dru dempsey and vincent dimino

00:00 Alright, we're off. Hello. This is Dru Dempsey and we are in the storycorps booth at Grand Central Station in the corridor between the great room and Lexington Avenue. It is the 18th of May 2004 and I'm going to be interviewing a man that I've wanted to interview for a long time because he never talks to me and he owns the best fish market in New York City the Sea Breeze Fish Market at 541 9th Avenue on the northwest corner of 40th Street, please say hello. And your name is Vincent. Dimino and Vinny. Where do you live? Staten Island New York you interest me because you own this fish market and I know that you're at the Fulton Street Fish Market really early in the morning. Tell me about that are above for 5 in the morning.

01:01 Fine young Heigl and scream and holler and do whatever I can to get my price.

01:07 Get the best quality possible-- get it delivered and leave and come to the store vendors all the time 80% and what will it do to your business when it moves to Hunters Point in the Bronx to drive down this point. Well boo couple maybe another hour.

01:35 Call my time instead of going walking at 4 in the morning. If I have to go at 3 because up there you have a clean environment and more controlled environment.

01:46 Maybe something to eat before we did when they close the market during the downtown area during the September 11th. So we did it for three weeks up there. So it's not that bad. How long have you owned your fish store? So I'm going to give you the business.

02:22 So your dad told me that you were going to be a policeman it one time.

02:27 Then work out money wasn't enough.

02:36 So you got a partner at some time and is your partner cousin or just a non-relative a friend very distant cousin, but we can pause because that used to work for me and

02:53 The Alvin show love interest in the business and I needed to help and it was about time. I took a ponderance try to take some time off in Brooklyn.

03:07 What is the first thing you do when you arrive with the truck to the store?

03:16 And then get out a cup of coffee walk around your house just to see what's around then I go back and forth to see if I can get what I want.

03:25 When you put you when you arrived store with all the fish are all the guys already there to help you unload about 7 730 necessarily is everyday long day.

03:43 So did your father have the business in the same location that you're in the ground and you were telling me this wonderful story about how it came about that you all are in the rehabbed buildings. I was lucky to tell that story that time the city took all the control of the buildings. Make a long story short. Making sure the city took over the control of the buildings for a few years. We paid the city career agent rent Flint housing Housing Development Corporation after that they decided that they wanted

04:26 They were going to sell it to developers chdc anticipated. We got them to least two buildings to see ACC for a dollar a year. I think I'm not quite sure if that I had a few years passed by the buildings had to be rehabilitated the buildings to the commercials. So they want to give it to the tenants, but the tenants couldn't

04:56 Take care of them. They couldn't afford them. So we formed a partnership between the commercials and the tenants which is first in the city.

05:06 Dru

05:09 You don't be going to my ship to help them pay for the course with money. That was borrowing. We both went down to the city and we haggled back and forth and we got a pretty decent deal the commercials wanted long-term leases, which we got two 10-inch wanted the buildings. So everybody went actually wound up being very happy and 99 year lease with a fifty-year-old with an option to renew it and Clinton Housing Development Corporation told you that they had never done in 99. And then what did you thin then? What did you say? You're lucky to be here 99 years and neither am I so don't worry about it.

06:09 Buneary did the interior of the store the ruler during the process of The Rehabilitation stairs in the early 90s ladies. I feel really awful.

06:24 So in our neighborhood, we now have a lot of high-rises all along 42nd street and we're going to get some more. Have you seen a change in the business? Yes, the business went from

06:40 How can I put this morphe Mora finesse type business the younger people that are moving into the neighborhood now?

06:50 Don't know anything about I would say maybe 67% of the products that we we sell or anybody else sells any of you.

06:58 Go to realize with Air Wick where this Instagram great-grandmother's came to the country where all used to the old-time head head fish mean fish on clean today. They want a lot of filet lettuce trimmings lot of Delicacies and soon within the next maybe six months to a year. Hopefully we moving with starting now, we be moving into a pipette items. Everything is going to watch all you have to do is come and take it and pop it in the oven and it's done. It's just that we're moving into a little more into that category. It's just another category.

07:42 Do you eat fish six nights a week know? What's your favorite fish porgies know I don't like salmon halibut and I told her I don't like doing that stuff.

08:00 If I put it in highly boiling water or just simmering water. How did your dad get into the business and in your family who came over to this country with your grandfather and had he been a fisherman in your old room and the old country has actually Sicily.

08:35 Can I ask how many children you have? And I know that you care about them they can have them.

08:41 And how old are they? When is 28 one is 23 and the other is 17 job placement when the house University came out and tried to business but playing football. He hurt his back severely and you really can't take the cold and too strenuous work we do so he's going back to school to be a physician physician's assistant.

09:08 Where we go to school where right now are you going to

09:14 Shinedown YouTube Staten Island College

09:20 Last weekend we had the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival and I walked the whole length of it and I can stay without bias. The Sea Breeze Fish Market had more people in front of it than any other vendor there.

09:37 You know you had so much to say to me outside that I just loved about 9/11 and what you think about what's going on. I'd love you to talk about that a little bit responded to it and how President Bush responded to it and who I mean, we've been slapped in the face with the coal who slapped in the face with the Embassy bombings, and if the 9/11 2/3 slap-in-the-face was time to get back to take action in stop turning the other cheek. I don't think I think he should have been more forceful. I think we should have went in and I'll even today actually we're having the 9/11 commission hearings right here in New York City with the heads of our fire department at our police department and you would talk to me a little bit about that, but I thought was so interesting.

10:32 The hearing is over there actually blamed the wrong people. You're going to have to tell him eggs and firemen and they tied they told you at the day after that would happen if I can do a lot of the fireman that died.

10:46 With a customer is Virgin Island from all the Midtown buy houses cash. I was dead at the same day was right there when the first plane hit that you'll never forget the NFL the plane.

11:12 When I got to West Street started to do stop the truck started to drag. Protecting was time to be chaos and actually rescue 126 end.

11:27 34th trucks were on their way to vacuum one of the first ones on the scene move the traffic to let them in and most of those guys never came out so early.

11:40 Because you're somebody who was down there and you've survived and as far as I can see the people that are protesting the war the people that are protesting whatever we're supposed to be doing down at all the people who did not see what went on. They have no clue of what went on the market.

12:17 You've seen great changes in 9th Avenue. I know since you started with your dad.

12:25 Used to be

12:27 CD area now, it's they're getting very Tony and very Posh don't you think if you want to call her to see the area? Yes. There was a lot more customers that because it wasn't because at that time too, center is open in full swing.

12:43 There's a lot a lot of people walking the streets. So yes, they were prostitutes, but they didn't bother anybody didn't want to be bothered night and they were they never bothered anybody and anyone the only if you want to be bothered, baby.

13:09 What do you think the best thing is about owning your business?

13:14 At this particular time not really much. Most of the employees are better off than the Venom start on it.

13:22 Between the unions and taxes and rents and utilities the prophet that we used to be there is not really do have any more play. We're all going to have to eat processed fish. They'll come from other places that really it's just that my type of business is going to be a specialized business just like the mom-and-pop grocery store went out. Now you have these little corner by Legos get there 24 hours for the people if you had an emergency my store again will be

13:58 Specialized items you can't get what I sell in the supermarket. You can't get it fast. You can get it packed in cellophane. Yes, you can get a Frozen. Yes, but you can get a fresh. They don't have it. So Mike me or the neighborhood butcher or the neighborhood produce man will always be ahead of the sweet ones because we give two things about the quality merchandise. Why should you lease a better quality? But we also give service with a young lady or young man comes in and they want to learn how to do something and Schumacher. You could even get a yellow besides getting in there to how to cook it.

14:39 So true you told me that you're in this small Business Association. What's the name of that Association myself International Foods now cause a Java and John & Tony's Pizzeria.

15:01 It's just right down the line.

15:07 How would you like to be remembered?

15:10 I think I'm I have a legacy. I'm not I think I'm remembered just the way I am. You know, some people who build me some people say I'm never grouchy damn. I guess that's the way it has to be that way. Sometimes when you're a businessman.

15:33 I got to tell you this was so great for me because I've been going into your store since 1977 and we have talked more today than we've ever talked before and I love to see you smile. You have a great smile.

15:51 What makes you happy these days?

15:55 Hello.

15:59 Just seeing never got a healthy. I guess we all have regrets in our lives about different things. Would you have made another Choice with your vocation? If you had to do it over again, or is this giving you a great deal? It's a lot of work and you do get discuss it sometimes but I do enjoy it because it's change every day is different. There's always something going on is always somebody new to talk to so we something new to do your employees for a long long time.

16:31 You must be very good to your employees.

16:35 I'm a fat boss and I understand they have problems like I have problems if you understand that then you can work around these things and you know, you help them out when time comes with like a family and and how old were you when you got married?

16:50 24 is my sister's best friend. I know since she was 13, I was told that she changed She chased me until I go to

17:08 Pretty things going to be in 5 years.

17:11 We still be we still have the store the store full be running it. I don't know. Hopefully me and what did your daughter do which one?

17:26 The older one my old one at this particular time just graduated is graduating college at the next week. She already has a job as a assistant to the vice president of Verizon one of the vice-presidents and might have collagen very good job so far. My son of force is going to back to school to be a physician's assistant and my little one is just graduating high school in another few weeks.

17:56 Wonderful terrific. Is there anything about you that nobody else knows that you'd like to talk about? I really am a nice guy.

18:09 I can vouch for that. He really is a nice guy.

18:16 Do you like living in Staten Island?

18:20 It said different from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Just give me quiet time.

18:27 Do you like to see the changes that are happening in our neighborhood without a doubt? Because that would be the anchor to complete the West Side to get it built up like they built a battery City. It would build up that whole area.

18:51 To the point where you would if you would take a video right now of the area. All you will see is dilapidated buildings.

19:00 Maybe prostitutes maybe drug addicts porno clubs to call them. That's all that's there. Now. There's no viable business putting the stadium as an anchor you would bring in more restaurants hotels more large buildings.

19:25 What I really think they should be done. Is that every one of these buildings that would be put up 20% be set aside for low-income or middle-income families.

19:35 And the top floors are higher floors rabbit. They decide she do whatever the market will bear.

19:42 You think would be a traffic nightmare? No, because what they're talkin with the games that they looking to play or basic on a Sunday.

19:51 Add between 11 and 3 in the afternoon which again if you would take a video at that particular time and run down the whole area. There is no traffic so that extra traffic would just be minor and if they did it like they did the east side underneath you in where you bypassed on let's say 23rd Street to 57th Street make a bypass where you can't get on and off if you just do that one way or the other you wouldn't traffic wouldn't be would be meal.

20:25 Amazing amazing point of view. I see your point of view.

20:31 Well

20:35 Do anything you want to talk about that we haven't talked about.

20:47 Yeah, do you really crave beef after a days until I read a book once once a week craving ice steak?

20:56 Vegetarian adventure to me

21:00 Adjectives to Stiles in the 10th to buy vegetables or just like that. Yeah.

21:08 And when he had to put his places in Brooklyn just Consolidated to the one in Brooklyn.

21:26 And do you have a partner? I found out today that I also have another suspension grew up there, but it's just that you know when you know so many people.

21:45 It's a different than strangers but

21:49 You know, it's like I grew up with what school would have the kids out of guys that are coming in now, you know, they want special treatment and unfortunately when you're busy you really can't get them, you know, so I just don't

22:01 Find wonderful about coming into your store. Is that the clean calamari that I buy comes I think from the Indian Ocean and I bought fish from chili and salmon from farms in Scandinavia. So so you get fishbowl.

22:27 The Antarctica now we got the Escobar Escobar the white. Tuna is coming in now. We got a week maybe maybe maybe a hundred different types of items within a week. Now. Let me see available. We had a lot of was your dad good teacher.

23:09 Perishing in Houston

23:16 So you can answer that. We have plenty of time you go down to the seaport or whatever to get the fish. I'm the buyer of a Salesman. I watch the toilets. I clean the pool and everything. So, you know, if it was in my trucks somewhere trucks main these codes for the West Coast Refrigeration East Coast West Coast some things of flown in.

23:52 From your pain with everything is flown in all these are outside New Zealand Australia. Everything is flown in airplanes. An amazing thing is that are not expensive. They must let comes in by ship those.

24:16 Mention my company's name throughout the United States. You always find somebody's been there.

24:24 Like I said, if it don't come on 9th Avenue don't exist.

24:29 I don't work at night that we can come you. Can you know the Esposito family?

24:37 There's certain stores on 9th Avenue. I have just been there for a long long time together and try to keep their clientele happy and we got quality top items.

24:54 We keep everything as fast as possible and we keep going on with this only a few stores that do that not obvious or I won't save you still.

25:05 Okay, Vinnie dimino. Thank you so much for being in the world. I've so enjoyed this.

25:17 That's it. That's it. Okay.

25:21 Okay.