Astoria Characters: The Sax-Playing Konnakol Artist

It happened on his eighth birthday. Arun Luthra was strolling through town with his older brother when suddenly, they turned a corner, and there it was. Arun with his 1938 Selmer Balanced Action sax. A guitar leaning against a wall. Arun, a tall man with a sweet voice and soulful eyes, gets emotional every time he talks about this long-ago surprise gift and the key role it has played in his life. “I still have it,” he says. Arun was born loving music. And how could he not? His…

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Astoria Characters: The Guy Who Grew Up Fighting on the Streets

In the back of the black vest, strapped in surreptitiously like a baby, there’s a shiny, sinister sword. In the front, there’s a dangerous dagger and a menacing mallet and a hive of knives, the kind you would need in a street fight when fists aren’t fast and furious enough. Bonafide Warhawk’s the co-owner of HardKnox. Bonafide Warhawk, a soft-spoken tough guy who possesses the composure of a monk, suits up. He has tats marching like soldiers up his arms, a shaved head…

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