NoLiTa True Crime, Continued: Gina protects my apartment.

On leaving my apartment yesterday morning, the lock got stuck; the door was bolted, but I couldn’t lock it all the way or open it again. So I called Gina, the super of my building and one of the last bastions of the Little Italy Old Guard. I came home that night to find that the problem was fixed.

This morning, Gina told me how she did it: “Oh, I just told the maintenance guy to crawl in through the fire escape, and come out your front door. But you know where he went? He came out of your neighbor’s apartment!” Gina laughs heartily. “He says to me, ‘Gina, you’re gonna get me arrested, here!” But he got in your apartment okay. You got anything else you need me to do?”

Note to self: extra-big Christmas tip for Gina this year. You know, you gotta pay your respects.