Masty Huba

The story of Masty Huba is unlike any other story you’ll ever hear. What began as a simple bar-room tale – filled with outlandish claims and local history – has evolved into a documentary film project aimed at examining the life an Eastern-European immigrant in the Triple Cities and the vibrant community that embraced his unique way of life.

With a trail of paintings and pictures scattered all over Binghamton and Endicott, a story has begun to unfold of a man and a time that can no longer exist.

Working in the Anthracite mines of Scranton in the early 1900’s, Masty Huba fell victim to an accident that left him permanently injured. It was from that point forward, with a sense of light-hearted defiance, that Masty came to Binghamton and swore to never work another day in his life.

Masty’s life quickly became the building blocks of bar room legend. For over forty years, he relied on the kindness of others for food, shelter, and a plethora of drinks in exchange for a song, a joke, or just his company. Now over forty years since his death, his memory is a reminder of a time passed and offers a glimpse of a tight-knit community full of characters and stories…a community slowly fading from the small towns where they thrived.