Father and Son Locksmiths Share the Keys to Their Success
For Phil Mortillaro (above right), locksmithing was a summer job that turned into a lifelong passion. He started in the trade shortly after he left school in the 8th grade.
All five of his children spent time in his Greenwich Village shop, but only his youngest son, Philip (above left), has followed in his father’s footsteps.
Philip Jr with his grandmother, Helga Lumen, at Greenwich Locksmiths in 1987.
Father and son sat down for a conversation at StoryCorps to talk about the family business.
Philip Jr. and Phil Mortillaro at Greenwich Locksmiths in 2023. Photo by Brian Pape for The Village View.
Top Photo: Philip Jr. and Phil Mortillaro at their family business, Greenwich Locksmiths, in Manhattan in 2014. Photo by Von Diaz for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired October 17, 2014 and November 24, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Nearing The End Of Her Life, They Sat Down For One Last StoryCorps Conversation
In the early 1970s Jackie Miller and her husband adopted their son, Scott.
Thirty-seven years later — in 2008 — Scott came to StoryCorps with Jackie to talk about their relationship and to find out more about the history behind his adoption.
Scott Miller with his parents, Jackie and Percy Miller, in Barbados, in the mid 1970s. Photo courtesy of Scott Miller.
A cut of that recording aired June 11, 2010, on NPR’s Morning Edition. You can listen to it here.
Fifteen years after that initial conversation, Jackie’s health started to decline. Realizing his mom was nearing the end of life, Scott wanted to do one more interview, and share an update on their relationship.
Scott Miller and Jackie Miller at their StoryCorps interview in New York City, NY, on May 30, 2008. By Mike Rauch for StoryCorps.
Click here to watch “Me & You,” an animation of Scott and Jackie’s first story.
Top Photo: Jackie Miller and Scott Miller at their StoryCorps interview in Tarrytown, NY, on October 27, 2023. By Julia Kirschenbaum for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired Nov. 17, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Love Is Limitless”; A Couple Reflects On Sharing Life After Loss.
Christine Berro and Andy Keeler sat down a few months after their marriage in 2007. This was a second marriage for both, who had both lost a partner several years prior..
(Left) Christine Berro and Andy Keeler at their StoryCorps interview in Kalamazoo, on April 15, 2007. By Susan Lee for StoryCorps. (Right) The couple at their StoryCorps interview in Portage, Michigan on October 18, 2023. By Benjamin Green for StoryCorps.
In 2023, Christine and Andy returned to StoryCorps to talk about the 16 years together since they first recorded.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired November 3, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Amor Eterno: Remembering Ana Guissel Palma on Día de los Muertos
Cesar Viveros in front of his altar in Philadelphia in 2022.
Photo by Neal Santos, courtesy of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
In 2016, Cesar Viveros and his wife Ana Guissel Palma set out to document Day of the Dead altars in South Philadelphia—a thriving Mexican and Central American community. The pair went door-to-door, recording stories across their neighborhood in the hopes of creating a large community altar for people to visit and remember their loved ones.
But two years into the project, Ana became sick, and passed away just before Day of the Dead, leaving Cesar to finish the project on his own.
He came to StoryCorps with his niece, Kathy Lopez, to honor her.
A framed photo of Ana Guissel Palma at an altar created by Cesar Viveros. October 21, 2023 at FDR Park in Philadelphia. By Kayla Lattimore for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired October 27, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Mother And Daughter Remember How A Thunderstorm Transformed Their Lives
The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year is less than one in a million, according to the CDC.
But that’s exactly what happened to Donna Salemink the summer of 2014.
Donna was solo parenting her two teenagers in Colorado, when a freak accident altered her life forever.
She came to StoryCorps with her daughter, Melissa, to remember the split second when everything changed.
Melissa Salemink and Donna Salemink in Lafayette, Colorado in 2018. Photo courtesy of Donna Salemink.
Top Photo: Donna Salemink and Melissa Salemink at their StoryCorps interview in Loveland, Colorado on September 19, 2023. By Zanna McKay for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired October 20, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Korean War Veteran Recalls his First Day of Combat
Sergeant Daniel Moon served in two wars: first in WWII when he was just 17, and then again in the Korean War.
Laura Moon and Daniel Moon after their StoryCorps interview in Chelsea, ME at the Togus VA Hospital on September 12, 2023. By Max Jungreis for StoryCorps.
He didn’t see combat during WWII, but his experiences during the Korean War were harrowing. He was a member of Fox Company 19th Infantry Regiment, and he sustained severe injuries during his first battle. He also witnessed the deaths of several fellow soldiers.
Sergeant Daniel Moon (Back row Right) with his Squad members at Camp Crawford, Hokkaido Japan, 1950. Photo courtesy Laura Moon.
He came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Laura Moon, to remember that day.
Top Photo: Daniel Moon in Seoul, Korea 1948
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 30th, 2023, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
As Her Memory Dims, One Remarkable Mother Remains A “Beacon of Light”
To mark StoryCorps’ 20th Anniversary we are revisiting classic conversations from the past two decades with updates from the participants.
We end this special series by catching up with one remarkable mother in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mary Johnson-Roy and her son, Laramiun Byrd. Courtesy of Mary Johnson-Roy.
Mary Johnson-Roy lost her only child, Laramiun Byrd, to gun violence in 1993.
One night while at a party, Laramiun got into a fight with another teenager named Oshea Israel. The fight ended when Oshea shot and killed Laramiun.
A dozen years later, Mary went to the penitentiary to visit the man who murdered her son.
Oshea Israel and Mary Johnson-Roy in 2011 and in 2023. By Gaspar Caro and Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
Soon after Oshea finished serving a prison sentence for murder, Mary brought him to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship. We’ll also hear from them 12 years later.
Mary founded From Death to Life, an organization to help families who have lost children to gun violence, and has spent decades running support groups. But she’s had to step back a bit from her life’s work, after being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a disease with symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Mary Johnson-Roy and her husband, Ed Roy, in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2023. By Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
Since her diagnosis in 2021, Mary’s husband, Ed Roy, has been her main caretaker. Ed also had a son who was murdered, in fact that’s how he and Mary met. Here, they share more about Mary’s illness.
Mary’s community is rallying to help cover her medical expenses through a GoFundMe, which can be found here.
Top Photo: Oshea Israel, Mary Johnson-Roy and Ed Roy in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2023. By Brian Mogren for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 29, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
First story aired on May 20, 2011 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
18 Years After Katrina, A Grocer Rebuilds His Community One Shop at a Time
To mark StoryCorps’ 20th Anniversary we are revisiting classic conversations from the past two decades with updates from the participants.
This story is from New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. The neighborhood was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina and was slow to recover. Almost 10 years after the storm it still didn’t have a single grocery store.
Lower Ninth Ward resident Burnell Cotlon wanted to change that. He saved money by working at fast food restaurants and dollar stores and used it to buy a dilapidated building on an empty block, and opened a neighborhood grocery.
In 2015 he told his mother, Lillie, how his story started in the days after the flood…
Produce, snacks, and a picture of the building before it was renovated at ‘Burnell’s Lower Ninth Ward Market’, New Orleans, Louisiana. By Ian Spencer Cook for StoryCorps. Photo of original building courtesy of Daniel Schergen, who helped renovate it.
Burnell Cotlon and customers in his store in the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana in September, 2023. Courtesy of Burnell Cotlon.
Top Photo: Lillie Cotlon and Burnell Cotlon in front of Burnell’s store, ‘Burnell’s Lower Ninth Ward Market’ in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 19, 2015. By Ian Spencer Cook for StoryCorps.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired September 22nd, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
First story aired on August 8th, 2015 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
This story is featured in Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, a collection that celebrates the passion, determination, and courage it takes to pursue the work we feel called to do from Penguin Books.
A family’s legacy of service, sacrifice, and fatherhood after 9/11
Top photo: Joseph Vigiano and John Vigiano Jr. with their father, John Vigiano Sr. circa 1994. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary by revisiting classic StoryCorps conversations from our first two decades and sharing updates on participants.
(Left) Detective Joseph Vigiano, Firefighter John Vigiano II circa 1996. (Right) Police Officer Joseph Vigiano, Police Officer James Vigiano in April of 2023. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
John Vigiano Sr. came to StoryCorps in 2007 to talk about his sons, Joseph and John Vigiano Jr., who both died in the line of duty during the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.
Joseph Vigiano with his father and brother, James Vigiano circa 1998. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
In 2023 his grandson, Joseph Vigiano, came to StoryCorps to reflect on fatherhood and his family’s legacy.
Joseph and Kathleen Vigiano circa 1989. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
Jennifer and Joseph Vigiano with their son and Police Commissioner Edward Caban in March of 2023. Courtesy of Joseph Vigiano.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired on September 11, 2009. Rebroadcast with update on September 8, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
20 Years Later A Couple Reflects On A Tender Moment Captured In The StoryCorps Booth
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary by revisiting classic StoryCorps conversations from our first two decades – like this one between Debora Brakarz and Mike Wolmetz.
Mike Wolmetz and Debora Brakarz at their wedding celebration in Long Island, NY, on June 19, 2005. Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
Debora was 26 at the time and Mike was 25. They had only been dating for three months when they came to the StoryCorps recording booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
The family at Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland, on August 8, 2012. Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
Nearly 20 years later, they returned to share an update about love, marriage, and parenthood.
The family during Halloween 2019 (Mike as the anonymous CIA whistleblower, Debora as Sarah Good (one of the first 3 women to be accused in the Salem Witch Trials), Luca as Spiderman Miles Morales, and Iago as DJ Marshmello). Courtesy of Debora and Mike.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired February 14, 2004, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.