RIP Lower East Side Man in White, ‘Jimmy Blanco’
It’s a sad day for the Lower East Side.
Jimmy Becker, known colloquially as “Jimmy Blanco” for perennially roaming the streets dressed in all white, passed away this week after a battle with Lymphoma. It’s believed he was about 69 or 70.
Apparently, a neighbor in his building called EMS a couple weeks ago after discovering Becker lying on the floor in a coughing fit. He was admitted to the hospital, and turns out he actually had advanced-stage Lymphoma.
Becker was laid to rest Wednesday at Cresswood Funeral Home on West 43rd Street.
A longtime resident of upper Orchard Street, Jimmy “Blanco” Becker attended NYU before succumbing to mental illness at some point in his mid-twenties. According to one of his neighbors, his ability to live in the apartment was owed to an arrangement between his parents and the landlord.
Through it all, Becker was lucky to have a tight-knit group of people looking out for him. A network of social service providers and friends he knew from college who also lived in the building enabled him to live a life of unusual freedom for someone so severely affected by mental illness.
Rest In Peace.
Recent Stories
Report: Tenement Museum Workers Unionize
The front-facing staff of the Tenement Museum, after many failed attempts throughout the years, have finally agreed to unionize. A vote was held last week in which all education, retail, and visitor services employees mobilized to join Local 2110 UAW (United Auto Workers). The measure passed by a 96% margin. The vote was spurred by […]
Sunshine Cinema Signage Carted Away
Sunshine, sunset, swiftly goes the demolition. Indeed, no sooner did the sidewalk bridge appear at 141 East Houston Street than workers deposed the Sunshine Cinema neon lettering. We’re told that a van carted the signage away yesterday. Co-owner-developer East End Capital did not return our request about the fate of the letters. Meanwhile, the demolition […]
New Essex Street Market Sets Opening Date at Essex Crossing [Updated]
Seventy-nine is a momentous age for the Essex Street Market. Now, more than five years in the making, the Lower East Side institution opened by Mayor LaGuardia in 1940 is finally ready to cross Delancey. The date for its opening at Essex Crossing has been set. Mark the calendar for Monday morning, May 13. In […]
Ready to Win the Weekend? [SPONSOR]
“Let’s meet for drinks” is starting to get lamer than Netflix-and-chill. Amp up your culture factor, impress your date, and maybe even take home great new art at Superfine! Art Fair, opening May 1 with a champagne washed inaugural party in SoHo. Explore three rooms chock full of awesome art by 80+ top-tier emerging artists. […]
He Said, She Said: A Two-City Concert Review of KOLARS
KOLARS is a Los Angeles-based rock duo, formerly of folk outfit He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, and the latest in our “He Said/She Said” music series. They’ve been relentlessly on tour for the past three years (over 400 shows since 2016), and while Passover prevented us from getting to the New York gig, we […]
