Let me start by saying that the video quality is ok but was a lot of damage to the original negatives which show clearly here. Also, this is badly produced, with too many back and forth shots and a lack of plot fluidity, but if your willing to overlook those things, it is a fun watch. Now, the story of Diamond Jim is amazing. James Buchanan Brady Lucas Diamond Jim lived from 1856 to 1917. He was known for having an insatiable appetite for food, a dazzling collection of diamonds, connections to several brothels in New York City, and he was involved in several mountain size scandals. Jim’s father ran a saloon. Jim's mother ran a brothel. I believe their home appears in the 1870 publication A Gentleman’s Companion which contained numerous establishments that housed young women willing to provide sexual services. Jim at a very young age would have been exposed to and understood all about the best of these services. By about 1886, at the age of 30, Jim was well on his way to becoming wealthy. Remember this was towards the tail of reconstruction after the civil war. Diamond Jim put his thumb on the scale of success by offering bribes, great food and entertainment, women, and lots of perks and favors to his clients in return for contracts to supply railroad equipment to them. Jim became a silent member of the Erie Ring, a group of financiers who engaged in blatant stock manipulation and corruption. Diamond Jim was a regular in New York City's Tenderloin district, a notorious area known for its brothels, gambling dens, and saloons. It was always known that if you did business with Diamond Jim, there were nice bonuses and special perks. Jim refused to stop indulging in his passion for food. His death was the result of a gradual succumbing to diabetes, renal failure, and angina. Jim never married and was always known as a bachelor. Jim was nicknamed Diamond Jim because of the sheer volume of diamonds he owned. He always has diamonds on, a different set of Jewelry for each day of the month.
