Five-twenty-nine

Five months and twenty nine days. This is the term in the workhouse that a lush-worker recieves for "jostling". If a detective sees a lush-worker approach or touch a lush, he places a "jostling" charge.

Mike was well known to the subway squad and so spent at least half of his time on the Island(Rikers) doing the five-twenty-nine for jostling.

23👍 2👎

Lush-worker

A thief who specializes in robbing drunks on the subway.

Subway Mike was a skillful lush-worker, so well known to the subway squad, spent half of his time doing the five-twenty-nine for jostling.

Flop

Drunk passed out on a subway station bench.

A sleeping lush, known as a "flop", attracts a hierarchy of scavengers. First come the top lush-workers, the only want cash, good rings and watches. Then come punks who will steal anything, they take the hat, shoes, belt. Finally, brazen, clumsy thieves will try to pull the lush's overcoat or jacket off him.

10👍 5👎