Cynical Santa: Radio Documentary by Sound Portraits

[Photo: Cynical Santa]

Cynical Santa
Recorded in New York City.
Premiered December 23, 1990, on All Things Considered.

It's early in the morning at Santa central, an auditorium in the headquarters of the Volunteers of America, New York's largest supplier of Santas. For 80 years now, the Volunteers of America has been placing down-on-their-luck Santas on the streets of midtown Manhattan to raise money for charity.

In one corner of the auditorium sits a thin, moustached, half-dressed Santa hunched intently over the day's racing form. His graying hair is cut short, he's missing a front tooth, and his face furrows deeply each time he frowns -- which he does a lot -- as he suits up for the day's work. This is Eddie Surwinski. Not your typical Kris Kringle, he prefers to be known as Cynical Santa. And at 8:15 precisely, he's out the door.

Reporter: David Isay

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This piece is available in the following audio formats [5:56 min]:

56 kbps Real Audio

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