Sesame Street Gangsters
From Muppet Wiki
Although Sesame Street is meant to represent a child-friendly, and somewhat idyllic, New York City street, the neighborhood has a network of seedy underground criminal organizations. These groups are run by an assortment of suspicious characters, most commonly for the purpose of shady and illegal activities such as alphabet trafficking, black marketeering and robbery. Comprised mainly of Anything Muppets, these gangs are typically composed of a crime boss and his lackeys (often named Lefty).
The most commonly seen criminal on Sesame Street is Lefty, a shady-looking salesman in a trench coat who appeared discreetly selling hot items to passersby, often to Ernie. Lefty (a Green Anything Muppet performed by Frank Oz) appeared in several recurring Sesame Street sketches. Lefty spoke in a whispery voice as he attempted to unload such boosted items as the letters U and O, an invisible ice cream cone, and even exotic elephant artwork. Lefty's boss (a Fat Blue Anything Muppet performed by Jerry Nelson) appeared in a few sketches with his lackey, often in a dark alley or abandoned warehouse after dark. In one such sketch, Lefty's boss instructs Lefty to steal the golden AN, take it to the tan van, and give it to Dan, who will give it to Fran. However, Lefty can't remember the plan very well and has to repeat it several times, which results in a police officer named Stan hearing the plan and giving him "ten days in the can for stealing the golden AN". Lefty lamented that he should have ran.
Another repeated insert sketch featured a different group of criminals in their secret hideout wherein a fellow gang member, also named Lefty (a Fat Blue Anything Muppet performed by Jim Henson), tries to enter the hideout. The nervous crony forgets the secret knock for entry and his boss (a Lavender Anything Muppet performed by Jerry Nelson) won't let him in unless he remembers it. Benny (a Green Anything Muppet performed by Richard Hunt) vouches for Lefty, but the boss is persistent that he must successfully demonstrate the secret knock to enter the lair. Once Lefty finally gets in the boss and Benny go so far as to lock themselves out of the hideout to test Lefty's memory of the knock. Lefty forgets all over again, and flees the hideout through the back door, leaving the boss and Benny stranded outside.
Sketches
- Lefty is told the alphabet by his boss, who wants him to repeat it back to him. (EKA: Episode 0261)
- Lefty's boss orders Lefty to get carrots for his rabbit. When Lefty returns, the boss says that the rabbit needs more carrots, and then the most carrots. (EKA: Episode 0433)
- Lefty's boss sends Lefty to get a number 20. (EKA: Episode 0434)
- A boss and a gangster won't open the door unless they hear three knocks. (EKA: Episode 0722)
