Here's a summary of what I've found out in my fairly random and unsystematic search for the real Harry Grey/Goldberg. I go back to work in a week's time but will try to do a bit more before then.
1. I contacted the Jewish Home in Hawthorn, NY (where Noodles in The Hoods says he was sent after being caught for robbery) to ask if anyone by the name of Harry Goldberg was there in the early 1900s. Unfortuntely they say that their records for that time have been destroyed "in line with our policy."
How stupid is that? Those records would be useful for historians and researchers!
The annual reports of the Jewish Protectory and Aid Society, which is the group who ran the home, are actually available online but they don't list the names of children who were there.
2. A database of crime cases in NY from 1850-1950 (
http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/crimeinny/ ) comes up with two trials for a Harry Goldberg, both in 1920. Both are for larceny and the co-accuseds names are Moe Cohen, Louis Meisel, William Goldberg, and Jack Liebensart. This might not be the same Harry Goldberg as wrote the book but it's interesting that these names might be the real names of Noodles, Max, Patsy, and Cockeye! I think details of these cases are available at the CUNY library. Anyone in NY want to check them out? I'm on the other side of the world.
3. I got in touch with an Arthur Goldvarg who is the husband of Meryl, the grand-daughter of the Harry Goldberg whose obituary appeared in the NY Times in 1982. Their names are listed in the obituary. This is the Harry Goldberg who Chris has done a lot of searching on, finding census forms, and who was born in 1894/5 and who lived at 2531 Beverly Rd in 1940. Arthur tells me that he's checked with the whole family and that Harry did not write any novels. I guess it is still possible that this is the guy - maybe the family just don't know he wrote books, or maybe they are not too pleased to admit that he did. But I think this is pretty clear evidence that this is not the guy we're looking for. Sorry Chris! You did a lot of research on him.
4. Here's perhaps the most important find. The article on Wikipedia for Harry Grey states that he has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. This is pretty weird in itself - why would Harry Grey be put alongside people like Bob Hope and Elvis? His star was placed on 31 December 1999 (also odd - you'd think people had other things to do on that night). There is no info on the website for the Palm Springs walk but I contacted them and they sent me the blurb that accompanies Grey's star in their book. And interesting reading it makes. It gives his lifespan as 1901-1973 which would make Leone's claim that Grey died just before filming false. It also calls him 'Author/ Producer/ Altruist' and says the following:
"[real name was] Herschel Goldberg, born in Kiev, Russia, who came to the United States at age four with his parents, grew up in New York and spent many years operating a wholesale grocery business at dockside storage facilities where he dealt with unions, longshoremen, food importers and the real folks who ran New York's waterfront in the 1920's and 30's... the mob. Years later, recuperating in Palm Springs from an accident, he began writing about those gangster days and (for his own and his family's protection), used the name Harry Grey. He proved to be a great writer and among the many books he wrote was Portrait of a Mobster, which became a feature film starring Vic Morrow and The Hoods for which he made a deal to produce with the famous director Sergio Leone. Unfortunately, Harry died before completing the screenplay, which eventually turned into the hit movie Once Upon a Time in America..."
I'm going to try to get more info from the Palm Springs people, especially to see if they can put me in touch with whoever sponsored the star.
I think we should look into finding more about of a Harry Goldberg who died in 1973 and was born in or around 1901.
Records for Ellis Island migrants are available online
http://www.ellisisland.org/ and I found only one entry for a young Herschel Goldberg who was aged 4 when he arrived there in December 1906. He arrived from Russia, along with his parents Joseph and Rachel and siblings Eidel, Aron, and Chona. This sound like it could be the right guy (though it might not be - maybe his family didn't come through Ellis Island).
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