Pollack - Who Were the Three Stooges?

In 1897, Brooklyn, New York, was a city full of immigrantspeople who had come from other countries to make a new life in America. Jennie and Solomon Horwitz had traveled by boat from Lithuania to New York City. When Sol wasnt working in a clothing factory, he spent as much time as he could at the local synagogue, studying the Jewish holy books and praying. Jennie was a woman ahead of her time. She made most of the money for the family, renting out rooms and later becoming a successful real estate agent.

Immigrants in the United States

Between 1815 and 1915, about thirty million people arrived in the United States from many European countries, including Italy, Ireland, and Poland. It was not an easy trip. Many people traveled miles on foot or by river to get to a steamship in their home port that would bring them to the United States. They then spent weeks on overcrowded boats.

Many immigrants were escaping poverty. Some were looking for religious freedom. All hoped to start better lives in America.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, immigrants made up more than 40 percent of the population of New York City.

When Moses Harry Horwitz was born on June 19, 1897, he already had three older brothers: Irving, Benjamin (known as Jack), and Sam. Sam, who was two years older than Moses, was always known as Shemp because of the way his mother pronounced his name in her Lithuanian accent. Moses quickly became known as Moe.

Jack and Irving were well-behaved children. Shemp was the clown of the family. In school he was always getting in trouble for making funny faces and drawing pictures. His mother was constantly getting called to the school to talk to Shemps teachers about his behavior. She spent so much time there that when Shemp graduated from sixth grade, the principal announced (as he gave Shemp his diploma) that This young man did not graduate... his mother did.

Shemps little brother Moe had his own problems in school: bullies. As a little boy Moe had long hair that fell in fat curls to his shoulders. His mother loved getting up early to curl his hair for school. The other kids thought Moes hair made him look funny. Both boys and girls teased him. Not a day went by when he didnt get into a fight. Even the principal called him the student with the beautiful hair.

Moe never told his mother about the fights. He knew how much she loved his hair, and he loved her.

On October 22, 1903, when Moe was six, Jennie had another son. His name was Jerome. Moe nicknamed him Babe. Shemp and Moe were thrilled to have a new brother. Not long after he was born, they took him out for a walk in his baby carriage. To make the ride more fun for the new baby, they took the carriage to the top of a hill and prepared to let it go down at full speed. Luckily, their parents arrived just in time to stop the wild ride.