2007.500.612

Address: 302 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844
Phone: (978) 687-1777
Date of Birth: June 5, 1940
Occupation: Lawyer, State Representative (NH)
Ethnic Background: American Italian
Interviewer: Joan Kelley
Summary: The narrator describes the home his family owned on White St., a building that was taken in the later stages of URBAN RENEWAL. He did not think that he lived in squalor, but as people began to leave, the area did begin to deteriorate with rodents, fires, and problems which plagued the area which he had enjoyed in his youth. He blames the displacement of 3,000 people as a cause for the demise of Essex St. He eventually owned 200 of the new apartments which replaced the demolished structures; the developer had run into problems. He gives a picture of a large hard-working family who grew tomatoes and made their own wine. Also Rocca D'Evandro Mutual Aid Society and Rocky Club.