Louis Bernard Brodsky (December 25, 1879 – April 29, 1970) was an American

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

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court in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

known for the acquittal of the six men involved in the anti-Nazi '' SS Bremen'' riot in 1935 and for a progressive ruling regarding dancers and nudity in April 1935.

Background

Brodsky was born into a

Ukrainian Jewish The history of the Jews in Ukraine dates back over a thousand years; Jewish communities have existed in the modern territory of Ukraine from the time of the Kievan Rus' (late 9th to mid-13th century). Important Jewish religious and cultural move ...

family on December 25, 1879, to Elias and Sarah Brodsky. His family immigrated to New York in 1881, where his father worked as an embroiderer. He graduated from the

New York University Law School The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...

in 1900 and applied for U.S. citizenship on December 26, 1900, the first day he was eligible.''New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794–1943'' He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1901. His father died in 1924.

Career

Brodsky was mostly involved in commercial cases as a trial lawyer. He was named a magistrate in 1924 by Mayor

John F. Hylan John Francis Hylan (April 20, 1868January 12, 1936), also known as "Red Mike" Hylan, was the 96th Mayor of New York City (the seventh since the consolidation of the five boroughs), from 1918 to 1925. From rural beginnings in the Catskills, Hylan ...

. He filled an unexpired term and was reappointed to a 10-year-term by Mayor James J. Walker. He retired in 1939. Brodsky was chairman of the National

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Orphan Asylum, honorary president of the Hebrew Day and Night Nursery, director of the Home of Old Israel and Hebrew Orphan Home, and a trustee of the Israel Zion Hospital of

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Personal life and death

Brodsky resided at 169 Ocean Drive West in

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...

, in August 1952. On August 25, 1952, he was hit by a car outside the railroad station in Stamford. He sustained injuries to his head, left hand, and left leg but was reported to be in good condition. Brodsky died at Mount Sinai Hospital in

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, on April 29, 1970, at the age of 86. He resided at 465 Park Avenue at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, Rose, a daughter, Mrs. Janet G. Frumberg, and a grandson.

1935 Rulings

Nudity case ruling

Brodsky dropped charges against Louise Wilson, 24, of 15 West 65th Street, Manhattan and Dorothy Sims, 22, of 450 West 150th Street, Manhattan. The two women were arrested by a policeman for indecency while performing before an audience of 101 men at a waiters' club at 80 Greenwich Street. Brodsky dismissed the women from court, saying "nudity is no longer considered indecent in uptown nightclubs and theaters." The women left the club without even a fan to cover them. Brodsky also released the 101 men who attended the performance who were detained at the police station overnight.

SS ''Bremen'' verdict

Brodsky's most noteworthy decision came in a case involving six men arrested during a riot which occurred on July 26, 1935. He freed five of the six individuals who tore the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

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from the '' SS Bremen'' on account that their actions were justified, as Brodsky compared the Nazi emblem to a " pirate flag". He refused an apology even though

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newspapers and government officials demanded one.

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Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...

sent to Nazi Germany a note of "regret" for Brodsky's decision.Little Man, Big Doings
''

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'', September 23, 1935

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brodsky, Louis New York (state) lawyers 1879 births 1970 deaths New York University School of Law alumni Odesa Jews Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States 20th-century American lawyers American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent 20th-century American Jews American magistrates Jews from New York City