The Mug Book
2/27/202648 min
After a gang leader was murdered in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the only witnesses who would talk with the police were tourists. They looked through so-called “mug books” filled with photographs of Asian men - and pointed out a man named Chol Soo Lee. Years later, a journalist decided to investigate his case, and described it as an “unreal, Alice-in-Chinatown murder case."
Today’s episode comes from the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast. Julie Ha's documentary is Free Chol Soo Lee.
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First 90 secondsLizzie Peabody0:00
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Speaker 10:42
[upbeat music] We're not saying a visit to Bloomington, Indiana, will turn you into a forest-bathing, sandal-wearing, dissertation-defending, stray-cat-rescuing, nonprofit-starting, Monroe-Lake-paddling, guitar-strumming, march-organizing, vinyl-listening, leaf-watching, zen-finding, coffee-roasting, yoga-practicing, beer-drinking, bread-baking, co-op-joining, pottery-throwing, vintage-thrifting, bike-everywhere-ing, art-appreciating, farmers'-market-shopping, biz-sinking football fan. But we're not saying it won't. Visit Bloomington. See how it inspires you.
Julie Ha· Guest1:12
On June 3rd, 1973, a gang leader named Yip Yew Tack was gunned down at a very busy intersection in Chinatown.
Phoebe Judge· Host1:24
Julie Ha is a journalist and a filmmaker.
Julie Ha· Guest1:28
This murder was actually witnessed