So there’s this guy that lives in a storefront in East Village on 7th. With the door always ajar and Frank Sinatra playing on a record player from inside, the place appears to be a vintage shop selling all sorts of oddities and collectables. But Anthony Pisano doesn’t sell anything. He just likes to meet people …
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/37093042]
“Privacy prevents me from meeting people,” says Anthony who purposefully removed the heavy metal grate that covered the old shop’s window¹. He also used to own the apartment above and the shop next door where he ran a café for a few years before he downsized to his current home, which can only be described as his own personal museum. In the late 1970s, Mr. Pisano paid $150 a month for each space. Today he pays just under $500 for the non-profit retail space he calls home.
“Rent control is a crazy thing!” comments the filmmaker of This is My Home, Mark Cersosimo, who came across Anthony’s home with a bright neon sign in the window, which seemed like “a great place to pick up a few odd trinkets”.
You can see more bonus clips including collectors tips from Anthony and hear about some of the more interesting situations he’s gotten into.
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