Living with Crack
This mother did this off-the-books to supplement her welfare payments by the government.
What is, "garment subcontractor" or "seamstress" (Bourgois, 78)
These were two competitive outfits that sold crack for three dollars generally and two dollars on discount nights.
What is, "two teenage outfits operating in the stairwells of the housing project opposite the Game Room" (Bourgois, 81)
This happened when someone disrespected the Game Room while Caesar was on duty. (Hint: It is why Caesar liked to remind everyone that it was "good public relations for ensuring the security of the Game Room.")
What is, a "jealous young man high on angel dust" who was "subsequently removed with a fractured skull." (Bourgois, 88)
This is why Ray had a particular fondness for the Social Club.
What is, Ray having grown up in the building (Bourgois, 99)
This was a multipurposed role behind Primo's social madness in attracting large enough crowds to hang out around the Game Room.
What is, providing strategic business, information gathering, keeping up to date with changing trends and market shifts, and having informants and witnesses (Bourgois, 105-106)
This reminiscent reflection depicts racial tensions between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans.
What is "everyone take Mexicans like a joke." (Bourgois, 79).
This powerful traditional institution in Puerto Rican culture sanctifies solidarity and reciprocal obligations between men.
What is Compadrazgo (Bourgois, 82)
What is, "occasionally attempting to commit suicide" (Bourgois, 88)
For more space, Ray upgraded the Game Room's local by moving it where the three licensed doctors formally operated an illegal Medicaid-funded pill mill.
What is, upstairs (Bourgois, 100)
In his time interviewing Primo, Bourgois could only guess how much money was made from crack sales, however Primo was only ever arrested this many times.
What is, twice (Bourgois, 109)
This style of management was mentioned in the early years of the Game Room.
What is, "Traditional Patriarchal Style" (Bourgois, 78)
These were a few mentioned benefits for eligible founding members of Ray's organization.
What is, "bail money and lawyer's fees, bonus payments during special holidays, periodic gifts for [children], occasional lobster dinner at Orchard Beach, Coney Island, or Far Rockaway" (Bourgois, 83)
Aside from the low wages, this is the difference between the working conditions of the legal economy to the underground economy.
What is, inferior working conditions (Bourgois, 93)
This racially charged statement by Caesar depicts the ignorance and social isolation that many in communities, like El Barrio, face regarding other minority groups.
What is, overgeneralized antisemitic statements like "Jew checks" that draw on age-old-canards depicting Jews as thieves, dishonest, greedy, etc. (Bourgois, 103)
This was the biggest threat to Ray's social club.
What is the New York City fire marshals who closed it for fire safety code violations (Bourgois, 109)
These antics helped Primo gain job security as "manager of daily sales" and self-worth which allowed him to quit his addiction.
What is, Felix's "hanging out on the street" and frequent display of "sexual conquests" (Bourgois, 81)
Benzie chanted this while working in the Game Room to customers.
What is, "Keep on killing yourself; bring me that money, smoke yourself to death; make me rich." (Bourgois, 85)
His experience is mentioned in light of the racial inequality in employment where minority populations are surrounded by powerful whites as a subordinate.
What is, Benzie's legitimate career experiences (Bourgois, 94-95)
This was the most insightful denunciations by Primo that were tape-recorded by Philippe.
What is, Primo being trapped in the crack economy (Bourgois, 104)
This was Primo's response to dealing with a not so undercover police office trying to catch him selling crack.
What is, read the newspaper article out loud about Larry Davis's federal charge and when asked said "I don't know"(Bourgois, 111)
Felix's angry wife sold the Game Room for this amount after he was sent to prison as a result of an unrelated sentence for weapons possession.
What is $3,000 (Bourgois, 81)
This depicted the racist and sexist dynamic both in the Game Room as well as throughout El Barrio.
What is, the story about the "moreno [African-American] and his girl" the Game Room (Bourgois, 85)
Dreams and aspirations of many in the community of El Barrio want to do this, however, racism and marginalization inhibits their social capital and social mobility to achieve this goal.
What is, "working legal" then a lot of the minority population would not require the underground economy to survive. With a real job their "environment would change...[and] have different friends." (Bourgois, 98)
Ray used this method to prevent both Tony and Primo from trying to renegotiate their salary.
What is, a classic divide-and-conquer scenario (Bourgois, 105)
During this time there was overcrowding following the increased drug arrests in the New York state penal system, as a result what happened to Primo's sentence.
What is, Primo's sentence was commuted by the judge to clear his overburdened docket (Bourgois, 112)