Louis L. (Naginsky) Nagin
Born: May 4, 1891 (Butenko, Russia)
Died: ?
Lived in Leadville: probably 1917-1919

(Benjamin?) Ben (Naginsky) Nagin
Born: December 15, 1893 (Pultavia, Russia)
Died: ?
Lived in Leadville: probably 1917-1919

Joseph (Joe) (Naginsky) Nagin
Born: December 23, 1875 (Russia)
Died: ?
Lived in Leadville: probably 1917-1919

The earliest evidence of Louis L. Naginsky (aka Nagin) was a Vendome Hotel arrival notice in The Herald Democrat for May 3, 1917. [1] On July 21, 1917, Louis drew number 64 as part of the national lottery during the military draft that year. [2] A little over a year later, Louis was listed among the soldiers who were sent Yom Kippur greetings from Knesseth Israel in 1918. [3] According to his draft registration card from 1917, he lived at the Vendome Hotel on Harrison Avenue and was born May 4, 1891. [4] Louis was also listed with his two brothers at the Vendome in 1917. He wrote his race as “Russian Hebrew” and his town, state, and nation respectively as “Butenko, Russia, Hebrew”. Louis’ occupation was “junk dealer” and “in business for self”. He was likely in Leadville temporarily as he does not appear in the city in the census of 1910 or 1920. However, his time in Leadville happened to correspond with the American call to arms in 1917. He appeared in the 1915 New York State census as the middle child of a family of six on Washington Avenue, the Bronx, and in the 1910 and 1920 censuses in Manhattan. His home in the Bronx can be confirmed by a 1919 Herald Democrat article which listed his mother as Sofie Naginsky and his home address as, “609 E. 170th St, Bronx, N.Y.”. [5] By 1920 he was in Manhattan, living at a boarding house operated by Sam Lesky and his family. [6] Louis did not appear in the 1918 Leadville directory.

In addition to Louis the 1917 Leadville directory listed two other names under “Nagin” with a residence at the Vendome Hotel as “junk dealers”: Ben and Joe. [7] Like his brother Louis, Ben was drafted in 1917. His draft card listed his birthdate as December 15, 1893 and his town, state, and nation as “Pultavia, Russia, Hebrew”. The “Pultavia” Ben wrote on his draft card could be “Poltava” in modern Ukraine. He was employed by Joseph Nagin and was listed as “an alien Russia” under citizenship status. [8] Ben was also listed in the Carbonate Chronicle as a draftee in September of 1917. [9] In 1915 Ben and Louis lived in the same household in New York City. Their parents were Sophie and Issac. [10] It is not known if Ben was sent to a military training camp or if he was deployed. As he is not included in the 1918 Yom Kippur greeting mentioned above, it is unlikely he was called up for service. He appeared as a resident of the Vendome Hotel in 1918. [11] It is unknown what year Ben left Leadville, but it was likely before 1920 as he does not appear in the Leadville 1920 census.

Joe Nagin was an older brother of Ben and Louis. He did not appear in Leadville census records, but appeared as Joseph Nagin in a late registrant draft record from California in 1917. He was listed as “Russian” with a mother named “Sophie Nagin, 609 E. 170th St. New York City”; this is the same address Louis submitted on his draft card. [12] His birthday was December 23, 1875 and lived with his brothers at the Vendome Hotel in 1917. He was probably in California during the early days of the draft but moved to Leadville sometime in 1917: thus his late California draft registration card and his presence in the 1917 Leadville directory.

In 1918 he was incarcerated for a year in a state penitentiary for receiving stolen property. By June of 1919 he was granted a release after an, “…eloquent pleading of his case before the board of pardons by former Lieutenant Governor William G. Smith, Nagin was allowed a commutation of the two terms…” [13] He was released near the beginning of July 1919 and did not return to Leadville.