Ill tell you the good stuff! [laughs] And that was it. Well, the paintings and the small stuff like thatthat like that mirror and those paintings and all that stuffthat was all the little stuff. Q: And so all these items went upwalked up the stairs and were, carried back down the stairs. Q: And will the board continue and play a role in in that? What was. When I bought it, I didnt know what was that ones house. Or next to the chair where she was sitting. Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow. I was seventeen years with the Air Force. Daller: Its life estate that he has. Q: Right. So I took that out of the brick and I got some cement, put it all back in, put the wall back up. And over the years, it became just prohibitive to try and do. More beautiful than peoples houses. And then when you could see the house, it was a goddamn mess. And that was nothing but a little house that caught firewas just a little, little house. . Of course, nothings there. Daller: Yes, definitely. And they were big floors. He was from Central America somewhere, and he just believed in everything had to be right. And finally their husbands were getting pissed at them, because they were never home, they were always here. And he asked me would I be interested in working for him out here on Staten Island. And he come from a very, very wealthy family in Madrid. The income from the Seguine Equestrian Center, which stables some twenty horses a stone's throw from the mansion, helps. If you want to come, behave yourselves. Before he died, thats what he was. The real estate lady wouldnt come in. Thats what it is. Theyd come out and Id say, Look, I can get you this. And they repaired all these taxis, repainted them, and then sold them all to Cuba. And then I decided Id get involved again with things that are going on. Q: So this is going to part of an online archive. Skip to main content (800) 896-5587. And if theyre gonna make a museum out of it, theyre gonna have to pay somebody to greet people and take them on tours. Did quite well. And I took that for years. And thats where I had all this wonderful carved stuff from the Eskimos that they gave me. So by the time he came back, all this had changed. Yes, of course, they could eat all the grass. How the hell they got to the right people, I dont know. Burke: years ago, because I couldnt afford to keep it. Theyre getting rid of everything! That woman, she lived in riding clothes! Burke: Its right on the Boulevard and it goes down to the beach. Burke: Yes. And people were coming from all over the island. It was unbelievably gorgeous. Oh, God. So I gave it to them. You want to take down every statue thats been there for a thousand years because, No, that statue shouldnt be there. All rights reserved. Burke: About the candle? The only thing that will save this house as a bulldozer! [laughs] But anyway, I saved it. Burke, who knew of the home and property from the time when he was a child, was committed to the challenge. The oldwhat the hell was itgrocery store. Burke: Yes. Burke: Yes. And he kept up with him, up until the time Mario passed away. Sign up for NYPAP mailings and our Newsletter to stay up-to-date. You buy me out. And he bought me out. I said, I still have friends that myour parents met before we met. And I had the money to do it, and I said, You know, let me do it.. [laughs] But, itll be here. And Bill moved in, and he stayed there for quite a while. I bought those in Germany. But the old lady that lived there was very, very sick. All these empty buildings and things. And Luis Caizares painted that. Then, on that side, was the dining room, and the kitchen. Its still there, you can see it. You cant ride on the street. My father was in the political-end, and he was in Borough Hall and everything like that. Ive been to the Tenement Museum, and I love the fact that theres a woman on a loop and she discusses living in the apartment. And I said, Oh, shit. They couldnt handle it, the clientele that came in. Yes. But he did a lot of the work for you. I want it now. I could never get it. But, with that money, I paid this house off. But the only thing was it was too small. You got to get out. So we moved to Florida. Oh, God, I worked so damn hard. It was unbelievably gorgeous. Because Mrs. Seguine was holding the. But those things, I couldnt. Daller: What about the coat? Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. So they. I mean, how did you decide what to purchase, what to collect? Q: [laughs] How did you figure out what needed to be done with the house? Daller: Well, you did at a certain point, because you have a lot of photos. Daller: Yes, I found him. Burke: Yes. Daller: Yes. Remember him? Right? You dont have to worry about, sleeping on your couches and all that kind of stuff, and, you know, pulling out fake beds, and that kind of stuff. They cant just say, The doors are open for anybody, just walk in! Somebody will walk in, and say, Oh, I like those chairs, pick them up, and take them, and theyll be gone. The ceilings had fallen down because a lot of the drain pipes had leaked. I dont want you in this house. Burke: Well, I knew how to do it. My mother and his wife never got along too well. Q: Today is November 9, 2021. Q: When you were making those decisions about decorating, were you thinking about a particular style, like a historic style, that you were going for? Because I wanted the man that built the house, and this is the man that saved the house. Thats what I wanted. And even though the house belongs, in essence, to Historic House Trust, they werent reimbursing him for anything. Burke: But everything will stay here exactly as it is, because if its going to be a museum, people are not going to come in and look at empty walls. Daller: Well, he said, he felt that house had spirits in it. And all my brothers. You know, he just passed away. When I was over there looking at their house. And then I what else? And I went to Hammersmith College. And think about it. Brooklyn Births: 1898-1909 Deaths: 1847-53, 1857-1948 Marriages: 1866-1949 *Pre-1898 records are for Brooklyn city only. Theyre going out for the garbage. I said, No, no, no, Im trying to take them. So I took them and I had them all redone and reupholstered, and here they are. Well, he lived on Staten Island. So finally, I think, the old lady died, didnt she? And it became quite the place to be. And I renovated the bar, I renovated the other side, my two sisters came to work for me, running the kitchen and the dining room. Daller: So can you imagine a three room apartment filled to the brim with antiques? I forgottheres ten acres that is landmarked now. Then there was the main hall that went through, just like this: door, front door, back door. And in order to have food and such, youd have to bring it up the back stairs. And that guy, look at the size of that house he just built. Q: Yes. Its a beautiful house. Unfortunately, you got to find environmentalists, theyve got to look for things and theyve got to point things out. The walkway going to the beach, its still there, where the house was. The orientals that originally were on the floor here, I put up in the bedrooms upstairs. What is a shame is some of the mansionsthe really, really ornate mansions that were torn down. Devoted father of Matthew I. Burke, Jason L. Burke, and Georgina P. Burke, all of Hull. Mrs. Mackey. But I forgot what the other two things were. Finally, I think his wife got sick with that lung disease, didnt she? Q: So well have audio recording and a transcript for researchersand Ill remove those names that you mentioned, Linda. I dont know what it is. And I wish the hell I could have gotten a hold of that before they tore it down. Daller: No, that still has to be discussed. This the expensive piece of property! They sold it to the developers. George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. Burke: Oh, what I want to do isover that fireplace, I want to take that painting downand bring my painting and put it over that fireplace. So that makes sense. But I mean, that wasthe holes, the plaster gone. So while I used to work then with them, and then I decided, this is not for me. And that was, Mrs.these mirrors came from that house, they were in the parlor in that houseWhat the hell was her name? The Greek Revival house is one of the few surviving examples of 19th Century life on Staten Island. He appreciated it. So, I would saywhat was it?the spring, and in the back of the house was the entrance to the cellar with the double doors, where you walked down the stairs, and it was all brick, and it had the doors. I restored the whole housewell, how long did I live there? Daller: Because you might remember, he was away for so many years. Daller: No. Or was that brother Ed? And then, it was declared unsafe, and they come in and knocked it down. And my uncle came in and was part of the whole group. That is the only thing that worries methat the house will be stripped. Chris was the one that got involved with it. So we brought that point up a few times. Burke: Oh, it was all overgrown with undergrowth. So because it was done like the French did, I never had to pay tax, or only tax on a two-story house, instead of a three-story. Besides horses and Rusty, there are peacocks too. So I said to her, I said Bess, the only thing Ill save your house is a bulldozer! I mean, its physically impossible. Q: Can you tell me about moving the collections here, out of storage and out of your sisters houses into this house? And I hope whoever is in charge of itLinda will probably be here in charge! George: Oh, I knew the Seguines for years. And the fact that somebody could save a house like this, and want to show it to people, and let people hear about the history behind it? Unfortunately, all the grounds areI dont even know if the house is there anymore! Find your ancestry info and recent death notices for relatives and friends. Daller: He enjoys the whole house. Q: and Linda Daller for the New York Preservation Archive Project. Burke: Her sister has it [indicating Daller]. Because the other way, my uncle was digging into whatever a little bit of savings he had, in order to pay. In fact, he was just a few years older than I, and wasnt it last year we were trying to locate him? Donald was born August 16th, 1954, in Staten Island, New York, to Michael and Eleanor. I bought those buildings. Theyd go in and theyd take the windows out and theyd use the windows, and they destroyed it. A brooch that I gave Bess? Daller: Well, remember how much it took to paint the whole house, and how you had to paint sections of it? And I didnt realize it because I was always working. And with the Air Force, I enjoyed every minute. They couldnt. And he had helped meyou know, while I had my own ideas for design, and whatever I thought of, he said, George, thats great. Thats not good. The same thing thats going on with statues. And I went around and we all hadyou were only allowed to buy two bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey, or something. Unfortunately. Daller: The staircase wasnt even straight. I saved that, thats still there. There was nine of us in the whole family. Burke: But what were we going into before I got into the architecture? All the grounds, the stables, everythingthey cant change a thing. Ill do the whole window. And with that money, I restored most of the house. Daller: If they cant ride, why should they be here? Things like that? By the time I got to the to where they were discharging them and such, he had just been discharged and left on an airplane. So after a couple of years going back and forth, his daughter, she decided she wanted to get involved in it. And if they only would have remained, they would have been a part of it, and everything could have been fully appreciated. Daller: Thats been acquired over the years. She left things there. Because people will come in, and therell be four or five people and somebody will walk by and just pick this up, and pick that up. Burke: Oh, I forgot about that. And I took that room and made it into the dining room. Daller: It just went right out of my head! Burke: You want it from the first day I was born in the hospital across the street? Now what are you going to do with this? Daller: Plus the fact, it cost a fortune to take away the manure. Save my house. And I thought, Oh, shit. I was down on the beach one day, I forgot what were doing. If you dont want to come dont show up. And he said since hes been here, he has nobody here. Its some very wealthy unknown-known person who was there. Frank Tredici. So I would walk around, Id look and Id see some beautiful stuff for sale, for nothing. In my early twenties? And you would have been taxed in this country if it was already like that. Burke: And its great when you have friends come, you have extra bedrooms, you can put them all up. And as I said, I was in the military up there and we werent a big group of military, it was like a small base. So a lot of the things that you acquired to furnish the house were in poor condition, and then you have them reupholstered and restored. George Burke was born on Staten Island and grew up in Annandale before moving to Florida with his family. Well, do you know what your preferences are? And through all the years that the old lady had this woman taking care of her, the lilacs were always in bloomwhen they were in bloom, they were in the house. They even stopped you riding in the parks. View the profiles of people named George Burke. We are a big family. He said, What in the hell youre buying this old piece of shit for? He said, Is it insured? I said, Yes, I took big insurance on it. He said, Good. I went around and I got it and shipped it all back home. And, then I gotwhod I get from the city? Its a plus for the borough too. And I only have so much money being what I am. So he said, Dont worry about it. That was Mrs., what was her name? We were doing other parties at the time, the only thing we still maintain is the White Party. Hell utilize every room of the house. But it only reached a certain point of it, not in the very beginning. But things that, well, were thatyou needed carpenters that knew, that were good carpenters. You want to have someone living in it, you cant have an empty house. Burke: Yes, I paid off this house. I cant think of the name of the thing now. Burke: One was a necklace with a heart on it. We just mentioned him. John T Burke passed away on April 22, 2015 in Whiting, NJ and is under the care of. You could imagine what the mansion looked like. I could make another funeral parlor out of that. And I said, No, lets not make a funeral parlor. Staten Island, New York. But unfortunately, all the stuff up there was cured by urine. Youre working too hard. You are to get out. And so they lost it. I can get that. Because you could get it through theand once I got involved, I did really, really well. Dont look at me. Of course, I went to school here. And he said, George, you know, that big, beautiful house that sits empty? I, being the youngest, of course, seeing everybody growing up. I think hes given you a great history of what started and, basically, youve talked about his life from the beginning, so, I dont know. Otherwise, Id never be able to have half the stuff thats in here because it would have cost me a private fortune to have it shipped. Obituary George W. Burke, age 63, of Hull, entered into eternal rest on October 2, 2021. That was gorgeous. Valhalla. So I went around to all the nursesof course, I was in the medical departmentand I asked all the nurses, What are you doing with your stamps? And you can put it together and fix it. See Photos. Were not going to stay and put up with these two people. And that was inwhere the hell, what did they call that area where all the Eskimos lived? Im getting rid of everything. He said, I have three of the most beautiful Persian carpets from Persia, said, You cant get them anymore. He said, Theyre antiques but they are brand new, never used. He said, Im giving them to you. And this is them. And here was the street. But the upper story of the house was two more floors. She was a very good friend of mine, a really pretty lady. And it was quite difficult to maintain the big house we were living in. Scarpaci Funeral Home of Staten Island LLC. Burke: Ed. One of the doors was shot, so I took this door off, and when I did, the brick wall, on the side, started falling out. Burke: Yes, she held the mortgage on it. Burke: Oh, when I was a kid, we lived in Annandale. I moved in the house, and I would come in the house, and right in the front hallway, you could always smell lilacs. And were doing this interview in Burkes home, in the Seguine Mansion on the South Shore of Staten Island. And all these houses would never here! And a couple of my friends came as bartenders for me. But the other house, one of his friends was pushed down the stairs. Dont forget I, for yearsin London, I went to university. Thats the only way to explain it. I started with the basement. And they were good investments. Thanks very much to you. George Burke is one of these dedicated keepers: He minds the Seguine Mansion, which he bought in 1981. Theres none of the spirits. Burke: But anyway, it was a big beautiful cameo brooch, and was wrapped in an oil cloth rag! Daller: You werent here. Staten Island . He was an old craftsman from the other side. So I go downstairs. I dont know if it ever took off. You come out and take over the boys and mens department in the store. I said, Thats fine. If you stood outside and looked at it, the staircase went that way. And the backyard is beautiful. In fact, I think it was just landmarked wasnt it? Im sure some will. Yes, by the time I got to do all that I had no money left. Daller: Well, you got involved with Burkes Landing with Scalia. Right. But I dont remember seeing the main house. With that old fabric, theres enough to make drapes for one window. In good condition? Burke: Yes. I lived in one room, for almost five years. Email or phone: Password: . 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