Homage was paid to 'Arthur Fellig' - 'Weegee' - in naming the Zip character Arthur "Zip" Fellig. Weegee was a NY photographer/photo-journalist of the 40s through the 60s whose first book collection of photographs, Naked City, The (1945), became the inspiration for the movie The Naked City (1948) and subsequent TV series.
The character of murder victim Rita was inspired by fifties pinup superstar Bettie Page.