Tony Green Captures Ray Nagin Sentencing

Renaissance Man Tony Green was on hand today as former New Orleans mayor C. Ray Nagin was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Federal corruption charges.

Tony Green, Ray Nagin Sentencing, OffBeat Magazine

Sketch by Tony Green.

Green, a jazz guitarist who is also well known for his artistic talents, captured the moment Nagin’s sentence was handed down in a series of sketches.

Nagin, whose erratic and emotionally charged reaction to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 captured the nation’s attention, holds the dubious honor of becoming the first mayor of New Orleans to be convicted and sentenced for corruption.

“These drawings were done on the spot,” Green said in an email. “I got to the courtroom early and found a spot right behind the press.”

Among the many, many, many things locals hold Nagin accountable for, one notable disaster in the world of New Orleans music history stands out – Nagin’s botched revamp of Armstrong Park.