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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
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5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin
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Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin
Paul Graviano has been making trees tiny for almost half a century and does not plan to stop
by Sarah LaskowMay 16 2016
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 310
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 3
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Please separate multiple addresses with commas We wont share addresses with third parties
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Paul Graviano at home has bonsais in his backyard and a model train in his basement (All Photos Zach Gross)
Paul Graviano does not live in the Brooklyn of waterfront condos and $30 beard trims He operates his 40-year-old business Bonsai of Brooklyn in Gravesend on thesouthern tip of the borough just inland from Coney lsland Where gentrifying Gowanus has storefronts displaying charming terrariums Gravianorsquos tiny treesmdashChineseelm bougainvillea Japanese red maple and always always always because theyrsquore the best sellers juniper elephant bush and Hawaiian umbrella treesmdashhide behind astalwart fence of corrugated metal In the winter they go upstairs to an insulated room that can fit a couple of hundred trees
On the other side of the house there is a photo studio of sorts where each tree has its picture taken to be posted online Graviano has cartons of soil here that he makes ina 400-pound cement mixer located in his basement Other than his own bonsais most donrsquot stay long enough to grow appreciably on the second floor every room hasshelves of boxes in more than 60 different sizes in which the trees are shipped off sometimes two a day sometimes a dozen
Since 1976 Graviano has made a business of selling bonsais his store is one of the oldest in the country If keeping one bonsai tree requires commitment and carecultivating a community of bonsai lovers has its own alchemy In New York Graviano is one of the secret ingredients
665
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 410
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 4
Most of Gravianos trees dont stay with him long enough to grow appreciably
He bought his first bonsai tree in 1964 when he went to buy 49-cent plants for the waterfall he was building below his 125-gallon fish tank There was a juniper bonsaion the counter ldquoHave you ever seen something where there was no choicerdquo he says ldquoThat was it There was no optionrdquo He wasnrsquot sure what it was just that it was atree and that he had to have it At $25 it was badly overpriced he handed over the $15 he had drove home and came back with the rest
Trees live on a different scale of time than we do if they seem timeless itrsquos because they grow slowly and long and last beyond human lives Bonsai trees compress allthat into a miniature vista You donrsquot have to gaze upwards at the length of a bonsairsquos trunk to see its agemdashin fact they can appear ageless since size is no arbiter of timeon Earth But at this scale itrsquos also possible to see more clearly the influence of a person or people since bonsais can be passed down for centuries
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 510
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 5
He mixes soil in a cement mixer in the basement
One of the very first bonsai trees that Graviano ever made himself was an Alberta spruce with a trunk as thick as his thumb He stripped off most of the needles and cutoff more than half of the branches wiring them down in pursuit of the sweeping look of a tiny Christmas tree When he was done he started worrying
Like a teen with a set of tweezers and rapidly growing eyebrows he had gone too far
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
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Wed Like You to Like Us
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Like Us on Facebook
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
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5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 2
Los Angeles
Obscura Society LA Urban Legends with Cartwheel Art Tours
May 22 2016
New York
Obscura Society NY Sneak Preview of the Hills at Governors Island
May 26 2016
San Pedro
Obscura Society LA The Shoreline Ruins of San Pedro
May 28 2016Sign In JoinSearchFind eg ruins or ghost towns
Near eg Brooklyn or 90210
Search
413035 -1138638Sun Tunnels Utah
Whats near me
Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin
Paul Graviano has been making trees tiny for almost half a century and does not plan to stop
by Sarah LaskowMay 16 2016
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 310
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 3
Email This Article
From your email
To recipient email(s)
Please separate multiple addresses with commas We wont share addresses with third parties
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Send
Paul Graviano at home has bonsais in his backyard and a model train in his basement (All Photos Zach Gross)
Paul Graviano does not live in the Brooklyn of waterfront condos and $30 beard trims He operates his 40-year-old business Bonsai of Brooklyn in Gravesend on thesouthern tip of the borough just inland from Coney lsland Where gentrifying Gowanus has storefronts displaying charming terrariums Gravianorsquos tiny treesmdashChineseelm bougainvillea Japanese red maple and always always always because theyrsquore the best sellers juniper elephant bush and Hawaiian umbrella treesmdashhide behind astalwart fence of corrugated metal In the winter they go upstairs to an insulated room that can fit a couple of hundred trees
On the other side of the house there is a photo studio of sorts where each tree has its picture taken to be posted online Graviano has cartons of soil here that he makes ina 400-pound cement mixer located in his basement Other than his own bonsais most donrsquot stay long enough to grow appreciably on the second floor every room hasshelves of boxes in more than 60 different sizes in which the trees are shipped off sometimes two a day sometimes a dozen
Since 1976 Graviano has made a business of selling bonsais his store is one of the oldest in the country If keeping one bonsai tree requires commitment and carecultivating a community of bonsai lovers has its own alchemy In New York Graviano is one of the secret ingredients
665
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 410
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 4
Most of Gravianos trees dont stay with him long enough to grow appreciably
He bought his first bonsai tree in 1964 when he went to buy 49-cent plants for the waterfall he was building below his 125-gallon fish tank There was a juniper bonsaion the counter ldquoHave you ever seen something where there was no choicerdquo he says ldquoThat was it There was no optionrdquo He wasnrsquot sure what it was just that it was atree and that he had to have it At $25 it was badly overpriced he handed over the $15 he had drove home and came back with the rest
Trees live on a different scale of time than we do if they seem timeless itrsquos because they grow slowly and long and last beyond human lives Bonsai trees compress allthat into a miniature vista You donrsquot have to gaze upwards at the length of a bonsairsquos trunk to see its agemdashin fact they can appear ageless since size is no arbiter of timeon Earth But at this scale itrsquos also possible to see more clearly the influence of a person or people since bonsais can be passed down for centuries
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 510
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 5
He mixes soil in a cement mixer in the basement
One of the very first bonsai trees that Graviano ever made himself was an Alberta spruce with a trunk as thick as his thumb He stripped off most of the needles and cutoff more than half of the branches wiring them down in pursuit of the sweeping look of a tiny Christmas tree When he was done he started worrying
Like a teen with a set of tweezers and rapidly growing eyebrows he had gone too far
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
Join Atlas Obscura
Email Address
Password
Confirm password
How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Join
Or Join with Facebook
Sign In to Continue
Email address
Password
Forgot your password
Sign In
Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inbox
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed
No Thanks
Like Us on Facebook
2 friends like this
Atlas Obscura426406 likes
Like Page Sign Up
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 310
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 3
Email This Article
From your email
To recipient email(s)
Please separate multiple addresses with commas We wont share addresses with third parties
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Send
Paul Graviano at home has bonsais in his backyard and a model train in his basement (All Photos Zach Gross)
Paul Graviano does not live in the Brooklyn of waterfront condos and $30 beard trims He operates his 40-year-old business Bonsai of Brooklyn in Gravesend on thesouthern tip of the borough just inland from Coney lsland Where gentrifying Gowanus has storefronts displaying charming terrariums Gravianorsquos tiny treesmdashChineseelm bougainvillea Japanese red maple and always always always because theyrsquore the best sellers juniper elephant bush and Hawaiian umbrella treesmdashhide behind astalwart fence of corrugated metal In the winter they go upstairs to an insulated room that can fit a couple of hundred trees
On the other side of the house there is a photo studio of sorts where each tree has its picture taken to be posted online Graviano has cartons of soil here that he makes ina 400-pound cement mixer located in his basement Other than his own bonsais most donrsquot stay long enough to grow appreciably on the second floor every room hasshelves of boxes in more than 60 different sizes in which the trees are shipped off sometimes two a day sometimes a dozen
Since 1976 Graviano has made a business of selling bonsais his store is one of the oldest in the country If keeping one bonsai tree requires commitment and carecultivating a community of bonsai lovers has its own alchemy In New York Graviano is one of the secret ingredients
665
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 410
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 4
Most of Gravianos trees dont stay with him long enough to grow appreciably
He bought his first bonsai tree in 1964 when he went to buy 49-cent plants for the waterfall he was building below his 125-gallon fish tank There was a juniper bonsaion the counter ldquoHave you ever seen something where there was no choicerdquo he says ldquoThat was it There was no optionrdquo He wasnrsquot sure what it was just that it was atree and that he had to have it At $25 it was badly overpriced he handed over the $15 he had drove home and came back with the rest
Trees live on a different scale of time than we do if they seem timeless itrsquos because they grow slowly and long and last beyond human lives Bonsai trees compress allthat into a miniature vista You donrsquot have to gaze upwards at the length of a bonsairsquos trunk to see its agemdashin fact they can appear ageless since size is no arbiter of timeon Earth But at this scale itrsquos also possible to see more clearly the influence of a person or people since bonsais can be passed down for centuries
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 510
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 5
He mixes soil in a cement mixer in the basement
One of the very first bonsai trees that Graviano ever made himself was an Alberta spruce with a trunk as thick as his thumb He stripped off most of the needles and cutoff more than half of the branches wiring them down in pursuit of the sweeping look of a tiny Christmas tree When he was done he started worrying
Like a teen with a set of tweezers and rapidly growing eyebrows he had gone too far
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
Join Atlas Obscura
Email Address
Password
Confirm password
How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Join
Or Join with Facebook
Sign In to Continue
Email address
Password
Forgot your password
Sign In
Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inbox
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed
No Thanks
Like Us on Facebook
2 friends like this
Atlas Obscura426406 likes
Like Page Sign Up
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 410
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 4
Most of Gravianos trees dont stay with him long enough to grow appreciably
He bought his first bonsai tree in 1964 when he went to buy 49-cent plants for the waterfall he was building below his 125-gallon fish tank There was a juniper bonsaion the counter ldquoHave you ever seen something where there was no choicerdquo he says ldquoThat was it There was no optionrdquo He wasnrsquot sure what it was just that it was atree and that he had to have it At $25 it was badly overpriced he handed over the $15 he had drove home and came back with the rest
Trees live on a different scale of time than we do if they seem timeless itrsquos because they grow slowly and long and last beyond human lives Bonsai trees compress allthat into a miniature vista You donrsquot have to gaze upwards at the length of a bonsairsquos trunk to see its agemdashin fact they can appear ageless since size is no arbiter of timeon Earth But at this scale itrsquos also possible to see more clearly the influence of a person or people since bonsais can be passed down for centuries
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 510
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 5
He mixes soil in a cement mixer in the basement
One of the very first bonsai trees that Graviano ever made himself was an Alberta spruce with a trunk as thick as his thumb He stripped off most of the needles and cutoff more than half of the branches wiring them down in pursuit of the sweeping look of a tiny Christmas tree When he was done he started worrying
Like a teen with a set of tweezers and rapidly growing eyebrows he had gone too far
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
Join Atlas Obscura
Email Address
Password
Confirm password
How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Join
Or Join with Facebook
Sign In to Continue
Email address
Password
Forgot your password
Sign In
Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inbox
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed
No Thanks
Like Us on Facebook
2 friends like this
Atlas Obscura426406 likes
Like Page Sign Up
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 510
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 5
He mixes soil in a cement mixer in the basement
One of the very first bonsai trees that Graviano ever made himself was an Alberta spruce with a trunk as thick as his thumb He stripped off most of the needles and cutoff more than half of the branches wiring them down in pursuit of the sweeping look of a tiny Christmas tree When he was done he started worrying
Like a teen with a set of tweezers and rapidly growing eyebrows he had gone too far
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
Join Atlas Obscura
Email Address
Password
Confirm password
How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
Subscribe me to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter
Join
Or Join with Facebook
Sign In to Continue
Email address
Password
Forgot your password
Sign In
Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inbox
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed
No Thanks
Like Us on Facebook
2 friends like this
Atlas Obscura426406 likes
Like Page Sign Up
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 610
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 6
Graviano has been selling bonsai trees full-time since 1976
Bonsai themselves need not be dwarf trees they can be made from the same seeds that would grow tall if not for the meticulous trimming shaping and sometimes
grafting The tradition is thought to have originated in China although it really took off in Japan starting in the 7th century In the lsquo60s there were only a small number of bonsai enthusiasts in America (the American Bonsai Society wasnrsquot formed until 1967) and even fewer in South Brooklyn Graviano took the tree to Al who sold bonsai
pots at his nursery and who told him not to worry about the spruce In 20 years time he said it would be gorgeous
ldquoI burst out laughing because I was 22 at the timerdquo says Graviano now 73 ldquoIt was my lifetime basicallyrdquo
Within a few years though the tree was beautiful and he had sold it By then he had other spruces Five years after buying the juniper he had filled a two-car garageconverted into a greenhouse with the bonsai he was making ldquoIrsquom a pretty obsessive personrdquo he says (Currently he is making his way through the entire run of ldquoFriendsrdquo a couple DVRed episode per night he buys steaks by the half-dozen cut an inch and a half thick the perfect size for the charcoal grill he built in the backyardin his basement there is an extensive model train containing Coney Island snowy mountains and the elevated F train that runs by the old Bonsai of Brooklyn storefront)To make room for more trees he sold some for the first time at a flea market in the parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack The market opened around 9 am they were soldout by 11 am
The train set is another miniature world he created
It was then that he started making bonsai with the intention of selling them At first it was still a hobby like the band that practiced in his basement covering Chuck Berry Creedence and a lot of Grateful Dead He was doing well financially in his day job as a insurance salesman with a summer house a new car a boat But he was
unhappy He opened his bonsai store after he had a nightmare about one of his policyholders who he didnrsquot much care for The next day wearing dungarees and a t-shirthe walked into the office to give his two weeks notice Fifteen years ago when the packing peanuts and boxes necessary for online retail overran the physical store hemoved everything to his home
His personal collection is much smaller than you might think Since Graviano started Bonsai of Brooklyn he divorced remarried moved the store quit smoking startedhis website closed the physical store was diagnosed with lung cancer survived In 2004 when doctors told him his cancer was terminal and inoperable before he founda surgeon who told him hersquod be fine he sold all of his trees A pine went for $5000 He kept only one from his personal collection which hersquos had since 1985 and itwasnrsquot until this year that he added three more to his stash
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 710
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 7
Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
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Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
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Repotting a tree is easy if you know what youre doing he says
ldquoIt was just trees where I looked at them and said mdash I donrsquot want to sell this onerdquo he says One was a Chinese elm Two years ago it almost died Last year it got evenworse and he was ready to toss it ldquoMaybe because of what happened to merdquo he says he gave it a chance This year about a quarter of the branches started putting outnew growth and by the time he finished cleaning it up and trimming the good branches down he had decided it was worth keeping The next one a bougainvillea hersquodhad for three or four years when he got around to trimming it he decided againmdashthis one is mine
ldquoI just liked itrdquo he says
Graviano has never been to Japan where the art of bonsai has been refined over thousands of years he would like to visit Hawairsquoi although his last vacation was in 1996a cruise He was born in Brooklyn after all ldquoI like to hang out hererdquo he says ldquoIrsquom very happy where I amrdquo He has his bonsai trees in the backyard his thoroughly and
beautifully equipped kitchen on the first floor his model train in the basement It is a small world of small worlds thriving carefully tended expansive in their limits
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
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Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
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Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
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FeaturesInteractive
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Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
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Atlas Obscura426406 likes
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 810
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 8
Every day he sends off anywhere from two to a dozen trees
tree weekminiaturestreesfeatures
Related Articles
Tree Law is a Gnarly Twisted Branch of the Legal System
These lawyers specialize in arboreal arbitration
So You Want to Eat a Tree
A guide to ingesting bark cambium leaves flowers and buds
TreesmdashTheyre Just Like Us
Theres literally nothing that trees cant do including get weird with their bodies
Enjoying this story
Get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
Places Near You
Recent Stories
storyweddings
Canadian Couple Invites 1000 Cats to Their Wedding
Its a nice day for a cat weddingMay 21 2016
storysinkhole
Swedens Plan to Physically Move a City Before It Sinks into the Ground
How do you solve a problem like KirunaMay 21 2016
storynazis
Auschwitz Inmates Gold Ring Found in Mug with False Bottom
It had stayed hidden for 70 yearsMay 20 2016
storytedium
A Short History of Rakes and Why You Should Think Twice About Using Them
Theyve evolved through the yearsMay 20 2016
From Elsewhere
The Atlas
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
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Email Address
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How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
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Or Join with Facebook
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Email address
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Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
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5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
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Like Us on Facebook
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Atlas Obscura426406 likes
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 910
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
httpwwwatlasobscuracomarticlesmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin 9
ecen y eMost Popular RandomCurious FactsAdd a Place
Events
Upcoming EventsSuggest an Event
Stories
Columns
FeaturesInteractive
NewsVideoVisual
Company
AboutEmail UsFAQJoin Our TeamPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inboxYour Email Subscribe
Thanks for subscribing
copy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reservedcopy 2016 Atlas Obscura All rights reserved
Issues with the site Please let us know
Join Atlas Obscura
Email Address
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Confirm password
How many tentaclesdoes an octopus have
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Join
Or Join with Facebook
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Email address
Password
Forgot your password
Sign In
Or Log In with Facebook
Not a Member Join
Escape the Beaten Path
Subscribe to the Atlas Obscura Newsletter and get our latest delivered straight to your inbox
8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
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Like Us on Facebook
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Atlas Obscura426406 likes
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8162019 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin _ Atlas Obscura
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullmeet-brooklyns-internet-bonsai-kingpin-atlas-obscura 1010
5222016 Meet Brooklyns Internet Bonsai Kingpin | Atlas Obscura
htt tl b ti l t b kl i t t b i ki i 10
your email Subscribe
No Thanks
Wed Like You to Like Us
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed
No Thanks
Like Us on Facebook
2 friends like this
Atlas Obscura426406 likes
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