The Washington herald., 1914-10-19
THE GREAT WHITE WAY
By o. O. M'NTYRE.


(spociaI COrrrspOndent of The Washington HsrrHJ
New York, Oct. 1S-The dance craze is
on again in New York following the
summer breathing spell Every one is
trying to invent new dances, but after
all il is the dancers themselves who
finally create new expressions In the
large hotels and high-class cafes Of New
York, the "sharp-shooters' of dancing
whirl around every night and here and
there a new step is born-they come nat
urally and spontaneously. G. Hepburn
Wilson, ". B., Americas foremost dane
ing authority, declares that this winter
the waltz Is entirely different from what
IL was last winter-won with the one
step. Says Mr.. Wilson: The fox trOt
has taken a firm hold. The tango still
holds firm and is gradually gaining more
adherents. The maxiXe has had its day.
Other dances that are well known this
season are the lu lu fado, Ia furlana,
polka bresiIiene, Pavlokwa gaYotte, ta-
tao. roui-rouII, Partisan tango and the
Wilson furlana" Mr.. Wilson, who has
even taught royalty TO dance in Europe,
declares that the war will not AFFECT
dancing-it has, he says, become an
American institution.
And speaking Of dancing, Louis H.
Chalif one OF the foremost graduates
OF the Russiani Imperial Ballet School
and former ballet master of the Odessa
Government Theater, has been lured to
New York by the siren call OF gold.
Chalif. who has danced night after night
for the Gar. has opened up a luxurious
studio in New York for private instruc-
ton. He declares that America is fast
becoming the dance center Of the world
and that in the future it Is here that
the great dances will be born. Thousands
Of dancing teachers are pouring into
New York now to learn the new steps
The Broadway rOof-tops are being con-
verted into dancing palaces with all the
speed that the architects and contrac-
tors can command. This is indeed going
to be a whirligig season!
With characteristic secretiveness, New
York's little Italy" has for three weeks
been hiding the news of the death of the
notorious Jack Vigorito, the most dan
gerous man in New York" The dead
mans brother by a chance remark con-
iii med the news of his death. NigOritO
was a dive keeper. gunman and political
gang leader who was declared openly TO
be in close relations with the men high
in Tammany Hall. He held Eastern
Harlem, politically. in the hollow Of his
hand. The report OF his death SAYS that
he died on an operating table. -NigOritO
first came into prominence in 1904 as
proprietor of the Loyal Hotel, at 22lS
Second avenue. Previous to that he had
been a bcotblack and protege of Nick
Hayes. From the LOYAL he progressed
until he and his two brothers ran three
resorts. of which Jacks own at l Sylvan
place was the most notorious. Raid after
raid was made on the Sylvan place re-
sort but always some high influence came
to rescue .Vigorito at the last moment
He was finally sentenced to Sing Sing
but he never served. Vigorito once fig
ured in a big street fight in which two
men were killed and three wounded.
but he was not even arrested
The song-writers are winning their
fight TO make the big cafes and dancing
palaces along Broadway pay from SO
to SIS a month royalties for singing their
songs just as the theatrical folk are re-
quiTed to do. The song-writers, through
their association. have gotten out sew
eral injunctions and two big restaurants
have capitulated. Aside from this worry,
II is said the song-writers are very much
exercised over one OF their cowOrkers-
possibly the most successful of all-who
has fallen victim of the opium smoking
habit, a relic OF his earlier days. Every
effort is being made to break him of II
or at least keep him away firm the hop
Joints" His earning capacity is said to
be in the thousands each month, and.
when he remains away from the drug, he
Is a prolific producer of hits.