It is quite rare to see someone work with the same company and in the same place for several decades. One example of such a consistent and loyal employee can be found at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. “The Garden” regularly hosts the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Knicks (NBA), and the New York Liberty (WNBA). On top of that, the venue has played host to the WWE several times, various entertainment acts, and concerts for numerous world-famous musical artists. That employee is Barry Margulies, a long time vendor who works there selling programs and souvenirs.

Barry started working at the Garden in February of 1969, alongside my grandfather, Jerry Wasserman, who started working there just a few months before. According to seniority, my grandfather always drew the prime spot for Rangers and Knicks games in the lobby to sell things, but they were partners in a two-man booth for many years at concerts. In his 46+ years, Margulies has seen his fair share of historical sports events. One such event is the famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier on March 8, 1971, which Frazier won (giving Ali his first professional loss). For the fight, my grandfather and Margulies were paired together for the night. Margulies recalls selling, “Boxing gloves with the date and names on it”. Additionally, Margulies wishes he kept one as a souvenir, as they would be worth “a bit more” than $15 today.

Through his years at the Garden, Margulies obviously has sold quite the wide array of items. He has sold merchandise ranging from Rangers t-shirts, to “Concert t-shirts (that) had a lot of profanity printed on it”. He fondly remembers the night when the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup since 1940, in 1994. Margulies recalls that, “On the way home the fans were celebrating in the streets, and it was very peaceful”. My Dad and I are sure to stop by to see him whenever we are there, including the night that the Rangers retired Mark Messier’s number 11, and at many other concerts and games.

Over his several decades of working at the Garden, Margulies has seen sales at the venue go from being managed by Harry M. Stevens to being owned by its current owner, The Madison Square Garden Company. He has also been honored for his time with the company by being named an “MSG Pillar” each year that he has worked there past 40 years. In addition, every November, all employees with a minimum of 25 years with the company, are invited to a dinner that has been attended in the past by former Knicks and Rangers players such as John Starks, Allen Houston, Rod Gilbert, and Adam Graves.

On top of the Garden changing, the City of New York has celebrated many championships and great events. Just in sports, Margulies has seen the Rangers win the Stanley Cup once, the Knicks win the NBA Finals twice (he was proud to say that his beloved San Francisco Giants have won the World Series three times) all since Margulies started at the Garden in 1969. When I spoke to him most recently, the event that Barry was excited to tell me about was a visit by the Pope that required him and other employees to come to the Garden to set up the night before due to security concerns. He recalls the line of people waiting to get in “stretching all the way down 7th Avenue to 25th Street” and having a great sales day selling rosary beads, including the most expensive ones made from Swarovsky crystal. Furthermore, through social and political change, especially in New York City, one thing has remained constant: Barry Margulies, happily selling merchandise to thousands of Madison Square Garden attendees.