By Jefferson Siegel
Forty-one years ago, in a world devoid of iPods, the Internet and video games, there wasn’t much to keep the young people of Greenwich Village thoroughly occupied. Sensing the trouble that could befall local youth, a tough 18-year-old from Perry St. had an idea.
“A priest in the neighborhood said there were problems with other kids,” John Pettinato recalled last Saturday night at the first reunion of his brainchild, the Greenwich Village Youth Council. “They thought I could reach them.”
Pettinato’s efforts didn’t just reach them, but fulfilled their lives and brightened their futures. That was the unanimous sentiment at the party for alumni of the 41-year-old G.V.Y.C. last Saturday evening.
“We started with sports,” Pettinato, the council’s executive director, explained, “and then they started asking me questions.”
Claudia Rambaldi, who grew up on Sheridan Square and now lives in New Jersey, broke into a huge smile when asked about the old days.
“We all lived in small apartments and had no place to hang out,” she said. “The youth council made it more like a neighborhood.”
The G.V.Y.C. mission statement declares its intention to “engage at-risk young people in activities, mentoring and counseling in a warm and supportive community in order to help prevent substance abuse, delinquency and other risky behaviors.”
“If anybody had a problem, they could always go to Johnny,” Rambaldi affirmed. “He was the kind of person that you wanted to talk to.”
Since its founding in 1969, G.V.Y.C. has evolved into a nonprofit organization supporting well more than 1,000 young people by offering free substance abuse counseling, crisis intervention and the Family House, a supportive-housing option for youngsters in crisis situations.
In the basement of Our Lady of Pompei Church on Bleecker St. last Saturday night, music blared, drinks flowed and countless embraces were shared. Bunny Rivera, one of the younger alumnae at 43 years old, still lives in the same building she grew up in at Houston St. and Sixth Ave.
“We were underprivileged kids of immigrant descent,” she explained, fondly recalling the council’s movie nights, dances and yearly ski trips.
“He [Pettinato] really taught us to have confidence in our lives. We’re all well-adjusted adults because of him.” Holding her hand over her heart, Rivera proclaimed, “I am so grateful,” before rushing to embrace another old friend.
Another alumni the crowd lovingly gravitated to was Bill Lynch, who ran recreation programs at the church in the 1980s and is currently a recreation director at the Hamilton Fish Recreation Center.
“There were a lot of fights and arguments,” Lynch said of the early days. “They [the council] were the only place that took certain kids from different backgrounds.”
Kim Vaughn, whose daughter is a third-generation student at Our Lady of Pompeii Church School, grew up with three brothers on West Houston St. She said that, without the youth council, “We would have had nowhere to go. It was like a family. The kids today, all they know are computers and video games. We played basketball, softball, pool. We always had something to do.”
Standing between tables covered with flowers and old photos, Pettinato couldn’t take more than a few steps without being enveloped in hugs and kisses. Grateful alumni shared stories with him while offering thanks.
“There are people here that I haven’t seen in 35 years, it’s been quite a journey,” he said. Today, Pettinato is the principal at the Institute for Collaborative Education, located in the old Stuyvesant High School building on E. 15th St.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my life. You don’t do 41 years on your own,” he said of the council.
Today’s youth council offers, among other activities, photography, journalism, theater, arts and sports. Their Joy Center offers programs to at-risk and low-income youngsters and their families five days a week. The council also runs several free basketball tournaments each summer at the W. Fourth St. courts.
“We tried to keep the kids off the streets,” Pettinato said. “We tried to give them something meaningful.” Sampling the opinions of dozens of others partying Saturday night, Pettinato and the council have succeeded admirably.
For a firsthand look at some of G.V.Y.C.’s artistic accomplishments, stop by their table at the Bleecker St. Art Fair on Sun., May 23. More information on the council is available at https://greenwichvillageyouthcouncil.net/ .
