Last month, The Local published excerpts from a photo essay by Steven Hirsch on the community of “Crusty Punks” who live in Tompkins Square Park. Earlier this week, a commenter noted that one of the men featured in the post, Robert Edward Dyck, who was known as Yardsale, had recently been killed. The Local has confirmed that two men face voluntary manslaughter charges in the death of Mr. Dyck, who was found dead in Virginia last month of blunt force injuries.—The Local
STEVEN HIRSCH
Viewfinder | ‘Crusty Punks’
By STEVEN HIRSCHFor the past six months, Steven Hirsch has used a combination of photography, video, and monologue to document the tribe of tattooed denizens who hang out on Crusty Row in Tompkins Square Park.
“There has been an evolutionary change in Crusty subculture. It’s a much darker scene now than it was even two or three years ago. Many of the kids today are heroin addicted. From my interviews, I realize most come from the suburbs or rural areas, leaving behind broken homes or parental abuse. That’s not necessarily a recent trend, obviously, but the level of despair seems to be higher than ever.”—Steven Hirsch
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