About This Item

  • Call NumberOSOS_OH_0234-accs
  • Summary(0:15) Born and raised in Brooklyn (0:45) Growing up in Bed-Stuy in the 1960’s -- (1:08) Moving to Flatbush -- (1:26) Moving to the projects of Coney Island -- (2:20) Participating in sports -- (3:12) Not partaking in the negative aspects of the neighborhood -- (3:52) Working at Nathan’s Famous with his brothers -- (5:22) Playing sports against gang members -- (7:20) The Blackout of 77 -- (9:15) Starting a Subway restaurant -- (11:28) Working at the Transit Authority -- (12:11) Being approached by the democrats for city council position in Coney Island -- (12:55) Stephon Marbury’s press conference -- (13:44) Spike Lee shooting movie in the space above his restaurant -- (14:33) Recommending spots for the film crew -- (16:09) Memories of helping people -- (18:31) Living in Coney Island for 25 years -- (19:20) Moving to Canarsie to work at the L train -- (1943) Volunteering at the library helping immigrants -- (20:40) Living in Canarsie 18 years -- (21:27) The “White flight” in Canarsie -- (23:41) The real estate bust and predatory lending -- (24:58) Property values increasing in Canarsie -- (27:21) Advice for future generations -- (27:38) Advice for immigrants coming to Brooklyn -- (29:05) The importance of seeking opportunities and using available resources -- (33:16) “Brooklyn is the center of the universe”.
  • Date2018-09-06
  • Physical Description1 sound file (35 min.) : digital, MP3
  • CreatorMora, Miguel
  • Cite AsBrooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
  • Digital Public Library of AmericaThis item is represented in the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).
  • Formatsound recording-nonmusical
  • GenreinterviewsMP3
  • NoteAudio interview conducted on September 6, 2018, by Johan Norberg at the Paerdegat library. Collected through Our Streets, Our Stories, an oral history project of Brooklyn Public Library. This project is a partnership with Services for Older Adults and the Brooklyn Collection.
  • SubjectPuerto Rico ; Ethnicity ; Beaches ; Boardwalks ; Poverty ; Sports ; Baseball ; Softball ; Basketball ; Football ; Gangs (New York, N.Y.) ; Electric power failures ; Drugs ; Landlords ; New York City Transit Authority ; Democratic Party (New York, N.Y.) ; Washington, Denzel, 1954- ; Lee, Spike ; Subway restaurants ; Racism ; Community development ; Immigrants ; Abandoned buildings ; Libraries ; Brooklyn Public Library ; Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009 ; Real estate agents ; Property ; Predatory lending ; Parenting ; Marbury, Stephon, 1977-
  • PlaceBedford-Stuyvesant (New York, N.Y.)Canarsie (New York, N.Y.)Coney Island (New York, N.Y.)Flatbush (New York, N.Y.)
  • RightsThis work is covered by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Users are free to share and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes as long as appropriate credit is given to the source and new material created with this work is shared under the same conditions.
  • TitleOral history interview conducted with Miguel Mora on 2018 September 6.