Jerry Tierstein and Andrew Vollo
New York City cab driver Jerry Tierstein (right) tells fellow cab driver Andrew Vollo about a memorable passenger.
Originally aired September 26, 2008 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Hyman Bloom and Andrew Vollo
Hyman Bloom (left), who has been driving a taxi for over 30 years, tells fellow New York City cab driver Andrew Vollo (right) why it’s the only job for him.
Originally aired September 19, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Betty Esper and Mark Fallon
At its height, U.S. Steel’s Homestead Works mill in Pennsylvania was one of the world’s largest producers of steel, but when it shut its doors in the 1980s, thousands lost their jobs. Among them was Betty Esper, a desk clerk at the mill.
Betty was 18 years old when she started working at the mill in 1951, and when it closed she was one of the last workers through the gates. At StoryCorps she tells her friend Mark Fallon what Homestead was like when the mill was operating.
Originally aired August 29, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Joe Spano Jr. and Joe Spano Sr.
Brooklyn born Joe Spano and his son Joe Jr. talk about their family owned Italian restaurant in Abeline, Texas, which serves dishes Joe Sr. grew up watching his mother and grandmother prepare.
Originally aired August 22, 2008 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Ileana Smith and Gustavo Mestas
Gustavo Mestas talk with his daughter Ileana Smith about the decision he made to escape from Cuba with his family in 1963. A doctor in Cuba, Gustavo arrived in Florida not knowing if he would be able to practice medicine in the United States, but after working jobs picking tomatoes and cleaning motels while attending medical school in the evenings, he was eventually able to begin a practice.
Originally aired August 15, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Tom Domingue and Dotty Domingue
Tom Domingue talks about growing up with polio and the different approaches to his condition taken by his mother and stepfather. While his mother doted over him, his stepfather had a tougher style.
Originally aired July 25, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Jan Vigiano and John Vigiano Sr.
John Vigiano, Sr. is a retired New York City firefighter whose two sons followed him into service—John Jr. was a firefighter, like his father, and Joe was a police detective.
On September 11, 2001, both Vigiano brothers responded to the call from the World Trade Center, and both were killed while saving others.
At StoryCorps, John Sr. sat down with his wife, Jan, to remember their sons.
Click here to watch the Peabody-award winning animated short about the Vigiano brothers, “John and Joe.”
Originally aired September 11, 2009, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Cheng Wang, Kay Wang and Chen Wang
Kay Wang had a reputation for being strong-willed—a reputation she earned as a child.
When this interview was recorded, Kay was 87 years old, and reluctantly answered questions from her son, Cheng, and granddaughter, Chen.
Just weeks after their conversation, Kay Wang died of cancer.
StoryCorps asked Cheng and Chen to come back into the studio and record a tribute to Kay—and we’ve turned that into an animated short, “No More Questions!”
Originally aired July 18, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Mark Sullivan
Mark Sullivan remembers summers working on tobacco farms in Connecticut during the late 1950s, and the lessons learned from doing this backbreaking work.
Originally aired July 11, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Jaime Breed and James Lacy
James Lacy tells his daughter Jamie Breed about his father, Jim, who ran a general store in Comanche County, Texas, that prospered until the Great Depression hit and he was no longer able to pay his creditors.
Originally aired July 4, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.