People of Atwater Village: Victor Cantu

My name is Victor Cantu.

I have a fabric shop and I do custom upholstery. I opened my store on the boulevard in 1974. Eighty percent of my clients are local. And the other 20% I have from other places, after all these years that I've been in business, I'm reliable. I'm not the best, but I try to do my best. And then that's what I can tell you.

When I was about 22-years-old, I went and worked in the garment industry in Downtown Los Angeles. And I worked with a nice person who taught me everything I know.

This is not my place, they can do whatever and you don't have a guarantee. They can give you a three days notice or you have 60 days to move out. If they decide I have to go, I have to go. That's one of the biggest stupidest things that I did, I'm sorry. I didn't buy my place like Mario did. And I could have had the chance to do it. Maybe I was greedy because I was paying very low rent over there for 22 years. And it was never convenient for me to buy this store because then my mortgage would be more than what I was paying in rent.

The above interview is transcribed and edited from the following interview: