lens culture
American Defender-The ratman from Alphabet City
joan lederer

American Defender-The ratman from Alphabet City

Mr. X Pitts 76 has made it his goal to rid a rat infested lot in Alphabet City, N.Y. of the vermin. To this end he is badgering the city, creating rat traps, posoning rats and holding flea markets to raise money to irradicate the rats. Pitts has a long history of social activism and considers himself an American Defender. He has experienced hardship by fighting in Viet Nam, being homeless, experiencing racism that ultimately ended his marriage to a white woman and being unjustly incarcerated. Pitts performs in poetry slams, often wins and has been commisioned to paint colorful murals in Alphabet City. As an outspoken powerful character, he knows all the longtimers in the neighborhood. He is a true citizen of Alphabet City having lived there on and off for sixty years.

Photos
31
Status
Public
Created
Oct 11, 2017
Updated
Feb 09, 2022
Categories

No categories selected

Tags
#Neighborhood #Rts #Pitts #X Pitts

Photos (31)

Cover
Mr. X Pitts stands by the rat infested lot. Pitts 76 has made it his goal to rid a rat infested lot in Alphabet City, N.Y. of the vermin. To this end he is badgering the city, creating rat traps, posoning rats and holding flea markets to raise money to irradicate the rats. Pitts has a long history of social activism.
File: cards-1.jpg
Talks about what it was like to be unjustly incarcerated.
File: cards-2.jpg
X Pitts
File: cards-3.jpg
Teaches self defense to this photographer.
File: cards-4.jpg
Works to clean up the rat infested lot.
File: cards-5.jpg
X Pitts has lived in Alphabet City on and off for sixty years. He was homeless for a time and lived in the infamous Thompkins Square Park prior to the riots and was a squatter during the squatter's movement. He knows all the oldtimers and many of the new residents to the area.
File: cards-6.jpg
X Pitts and a friend. Pitts given name is John, but he prefers to be named after Malcolm X whom he highly respects.
File: cards-7.jpg
Rat hole
File: cards-8.jpg
X Pitts and a friend
File: cards-9.jpg
X Pitts and a friend
File: cards-10.jpg
Pitts badgered city hall till exterminators started working on the lot every two weeks. The city says it is going to take a while to control the rat population in the rat pit at the center of the lot.
File: cards-11.jpg
With the exterminator sharing opinions.
File: cards-13.jpg
Peter Cooper housing project. One of the reasons that Alphabet City has maintained diversity in the midst of gentrifying NYC is that there are a number of city owned low income housing projects in the neighborhood.
File: cards-15.jpg
Rat
File: cards-16.jpg
Daily garage sale in front of the rat infested lot to raise money to get rid of the vermin. Early AM before the selling has begun.
File: cards-17.jpg
Butterfly mural in Alphabet City that X Pitts was commissioned to paint.
File: cards-18.jpg
X Pitts looking into the rat lot.
File: cards-19.jpg
Rat Farm
File: cards-20.jpg
Outside of the rat lot at night
File: cards-22.jpg
X Pitts at work.
File: cards-23.jpg
X Pitts at home going through his archives
File: cards-24.jpg
Pitts reading his poetry to me
File: cards-28.jpg
Pitts in his kitchen
File: cards-29.jpg
Pitts relaxing at the home of Father Maloney. Father Maloney 86, a local priest, is a bastion of the community's poor and in need.
File: cards-30.jpg
Father Maloney in front of his house. Father Maloney 86 is, a local priest. He helped Pitts find a lawyer to get him out of jail and also helped Pitts find an affordable apartment. Father Maloney was jailed for four years, allegedly having been part of the Brinks Robbery. The priest contends he had nothing to do with the robbery.
File: cards-1-2.jpg
X Pitts and a friend
File: cards-31.jpg
This woman lives in Alphabet City in a historical building and is a well known art collector
File: cards-1-13.jpg
Pitts lives on the second story of a walk up. This is somewhat difficult for him because of his arthritic knees
File: cards-1-6.jpg
Amigos and amigas
File: cards-1-7.jpg
Flyer with a photo of bearded Pitts
File: cards-1-4.jpg
X Pitts
File: cards-1-5.jpg