MDPL Kicks Off Fall Lecture Series on the Seedy Underworld of Miami Beach's History

Aug. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- The lecture series will discuss how the seedy underworld of Miami Beach’s history influenced the development of the international tourist destination we know today. Lecture topics will include Gambling (9/18), Prohibition (10/2), Drugs (10/28), and Miami Vice (11/8). All the lectures will start at 7pm at the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. All lectures are free and open to the public. Food and beverages will be served at each event.

“This lecture series is shaping up to be one of our best yet, the speakers are incredible and the topics are so interesting,” Judith Frankel, MDPL Programs and Outreach Coordinator stated in a recent interview.  MDPL is kicking off this darker-than-normal lecture series on September 18, 2012 with Sociology Professor, Dr. Abraham Lavender discussing gambling and its part in Miami Beach’s History. Specifically, the lecture will cover a historical survey of gambling in Miami Beach, from Carl Fisher's opposition, to the heyday of the S & G Syndicate, opposition by the Kefauver Committee, today's international and corporative interests, and an attempt at predicting the future.

Dr. Abe Lavender is a Professor of Sociology at Florida International University, where he has been for 22 years. . He is an accomplished author of several books among other notable accomplishments. His forthcoming book is Miami Beach Beginnings: From Mangroves and Mosquitoes to Mansions and Millionaires. Dr. Abe Lavender and the Miami Design Preservation League invite to share his knowledge on September 18, 2012.


“Gambling” – Free MDPL Lecture
September 18, 2012, 7PM
Art Deco Welcome Center
1001 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Fl 33139
www.mdpl.org