Legend holds that Hell’s Kitchen got its fiery name during Prohibition, when veteran policeman “Dutch Fred” witnessed a neighborhood riot with his rookie partner on West 39th Street near Tenth Avenue.
The rookie is supposed to have said, “This place is hell itself,” to which Fred replied, “Hell’s a mild climate. This is Hell’s Kitchen.” The name stuck, and so Hell’s Kitchen was born. Dutch Fred’s pays homage to the veteran cop and the legend.