Mott Street

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mott Street with fire escapes

Mott Street (Chinese: 勿街; Jyutping: Mat6gaai1) is a street in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The street is narrow, but very busy. It is considered the Main Street of Chinatown. Early immigrants were from Taishan, China.[1] Later, more immigrants came from Hong Kong and Taiwan.[2] Ah Ken was a businessman and first Chinese to settle in the area in the 19th century.[3] The street has a history of gangs and is connected to gangs in popular culture. Cantonese gangs terrorized the town for 20 years.[4]

In fiction[change | change source]

Several crime shows and gangster films have been shot on the street. Examples include The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Once Upon a Time in America, as well as an episode of Law & Order.

References[change | change source]

  1. Kwong, Peter (July 30, 1996). The new Chinatown – Peter Kwong – Google Books. ISBN 9780809015856. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  2. Chan, Ming K.; Postiglione, Gerard A. (July 1, 1997). The Hong Kong reader: passage to ... – Ming K. Chan, Gerard A. Postiglione – Google Books. ISBN 9781563248702. Retrieved October 18, 2011
  3. Moss, Frank. The American Metropolis from Knickerbocker Days to the Present Time. London: The Authors' Syndicate, 1897. (pg. 403)
  4. Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 278–279) ISBN 1-56025-275-8