Chapter 3 of that seven-chapter bio mentions that
Mayor Fernando Wood's attempt at re-election in 1961 as a Mozart Hall Democrat
was thwarted by Gunther running as Tammany's nominee, thereby enabling George
Opdyke to become the city's first Republican mayor.
Mr. Wacksman, who lives in Virginia, is a student
of German-American history, particularly that involving use of the Mozart name
in association with German-American activities. He is doing research for an
article on the many such useages. I shared with him what I could gather about
Manhattan's Mozart Hall from such standard sources as Ken Jackson's
"Encyclopedia of NYC," Gustave Myers' "The History of Tammany Hall," and Mike
Wallace and Ed Barrow's "Gotham."
Active in the Mozart Society of America, Mr. Wacksman had follow-up questions of the kind that
other subscribers to this list are more likely than me to be able to answer or,
at least, point the way to answers:
His questions relate more to the building and its
sponsors than to Wood's political organization, assuming such a distinction can
be made. The sense one gets from reading the standard sources cited is
that Wood's organization got its name from meeting in the building rather
than the hall got its name from Wood's organization. Specifically, Mr. Wacksman
asks:
*When was the Mozart Hall building in Manhattan
established as such?
*What was the original purpose of the Mozart Hall
building?
*Who or what organization established the building and named it
Mozart Hall?
*Why was it called Mozart Hall?
*When and why (fire?
bankruptcy?, etc.) did it cease to exist (the building, not the political
organization founded by Wood)?
I will gather any answers appearing on this list
and forward them to him. For those who want to respond directly to Mr. Wacksman,
his e-mail is [log in to unmask]
New York City Dept. of Correction
Director of
Historical Services
66-26 Metropolitan Ave. (Correction Academy)
Middle
Village, NY 11379
[log in to unmask]
(718)
417 2315 (voice mail)
(718) 417-2326
(fax)