The Collector of Bedford Street Meets Sandy

Disabled Village Man's Remarkable Story of Survival


By Jon Kalish

Published December 28, 2012.
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For more than 30 years now a developmentally disabled man in Greenwich Village has been collecting donations for a variety of charities.

His name is Larry Selman and he was the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary titled “The Collector of Bedford Street.”

He’s been doing the same thing for years. But his life took a dramatic turn when Hurricane Sandy struck.

The storm prevented Selman’s home health aide from getting to and from his home in the Bronx. So he stayed with the disabled man for nearly a week.

Unfortunately, Selman could not get medication for his cat after the storm and the pet died.


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