A Civil War Moment
Roger Muessig of Batso, N.J., shares his passion for history and his Jersey roots as a Civil War re-enactor. Muessig serves as captain for the 14th Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, Company H. “It makes you aware of the sacrifices they made,” said Muessig. “It’s not about us. It’s about them.”
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Melissa Pileiro
Photos for slides 3, 8, 11, 14, 19 and 22 courtesy of Roger and Sue Muessig
The Big Game Hunter
Deep in the woods of South Jersey, Louise Allen has found wildlife and adequate space to pursue her favorite hobby – big game hunting.
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Jennifer Ammon
The Sweet Life
Stephen Wilson and Jill McClennan, owners of the Sweet Life Bakery in Vineland, N.J., approach baking with a Zen-like philosophy and a “sense of Jersey pride.”
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Melissa Pileiro
Secrets of the UFOs
George Filer, a retired Air Force pilot and intelligence officer, tracks 1,000 UFO reports a month as the Eastern Director of the Mutual UFO Network. “It’s not generally known to the public, but they exist,” Filer said. Filer claims that an alien was shot at Fort Dix in 1978.
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Devon Cioffi
Red Bank’s Revolution
Megan Giordano, the curator for the James and Ann Whitall House and Red Bank Battlefield in National Park, N.J., teaches “grassroots” history that connects the community to its beginnings.
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Dave Zangaro
Photos for slides 7, 14, 17, 21, 22, 28 courtesy of Red Bank Battlefield Park and James and Ann Whitall House
Camden’s RX Man
Pharmacist Al Rose has owned and operated Al Rose Apothecary in the Fairview section of Camden for the past 37 years. “It isn’t easy going into business…you start, you think you know everything, when you get into business you know nothing,” he said. As president of the Fairview Historic Society, Rose is not only invested in his business, but also the future of Camden’s redevelopment. “We’re looking at positive things here in Camden, so I think we’re on our way to that goal.”
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Jeffrey Smith
Ted Leo’s Jersey Roots
Ted Leo, a musician who has played with bands like Citizens Arrest, Chisel, the Sin-Eaters, and currently with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, grew up in Bloomfield, N.J., a place that contributed to his artistic interests and vision. “You are always happy to meet somebody else from Jersey – anywhere else in the world – because you have this similar underdog outlook,” Leo said.
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Matt Korman
Feeding the Garden State
If you live in South Jersey, chances are good that you have eaten food from Frank Tedesco’s family farm and cold storage business in Vineland.
Photographed, interviewed, and edited by Jessica Landolfi
Bird Hunting Game Creek
John and Cheryl DiGregorio own and operate Game Creek, a commercial hunting farm outside of Woodstown, N.J. They hunt three varieties of birds: quail, turkey and pheasants. “It’s part of who we are,” John DiGregorio said. “It’s part of our heritage.”
Photographed, interviewed and edited by Kathleen Duffy.
Towns of Pines’ Past
Rich Ayala of Medford, N.J., closes his eyes and envisions children playing, work being done and men getting drunk in the long-forgotten ghost towns of the Pine Barrens.
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Dave Zangaro.
No One is Buying
Bob Larson runs the Sound Station music store in Westfield, N.J., and business is not good. “We sell art and it’s not selling,” Larson said. “I have hope that things will get brighter and that’s why I’m trying to stick it out.”
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Kaitlyn Anness
The Right Profession
Albert Peters, a 44-year-old pizzeria manager for Ciconte’s Italian Pizzeria, has been in the business since he was 17 years old. Although he knows he would be able to run his own store independently, his sense of loyalty to his partners and his family gives him a sense of place.
Interviewed, photographed and produced by John Gurbisz
Running the Family Business
Dominick Colandrea helps run Montegrillo Cucina Italiana in Pennsauken, N.J. After his father moved to New Jersey from Italy over a decade ago, the Colandrea family began its legacy. “I actually started making pizza when I was 12,” Colandrea said. “When I was 14, I was already working 35, 40 maybe 50 hours a week while I was in high school.”
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Sarah Arot
Athlete’s Second Chance
Twenty-six years ago, 400 meter track runner Ulrick Exantus missed a chance to compete in the Penn Relays. Now, as as a 44 year-old master’s divison runner, Exantus has a second chance to accomplish his goal.
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Michael Anello
The Nice Woman Who Tows Your Car
Kelly Seran of Ralph’s Towing and Auto of Glassboro is part of a third generation towing family. She has heard every excuse when people plead with her not to tow their car. “We have had students sitting on the hood or roof of their vehicle refusing to move off of them in order to prevent their car being towed,” said Seran. “ Its very entertaining.”
Interviewed, photographed, and produced by Kellie Teixeira
Haven for Hoagie Lovers
Costa Maltabes, 29, said being co-owner of Hoagie Haven is the “best job ever.” The family owned business with a cult following is one of the best-kept secrets in central Jersey. Maltabes will even put a Hershey’s chocolate bar on a hoagie, if a customer asks. “I’m becoming a Jersey guy, I guess,” he says.
Interviewed, photographed and produced by Brian DeRose