Ricky Riccardi

So Armstrong was born in 1901. I won't get into the whole birthday debate. You know, I believe he was born July 4th, 1901, but for reasons that are explained in the book. But either way, he's born 1901, spends his first few years living with his grandmother. But then around the age of five, he moves to the third ward. Liberty and Perdido streets.

He moves into a tiny flat with his mother and sister. And this neighborhood was so dangerous, it was known as the battlefield. And Armstrong, he spent most of his adult years telling these stories with a little bit of a wink and a smile. And he would talk about Black Benny, you know, the drummer who would fight during the parades.

He moves into a tiny flat with his mother and sister. And this neighborhood was so dangerous, it was known as the battlefield. And Armstrong, he spent most of his adult years telling these stories with a little bit of a wink and a smile. And he would talk about Black Benny, you know, the drummer who would fight during the parades.

He moves into a tiny flat with his mother and sister. And this neighborhood was so dangerous, it was known as the battlefield. And Armstrong, he spent most of his adult years telling these stories with a little bit of a wink and a smile. And he would talk about Black Benny, you know, the drummer who would fight during the parades.

And he would say, oh, well, my mother, whether or not she was a prostitute, I cannot say. But, you know, she'd worked hard and taught us the rudiments. And so for this book, you know, I wanted to keep Armstrong's words in place, but I wanted to dig a little deeper and talk about some of these characters.

And he would say, oh, well, my mother, whether or not she was a prostitute, I cannot say. But, you know, she'd worked hard and taught us the rudiments. And so for this book, you know, I wanted to keep Armstrong's words in place, but I wanted to dig a little deeper and talk about some of these characters.

And he would say, oh, well, my mother, whether or not she was a prostitute, I cannot say. But, you know, she'd worked hard and taught us the rudiments. And so for this book, you know, I wanted to keep Armstrong's words in place, but I wanted to dig a little deeper and talk about some of these characters.

And the deeper I went into police records and newspaper reports, all I can say is it's a miracle he emerged alive because from the time he's five, six, seven years old, He is seeing, you know, gunfights and stabbings and there's gamblers and pimps and prostitutes. And his mother is arrested almost every year and sent to the house of detention, sometimes three, four weeks.

And the deeper I went into police records and newspaper reports, all I can say is it's a miracle he emerged alive because from the time he's five, six, seven years old, He is seeing, you know, gunfights and stabbings and there's gamblers and pimps and prostitutes. And his mother is arrested almost every year and sent to the house of detention, sometimes three, four weeks.

And the deeper I went into police records and newspaper reports, all I can say is it's a miracle he emerged alive because from the time he's five, six, seven years old, He is seeing, you know, gunfights and stabbings and there's gamblers and pimps and prostitutes. And his mother is arrested almost every year and sent to the house of detention, sometimes three, four weeks.

Armstrong would have to watch over his baby sister, cooking for her and for him and doing whatever he could to make ends meet. He's working. He's selling newspapers. He's working for the Jewish Karnofsky family. He's doing whatever he can to survive. But the police are there.

Armstrong would have to watch over his baby sister, cooking for her and for him and doing whatever he could to make ends meet. He's working. He's selling newspapers. He's working for the Jewish Karnofsky family. He's doing whatever he can to survive. But the police are there.

Armstrong would have to watch over his baby sister, cooking for her and for him and doing whatever he could to make ends meet. He's working. He's selling newspapers. He's working for the Jewish Karnofsky family. He's doing whatever he can to survive. But the police are there.

He mentioned the only time he was ever scared in his childhood were the police because they would whip his head and then ask his name later. gets arrested multiple times, the first time at the age of nine for being a dangerous and suspicious character.

He mentioned the only time he was ever scared in his childhood were the police because they would whip his head and then ask his name later. gets arrested multiple times, the first time at the age of nine for being a dangerous and suspicious character.

He mentioned the only time he was ever scared in his childhood were the police because they would whip his head and then ask his name later. gets arrested multiple times, the first time at the age of nine for being a dangerous and suspicious character.

And even in his teenage years, when he finally starts taking music seriously and getting more and more gigs, he said it was a miracle he didn't die at these honky-tonks. Because, you know, every night there would be a gunfight, bullets going right past him. And he said that, you know, the bouncer, his name was Oscar Slippers Johnson, he would protect Armstrong, make sure he didn't get hit.

And even in his teenage years, when he finally starts taking music seriously and getting more and more gigs, he said it was a miracle he didn't die at these honky-tonks. Because, you know, every night there would be a gunfight, bullets going right past him. And he said that, you know, the bouncer, his name was Oscar Slippers Johnson, he would protect Armstrong, make sure he didn't get hit.

And even in his teenage years, when he finally starts taking music seriously and getting more and more gigs, he said it was a miracle he didn't die at these honky-tonks. Because, you know, every night there would be a gunfight, bullets going right past him. And he said that, you know, the bouncer, his name was Oscar Slippers Johnson, he would protect Armstrong, make sure he didn't get hit.

And that's why I think when you read Armstrong's second autobiography, Satchman, My Life in New Orleans, it ends with with him leaving New Orleans and joining King Oliver, because I think in his mind that was the climax. Everything that followed was gravy because he had survived this childhood that if it was a Hollywood film, somebody would say, well, this is cliche. This is rags to riches.