Name
Salvador (Interviewee)
Joseph, Herman, 1931- (Interviewer)
Title
Oral history interview with Salvador, 1980
Other Titles
Reminiscences of Salvador, 1980; Oral history of Salvador, 1980
Abstract
In this interview, Salvador discusses his life in New York City, with respect to his drug use and trafficking. He describes using opium and heroin. He discusses in depth his heroin trafficking including his suppliers, his clientele, his prices, and the location he sold from. He compares the quality and price of heroin across decades in the twentieth century. He reviews his arrest history, and estim ates having spent a total of fourteen years incarcerated in his lifetime. He describes how he was able to smuggle heroin into federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia. He describes joining a methadone program in the early 1970s, and gives his opinion of the program. He reviews his health issues including emphysema, ulcers, and back pain
Collection Name
Addicts Who Survived oral history collection
Subjects
Drug addicts--United States; Drug dealers--United States; Imprisonment--United States; Drug traffic--History--20th century.--United States; Drug abuse--History--20th century.--United States; Heroin abuse--History--20th century.--United States; Opium abuse--History--20th century.--United States; Methadone maintenance--History--20th century.--United States; Salvador
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
1980
Physical Description
96 pages
Note (Biographical)
Salvador was born on October 14, 1906 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. He was the oldest of five children. His formal education ended when he left school in the sixth grade. At seventeen years of age, Salvador began using opium. At twent y three years of age, he began using heroin, and soon after, selling it. That same year, he got married and had a son. He was arrested around nine times in his life, and spent a rough total of fourteen years incarcerated. He joined the methadone program in the early 1970s. Salvador was interviewed for the project that led to the book Addicts Who Survived. The name is likely a pseudonym for the project
Note
Interviewed by Herman Joseph on October 28, 1980
Note (Provenance)
David Courtwright, Herman Joseph, and Don Des Jarlais, Gift, 1988
Language
English
Library Location
Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content
Catalog Record
11874933
Also In
Oral History Archives at Columbia
Time-Based Media
Time-Based Media
Persistent URL
https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-4vn7-7516
Related URLs
Available digital content for this interview.