Colin Ryan may be the most well known man in Greenwich Village.
“I wouldn’t trade my age or life for anything in the world,” he tells me as he sits on a stoop with his toolbox.
Decorated with the American flag and a veteran poster, it doubles as a makeshift stand, which he uses to advertise himself as the Leprechaun Handyman.
Ryan, who was born and raised in the village, currently works as a freelance carpenter, helping customers repair or install household fixtures. But before that, he ran a Navy river patrol boat in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service.
Upon returning home, Ryan quickly realized how difficult it was to find a job. He has built up quite a reputation since then, but he always makes sure to help out his fellow veterans by calling in a few extra hands whenever he needs the manpower.
In between jobs, you can find him on his stoop on West Third Street chatting with anyone who passes his way.
Video Credits:
Airport Lounge Disco Ultralounge - Kevin MacLeod
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
