for most Chinese—and, worse, there is almost total ignorance of what little service is available.” Although statistics were hard to come by, some of those issues included: the tuberculosis rate was four times the rate of the rest of Boston, stomach ulcers were more prevalent in Chinatown than the rest of the city, dental problems were prevalent, pregnant Chinese women often lacked care until their seventh or eighth month, children didn't receive preventative care, and emotional & psychiatric problems were increasing. In addition, “The elderly most often males, live alone, poorly nourish and with chronic illnesses.”

There were a few positive issues, such as the low incidence of venereal disease, in part due to a lack of Chinese prostitutes in Chinatown. In addition, drug abuse (except for a few elderly using opium) and diarrheal disease were also relatively low. 

Why did all these problems exist? The article claimed, “The blame, they say, lies in two areas: on the community at large and the hospitals for their failure to communicate with the enclave; and on the Chinese themselves for denying that emotional physical, and social illnesses do exist among their ranks.” Complicating the matter was a "... slow, but steady, deterioration of the social situation—” (from unwed mothers to “growing agitation among small bands of young militants who want out of what they consider a constricting cultural bag.” In addition, the population Chinatown continued to increase each year due to immigration and new births.

As for crime in Chinatown, “Police insist there has been no increase in reportable crime in the area, that the Chinese still handle their own problems…” However, “… there has been a noticeable increase in the number of young, street-corner gangs armed with rock-blaring transistor radios. And there is open rivalry, some of it serious, between youths born in China and the Boston-born.” A generation divide existed in Chinatown, between the more conservative elderly leaders of the community and the new young leaders, seeking change.  

The Boston Herald Traveler, February 17, 1970, provided more information about the population of Chinatown, noting that from July 1, 1966 to July 1, 1967, 697 immigrants from Hong Kong came to Boston, and that the number of immigrants was expected to remain at this level or increase in the coming years. The elderly, mostly males, comprised about 10% of the population of Chinatown. The average family income in Chinatown was only $5,000 a year and their families averaged 5-6 people per household.  

It was also mentioned that a significant issue concerning the health problems in Chinatown was the language barrier. There was a clear lack of Chinese-speaking doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals, making it more difficult for the people of Chinatown to seek medical help. It was also noted that Tufts-New England Medical Center had plans to reach out more to the Chinese community.  

Finally, the Boston Herald Traveler, February 18, 1970, briefly noted, “It’s the old story: if you share your problems with outsiders you lose face.” This was the position of the older people of Chinatown, and it was difficult to overcome. The younger generations though were far less likely to worry about such matters, and sought outside assistance for their issues. One final bright spot was mentioned, that the suicide rate in Chinatown was extremely low. In 1969, there had been 68 suicides in Boston, but only one of those was in Chinatown.

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The Boston Globe, June 12, 1970, briefly mentioned, “The Boshek Coffee House on Beach st. makes the best pastries in Chinatown.” A year later, the Sunday Herald Traveler, June 6, 1971, reported there had been a fire that began in the first-floor ceiling of the Bo Shek Coffee Shop at 61-65 Beach Street. There were apartments located above the coffee shop. The Boston Globe, February 3, 1974, stated that the Bo Shek Coffee House on Beach Street had some unusual dumpling offerings, priced at 65 cents for an order of 2 or 3, served from a steam table. At some point, the Coffee Shop closed and now is the site of the Great Taste Bakery. 

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The Boston Globe, August 23, 1970, ran another article about the concerns of Chinatown. “Boston’s Chinatown,…, wants to be seen, heard and listened to by city officials and outsiders.” David Woo, age 30, was the chairman of the Mayor’s Task Force for the Resolution of Grievances in Chinatown, which was formed after the December 1969 public hearing. It was noted, “Chinatown has all the core-city affiliations: sub-standard housing and overcrowding, underemployment, poor educational facilities, inadequate medical care.” The reason for the Task Force was that, “Long proud of their ability to take care of themselves, the Chinese are now admitting that government funds are needed and they are calling—often in strident voices—for community control.” It was also mentioned, “The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Society (CCBA) is still undisputed arbitor of domestic, internal affairs of Chinatown such as family squabbles and errant youth, but its role as mediator with the world at large and particularly the government has been largely relinquished to the task force.” This was a positive step forward for the Chinese community, a glimpse of hope. 

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A new Chinese restaurant in Chinatown! The Boston Globe, October 2, 1970, briefly reported that Mr. Chee Ching Yih was now doing business as the Shanghai Restaurant at 21 Hudson Street, the former site of the Gamsun restaurant. The Boston Globe, October 5, 1970, then noted that Northern Chinese food would be available at the Shanghai, although the Boston Globe, October 9, 1970, added that the Shanghai would serves Mandarin, Szhezwanese, Shanghai and Cantonese cuisines.

The Boston Globe, January 29, 1971, provided a review of the Shanghai, although it was referred to as the Shanghai Low. The restaurant specialized in the cooking of Peking (Mandarin), Shanghai and Szechwan. The writer stated, “Shanghai Low does extremely well in Mandarin and Shanghai, acceptable in Cantonese, not quite so well in Szechwanese.” There were descriptions of a number of specific dishes, and it was also mentioned that they served Dim Sum on the weekends, had Lunch Specials for 99 cents, and offered banquets for 4 that typically ran for $8-$12. 

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An extensive report on the problems of Chinatown was issued in November 1970, and its concerns would reverberate throughout the rest of the 1970s, and beyond. On November 9, 1970, the Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) published their report, The Chinese in Boston, 1970, by Charles Sullivan and Kathlyn Hatch. The ABCD undertook this report “as a means of illuminating conditions among one of the City’s least known, yet oldest, minority groups.” In the Introduction of the report, it was noted that “Conditions among Boston’s Chinese, one of the City’s oldest but least known communities, are in many respects worse than among any other group. The population, once static, has grown by 51 percent since 1960 to nearly 8,000 in 1970.” It continued, “Although little quantitative data exists for the Chinese, several comparisons can be made with other groups. In nearly every case, the Chinese community is shown to have greater problems than most others in the City.”

The report claimed that the first Chinese began to arrive in Boston in 1875 and that by 1890, a small Chinese enclave had been established in the Oxford Street area. However, my prior articles showed the establishment of Chinatown was actually on Harrison Avenue in 1884. The report also mentioned that Boston's Chinatown was the fourth largest in the U.S., but only contained about 1/4 of the city’s Chinese population, with about 13,000 in the metropolitan area and 5,000 more in the rest of New England. There were about 1900 Chinese in Chinatown, 2900 in Castle Square and the South End, almost 1,000 in Allston-Brighton, 400 in Parker Hill-Fenway, and 1,000 scattered elsewhere. 

Since 1966, the Chinese population had continued to grow by about 500 people each year through immigration. In Chinatown, about 93% of single person households were men and 18% of households contained 6 or more persons. Single elderly men numbered about 300 out of the 1900 residents of Chinatown. The mean family size was 3.4, compared to 2.9 for the city as a whole. In addition, 78% of Chinatown’s housing units had more than 1 person per room, compared to 8% in the city as a whole. This showed the high population density in Chinatown, which brought its known problems. 

The median family income in Chinatown was only $5,170, the lowest in the city, with 63% of Chinese families having an annual income of less than $6,000, and 21% earned less than $3,000. Interestingly, unemployment in Chinatown was very low, and it's believed that about 82% of the heads of household were employed in service jobs, like restaurants and laundries. In the rest of the city, only 12% of heads of households were so employed. So, though the Chinese often had jobs, it's clear they were very low paying. 

In 1966, the infant mortality rate in Chinatown was 2 and ½ times greater than the city as a whole and 150% greater than in 1960. Plus, incidences of new tuberculosis cases were 192% greater than in the city and the general death rate was 129% greater. Part of these problems was due to the lack of proper medical facilities in Chinatown itself. 

In 1969, almost half of the Chinese students enrolled in Boston public schools were foreign born, but English as a Second Language (ESL) training was provided to only 1/3 of this group. Several schools, with large numbers of foreign born Chinese, provided no ESL at all. This was a significant obstacle for these foreign born Chinese who came to the U.S. In addition, almost 70% of the heads of households in Chinatown possessed less than an 8th grade education, and only 12% were high school graduates. These rates were twice those of the most comparable target area.

Chinatown also had few recreation facilities, including few programs for small children. The only indoor recreation space was the YMCA, which primarily was used by some teenagers. However,“Chinatown teenagers sometimes find the conservative, elder-dominated community a difficult place to live.” The situation was causing problems that once didn't exist. “The delinquency pattern typical of American urban ghetto teenagers, once non-existent in the Chinese community, is beginning to appear in Chinatown. However, it is still largely confined to truancy, runaways and unwed pregnancies. Community leaders are concerned about a developing drug problem among Chinatown teenagers.”

The report also noted that 72% of Chinatown’s housing were deteriorating or dilapidated, compared to only 14% in the city.

These were all serious problems, adversely affecting the Chinese community, but the report stated, “Despite the magnitude of these problems, there are almost no social services directly available to the community. Chinatown itself is not included in any anti-poverty target area, and generally the only voluntary agencies serving the Chinese are those with concerned Chinese on their staff. Knowledge of available services is slight, and the language barrier is often insurmountable without the presence of one of the community’s few translators.”

Chinatown had many needs, and this report provided a framework as to how to help the community.  Chinatown’s Little City Hall had opened in mid-July 1970, “Formed to provide better communication between the Mayor’s office and Chinatown, this municipal bureau also functions as a community center and catalyst for issues and groups.” That however was but a small step forward, and much more was needed to be done. 

For example, some of the report's recommendations included: more low and middle income housing units; existing dwellings are in need of rehab; a community clinic with Chinese speaking staff; more job training and language instruction; more language programs for children and adults; better police protection, sanitation, and traffic management; and more day care. Some of their needs would allegedly be addressed in future projects that were already planned. And as the 1970s unfolded, we would see some positive changes, although much more was necessary. And many newspapers during the 1970s would raise these issues, at least bringing attention to the problems in Chinatown.  

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The Sunday Boston Advertiser, November 15, 1970, printed an advertisement for "Kung Fu--Self Defense" at the Bamboo Hut Kung Fu Club, located at 70 Beach Street. The ad mentioned that the  “Ancient Chinese Fighting Art is Now Open For Public First Time in New England.”

Robberies in Chinatown! The Boston Globe, December 21, 1970, noted that “Robberies of Chinatown patrons are causing great consternation among the merchants and restaurant owners.”

More racist allegations! The Boston Globe, January 12, 1971, briefly reported, “The hotel industry association of the Bouches Du Rhone region announced today that following an investigation it could deny as ‘unfounded’ reports that Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants in Marseilles were serving rat meat disguised as Oriental delicacies.” Such allegations have been lodged against the Chinese in the U.S. as far back as 1854, and there has never been a shred of evidence to lend any credibility to these allegations. It's mind blowing to see these unfounded allegations, based on racism, still being made in the 1970s. 

A positive change for the elderly in Chinatown. The Boston Globe, January 18, 1971, reported that a new "Golden Age Center" would open in Chinatown at 239 Harrison Avenue, occupying the first floor and basement of a building owned by the BRA. Thus, the new Center wouldn't cost the city anything and the Center would pay only a nominal rent of $1 per year. All of the furniture, as well as a gas range, would be donated. The kitchen would provide lunches, costing 50 cents, for the elderly. The chefs and lounge attendants would all be volunteers, and there would even be two Chinese psychiatrists at the Center. 

Another edition of the Boston Globe, January 18, 1971, noted that the Center had opened on the 17th, and served 30 lunches. Eventually, the Center would expand to provide health, legal and social services, recreation and transportation. Deputy Mayor Edward Sullivan was quoted as saying, “Boston owes the Chinese community a great deal. The Chinese have asked little from the city but have given a great deal over the years. They have enriched the city."

Generation gap! The Boston Globe, May 7, 1971, discussed a growing generation gap in Chinatown, and one resident stated, “Young people here can be divided into two separate groups. There are those who were either born or raised in America; and those who came here at a later age after having been brought up overseas.” About 50% of the children were immigrants, and both of these groups were distinct and rarely intermingled, while many parents didn't understand the “new style of American young people.” It was also said that Chinese parents were often opposed to marriages of their children and non-Chinese. The restaurant industry used to provide plenty of jobs for youths but now it was oversaturated, so children had more trouble finding employment. 

Drug raids! The Boston Herald Traveler, June 12, 1971, reported on a series of drug raids, called Operation Ping Pong, mostly in Chinatown, where the police seized “pounds upon pounds” of heroin and opium. The police acquired the necessary information from wiretaps and undercover Boston detectives, who infiltrated the street distribution center. Initially, the wiretaps were useless, as the suspects conversed in Chinese, so the Boston police had to import a Chinese-speaking federal agent from San Francisco. 

The raids led to the arrests of 13 men and 3 women. “The focal point of the operation was a home at 37 Bakersfield St., in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester, which police described as ‘a distribution center.” At that home, they arrested Sueymon (The Stinger) Szeto, age 23, of Canton, China, and he was charged with 9 counts of selling heroin. Jerry Chin, age 17, and John Leung, age 25, both of Hong Kong, were arrested and charged with conspiracy. In all, police raided 9 places, mostly in Chinatown, although only one arrest was made there. So, it seemed the drug network was primarily established outside of Chinatown. 

The Sunday Herald Traveler, June 13, 1971, provided more details, noting that 14 people had been arrested, facing a total bail amount of $985,000. All plead not guilty and a probable cause hearing was set for June 22. The alleged drug ring may have earned $3.6 million a year in drug sales (about $30 million in today's dollars). 

The Record American, June 16, 1971, ran a large ad for the Woolworth Harvest House Restaurant, located in downtown Boston on Washington and Franklin Streets. It stated, “This week only. Oriental Days. Woolworth salute to Chinatown.” The lower level offered Sweet & Sour Spareribs $1.45, Sweet & Sour Pork $1.45, Sweet & Sour Chicken $1.65, and a Special-Egg Roll with Plum Sauce, Chicken Chop Suey, &bFried Rice $1.50. The Coffee Shop offered Egg Roll with Plum Sauce, Fried Rice with Chicken $1.10, Sweet & Sour Chicken. Almond Chicken $1.65, Sweet & Sour Pork, Chicken Fried Rice $1.45, and Chicken Chow Mein, Boiled Rice, & Noodles $1.25. 

More good news. The Boston Herald Traveler, July 12, 1971, noted the opening of the South Cove YMCA inflated bubble facility, at 56 Tyler Street, a 200-feet long, dome-shaped bubble similar to Harvard’s athletic facility. This facility had a drop-in center, full-size basketball court and a gymnasium for youths in the Chinese community. David Woo, the chairman of the local board at the YMCA, called it a “new era for Chinatown.” The facility received financial support from Tufts University and the New England Medical Center.

A shooting. The Record American, July 14, 1971, briefly noted that Fun C. Chin, age 22, was shot in Chinatown outside a Beach Street social club, and he was listed in fair condition.

More good news. The Boston Herald Traveler, August 26, 1971, mentioned that the Chinese American Civic Association inaugurated a six month master planning project “to ensure the growth of Boston’s Chinatown community and stem the increasing physical and social problems of Chinese American in the metropolitan area.” Dr. Edward J. Goon, the President of the Association, stated, “there was a real need for a community center or organization that could aid the 13,000 Chinese American in the metropolitan area and the additional 5,000 through New England.”

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The Record American, October 23, 1971, briefly mentioned, “A new theater for Chinese films is opening in Boston’s Chinatown. The China Cinema, on Beach st., seats 155, and will show films in Chinese with English subtitles, all Hong Kong imports.” 

The Sunday Boston Advertiser, February 20, 1972, added, "Stanley Wong of Boston's China Cinema said his house only shows films made in Hong Kong by arrangement with that colony's film moguls, the Shaw Brothers." They were attempting to obtain mainland films as well, but had encountered much red tape they were attempting to overcome. 

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Fractions within Chinatown. The Sunday Herald Traveler, October 24, 1971, reported that, “A conference on the future of Boston’s Chinatown yesterday showed deep cracks in the community’s traditional unity.” It was then noted, “The split apparently was between the young, militant Chinese who have grown up in the United States and their elder leaders, many of whom still revere the culture of their homeland.” The article continued, “Traditionally, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, composed of 11 Chinese organizations, has been the supreme arbiter in the internal affairs of New England’s 18,000-member Chinese community.”

However, younger leaders, in groups such as the Chinese Adult Education Committee, the Chinatown Drop-In Center, the Free Chinatown Committee, the Saturday English Classes Group, and the Chinese Golden Age Center, were very vocal in their criticisms of the older generation. “The speakers accused Chinatown’s leadership of failure to fight for a fair share of the city’s social services and of failing to stand up to city, state, and federal agencies whose combined projects have gobbled up almost half of Chinatown’s land space in 10 years.” They wanted change, to break with some of the old traditions, and move forward to a better future. 

More drug raids. The Boston Herald Traveler, November 20, 1971, reported that local police and federal agents raided Chung Wah Hong Co., a Chinatown food and curio shop, at 55 Beach Street, confiscating about $150,000 of heroin, two guns, and $8600 in cash. This was claimed to be “the largest heroin seizure in the city this year.” Chuck M. Yee, aka Wun Chin, age 51, of the South End, was the owner of Chung Way Hong, and he was arrested for possession of heroin with intent to sell. “Initial tests showed the heroin was pure and uncut,...” and agents believed the heroin had been shipped to Boston on a ship from Hong Kong.  

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The Boston Globe, November 25, 1971, discussed Dr. Tehyi Hsieh, who just celebrated his 88th birthday at the home of the Chinese consul general in Boston. He was born in China, held many academic degrees, and was married for 26 years to a woman from Pittsburgh. It was also mentioned that he was a justice of the peace, and had married 800-1200 couples from all parts of the world, often performing marriages at his home in Brighton. For many years, he was the only Chinese justice of the peace in New England, but in September, another entered the field, Cmdr William Quan, the national deputy chief of staff of the Disabled American Veterans, although he only performed about 10-15 marriages a week.

The Standard Times, January 6, 1940, mentioned that Dr. Tehyi Hsieh was an author, statesman, and lecturer, and that he had been born in China of "noble lineage." He attended Cambridge University in England. The Standard Times, October 7, 1951, noted that Dr. Tehyi Hsieh, a U.S. citizen and the director of the Chinese Philanthropic Service Bureau of Boston, would take the oath as a justice of the peace on October 8, and would be the first Chinese tin the country to take the oath.   

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A Chinese boxer! The Record American, December 8, 1971, reported that the undefeated Tony Licata, age 19, of Italian-Chinese ancestry and residing in New Orleans, would fight Cambridge’s John Coiley, at the Hynes Auditorium in 3 days. Licata had a press party at the Four Seas Chinese restaurant. This was a rematch, as in October, Coiley, who had been undefeated at the time, traveled to New Orleans to box Licata. In an unanimous decision, Licata won the match, defeating Coiley. 

Coiley, the "battling bartender from Somerville," had won the New England Middle-Weight championship in 1970, and been undefeated until his match with Licata. Soon after his loss, a rematch was discussed. On December 11, the rematch, which was one fight of seven on the card that day, occurred. Licata was considered the favorite for the match. 

The Sunday Herald Traveler, December 12, 1971, reported that in the rematch, before a crowd of 3200, Licata won once again, scoring a ninth round TKO against Coiley. 

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The Sunday Herald Traveler, January 30, 1972, provided a lengthy and informative article about Chinatown, titled Changing Chinatown. It began noting that there were about 3000 Chinese living in Chinatown, inside a 12 block area, with about 300 new immigrants coming each year. About 9,000 Chinese lived outside Chinatown. Chinatown was plagued with white hostility, language difficulties, lack of job opportunities, dilapidated housing, disease, ignorance of social services, and more. 

There was also a polarization of the young and old: "At the extremes are, on the right, the merchants who traditionally hold the community with a tight rein and, on the left, the vocally militant young who would fight 'oppression from the outside, repression from the inside." The young were not pleased that they witnessed 30+ illegal mah-jong gambling joints operating in Chinatown. They were also surprised to read of drug arrests in Chinatown as to them, “It is almost unheard of for a Chinese drug dealer to operate inside the geographic boundaries of Chinatown.” 

Mrs. Caroline Chiang, operator of the Little City Hall and known informally as the Mayor of Chinatown, wanted to bring the community together. The article stated, “Togetherness is the goal. ‘Tai Tung’ is the Chinese word. Now there is a Tai Tung street, Tai Tung Village—public housing—in progress, even a Tai Tung Restaurant.” Some progress, social reforms, had been made in the prior several months. Attention was paid to the 1970 report of the Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD). However, much more was needed and positive progress needed to be continued to help Chinatown and its myriad issues.

 

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First armed robbery! The Boston Globe, February 29, 1972, reported on the first armed robbery by the Chinese in the history of Boston. The victim was Harry Nook, age 70 and the secretary of the Hoy Kew Social and Athletic Club, at 70 Beach Street. The robbery occurred at 6:45am, when four young Chinese males, each carrying a revolver, entered the fourth-floor clubroom and robbed Nook of $450. They fled the club, with the money, and drove off in a sports car. 

The Boston Herald, March 2, 1972, added that the Director of the Chinatown YMCA claimed that the four Chinese youths were not from Chinatown. It was also stated that the Hoy Kew Social and Athletic Club had a drop-in center for older Chinese males, where they could read Chinese newspapers, play mah-jong and Chinese checkers, and get limited help for personal problems. 

More crime. The Sunday Herald Traveler, March 26, 1972, reported that Vincent Lupo, 31 years old and from the North End, was also the manager of a bar known as Lupo’s Lounge in Chinatown. He was sentenced, after he pled guilty, to 2 years in prison on conspiracy charges in connection with the sale of $150,000 in counterfeit $20 bills.

The Boston Herald Traveler, April 6, 1972, briefly mentioned, “take a lesson from Tyler Street. Kon Tiki…and House of Hong are the two leaders in Far East cuisine,…”

A very good Samaritan! The Sunday Herald Traveler, April 9, 1972, discussed how an elderly Chinatown couple, Bark Jon Leung, age 75, and his wife Tuey, age 73, lost a bag containing $10,300 in $100 bills (worth about $77,500 in today's dollars) on March 30 on Hudson Street. Ronnie Chen, a 24 year old student from the University of Rhode Island, was visiting Chinatown and found the bag of money. He went to the police who told him to advertise it on bulletin boards and newspapers, and Ronnie also placed the money in a safety deposit vault. He placed notices on bulletin boards in Chinatown and about a week later, the couple came forward to claim the money, giving Ronnie a reward as well. 

The Boston Globe, May 19, 1972, provided a review of China Pearl, noted to long have been one of the more popular Chinese restaurants. The review stated, “The service generally is merely standard.” It continued, “While the menu makes some bows toward what has become known as Polynesian cuisine, it leans heavily on the Cantonese specialties…” Then, the review mentioned, “And that is just the point about China Pearl’s popularity: Here Bostonians find—the same menu serves for both lunch and dinner—the egg rolls, pork strips, chop suey, fried rice, sweet and sour dishes they think of first when they think of Chinese food. Spectacular? Not often. But comfortable, familiar, reasonable and good.” A couple of their popular dishes included flaming Lobster Hawaii and Champagne Duck. The management of China Pearl also operated Pearl East in Lynn, Jade East in Tewksbury, and Dragon Villa in Medford.

More positive progress. The Boston Globe, August 2, 1972, reported that, for the first time, the state Division of Employment Security was setting up a job referral center in Chinatown, which would be staffed by bilingual Chinese. It would be temporarily housed at the Golden Age Center, while a permanent location was found. In addition, a full-time English training program, sponsored by Mayor White’s Manpower Commission, was ready to begin at the Quong Kow School at 18 Oxford Street. The program would operate for up to 25 consecutive weeks, training 36 students at a time. The class would meet 6 hours a day and students would even receive a living stipend. “Once a student becomes adept at basic English, another will take his place, each progressing at his own pace.”

And more crime. The Boston Globe, August 17, 1972, detailed that Kevin Chan, an 18 year old from the South End, was in stable condition after being shot, a wound of the right side of his neck, the day before while sitting in his car with his girl friend after leaving a Chinese restaurant. The police arrested two youths, allegedly part of a group of 6-7 which had approached Chan's car. Sam Kwong, age 17 of Tremont Street, was charged with assault with intent to murder while the other suspect, age 15, went to the Youth Services Board. It's alleged that the group approached Chan's car, spoke to him, and then slapped him. Chan tried to drive off and was then shot, and the motive for the altercation was unknown. It's believed that Chan was not part of a gang. Chan and his family came to Boston six years ago from Hong Kong and Chan was a senior at Boston English High and also worked part time at the Mai Tai restaurant.  

The Boston Globe, September 3, 1972, discussed how many Chinese fathers worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, as waiters, earning only 96 cents an hour plus tips. Chinese mothers often worked at garment factory assembly lines for $1.75 an hour. The article also noted the disaffection of the young, partially from a conservative, elder-dominated mode of life. “Chinese youths often resent having to work as restaurant helpers.” However, one of the most formidable obstacles facing these young immigrants was an inability to speak the English language. 

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More progress! The Boston Herald Traveler, November 1, 1972, published an article about the Tai Tung Village, a 214 unit apartment complex, located ant the corners of Harrison Avenue, Oak Street and Hudson Street, that had been 8 years in planning and building. The Village was going to open to tenants within 30 days. It consisted of 4 buildings, one which would open in 30 days, while the other might open in March 1973. All of the apartments had already been rented, to about 90% Chinese, and there was also a waiting list of about 100 families. The name of the Village, Tai Tung, means “togetherness and equality.” 

The Boston Herald American, March 31, 1973, later noted that the Tai Tung Village opened on March 30. 

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The Boston Herald American, February 10, 1973, briefly noted a recent crime report that indicated auto thefts in Chinatown were the highest in the city, 103.75 per 1000 persons.  

More positive progress! The Boston Herald American, February 24, 1973, reported on the opening of the first community-based and operated health center in Chinatown, located at 197 Harrison Avenue. It “…will offer bi-lingual services in adult medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, family planning, psychiatry, social service, health education, with a special component for chest diseases and TB.” In addition, “The first year’s operating budget of $12 thousand is also comprised of services donated by seven full-time and 15 part-time doctors, nurses and technicians.” The article continued, “The purpose of the center is to make accessible primary health care and social services to the community and bridge language and cultural gaps.”

It was also noted that the previous facilities for non-English speakers, especially the Chinese, had been inadequate. Plus, this new medical center would not be restricted to only Chinese patients nor to only residents of the immediate vicinity. This was a positive step to helping with medical issues plaguing the Chinese community, in Chinatown, and the rest of Massachusetts.  

The Boston Globe, March 5, 1973, noted that about 150 Chinese has petitioned the ABCD for Chinatown to be designated as an “independent antipoverty area,” which would allow residents to be so more eligible for antipoverty programs. It was also mentioned that about 200 Chinese lived in Chinatown while about 3500 Chinese lived in the South End. 

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Dangerous criminals arrived in Chinatown. The Boston Herald American, March 23, 1973, reported that Boston and New York police had begun a cooperative effort to break up a heavily armed gang of young Chinese gangsters, forming a “loosely-knit organization known as the Ghost Shadow'." They allegedly engaged in extortion and selling drugs, and were a New York based group which sent members to Boston several days prior. New York claimed the problem started in 1965 when the U.S. opened up immigration quotas to Asia. “The Ghost Shadow gang is considered militant and dangerous, according to some police sources.”

The police arrested 7 young Chinese aliens in Chinatown and a downtown hotel, and they were booked on possession of firearms. The police initially arrested 4 Chinese (two being juveniles), and seized five guns. After a subsequent stakeout, a car arrived and police arrested 4 more Chinese and found 2 pistols, a rifle and ammunition.  

The Boston Globe, March 23, 1973, then noted that the six arrests included five male Chinese and an 18 year old Chinese female. They were each held on $100,000 bail, a high amount as it was thought they were all a flight risk. 

The Boston Globe, March 15, 1973, ran an ad for the new Aku Aku, formerly the Polynesian Village, at 390 Commonwealth Avenue. The Grand Opening Specials included a Dinner for Two, "All You Can Eat," for $6.50. 

The Boston Globe, April 18, 1973, in a column, James Beard on Food, noted, “Right now there’s a small cultural revolution in cooking going on. Everywhere you find people taking classes in Chinese cuisine, flocking to the newest Chinese restaurants, buying Chinese food to take out.” It also stated, “One top expert is Craig Claiborne, for many years the food editor of the New York Times.” Last fall, he wrote a Chinese cookbook with Virginia Lee.

Robert Moy helping the Chinatown community. The Boston Globe, May 9, 1973, discussed Robert Moy, age 53, who grew up in Brighton and later served in the navy, working for about 28 years at the Boston Navy Yard. Two years ago, he took his pension and then began working as a translator for the Chinese community. There have been some recent difficulties with his translation work as the dialect has been changing. Originally, most of the Chinese came from a small section of Canton and spoke a dialect called Toinaese. Other Chinese immigrants came from different sections of Canton, speaking a different dialect, although it was still understandable. However, the new and younger immigrants don';t come from Canton and speak a Mandarin dialect which Moy doesn’t understand.

Moy had also been working, for about 80 hours a week, at the Golden Age center as a full time coordinator. Every day, the center served a hot lunch to about 20-60 people, all over 59 years old, although Moy was concerned about the rising costs of food. He had been trying to get the elderly Chinese to accept some of the ways of Western medicine. It could be difficult to get them to even given a drop of blood for a test.   

Terrible rumors about the Kowloon! The Boston Globe, May 11, 1973, reported that for the last month or so, the Kowloon Restaurant, “one of the area’s largest Chinese restaurants” “has been subjected to the most vicious of rumors.” The rumors mentioned that the restaurant was being forced to close, maybe by health inspectors because of reheated food and recycled food that was “unfit for human consumption.” The writer noted that Kowloon actually demanded delivery of fresh products 2-3 times a week and they also bought fresh-cut Premium pork and Choice beef. 

The writer also added, “Not only are the stories untrue, but there is not even a creditable reason for the, getting started.” He added, “They are the worst kind of racial slurs.” As for the taste of their food, the writer said, “I will reserve more complete judgment until I am ready to review it. My impression was that it was good, though not dramatically so.” 

The Boston Globe, May 27, 1973, noted that a former garment factory and warehouse, on Edinboro Street, was going to be renovated into apartments and a Chinese restaurant, the Moon Villa. The restaurant space was leased to Winston and Robin Yee. The Jewish Advocate, May 23, 1974, published an ad for the Moon Villa Restaurant, at 23 Edinboro Street, offering Cantonese-Style cooking and Pastries. It noted, “Eat Where the Chinese Eat!” 

The Jewish Advocate, August 22, 1974, reported that the menu at Moon Villa was large and varied, with 15 varieties of soup alone. Three chefs presided over the preparation of pastries, a specialty of the house, including such item as tea pastries like steamed chicken buns, beef meat balls pastry, curry beef turnovers, and sweet pastries like baked coconut cream buns, baked sweet bean cakes, and special coconut cakes.  

A new playground! The Boston Herald American, June 15, 1973, mentioned that Chinatown would get its first "good-sized playground" thanks to a persistent small group that waged a three-year campaign. Named “Pagoda Park,” it's was hoped to open in the early Fall and would be located on 2.5 acres adjacent to the Southeast Expressway’s Kneeland Street off ramp. The park would cost about $75,000 to construct it.

The Boston Globe, July 12, 1973, reported on the Chinese Cultural Center, located on the third floor at 586 Commonwealth Avenue, which was founded by Yon G. Lee, a 25 year old who had a degree in Physics. He was also a native of mainland China who later moved to Hong Kong. The Center was a two-month old project, and it was cultural not political. The Center currently included a growing library of Chinese books and magazines, several art objects, photos demonstrating Kung Fu, weight lifting equipment, Chinese chess sets, a huge drum and dragon costume, a modest record player that continually plays Chinese classical music, and even a pet cat and small aquarium. The Center offered instruction in Kung Fu, literature, language, classical music, cooking, brush painting, folk dancing and calligraphy. 

All Chinese and Americans were encouraged to use the center and there were nearly 40 students currently enrolled. Curiously, most of the students were American. “Most of the Chinese kids are either out of school or they are working. And Chinese kids do not like to learn about the old culture sometimes.” The Center might be the only place in Boston that taught Cantonese, as most other schools only taught Mandarin. Lee stated, “And if you learn Mandarin, you can’t even go to Chinatown and converse. You can’t order dinner.”

The Boston Globe, July 30, 1973, noted that a new youth center, located at 70 Beach Street and sponsored by the Chinese Masons of Boston, was dedicated yesterday. It would offer martial art and athletic programs for young men, aged 16-19.

Health issues in Chinatown. The Sunday Herald Advertiser, August 5, 1973, noted that Chinatown had a "relatively unheralded history of health problems ranging from a high tuberculosis rate to rampant dental disease." The TB rate in Chinatown was about four times the rate in the rest of the city. Emotional and psychiatric problems were also on the rise. Compounding the situation, almost 70% of Chinatown spoke little or no English, and there were few Chinese-speaking doctors, nurses or social workers. 

To help with these issues, the New England Medical Center Hospital and Tufts Medical School, jointly issued a bilingual medical handbook. The idea for this book originated with Kai-May Yuen, a social worker at the medical center. "Each Chinese patient is given the handbook--which is meant to supplement the use of an interpreter, not replace him--on admission to the hospital." Part 1 of the book was for patients to be able to communicate their immediate needs to the staff. It provided translations for many common medical matters, such as the one pictured above. Part 2 allowed the hospital staff to explain routine procedures and dietary issues. This was an important step in elevating the health levels in Chinatown, although obviously much more was still needed.

A Chinese restaurant in the North End! The Boston Globe, August 29, 1973, discussed Joe Bova and his wife, Gilda, of Bova Bakery fame, noting that about seven months ago, they opened an Italian restaurant, Villa Vittoria, in the North End. However, after four months of operation, the restaurant was going broke. Joe realized that North End Italians rarely went to Italian restaurants as they would usually eat similar food at home. When they did dine out, they commonly went to Chinatown. 

So, Joe decided to go to Chinatown and connected with chef Kim Lau. Joe decided to change his restaurant to “Joe Bova’s China Vittoria Restaurant”, a Chinese food and cocktail lounge. Lau became his head chef, and he had other Chinese cooks, although he kept Italian waitresses. After being open for three months, Joe stated, “we’re doing three times as much business as we did as an Italian restaurant.” Joe tended bar while Gilda answered the phone, and his kids waited tables and made home deliveries. The only issue was that only one cook, Lau, spoke English, while half the customers only spoke Italian. 

There was a brief follow-up article in the Boston Globe, October 28, 1973, although there's apparently an error in the article. It stated, “Pat Bente, who opened China Vittoria, the North End’s first Chinese restaurant, has gone a step further in internationalizing the North End: He’s hired a Japanese drummer and American-Indian pianist.” Joe Bova, not Pat Bente, opened China Vittoria. Pat Bente was a local singer, with no apparent connection to the restaurant. 

A Chinatown shooting! The Boston Globe, August 31, 1973, reported that at 2:30am, in front of 55 Beach Street in Chinatown, there was a shooting. Mrs. Willie May Jones, age 33, of Roxbury, was shot 3 times and fortunately her condition was satisfactory. The police said they knew the identity of the shooter, but the article didn't identify the shooter or provide a motive. I couldn't find any follow-up articles about the shooting.

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The Boston Globe, January 11, 1974, reported that Timmy Lee, age 19 of New York City, was beaten and shot in Chinatown about 12:30am. He was dragged along Beach Street to Oxford Street, having been shot 4 times and left face down on a snow covered street. Over 30 people witnessed the attack and the police were seeking 8 assailants. 

The situation got more complex. The Boston Globe, January 12, 1974, alleged that Timmy Lee, age 16, had been the leader of a New York City gang, the Ghost Shadows, involved in extortion and armed robbery. It was claimed that he was a “marked man” and had survived an attempt on his life in New York the previous year. As I mentioned previously in this article, the Ghost Shadows had tried to move some of their illegal operations to Boston in March 1973. In March 1973, Lee and seven of his associates had been arrested by Boston detectives on gun possession charges. Lee had been arrested four times since last March, and the article also noted an “increasing juvenile delinquency rate among Chinatown youth.”

The Boston Herald American, January 12, 1974, reported, “An unidentified Chinese youth was kicked, beaten and fatally shot by a gang of young men in Boston’s Chinatown section early Friday while a group of about 10 persons watched from across the street.” The victim was 19-21 years old and got shot  4 times in the back at about 12:15am, dying in the Mass General Hospital at 1:30am. None of the witnesses could identify the attackers or victim. This was noted as the 3rd homicide in Boston that year.  

A later edition of the Boston Herald American, January 12, 1974, provided more details. The victim was Timmy Lee, age 19 and of New York City. He had been visiting a girlfriend in Boston, and on the night in question, Lee had attended a movie alone, and was headed back to his girlfriend's house. On route, he got into an argument with a gang of 6-10 young people, who brutally beat him, and then shot him. A group of horrified spectators looked on. This was only the second case of aggravated assault to occur in Chinatown in the past 2 years.  

The Sunday Herald Advertiser, January 13, 1974, reported that Timmy Lee might have been killed with his own gun as revenge for his failure to stop the beating seven days ago of a Boston girl he was dating. In addition, Lee might have been the leader of the Ghost Shadows! Lee traveled back and forth to Boston often, and was dating a Chinese girl from Boston. On January 4, she was savagely beaten by two white girls in New York and Lee was present, although he did nothing to stop it. Both of those girls were from Massachusetts, and pled guilty to a Class A misdemeanor, with their sentencing coming on February 22. 

In the book, In The Ghost Shadows (2025) by Peter Chin with Everett De Morier, it noted that Timmy Lee was also known as Giraffe in the gang. When Timmy Lee and eight other Ghost Shadows came to Boston in March 1973, they planned to rob some On Leong gambling houses to secure money to bail out some of their other gang members in New York City. They were all arrested by the police on gun possession charges. The On Leong placed a bounty of $30,000 on the Ghost Shadows. Timmy was lured back to Boston, where he was captured, interrogated and then killed as he refused to talk.

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More crime in Chinatown? The Boston Globe, January 28, 1974, reported that two police officers, Arthur Linsky, of the Narcotics unit (a veteran cop since 1956), and his partner, Peter O’Malley, were allegedly conducting a narcotics investigation at the corner of Beach and Tyler streets, in Chinatown, at 3 a.m. on Saturday. They were attacked by a group of youths and Linsky was knocked to the ground, hitting his head on the sidewalk. O’Malley was also kicked and knocked down.

The Boston Herald American, January 28, 1974, reported that Police Det. Arthur Linsky of the Boston Drug Control Unit was in the ICU due to a beating. His partner, Peter O’Malley, stated that they were jumped by 4 men in Chinatown while investigating a tip. They were continuing an investigation from which had resulted in an arrest and seizure of a kilo of heroin in Chinatown. Linsky’s head was slammed against the sidewalk curb while O’Malley was immobilized by a kick to the groin. Linsky sustained a fractured skull and a concussion.  

The Boston Herald American, January 29, 1974, noted that Linsky was doing better, that his condition was stable and fair, and no surgery was probably needed.

Problems with the investigation. The Boston Globe, January 30, 1974, mentioned that the police were investigating “an apparent breakdown in internal procedures in reporting a case,” that in which Linsky and O’Malley were attacked. Some departments were not informed as required by normal procedure. And the story had changed, so that now it involved 3-4 men who had come running down the street and accidentally knocked the cops to the ground. 

Restaurant business decreasing. The Sunday Herald Advertiser, February 3, 1974, stated, “Speaking of Chinese restaurants, and this time on a serious note, the recent series of happenings in Boston’s Chinatown (the murder of a New York Chinese youth during a street brawl and the vicious attack on two Boston policemen on the corner of Tyler and Beach) have done little to make the area attractive to diners. Chinatown like the North End, was once one of the few areas in town where street crime was virtually unknown, and visitors walked the streets day or night, in complete safety. The grosses of the intown chopstick houses are hurting.”

The Sunday Herald Advertiser, February 3, 1974, also mentioned that Linsky was in fair condition, but with no memory of the incident. His partner, O'Malley, had written a new police report, stating that Linsky had been knocked down by a group as they ran around the corner. 

The situation gets more complex. The Boston Herald American, February 7, 1974, reported that a report from Internal Affairs on this incident would be released in a day or two. The Boston Globe, February 7, 1974, added that the police were investigating whether Linsky was struck by a uniformed cop in Chinatown, and not youths. The uniformed copy might have seen Linksy and O’Malley questioning a man and thought they were involved in an altercation. That cop might then have struck Linsky with his nightclub.  

The Boston Herald American, February 8, 1974, noted that the police commissioner was now weighing possible disciplinary action against one or more police officers suspected of covering up facts in the Linsky matter. Linsky got out of the ICU yesterday, and could be released over the weekend. It was recently learned that a young patrolman had now stated he accidentally caused the injury to Linsky, in a case of mistaken identity. Linsky would then be released from the hospital the next day,

Finally, the Boston Globe, February 12, 1974, reported that Linsky had been struck by another cop, who didn't know he was an officer, and Internal Affairs had recommended disciplinary action against 1 or 2 cops. The charges related to “improper reporting of the incident, not to the action that preceded the injury”

Punishment. The Boston Globe, March 9, 1974, stated that O’Malley was suspended for 5 days, without pay, and received 6 months probation. Patrolman Joseph F. Fiandaca, age 23, who had struck Linsky, received a letter of reprimand, for “failing to report the incident sooner.” The Boston Herald American, March 29, 1974, reported that three officers from the Linsky matter had been transferred to other assignments. Fifteen men, including Linsky, were also re-assigned to the medically-incapacitated section of the personnel division, an automatic transfer for ailing officers who had been off the job for at least 60 days.

The Sunday Herald Advertiser, May 5, 1974, reported that Linsky, age 45, had recently received a medically fit report and would be re-assigned to his old unit next week. However, the Boston Globe, May 19, 1974, then updated the matter noting that Linsky was going to be transferred from the narcotics squad, and might end up on the vice squad.

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Noodles! Who doesn't love noodles? The Boston Globe, February 3, 1974, printed a fascinating and lengthy article on The Noodle: Ancient Useful and Beautiful. The article covered noodles in a variety of cuisines, including Chinese. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, legally a "noodle" must include at least 5.5% egg solids, or otherwise it must be known as an "alimentary paste."

As for Chinese cuisine, "The Chinese have fewer dried pasta than Italians but make much use of fresh noodles." It was also noted that "fresh noodle skins are used to make special filled dumplings called 'diem-sum' or heart's delight." The article continued, "Other fresh Chinese noodles are used in dishes like chown mein or chow fun (fried rice noodles) and they are fried in the now ubiquitous wok. The deep fried crisp noodles ..... are certainly not traditionally Chinese." The meaning of noodles? "For the Chinese, noodles bring great luck, especially during the New Year's celebrations,...They also symbolize longevity and are found uncut at all birthdays and similar festivities."

It was mentioned that dim sum restaurants, offering the dumplings, did not abound in Boston but did exist. The writer claimed that Shanghai Restaurant on Hudson Street had the "most remarkable dumpling to be found in the area." It was called Peking Ravioli, and you received 8 dumplings for $1.95. They also offer a "second mind boggling noodle dish" which is also "the most extraordinary restaurant bargain in New England." The Peking Special Sauce Noodles ($1.60 or $1.15 on the lunch menu) is a "generous mound of well cooked thin spaghetti, sprinkled with some bean sprouts and topped with a sauce composed mostly of ground pork, scallions, and hoi sin."

The Joyce Chen restaurant, on Memorial Drive, had "pretty good" Peking Ravioli, but you only received 6 in an order. Their Peking Special Sauce Noodles ($2.50) were "often more sweet and intense in flavor and might be preferred by some." Peking on the Mystic in Medford, Peking on Fresh Pond in Cambridge, and Peking Gardens in Lexington also offered their own versions of these dishes.

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The Sunday Herald Advertiser, February 24, 1974, began, “Mention Chinatown and most Bostonians will tell you where their favorite restaurant is. But they couldn’t tell you much more.” Chinatown was recently described as the “oldest, but least known community” in a recent report by the city’s Planning and Evaluation Department. Fifty years later, is the situation any different? Unfortunately, I doubt much has changed. Most of the time I hear people talking about Chinatown, it's only about their restaurants. That should change, and more people should learn about the history, culture and people of Chinatown.   

The article then continued, noting there were about 12,000 Chinese in metropolitan Boston, with 2500 in Chinatown. It was then stated, "... the community’s major problems are proper health care, housing for the elderly and developing programs for youths to avert juvenile delinquency…” However, "the overriding difficulty...is getting the community to ask for assistance.” It was also noted, “Teenaged Hong Kong immigrants have the hardest time adjusting to American life,...”

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There was an intriguing help wanted ad in the Boston Globe, March 3, 1974, for cooks, waiters and cocktail waitresses. It was for work at the Kim Lee Restaurant, at 9 Fleet Street in the North End, which was an “oriental steak house, specializing in steaks & lobsters.” This was the former location of the Stella Restaurant and the Boston Globe, December, 31, 1973, ran a legal notice noting the transfer of the liquor license from Stella to the Kimlee Restaurant Incorporated. And the Sunday Herald Advertiser, January 27, 1974, noted that Stella sold their property to Kimlee for $61,700. 

The Boston Globe, April 26, 1974, published an advertisement for the Kimlee Steak House, stating they specialized in Teriyaki Dishes. They were open for lunch and dinner, and also had a cocktail lounge. Six months later, a fire destroyed the restaurant. 

The Boston Herald American, October 30, 1974, reported that a fire had destroyed a North End restaurant the day before, Kimlee, the former site of Stella's Restaurant, and forced 9 people to flee an adjoining apartment. The damage was estimated at about $25,000. The fire was under investigation, especially as, shortly before the fire started, a mother of 4 in the building received a phone call, that said, “Get out of the house. I just set a fire in the basement and it’s going up in flames in a few minutes.”  

Strippers and Chop Suey! The Boston Herald American, October 31, 1974, noted that a “Fire of suspicious origin destroyed the restaurant, Kim Lee’s at 9 Fleet st., early Tuesday morning.” In addition, it was mentioned that the Boston Licensing Board had revoked their entertainment license as they were “accused of serving up girlie shows along with the chop suey.” A name change. “The operator of the restaurant, which changed its name to ‘The Godfather’ when it changed from fried rice to risque floors shows, is James R. DiFronzo, who had nothing to say at the hearing.” The restaurant had a window sign “all girls—exotic dancers” but there wasn't a dressing room for the entertainers. A police inspection said the entertainment license was not being violated in the sense that “the girls were properly dressed—with their breasts and other areas covered.” In February 1976, the restaurant transferred its liquor license to The Black Rose, Inc.

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The Boston Globe, May 15, 1974, noted that “Chinatown is one of the oldest but least known communities in Boston.” It continued, mentioning that Chinatown was home to over 4500 people, and contained 23 restaurants, 12 grocery stores, 8 gift shops, 2 bookstores, 1 laundry, and the “Eastern Live Poultry Company” which had been on 48 Beach Street for 50 years. The owner, Meyer Small, 68 years old, processed about 3000 birds each week. However, other newspapers note the presence of “Eastern Live Poultry Company” at least as far back as 1910, meaning it had been around for over 60 years.

The famous Kowloon! The Boston Globe, June 9, 1974, punished an article about the Kowloon, mentioning that it could seat over 1000 persons. As for a little history, the parents of Madeline Wong first opened a restaurant at that location, calling it the Mandarin House. William and Madeline Wong would eventually take over the operation of the restaurant, naming it Kowloon in 1960. The restaurant had a variety of rooms, including the Mandarin Room, Peninsula Lounge, Tiki Lagoon, and Cliff Room, as well as three other rooms used for private parties, the Volcano Bay Room, Back Street of Kowloon Lounge, and Rainbow Room. A new upstairs banquet facility was recently completed and it could seat up to 475 people.

Their menu offered Chinese and Polynesian specialities. “Appetizers include the standard tidbits Greater Bostonians love—egg rolls, pork strips, barbecued spareribs and fried chicken fingers---“ The menu also offered chop suey, chow mein, fried rice, and egg foo yong dishes, with over 70 choices just for those four items. It was also said to be one of the few places in Greater Boston that offered dancing. The restaurant was opened every day, from 11:30am-2:30am, and on Friday and Saturday it was open until 3am. 

The Boston Globe, June 17, 1974, reported that there were about 11,000 Chinese in Boston, with 2400 in Chinatown, which occupied an area 3 blocks long and 12 blocks wide. Of all these Chinese, there were about 1000-1200 Chinese students, at all grade levels, and almost 600 attended school in Chinatown’s Lincoln-Quincy district.

Chinatown problems. The Boston Herald American, July 24, 1974, noted that Mrs. May Ling Tong, the director of the Multi-Service Center at 85A Tyler St, played an important role in the preparation of the report of the Conference on the Future of Boston’s Chinatown two years ago. “Now, as then, she says, the most serious problem of the Chinese community is one of communication.” She added that most Chinese immigrants cannot speak English so they usually end up working in restaurants. Plus, “There is a lot of mental stress and strain because they don’t understand the American way of life…”

The Report on Future of Chinatown cited a number of problems in the community, including rising juvenile delinquency, marital problems, unwed mothers, run-aways, attempted suicides, uncared for elderly, lack of recreational and social programs, and a need for mental health care. For example, in 1972 there had been only a single Chinese boy in juvenile court, but from January to May 1973, there had been 22 Chinese youths in juvenile court. Making the problems worse, was that, “The Chinese community is not politically strong enough.”

Amelia Erhart in Chinatown! The Boston Herald, July 24, 1974, noted that the famous aviator, Amelia Earhart, came to Boston as a young woman to teach in Chinatown. The Boston Globe, September 26, 1927, mentioned that the Denison House, at 93 Tyler Street and which was the second oldest settlement house in Boston, had several new staff members for its 35th year. One of those new members was Miss Amelia Earhart, who would have been 30 years old at that time. The Boston Globe, November 16, 1927, mentioned that elections for the officers of the Denison House were held the day before, and Amelia was voted as secretary. 

The Republican, June 4, 1928, claimed that Amelia was 27 years old and a social worker in Boston. As she was born in 1897, this is clearly an error. The article also mentioned that she lived in Medford, Massachusetts, had a pilot's license for 10 years, and was on her way to Europe by airplane. The Springfield Daily Republican, June 24, 1928, stated that in the fall of 1926, Amelia started working part-time at the Denison House. During her first year, she had general direction for foreign-born men and women. She did little teaching herself, but engaged in follow-up work in the homes. Last fall, she came to Denison as a resident and full time staff worker, directing the work of girls from 5-14 years, and had general charge of the pre-kindergarten.  

The Boston Herald American, August 16, 1974, discussed the Hunan Restaurant, a new Chinese spot in Central Square, Cambridge. Its menu of 124 items offered Mandarin/Szechuen cuisine, “which is prepared with some hot and spicy ingredients. Hot in this case means taste, not the temperature,…” The Mandarin dishes were prepared in 3 categories: mildly hot and spicy, hot and spicy, and very hot and spicy. Owned by Dan Woo, it had its grand opening on August 12. Dan “hopes to treat his patrons to a new, authentic taste in Chinese cuisine, that they have never tasted before in the metropolitan area.”

More information on Hunan. The Boston Herald American, August 21, 1974, quoted Dan Woo, that “his restaurant has the best Mandarin chefs in the country. Chang Kek Cheng and Kong San Yuk are each rated as four-star chef.” He also said, "no Chinese restaurant he knows of in the country has such highly rated chef.”

The Boston Globe, August 30, 1974, stated that it took Szechwan cooking about 5-6 years to become popular in Greater Boston after it had become the rage in New York City. “The cooking of Hunan has taken only about two years to get here from…where it was introduced by T.T. Wang. It may be described as highly spiced dishes, often featuring smoked ingredients, in tangy, fish-based and other sauces.” There was a brief mention of the new Hunan Restaurant and the writer claimed it did best with his Hunan cuisine. 

The Boston Globe, October 6, 1974, ran a review of the Ho Yuen Bakery, at 54 Beach Street. Its head bakers, Kam Lee Chu and Kium Pui Leung, learned their trade in the Chinese city of Hoisin, perfected it in Hong Kong, and then worked in New York bakeries before coming to Boston. A list of their baked goods ranged from coconut macaroons to gooey black beans in fried dough, fried dumplings to beef buns, as well as 5 different kinds of mooncakes. 

More crime! The Sunday Herald Advertiser, October 27, 1974, reported that Patrolman James Geogilas, age 27 and who was off duty, and James Huckzale, age 38, a neighbor, were kidnapped at gunpoint in Chinatown the day before. They were accosted by 2 men, one with a shotgun, forced into a car and driven to Roxbury. The two men were robbed of their money and as the robbers fled, the shotgun was fired and struck Huckzale in the hand. Unfortunately, there were no follow-up articles detailing what happened next. 

More prostitutes coming to Chinatown! The Boston Herald American, October 30, 1974, stated that the Chinese community had sent a letter to the police, angry about the influx of prostitutes, primarily white women, who had been coming to Chinatown. There had been increased vice arrests in October, as well as an increase in robberies and purse thefts, especially along Tyler Street. The police said they made arrests but judges didn’t send them the prostitutes to jail, and they just pay a fine, about $25. There is also not rehabilitative facility in Boston for prostitutes. 

A crackdown on prostitution! The Boston Herald American, November 1, 1974, reported that the Boston police had rounded up 50-60 prostitutes and made 15 arrests in the Combat Zone and Chinatown. The arrests “had a twist sure to raise the latest—arrests to some sort of legal pinnacle,” as some of the people arrested included the male customers, "johns," who would be summoned as witnesses. 

A murder in Chinatown. The Boston Herald American, November 13, 1974, reported that Francis Mack, a 45 year old from South Boston, had been found dead in a doorway at 72 Tyler Street in Chinatown. He had been shot at least once in the head, an alleged victim of a “gangland type slaying.” Mack managed several lounges in the Combat zone and he was also a suspect in a 1970 gangland slaying. This was the 110th murder of the year in Boston, and the third in less than 24 hours. 

Gambling raids! The Boston Globe, December 10, 1974, noted that federal and local authorities raided a Chinatown gambling parlor and arrested 37 people, with at least 5 being illegal aliens and held for Immigration. The raid occurred at the On Loon, a Chinese social club at 3 Tyler Street. The authorities seized thousands of Chinese lottery tickets, a vast collection of intricate records and over $100,000 in cash. This was considered the largest gambling operation in the area, and action took place 24 hours a day. A 1st floor apartment contained 4 safes, guarded by a man with a shotgun. Two tables of Pie-Kew, a Chinese game of chance played with domino-like chips, was found at the location. The investigators were also looking into rumors that $10,000 a week was being paid in bribes to prevent interference with their gambling.

The Boston Globe, December 22, 1974, published an ad for Mandalay, a new Burmese restaurant, the first in Boston. It also served Chinese food.

The Jewish Advocate, December 26, 1974, had an ad for the House of Toy, "A New Dining Experience!" Located at 8 Hudson Street, it offered “Gourmet Chinese Cooking” with a “Real Cantonese Menu with English Translation.” 

To Be Continued....