Langer’s owner Norm Langer was part of an in-depth look at the MacArthur Park area of Langer’s, which is home to the delicatessen-restaurant. The story focuses on the FBI’s efforts to crack down on gang activity in the area, and includes insight and perspective from Norm:<\/p>\n
If you’re looking for a fake I.D., MacArthur Park is the place to go. And even if you aren’t looking, the street dealers will come looking for you. It’s a gritty area, but you can still see the beauty of the MacArthur Park that used to be: a neighborhood with a lake and lots of paddle boats, surrounded by nice high-rise apartment buildings.<\/p>\n
That’s the place Norm Langer remembers.<\/p>\n
“Primarily it was a Jewish recreation area,” he recalls from inside the deli his father opened 61 years ago. Today, he runs Langer’s Deli and sells its famous pastrami sandwiches.<\/p>\n
Over the years, Langer has had a front-row seat to the deadly gang violence that turned MacArthur Park from a mecca to a menace. He even came close to shutting down the family business like so many others in the neighborhood did.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n