Episode Overview

Podcast: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart, WNYC
Episode: Your Grandparent's New York Story
Date: September 5, 2025

In this heartfelt and lively episode, Alison Stewart pays tribute to Grandparents Day by inviting listeners and special guest Vaughn Diaz (Senior Producer at StoryCorps) to share and celebrate stories about grandparents and their connections to New York City. The episode explores themes of legacy, family history, humor, resilience, and the intergenerational transmission of memories, weaving in poignant StoryCorps recordings and vibrant listener calls.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance and Uniqueness of Grandparent Stories

[01:45–02:26]

• Vaughn Diaz remarks on the special place grandparents occupy, balancing guidance with a gentle touch and a sense of legacy:

  “They're at one point providing wisdom and the kind of guidance that a parent does, but ... have this kind of distance and separation. ... I think [they] feel a real obligation to pass information on to their grandkids and often to leave them with the legacy of what came before.”

Personal Memories: Cooking & Cultural Heritage

[03:05–03:30]

• Vaughn shares how her Puerto Rican grandmother's influence persists through cooking:

  “Her life and her legacy lived through my fingers when I’m cooking ... the smells and sounds of her kitchen always really transport me back to my own childhood.”

Featured StoryCorps Segments

Nicholas Petron — Rocco’s Story: Family, Loss & Changing New York

[03:56–06:30]

Nicholas vividly recalls growing up in his Italian grandfather Rocco Galasso’s building, filled with family and tradition, until urban renewal forced them out.

• Sunday family dinners for 30-40 relatives
• The heartbreak of relocation after the city condemns the building
• Rocco leading his grandsons to smash the windows in their old home (‘a lesson in both grief and protest’)
• Nicholas’s realization:

  “I realized much later it was about the destruction of the family, which I think he knew. ... Never again were we ever together on a Sunday in that way.” [06:01]

Vaughn Diaz’s interpretation:

“This breaking of windows is actually demonstrating, standing up for what he believes ... which is to be clearly what kind of resonates with Nicholas.” [06:40]

Listener Calls: Multi-Generational New York Stories

Naimat — The Great Migration & A Tough Grandma

[07:30–08:57]

• Recalls how her grandmother, Alberta Taylor, moved up from South Carolina during the Great Migration, living in the same building with siblings (discovered through census records).
• Stories of subway trips, toughness (“she beat up a pickpocket with her purse”), and being joyfully indulged — “My grandmother still bought me a Barbie townhouse. So I had a duplex.”

Jean — The Lincoln Tunnel Digger

[09:09–10:20]

• Jean’s Irish grandfather, Eugene Nolte, arrived in 1920 and dug the Lincoln Tunnel.
• Extreme job danger: “Five or six men would be taken out per day that were usually killed on the job doing that kind of dangerous work.”
• His determination and work ethic shaped family memory.

Michelle Cadwallader — The Unconventional Gremitch

[10:40–14:50]

A StoryCorps classic from 2006: Michelle shares memories of her grandmother, Hattie Sordine (“Gremitch”), whose manic energy, creativity, and mental illness made childhood magical and complicated.

• Gremitch invented playful personas (“Mrs. Whiffenpoofle”), sent whimsical letters, and had quirky bedtime rituals (“She would nibble on our ears and try to guess the flavor…”)
• Coming to understand her grandmother’s manic depression:

  “…when we went to bed tired at night, she would still be wired and be cleaning until 3 in the morning.” [13:11–14:06]

• Michelle’s regret at not making one last planned visit, but gratitude for their bond:

  “I would have said, I love you one more time. But I told her that a lot. Like, she knew that.” [14:29]

Tips for Recording Grandparent Stories
[15:24–16:17]

• Vaughn Diaz emphasizes “genuine curiosity” and the unique insight children bring, suggesting:

  “Once they can actually tell that their grandchild is genuinely curious about their life and what they think, they ... snap to.”

Hearing from More Listeners

Charles — Discovering Family Legacy in Unexpected Ways

[16:24–18:13]

• Charles learns—through Ancestry.com—that his grandfather was a New York City fireman in the late 1800s, finding a photo of him at an awards ceremony.
• In an ironic twist, Charles became a paramedic in the same neighborhood decades later.

  “I just thought it so kind of ironic.” [18:13]

• Alison Stewart: “It sounded like history repeated itself in your family story.”

Betsy — Christmas Pilgrimage & New York Generosity

[19:15–20:26]

• The annual family trip to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree with grandparents packed into a station wagon.
• A beggar refuses Betsy’s grandfather’s only dollar, quipping:

  “Forget it. You need it more than I do.”

• Betsy reflects on the mutual generosity of urban life.

Barbara — Jewish Heroism, Medical Legacy

[22:14–23:43]

• Her grandfather, slight but mighty, fought with General Pershing, was gassed in WWI trenches, and became the first Jewish man admitted to Yale Medical School, building a beloved pediatric practice.
• Barbara’s one regret: never asking her father what it felt like to fill such large shoes.

Exploring and Preserving Grandparent Legacies

How to Learn About Grandparents You Never Met
[20:56–22:06]

• Utilize libraries, online tools, and—most importantly—ask family members.
• Vaughn promotes StoryCorps’ Great Thanksgiving Listen:

  “Sometimes that prompt of bringing another family member in to talk about and describe someone who’s passed can really reveal a lot about that person.”

New York as a Canvas for Grandparent Stories

[24:03–24:49]

• Vaughn:

  “There are so many different communities that live right next to and on top of each other in New York City... I think you’re going to find a lot of stories of deep resilience ... and a real dedication to family and legacy.”

Resources:

• StoryCorps.org & podcast: archival stories, recent calls, and animations (e.g., “Sundays at Rocco’s” from today’s episode) [24:53–25:32]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

Kay Wong — No Regrets and Many Laughs

[25:59–27:52]

An 87-year-old grandmother, Kay Wong, recalls her mischievous youth and career as a department store detective:

• On apologizing in her family:

  “When you apologize to your mother, you have to bring a cup of tea... But I purposely dropped that hot cup of tea on my mother’s lap.” [25:59]

• On meeting Grandpa:

  “I didn't like him because he’s ugly. But one thing about your grandpa, he’s very smart. That’s it. No more question.” [26:40]

• On her job at Bloomingdale’s, arresting a designer for stealing a $3000+ dress:

  “She said, do you know who I am? I said, yeah, you are a thief. So that’s my life.” [27:22–27:50]

• Any regrets?

  “What should I regret? No, I think I’m old enough to do whatever I would like.” [27:52]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening/Theme: [00:07–01:44]
• Vaughn Diaz on grandparent stories: [01:45–02:26]
• Vaughn’s memory of her grandmother: [03:05–03:30]
• Nicholas Petron recounts Rocco’s story: [03:56–06:30]
• Vaughn Diaz interprets Rocco’s act: [06:40–07:12]
• Listener: Naimat (Alberta Taylor): [07:30–08:57]
• Listener: Jean (Lincoln Tunnel): [09:09–10:20]
• Michelle Cadwallader’s StoryCorps piece: [10:40–14:50]
• Vaughn’s advice for recording stories: [15:24–16:17]
• Listener: Charles (fireman legacy): [16:24–18:13]
• Listener: Betsy (Christmas in NYC): [19:15–20:26]
• Researching lost grandparents: [20:56–22:06]
• Listener: Barbara (WWI/Yale MD): [22:14–23:43]
• New York as setting for stories: [24:03–24:49]
• StoryCorps resources: [24:53–25:32]
• Kay Wong—Closing Story: [25:59–27:52]

Final Thoughts

This episode celebrates the profound, humorous, and sometimes bittersweet impact of grandparents—with archived recordings, spontaneous listener calls, and Vaughn Diaz's thoughtful insights. New York City stands out as a patchwork of family sagas, from immigrant hustle to quiet acts of charity and unconventional lives. The show reinforces the importance of recording these stories before they’re lost, and reminds us that the legacies that shape us are worth cherishing, revisiting, and passing on.

“Sometimes just that simple question—What was she like? ... —can really elicit strong memories that are really powerful.”
– Vaughn Diaz [21:56]