Oral Histories - Village Preservation

Village Preservation Oral History Collection

Village Preservation’s Oral History Project includes interviews with some of the great artists, activists, business owners, community leaders, and preservation pioneers of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. It captures and preserves their first-person perspective on the important histories they witnessed or of which they were a part.

Click here for an alphabetical list of our entire Oral History Collection.

View All

East Village

Valerio Orselli

Orselli (b. 1949) immigrated from Italy to Brazil in 1954 and to New York in 1960. He has been a passionate advocate for affordable housing for almost 50 years, especially … Continued

Full Transcript

Peter Longo

Longo (b. October 22, 1951) grew up in an Italian family in the Village, attending Catholic schools and absorbing the immigrant and Beat cultures that surrounded him. He took over, … Continued

Full Transcript

Robert Zerilli

Robert Zerelli (b. November 30, 1962) was raised in New Jersey and at the age of 18, he moved to New York City to work at the bakery founded by … Continued

Full Transcript

Virlana Tkacz

Virlana Tkacz (b. June 23, 1962) was born in Newark, but had family connections to the Ukrainian community in the East Village, to which she eventually moved. She pursued theater … Continued

Full Transcript

Lorcan Otway

Lorcan Otway (b. July 27, 1955), the owner of the Off Broadway Theater 80, located at 80 St. Mark’s Place, speaks about the theater’s history, as well as the cultural … Continued

Full Transcript

Marlis Momber

Born in 1943 in Berlin, Germany, Marlis has lived in Loisaida since 1975. Her photographs document the struggle of the mostly Puerto Rican people living in that part of Manhattan. … Continued

Full Transcript

Jonas Mekas

Born in Lithuania, Jonas Mekas (1922-2019) came to New York City after World War II and became part of the downtown arts scene as a writer, poet and auteur. He … Continued

Full Transcript

Wolf Kahn

Born in Germany, Wolf Kahn (1927-2020) came to America as a teenager, and discovered painting while working in a U.S. Navy paint shop. He went on to study under Stuart … Continued

Full Transcript

Phil Hartman

Phil (b. August 14, 1955) is a co-owner and founder of Two Boots Pizza, a filmmaker, and an advocate for the preservation of the East Village, where he has lived … Continued

Full Transcript

Frances Goldin

Fran (1924-2020) was a successful Manhattan literary agent and activist in practically every progressive movement of the past 70 years on the Lower East Side. A fighter for equitable housing, … Continued

Full Transcript

Chino Garcia

Chino Garcia is a Lower East Side/East Village community activist. In this oral history, he discusses his birth in Puerto Rico and movement to New York, his activism as a … Continued

Full Transcript

Albert Fabozzi

A painter and interior designer, Fabozzi grew up in Coney Island and lived in the West Village as a young adult. When he and his longtime partner moved to the … Continued

Full Transcript

About Us

Who We Are

About Our Work

Newsletter

Advocacy

All Campaigns

LPC Applications

Get Involved

Events

All Events

“Burning Boy” Writing New York: Paul Auster on Stephen Crane

Resources

Maps

Archives

Research & Education

Village Preservation Oral History Collection

East Village

Valerio Orselli

Peter Longo

Robert Zerilli

Virlana Tkacz

Lorcan Otway

Marlis Momber

Jonas Mekas

Wolf Kahn

Phil Hartman

Frances Goldin

Chino Garcia

Albert Fabozzi