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Oral history interview with Teddy J., 1981

Creator: J., Teddy
Project: Addicts Who Survived oral history collection.
(see all project interviews)
Phys. Desc. :transcript: 169 pages sound file : digital preservation master, WAV files (96 kHz, 24 bit)
Location: Columbia Center for Oral History
Full CLIO record >>

Biographical Note

Teddy J. was born on August 27, 1927 in Savannah, Georgia. As a child, Teddy's family moved often, and he spent a significant part of his childhood living with his aunt. By the time he was eight, his family had relocated to New York City. He went to school through the eighth grade, then began working in the garment district, and selling heroin at the age of fifteen. He soon started using the drug and became addicted. He served in the army from 1945 to 1947. He then got involved running a numbers game, or gambling racket, but quickly returned to selling heroin. Teddy spent a total of twenty years incarcerated throughout his life, including a thirteen year stint in Attica Correctional Facility from 1965 to 1977. In the late 1970s, he visited the Bernstein Pavilion several times to detox from heroin. In April 1980, he joined Daytop Village. Teddy J. was interviewed for the project that led to the book Addicts Who Survived. The name is likely a pseudonym for the project. In the book, Teddy J. was referred to by the pseudonym "Teddy"

Scope and Contents

In this interview, Teddy J. discusses his life in New York City, focusing on his drug use and sales. He recalls his upbringing, his family's frequent moves, and occasionally living with his aunt. He discusses his first experiences both using and selling heroin at the age of fifteen. He describes in great detail his experience working in an apartment building in Harlem that functioned as a hub of elicit business, offering various drugs and bootleg alcohol, gambling, and sex work. He discusses the clientele that were attracted to the house's various services, in terms of age, race, class, and occupation. He also discusses how the house was raided by the FBI in 1945. Teddy J. compares the quality and price of heroin across many decades in the twentieth century, as well as ways the heroin was packaged such as in bags and caps. He also discusses periods of "panic" where heroin was scarce. Teddy recalls his experience serving in the army during World War II, discussing specifically the availability of drugs, racial tensions between the segregated troops, and discrimination he and his fellow Black soldiers faced while enlisted. He discusses his struggle with alcoholism which began in the army. He reviews his arrest history, and discusses the time he spent incarcerated. Facilities include: Rikers Island, Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Attica Correctional Facility, and more. He describes in detail the Attica Prison Riot of 1971. He discusses detoxing from drugs at Mount Sinai Beth Israel's Bernstein Pavilion in the late 1970s, his experience at Project Return in the Bronx, and Daytop Village

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Copyright by David Courtwright

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