Lost Hoboken

Hoboken holds a unique place in American history that no city its size can match.

Originally an outpost of the Dutch empire, it grew into a hub of the Industrial Revolution, becoming synonymous with steam-powered ships and trains, the zipper and even Tootsie Rolls. Over the years, the city was home to some of the nation’s wealthiest and most notable people, including John Jacob Astor and Frank Sinatra, as well as to waterfront shacks and tenements filled with destitute immigrants. When hard times hit, industry and innovation vanished, leaving Hoboken a dilapidated factory town. But it recovered to become a bohemian enclave and a leader in urban renewal.

Join author and journalist Joseph Lauro as he traces the city’s remarkable past.

A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor and writer, Joseph Lauro was born in Hoboken and later reported on it as a journalist. A graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Journalism, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Soho News, the Village Voice, Inc., New Jersey Monthly and The Sporting News, among other publications. He and his wife, Patricia Winters Lauro, are the proud parents of three children.