Mark Torres

Mark Torres is a husband, father, labor attorney, educator, and accomplished author whose work spans both fiction and nonfiction with a deep commitment to social justice. A dedicated member of the labor movement for over 30 years, Mark has devoted his legal career to representing unionized workers throughout New York, advocating tirelessly for their rights and protections. He holds a law degree from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in history from New York University, grounding his advocacy in both rigorous legal training and a strong historical perspective.

As an adjunct professor of Labor Studies at Hofstra University, Mark educates the next generation on the critical role organized labor plays in American society. His work as an author reflects that same mission, giving voice to untold stories of struggle, injustice, and perseverance. He has written two fictional crime novels, A Stirring in the North Fork and Adeline, both rooted in themes of corruption and redemption. In the realm of nonfiction, his acclaimed book Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood (History Press, 2021) uncovers a forgotten chapter in New York's labor history—the exploitation and suffering of migrant workers just ninety miles from New York City.

Dust for Blood is the result of years of painstaking research and dedication to revealing a story long buried. The book exposes the conditions faced by thousands of migrant farmworkers housed in substandard camps from World War II through the 1960s—many of whom were lured under false pretenses, trapped in cycles of debt, and left to toil in the shadows of affluence. The significance of this work earned Mark the Joseph F. Meany Award from the Association of Public Historians of New York State, an honor recognizing outstanding contributions to labor history.

His most recent nonfiction work, Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics: Station of Intolerance (History Press, 2025), continues his mission to uncover neglected histories that demand public reckoning. Whether in courtrooms, classrooms, or through the pages of his books, Mark Torres remains deeply committed to defending human dignity, shining light on injustice, and preserving the stories of those too often erased from history.