Photos: Scenes from Langer’s Deli near MacArthur Park

The No. 44 Reuben at Langer’s Deli.

Langer’s  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times )

Norm Langer, president of Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant near MacArthur Park.

Customers wait outside Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles. The landmark restaurant at 7th and Alvarado streets near MacArthur Park is giving away free No. 19s -- its most popular sandwich -- through Saturday.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Norm Langer, right, owner of his namesake deli, greets Cardell Turner (in white shirt). Turner’s grandfather, Alfonso Thompson, started working for Al Langer (Norm’s father) in 1947 and continued at the landmark eatery for 36 years, moving his way up from dishwasher to master chef.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Pastrami is sliced to make some of the No. 19 sandwich, the diner’s most popular: pastrami on rye, with coleslaw, Swiss cheese, Russian-style dressing and mustard.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Employees wear the number 19 (for the popular pastrami sandwich) at Langer’s Deli. Owner Norm Langer says the restaurant has enough pastrami for about 8,000 of the sandwiches.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Barbara Galipeau serves No. 19s to customers at Langer’s Deli. Owner Norm Langer credits the Red Line subway with saving the restaurant from closure in the early 1990s, when customers viewed the area as rife with drug dealing and aggressive panhandlers.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Jose Grimaldo of Riverside devours a pastrami sandwich at Langer’s Deli. Thirteen waiters and waitresses served the crowd, aided by eight busboys, nine hostesses and 10 kitchen workers.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)