Monday, April 7, 2008

The Mayor of Strawberry Fields

Ayrton dos Santos, Jr., is known by many as Gary and by some as the Mayor of Strawberry Fields. He has been decorating the memorial to John Lennon in Central Park on and off for the last 15 years, and steady for the last six years, he says. He grew up both in Manhattan and Queens, briefly attending Forest Hills High School. Today, he creates peace signs out of flowers, which he places on the circular memorial at 72nd Street and Central Park West. He frequently shares his knowledge of the site with visiting tour groups, which gather in a circle around the memorial site. Last week, he received a ticket from the Central Park police for public assembly. Watch the video, produced by Channtal Fleischfresser:

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The "mayor" is a delusional substance abuser who regularly engages in illegal activity at the park. He is a disgrace to the memory and artistry of John Lennon. This memorial should be for John Lennon and place for quiet remembrance. It was not meant to be cluttered with his dead flowers, trinkets and self-promotional materials. If you are a John Lennon fan, write to the Central Park Conservancy and ask them to clean up Strawberry Fields. Write to Douglas Blonsky 14 East 60th St, NY, NY 10021