Manhattan Media and 32BJ salute the people who keep the city buildings running.
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BY JIMMY BRESLIN
Published: September 9, 2007
Here the other night was Jane Schatz and people in her building waving excitedly at their doorman, Nathaniel Deleon, who was in the crowded room to accept an award as Doorman of the Year. He has done 30 years at 535 West 110th Street in Manhattan. He was getting the award from his union 32BJ, the building employees.
He was a little irritated about the way he got the award. He got a call on his cell phone one day from a woman who said he had won and as he did not know who she was, he was skeptical.
"Why after 30 years do they play a joke on me?" he said.
This was not just some award to make everybody happy and see their names in the papers. Since the attack on the World Trade Center, Jane Schatz and her crowd and a lot of others have decided that doormen like Deleon are their surest early warning.
Who else would they trust? This Homeland Security dodge put together by Bush the President? Take a look at Michael Chertoff as protector. Such fierceness! So strong of voice and face!
And purportedly defending them is Bush the President, who can't even get an English sentence together to warn anybody of anything. Yes, he looked so out of it in Australia, as reported everywhere, that the easy thing to say is that he is a major public drunk. Which doesn't make any sense. Because obviously Bush the President is having a brush with the truth and it has him scared witless.
And those at this award meeting would rather trust the working people, who come to work with eyes that see for you rather than loiterers on the Homeland Security payroll.
Homeland Security starts on your block.
"Which one would you want to be the lookout for you, Bush or Nate Deleon?" Jane Schatz said. She laughed. "Can you imagine Bush doing anything useful?"
The night of awards was thrilling for somebody who feels the city is stricken with hedge fund frauds and stock and bond thieves. First was Gloria Coreas, voted the Midtown Office Cleaner of the Year. That title alone had me crazy. She works in a building at 26th Street, and after five years there she and the rest of the cleaners were fired with one day's notice. Gloria went right out into the street with leaflets and a strong voice and at the end of a couple of days the company had one hand on the ropes and the other holding the door for Gloria to come back. "You must have it come from within and fight," she said. "But now I don't like to talk about it. So ugly. They tried to take our jobs."
Now she got her award and was asked her age. "Don't you mention anything," she said. "All the ladies is not passing that on."
The Lower Manhattan Office Cleaner of the Year was Sandra Henao and there was Dioniosio Marte, who is called Johnny, and is the Handyman of the Year for his work every day at 215 West 85th St. He was alone when he got up for his award. When somebody asked for his wife and family he became emotional and he said it was too much for him to bring his wife and three children. "I guess I wasn't ready for this. I can't explain it," he said, mostly with his hands.
Now Deleon was called. He still was a little apprehensive about getting something. He grew up with a grandmother in Puerto Rico and nobody ever gave him anything. He started in his building 30 years ago. He thinks that his country never should have gone into Iraq. Now because of the war, he feels he has a lookout role that is more vital than anything he had imagined. He still wonders why he would get a award for anything at any time. "This doesn't happen in my family."
Just before he was called, he was asked where his wife and children were. "My wife is in Puerto Rico. Her mother is sick. It doesn't matter. She doesn't believe I will get an award. My kids do not believe this. They don't want to come here for no prize."
When he was called, he came to the front of the room and immediately had trouble talking. A tear went down his cheek. Then he was in full tears. A beautiful, vulnerable man who is, bet anything, about as tough as you can get. Finally he said, "You touch my heart." The night was over. All the people in his building said that they knew who they trust for their homeland security.
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