STEVE BRODIE – DAREDEVIL OR HOAXTER?

Ever heard the expression “Pull a Brodie?” A “Brodie” means to attempt to do a

dangerous stunt. The phrase was coined after Steve Brodie allegedly jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge and became an instant celebrity.

ON July 23, 1886, not long after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, a 23-year-old bookmaker named Steve Brodie allegedly jumped from the span, which was then called the East River Bridge, plunging some 135 feet (the equivalent of a 14-story drop) into the water. Only four people have ever done that and lived to tell the tale. Supposedly, Brodie took the leap on a dare.

Skeptics claim that Brodie’s survival was impossible. A few months earlier, daredevil Robert Odlum was killed while attempting the same jump.

Brodie was a Lower East Side gambler. He was also a professional race walker. There was not much money to be made in race walking, and Brodie was broke. Soon after the Brooklyn Bridge, opened Brodie announced that he planned to jump off.Word of the impending stunt spread fast.

Moritz Herzber, a liquor dealer, offered to back a saloon that Brodie wanted to pen if he successfully made the jump. And so, Brodie jumped. Or did he? No one actually saw him take the plunge.

News of the alleged jump made headlines, but later, it was claimed that Brodie did not leap from the bridge, but instead threw a dummy into the river.

The New York Times supported Brodie’s claim, reporting that that he was fished out of the water and was promptly arrested. Brodie was held briefly at The Tombs Prison, charged with attempted suicide. He claimed to be no worse for wear except for a little soreness in his side.

Fib or fact, the publicity was great for Brodie. People love a good story, and this one was pretty good. Brodie became an instant celebrity and milked his 15 minutes of fame for a lifetime. He opened his tavern, which also served as a museum celebrating his stunt.

The saloon was located at 114 Bowery at Grand Street. It was a major tourist attraction and a celebration of Brodie’s stunt, complete with an oil painting depicting his jump and a signed affidavit from the boat captain who pulled him from the water. The floor was inlaid with silver dollars.

Brodie’s story even reached Hollywood. In the 1933 movie “The Bowery,” Brodie was portrayed on screen by George Raft, whose character, at the last minute, can’t find the dummy and has to actually make the jump. The Brodie character even appeared in a 1949 Bugs Bunny cartoon titled “Bowery Bugs,” where he is driven to jump by the WascallyWabbit.

Brodie hit the road himself, starring in the vaudeville musicals “Mad Money” and “On the Bowery,” where he recreated his famous stunt.

Eventually, Brodie moved to Buffalo and opened another tavern, but his fame hadn’t spread that far north. He tried to top his Brooklyn Bridge leap with a jump from Niagara Falls, but never pulled it off. He then moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he died in 1901, at age 38, from diabetes. Whether he did the deed or not, Steve Brodie certainly made the most of his celebrity. Others have jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge, but none more famously than Steve Brodie.

New York Post Activities

HAVE a class discussion about Steve Brodie’s jump. Do you think he did it or not?

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ATTEMPTING a dangerous stunt is never a smart thing to do. Have you ever pulled a Brodie”? Write an essay about your experience. What were the circumstances surrounding

the event.Was the outcome favorable or not?

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WHAT would you do if you suddenly found yourself rich and famous? How would you use your newfound celebrity to help others?