The original idea of this seems to come from the Collyer Brothers, Langley and Homer. They became hermits and died in Harlem, NYC as one fell very ill and was bed ridden and the other was crushed while trying to circumvent one of the booby traps amongst the hoardings. While Langley making his was back from getting medicines and food for Homer who was waiting , was crushed by one of his own booby traps. Homer died of starvation and dehydration. The year was 1947.
"Fegulah" ( feygele or fagala) is a derogatory Yiddish word for a homosexual male.
"Faygala" is Yiddish for little bird & a euphemism for a homosexual male. While it has come to be seen as derogatory, it depended on who used it & how; for many it was only about discretion. Its current nature can easily not be understood by Yiddish speakers of a certain age, like the brothers.
"Shvartzah" (shvartza or shvartze) is a derogatory Yiddish word for a black person.
The episode title "Alta Kockers" is a spelling variation of a Yiddish phrase "alte kakkers" which means "old men".
The Edelman brothers' house is on the corner of West 150th Street and St Nicholas Place in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem.