Mabel Louise Smith was born in Jackson Tennessee (May 1, 1924 – January 23, 1972). In the early nineteen thirties the young Mabel won an amateur singing contest in Memphis, and decided that performing was for her. Become a Harlem Insider! Sign-Up for our Newsletter *Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.By submitting this…

Intersection where Fiorello LaGuardia and other politicians held rallies Beginning in the 1920s, Congressman Fiorello LaGuardia held election-eve rallies at this intersection of Lexington Avenue and 116th Street, on East Harlem’s “main street.” His rallies drew many thousands of New Yorkers who supported his efforts as congressman and mayor to improve the quality of life…