Author Biography
Meet Anthony F. Urgola
Author: Anthony F. Urgola
About The Author
Anthony was born and raised on the then tough streets of the Italian South Greenwich Village, located on the lower west side of the borough of Manhattan, New York City.
After his honorable discharge from the US Army, he moved away from the village because of a job-related transfer to Pennsylvania. However, he always maintained love and strong affection for the South Village and its people. Over the following years, he made many visits back to New York City for business and to visit family and friends who still lived in the tenements of the neighborhood. He always had the feeling of
having a neighborhood to go back and visit. Over the years, this gradually changed as old timers passed away and many of his younger generations moved to the suburbs. More out-oftowners moved into the village, causing rents to increase and become unaffordable for many locals who were born and raised in the village.
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Since high school, Anthony has gradually become a history buff of both American and world history. As a young boy growing up in the village, he was not aware of the history of the village and the many old houses and institutions around him. Once aware, he started to read and study the history going back to the Dutch West Indies settlement of New Amsterdam, which is now the lower tip of Manhattan (Battery Park).
Over the years, Anthony has taken many friends and business colleagues on walking tours of the village. And of course, delicious dinners at old-time Italian restaurants and cafes for espresso, cappuccino, and homemade pastries and gelato. Some establishments are over 100 years old. Always with a warm welcome, hugs and kisses from the owners, and complimentary drinks. They always remember “Antnee” from the neighborhood!
Because of his historical knowledge and memories of growing up in the village, many friends mentioned that he should write a book. After serious consideration, hence:
“The Prince of Greenwich Village”. The name will be explained in a later chapter.
Growing up in Greenwich Village and Manhattan was one of the greatest experiences and history lessons anyone could ever have.
Section VIII • Author Biography
Meet Anthony F. Urgola
Anthony F. Urgola is a dedicated New York historian, researcher, and writer who has spent over two decades researching the socio-architectural evolution of Manhattan’s
historic neighborhoods.
Born and raised in New York, Urgola developed a deep fascination with the physical artifacts of the past—from hidden boundary markers and subterranean water channels to forgotten municipal land deeds. His work bridges rigorous archival scholarship with compelling narrative storytelling.
In The Prince of Greenwich Village, Urgola synthesizes years of field studies, interviews with long-time local residents, and private library manuscripts into a definitive account of how one neighborhood came to symbolize freedom, art, and urban resilience.
Send a Note to the Author
Anthony F. Urgola is a dedicated New York historian, researcher, and writer who has spent over two decades researching the socio-architectural evolution of Manhattan’s
historic neighborhoods.
Born and raised in New York, Urgola developed a deep fascination with the physical artifacts of the past—from hidden boundary markers and subterranean water channels to forgotten municipal land deeds. His work bridges rigorous archival scholarship with compelling narrative storytelling.
In The Prince of Greenwich Village, Urgola synthesizes years of field studies, interviews with long-time local residents, and private library manuscripts into a definitive account of how one neighborhood came to symbolize freedom, art, and urban resilience.
Send a Note to the Author
Anthony F. Urgola is a dedicated New York historian, researcher, and writer who has spent over two decades researching the socio-architectural evolution of Manhattan’s
historic neighborhoods.
Born and raised in New York, Urgola developed a deep fascination with the physical artifacts of the past—from hidden boundary markers and subterranean water channels to forgotten municipal land deeds. His work bridges rigorous archival scholarship with compelling narrative storytelling.
In The Prince of Greenwich Village, Urgola synthesizes years of field studies, interviews with long-time local residents, and private library manuscripts into a definitive account of how one neighborhood came to symbolize freedom, art, and urban resilience.