In the 1990s, Staten Island no longer wanted to be part of New York City. It was physically detached from the rest of the boroughs, burdened with heaps of New Yorkers' literal garbage, and often an after thought. Disgruntled by its place in the pecking order, Staten Island led what was, at the time, the largest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War.
What would have happened to New York City if this movement had succeeded? On the 250th anniversary of America's secession from the British Empire, Revisionist History investigates this bizarre and overlooked story of New York's own internal revolt.
Over the course of five episodes, The Staten Island Problemreconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, the Wu-Tang Clan, young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York — all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough.
With colorful characters and never-before-heard archival audio, The Staten Island Problem reveals an early example of the politics of resentment and examines how it relates to our current political climate. Listen to the first episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts!
