Tom Oliveri, biographical description.
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Tom Oliveri, biographical description.
Subject
Puerto Ricans--New Jersey
Description
A brief biographical description of tenants' rights activist Tom Oliveri.
Creator
Hoboken Public Library.
Date
2024
Rights
Courtesy of the Hoboken Free Public Library. Copyright held by the Hoboken Free Public Library. Restrictions are only in regards to publication; any researcher may view or copy any document in the collection. Distribution, reproduction, or the use of other protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions must be requested and processed by the Hoboken Free Public Library. Please contact reference@hobokenlibrary.org
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Person
Coverage
1940s through the 2020s
Person Item Type Metadata
Birth Date
1946
Birthplace
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Death Date
2014
Occupation
tenants' rights activist, Cultural Affairs official for the City of Hoboken
Biographical Text
Tom Olivieri, was born in Mayaguez Puerto Rico and immigrated to the city when he was ten years old during the1950s and was raised in what was known as the “Tootsie Roll Flats” at Willow Avenue and 13th Street. Tom’s family was one of the first Puerto Rican families to move to his Willow Avenue block.
A “legendary” tenants’ rights activist Tom, who fought against the wide-spread displacement of poor residents during the 1970s. He worked in the relocation office of the city from 1975 to 1979, helping educate families on their best options to stay in the city during a period where the city’s poorest residents were actively being displaced.
A tenants' rights activist and later a Cultural Affairs official for the City of Hoboken, Mr. Olivieri has long been a center of cultural and civic activities in Hoboken's broad-ranging Hispanic community.
In 2023 Legion Park on 13th Street and Willow Ave was renamed after him. For its opening his granddaughter Isabella Puro said of her grandfather, “He was passionate about making sure everyone was treated fairly... It’s something he instilled in my aunts and uncles, and me and my cousins: to always do the right thing."
A “legendary” tenants’ rights activist Tom, who fought against the wide-spread displacement of poor residents during the 1970s. He worked in the relocation office of the city from 1975 to 1979, helping educate families on their best options to stay in the city during a period where the city’s poorest residents were actively being displaced.
A tenants' rights activist and later a Cultural Affairs official for the City of Hoboken, Mr. Olivieri has long been a center of cultural and civic activities in Hoboken's broad-ranging Hispanic community.
In 2023 Legion Park on 13th Street and Willow Ave was renamed after him. For its opening his granddaughter Isabella Puro said of her grandfather, “He was passionate about making sure everyone was treated fairly... It’s something he instilled in my aunts and uncles, and me and my cousins: to always do the right thing."
Collection
Citation
Hoboken Public Library., “Tom Oliveri, biographical description.,” The Puerto Rican Experience in Hoboken and America, accessed March 5, 2026, https://puertoricanexperienceinhoboken.omeka.net/items/show/56.