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Beeswax's avatar

As a New York City resident, I'm aware of the Louis Armstrong Museum in Corona, Queens. If you visit their website, you'll read a pared-down version of Armstrong's relationship with the Karnofsky family:

"Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called “The Battlefield.” He only had a fifth-grade education, dropping out of school early to go to work. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet."

https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/biography/

Not sure why the discrepancies...but Armstrong does credit the Karnofskys in a short, recorded interview on the same website. I have to assume there was more there, given the fact that Armstrong wore the Star of David his whole life and also spoke Yiddish. My mother and grandparents spoke Yiddish, and I never learned it! But Louis did. Interesting.

It's not a competition, of course, but I appreciate the extra details in Eli's version, assuming it's accurate. Does the Facebook post provide references? Just curious. In any case, thank you for the post, it's very moving.

I love Louis Armstrong...he was one of the greatest of the greats.

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Janice LeCocq's avatar

Thank you so much! I didn't know that story. It's terrific.

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