Vincent Cianni and Richie Velasquez

00:02 I am Vincent Gianni. I'm 65 years old. Today is March 22nd, 2018 and I am here with Richie Velazquez at the storycorps kiosk in Foley Square in New York City. Richie is the primary subject and collaborator of a book I did we skate hardcore and more importantly. He's a good friend.

00:30 Awesome. My name is Richie Velazquez. I am 42 today is what is today? March 22nd. I said it was 21st and we are here in storycorps on Foley square. And Vince is a personal really great friend to me and my family and he is the creator of the book we skate park or which we really value and love.

01:01 Awesome. So events that I've always been curious about this. How did you get into photography it goes way back when I was 9 years old that became very low is sick for three years in and out of hospitals laid up in bed during that time my grandmother. My father's mother gave me a camera. I was an old Polaroid swinger to occupy my mind. I'm doing that time. I used to read obituaries in newspapers just because I was interested in people's lives and what happened to them and what they leave behind because I was separated from my family. So I started to use the camera on this Polaroid swinger to document my loved ones people around me and things around me events.

01:48 Later on after 10:15 years of leaving leaving my life and going into different directions.

01:59 Doing an undergraduate degree in public policy and Community organizing. I actually decided rather than going to law school to pursue an art career initially it was sculpture. And as I was making work, I picked up a camera taught myself how to develop film because I was taking pictures of the processes different processes in the sculptural process and I start taking pictures and learning teach myself how to develop film and print I became really enamored.

02:39 So much more in the whole process and the creation the magic of Photography at that point.

02:47 I had been photographing consistently over the years, but I think it was at that time that I thought photography was a way that I could enter into people's lives of those peoples whose lives. I didn't know very much about and was curious about and to open up a dialogue conversation with them.

03:09 Possum

03:12 It's funny cuz some of that stuff applies to what I'm working on today. So so I was going to ask you a question. Yeah, I think this is one thing that you know, the reason why we're both here is we started a relationship when we were both living in Williamsburg Brooklyn. You were born and grew up there. I move there in 1992. It was around 1995 that I began a project photographing in the streets of Williamsburg photographing taking portraits of people for the graphing events Street Life etcetera, etcetera during that time. I came across this group of skaters who had built this the site in skate park on a vacant lot in

04:04 On North 7th Street near the East River and I shine making pictures that I went back there a couple times and after a couple weeks I went back and it was gone after about a month. So I was walking around by the BQE and I saw Anthony Ocasio. He said that you had built a series of skateparks underneath the BQE and we're now skating there eventually that got removed by the sanitation trucks because neighbors were complaining that got kicked out of the first place as well.

04:41 Eventually around 1997. I saw you in PS 84 are you I mean a large group of kids that would range anywhere from 15 to 30 30 young and kids skating in having built these itineris skatepark skatepark out of scrap metal and wood. It was then that I met you it took two years. I know that you were around but you're always on the side of a why did it take so long for us to actually meet each other. I find I find it funny because we actually met in in underneath the BQE now we didn't completely me under the beginning because you were shooting photos. But in my eyes you were just some strange dude that that

05:33 You know that carried around this bucket of water and ammonium sulfide solution images exactly Anna and you know, I would kind of like one of those things where I was kind of like a I was I was kind of like a envious of you shooting the other guys and I was like man screw this dude. I'm the one doing the tricks here, why is not shooting me but you know that point it was it was important for a for us as skaters to you. Don't get some recognition then if we weren't getting the attention that it was a it was interesting because we kind of like

06:10 Backed off and I and I felt like we had met before but because of certain situations not asserted like that. You're growing up in Williamsburg. You can you tend to protect yourself. It's not the same Williamsburg that it is today when I grew up there and you're very sheltered from King of the dangers of of of everyday life you it was, you know, Greta and gang vested you ladies were was a really bad timing and when is Burger now, I feel like that prepared me for these situations and I just

06:48 What strain is that? I was the one that always networked with with people. So it took us so long. I think it is because I had to build that trust in you. I was looking after these These are bratty kids who skated and wanted to make sure that there were being taken care of and even if it wasn't it didn't include me. I want to make sure that they were safe they were my family and but eventually we we we met and I I realize that that you you were solely interested in and you know, telling our story in and out the photos that you shot were so intriguing and amazing that you know, it was it was really are

07:34 The right fit at the right time for somebody to be there to document our situation. I I kick myself because I don't know where all the footages you know, and all of that that content is is gone from us filming and recording our you know, our struggles but the stuff that you captured is so much more impactful and Powerful so well, it's interesting that you say hello with a difficult neighborhood Williamsburg was during the eighties and are prepared to you because one of the things that I was really drawn to you and the other guys, usually johanni Emilio, I mean a long list of people was that you were actually doing this you what you were focusing your energy on something constructive because you wanted to make something out of your lives more than what was known to you in terms of near where you grew up. So you were

08:34 Seaward the organizer you you and the other people were trying to get a skatepark built in the neighborhood. You also were very intent on.

08:44 Honing your skills so much. I mean everybody's dream was to become become professional to be sponsored and and to skate in competitions on a national and international level. You became one of the best most highly developed skaters of the 90s and early 2000s. How do you think that that experience in Williamsburg prepared you for what you actually went on to accomplish great question I asked.

09:21 We'll go back to an organizing. I never really you know it as a kid in Brooklyn, you don't know anything about organizing and and fighting for something you believe in. You just go with the flow and I think that point when we we started building parks and we and they were being torn down and we started networking with you know with it yet local leaders to try to tell them our story it kind of like a cup.

09:54 It made us feel like we were being heard and so with that we were able to kind of Step Up our game and being more adult about it instead of piano completely bitching and complaining we're going to try to figure out a way to to raise some money and and to become more of a voice of the community along with with these ready kids that we were hanging out what we were able to really guide these kids in the right direction mind if it wasn't always perfect and we are always getting kicked out of places. You don't like any scared of these days would but I'll tell you what the the the amount of

10:44 What we got out of that I think has has affected the entire group. We did have some kids that were in really bad trouble. You don't deal with drugs and taken with you know violence and then but I feel like from our group of skaters. A lot of those guys went on to do great things. They have great families. There's not many that I can say went on to ruin their life. So 2 to go back to your question. I think the the preparedness of

11:27 The opportunity to be a voice.

11:32 Has allowed me to take to become a better person because there was always something positive that we were trying to strive for and that's how I live. My life today is you know, it's always something positive at the end of the tunnel you just have to fight for it will not only a better person but I'll meet her in an organizer still you are you head up one of the biggest extreme sports camps in the country at Woodward and you're still very much involved in a lot of young kids lives and we got a lot of programs there that deal with disadvantaged kids. So I know that you probably draw something from your own background in your own life experience until I have seen things about the project is your as we got to know each other as as we really became as I really became involved in actually really enamored and and

12:32 Proud in a sense of what you guys were trying to do. Trying to get that skatepark built in Williamsburg the project we skate hardcore start to become a collaborative project. I remember times you guys to come over to my Loft and look to the photographs and cook dinner for you guys. And you know, you would just hang out and that would give you some of the photographs and you would write your own stories in your own voice on the photographs and that became a really important part of this whole process that I that I was going through that I was looking at that I was experiencing in terms of trying to give a vehicle to you. Do you guys to have a voice? Tell your story?

13:24 And I remember specifically one time even trying to stay with you guys all very well. Let me that hold that whole idea of collaboration. How did you because you really wrote a lie, you really put your heart and soul into it as you do with almost everything that you do in your life. It was it was unique to be able to I mean, we we like I said before that are arguing it was all like, you know Puerto Rican the black I eat these these kids that that's what we were then, you know, and then you know, this this white dude just so soft and we're able to build that trust and you invited us over and I think that that point of when you when you invited us over,

14:14 I was it was like, you know light bulb like wow, this guy is really doing something here. Like look look look at all these great photos. Look at this cool Loft, he must be rich wait, he's a photographer. So he took the opportunity to go over to your place and you'll invite us into your home and to write on these photos, which at that point. We need to like holyshit. This is serious like, you know, like this guy is is is really doing it and then you let us ride on it is like like do you sure like you sure you want us to write on this and it was crazy that that I think when you say that that was a big part of the of the project it was also a big part of the connection.

15:14 Swags and I think it's is actually was a big part of the trust that we built with each other. I mean I trusted you to take these photographs and bring them back to your homes and write on them and to come back with your stories and you trusted me to actually do something that was relevant and true to to what your lives were. I mean, you became part of many different processes many different things that evolved because of these eight years that we spent with each other we are from

15:51 Going to your you are and Pam's baby shower the babies when they have like six or eight months before July me was JoJo was born and going to your wedding out in Ohio near where I drove 11 hours and it was just around or just after 9/11. Yeah. It was a week right after it was right after 9/11. So it was it was a lot of emotions that that really kind of came out there and JoJo was about a year old to read little over a year old and you're not have no just sharing these life experiences. They went through and actually watching you and everybody else grow up to be these adults that you spoke about before the interesting thing about the project is that the other main character of the other person that I got to know really really well as you lie and both of your lives kind of repair a lot these parallel lives, but they were very different.

16:51 And your backgrounds for different you came from different kinds of households. What happened to you in the process of becoming an adult is very different, but you both ended up in a place where you became very responsible adults.

17:09 Your father's husbands and all that. I think that it's particularly proud of the fact that you know that the the three of us to honey how you listen and myself we were really really close and there's a lot about the ups and downs between between us but growing up. We we always it's strange because we always sets each other like there's going to be a point in time when we are going to live away from each other. I mean we were best buds so they can and and we all knew that we were going to do, you know bigger and better things and that went, you know, that that came true for it for Johnny. Who's he sees he's doing a lot of great things here in Manhattan in that came true for you lie went after the military and did a lot of great things there and this is successful nowadays and and you know from me I just I just consider myself lucky.

18:09 But you know not lucky in a great way. I have a great family. You don't mind my wife and my kids are super important to me, but I think that we were always

18:26 You always out to do something bigger met and we all knew it. So we the three of us knew that we had to do something to get out of our state. Do we always we were told you no get out of get out of Brooklyn and go experience the world and I think that's what we did. So now I think I learned so much from following you guys for eight years so much about you know, how to fight for things that you want in your life how to stand up for yourselves but also ideas about discrimination racism and all that because you spoke very clearly about that. I think, you know doing this project we skate hardcore, which you can

19:11 The last photograph I made was in 2003 and that was of Damaris holding a picture of you Ali in his uniform at the Polaroid 20 by 24 studio in Manhattan. And I took up pick me up a couple pictures of some of the other players as well. And that was kind of the end of your photographing you guys you you came into your own and that was your little while after you only went to Iraq a couple times. He was deployed there but it really kind of grounding me to to do you work around social justice and human and civil rights? And I

19:53 A couple years later and you'll maybe about six years later. I started to do a project on gays in the military and I think in another way that project was even more.

20:13 More unusual for me because even though I don't identify as gay and I am gay being part of the military was never something that I was in my Consciousness. I mean, I grew up here in the 1960s and early 70s demonstrating against the war show to be able to walk into people who were similar to me in terms of sexual orientation. But whose lives were very different either politically ideologies Bleak socioeconomically, etc. Etc. Was receiving a more expansive experience for me, but it was very important for me to actually I'm covered the the stories in the lives of those people. I think I'm it doesn't it didn't surprise me when when you went on to move to some to a story like that because you you you wanted to tell the story of of

21:13 In a sense, you know the racism the the segregating of that that hoe.

21:22 Scenario off of being a you know different people. That was us and that was the same situation with the gays in the military. I was I wasn't surprised at that you you would go on to a great project such as and such as that because I I just felt like you always look for for all these great stories to tell and and two to be able to represent people in the right manner. So I'm I think we dealt with it a lot. We we know we we are building ramps in the middle of you know, the Polish Italian Zone, you know, and we knew that we were going to get flak for that but I feel like I feel like

22:07 The the the story that you were able to help sell it in our world you are able to translated into that gays in the military project that you that you were shooting so

22:23 That is it.

22:28 I want to go back to that because I feel like I'm like when we were when we were over at your house, there was some pictures that were a little like eye-opening for for me and fruit for the for the guys and we we did notice it and I think you had somebody living with you while you're there was somebody there right at some point. I have a partner yet, but they had a roommate as well before that. You hadn't been so we were we were there was talk between in all the boys and ending all the friends that we hadn't, you know, there were some some allocation, but I feel like we were so comfortable at that point. We were so comfortable with you that you were you're more than just the person shooting, you know photos by that point you wish I was inviting you to to our house to meet my you know, you don't

23:28 Aaron said you were family already. So that's some cuchifrito at that point. We kind of like new but it was it it didn't make any difference now is a good turning point for us to because we were we we you know that while we knew gay people in the street, we we we didn't imagine that that you you would turn out to be, you know Gavin and we would have even appreciate you so much because it took a while to open up to that. But yeah, I wanted to ask you about the

24:08 Now that the the situation in Ohio was when you got cut and you are afraid of us, you know touching the blood and and and we were I was just like fluid I was like what's going on like one would you let us help us? Can you elaborate on that situation sure, as I said before, you know, I had dropped off my partner at the time.

24:33 LaGuardia was he was flying up to Toronto for that weekend, and it was 7 in the morning and then I got on the road and I drove about 10 or 11 hours to Ohio to come to the Friday night party. I think you were still working though that morning to

24:56 I was up late doing some work the night before right and didn't get that much sleep, you know, maybe up for 5 hours and it was late September.

25:12 And like I said, I drove those 10 11 hours and you're only stopping for a bathroom break every once in a while. I got there may be about 7 in the evening and you had already had the me to Call of Duty the party and I mean the the practice right whatever you called on them and then you had a party and you had to do you know.

25:38 Me a really great food and certainly things to him by then and I started to him by then. I was exhausted and I remember standing on the front porch and all the send just passing out and I guess I fell forward and if the dimension Dash my eye that was an iron bench that was an iron bench trial remember I thought it was wondering but yeah, I was very concerned with it with two things. I was really aware of number one that I get photographs of myself when I was on the gurney with the new on the stretcher with the name of the head thing around me because I was really bleeding of the other day. I was concerned with his that I was bleeding profusely and I didn't want you guys touch me because I was hiv-positive and I had been hiv-positive for a few years and this was 2001.

26:35 I've been hiv-positive since 1989 still on course and still want me a really great health, but I didn't want to jeopardize yo your health in and you were family to me. You were really close friends. And you know, I just wanted you to understand and then be aware that I was so that you could do the necessary things not to become infected. Of course at that time. It was a whole different world in terms of infection in treatment and all that. I see this today. So yeah, that was that was a great concern that concerns game from a place of Love. Exactly and we ate it was it was surprising. Of course, we were all there for you and it was it was a kind of a hectic situation.

27:32 But

27:33 Yeah, that's the first time I learned about you know, if they HIV and and it was like what would like I didn't realize this and then then, you know, it was a different time.

27:46 And you know, it was something to be scared and you know scared about but yeah, we were you and Ray I think it was you and Ray that came to the hospital and you kind of you stayed here. You can stuck with me that I know I missed my my bachelor party.

28:11 I just wanted to mention that you know going forward in terms of the work that I do around social justice and civil and human rights. I've been living Newburgh New York Now 60 miles north of Manhattan and I've been photographing on the streets of Newburgh where it's an even more disenfranchised and marginalized Community there and it has been for so many years and it's really difficult for a good 65 to 80% of the population to kind of get out of that and one of the things I'm doing now.

28:46 Hi, in addition to photographing that people in Newark is I started a not-for-profit space called the Newburgh Community photo project where we're teaching photography to you have a different attitude two kids in the neighborhood who don't have the capabilities and the resources to be able to learn but also its teaching to become citizen journalists to tell their own story. So this idea of Storytelling I think of is what photography really is about and is the reason why I make pictures and just being able to come to pass that on to people to be able to tell their own stories. I think the power of Photography is used to open up these experiences and into teacher so much more than what we know of other people's lives and I get so much from that.

29:45 I guess and that would be that I was going to ask you that question. Like what what is what is your latest project and you can go into that. I specifically remember that you you seem to always do something for that. You always doing something that was involved some sort of community.

30:08 It is getting back. He always gave back I ate it is it was inspiring to the point where I remember taking the class with you and you were teaching, you know basic photography and it was to be no drug addicts. I needed something to eat. No keep their minds occupied. I can't imagine how many people you've affected in your work alone. And let alone that the teaching of of you know, giving them a skill that that they can use I learned so much. It's funny. It took me a long time to learn aperture shutter speed and ISO. And now that I am a photographer, I appreciate all of the work that you put into two people. Well, I remember I was I was actually doing teaching those workshops in this through this organization called music against drugs. That's right and the workshop that you had taken was down on Broadway. We had had the space where we were able to

31:08 That utilizing basically we had were giving cameras to two people. Most of them were drug addicts except for you never said basically document their own lives and you with your friends and how they saw themselves in with their dreams were not remember this one evening after the class making one of the most powerful photographs that I made of you during the new for that project. I tell Richie on Broadway and you know, I think it's a yeah, it's it's a it's a really great picture and it really kind of embodies your spirit your sensitivity and I think the work that you do have you give back so much to your community not only your community to receive your family and and your friends that you grew up with but also your community in terms of skating you do a lot for them.

32:05 Not only through Woodward by the in so many different ways in and I'm really proud of what you do and we're really proud of what you've become that's something that all came from being open getting to know the another work of people that like like you I mean, I think I feel like all we were always looking out for each other and you know being able to witness that with other people was important to us, so

32:43 How did you?

32:48 How did your photos become a part of the Library of Congress collection?

32:53 I had known the two curators at the Library of Congress Brenda Curtis and Beverly Brandon for for many years and they had known about the work for a long time. I had shown them to work and went down made visits Library of Congress periodically in the 90s mid late 90s and early 2000s, and I think it was maybe five years ago. I was doing a lecture.

33:23 At an LGBT organization that was part of the let me see if I can remember this correctly. It was part of the

33:38 I give it a government Association of employees who are LGBT that work for Capitol Hill and I was giving a lecture on gays in the military. And since I was going down there I contacted Beverly and asked if I could have stopped in and show her the portfolios of we skate hardcore again with the possibility of the Library of Congress acquiring that because at that point it was if it came at a storical record, and I think that's one of the Beauties again of the photograph in photography is that you know, it it allows one to look back on a history that had been a life that has been and to look back and see and evaluate what changes have taken place since then.

34:29 And she became really in that merge with the project once again as it had been a number of years and we came to an agreement in terms of them acquiring I think about 30 or 32 photographs for the Library of Congress and eventually two of those images became part of the exhibition that is going to open up in April at the end of Burke Center for photography, which was curated by Ann Tucker out of my things like 500 million pictures. Don't quote me on that. And I can't remember what the exact number is.

35:12 So that's that's how my pictures got there. And I think you know the collection at the Library of Congress really holds the memory in the history of us as a nation and I think that's the importance of it's not only a nation but also has our place in the world and particularly with everything that's going on. I think it becomes a really important collection because of a lot of those memories seem to be erased a lot of those people and people's lives and people struggles seem to be up skewers now and I think having

36:01 Collection light badge which reminds us of who we are and where we came from is one of the most important things at that Library can do I add my last question to you is

36:18 How does Vince want to be remembered?

36:26 I guess I want to be remembered as

36:34 As a citizen of the human race that is citizen of the world.

36:41 I remember going back to when I was sick reading a lot of really important ideas from a lot of the Greek thinkers. And one of the things that stood out to me back then was a quote by Marc Train Twain that said travel gives us the ability to break down barriers among and between people and I think that's why most of my life has been the life of Wanderlust, but even more importantly of becoming involved in people's lives that I understand who they are.

37:25 Regal