The Last Days of Little Italy: An Original Documentary Series. Vinny Vella acted in more than sixty films often in the role of gangster. He is best known for the role of Artie Piscano in Martin Scorsese's Casino. He played Jimmy Petrille on the HBO series The Sopranos. Little Italy, a historic haven for immigrant families from the old country, was once threatened by an ever-expanding Chinatown. But now the fatal blow is being delivered by the gentrifiers. Corporations, yuppies, and chain stores all moved in. How did Little Italy transform itself from a working class neighborhood of tenement buildings to the third most expensive zip code in the United States? Part funny, part sad, the series explores the impact gentrification is having on Little Italy's long-term residents. The striking imagery captures the neighborhood before it is completely erased by sterile trendy stores and upper middle class sameness. Will New York City lose another cultural touchstone to the forces of greed?

I'm back from my over 1 month long absence form uploading. It's been difficult now that school is starting but I do have a couple more videos already filmed so stay tuned. If you haven't already, checkout the playlist on my Secrets of The NYC Subway series.

In this short video from YouTuber Yesterday Today Tribute, watch this great photo slideshow of 1970s and 1980s vintage photographs captured all around New York City.