Press
It is almost 3 a.m. The humidity has awakened Byron Breeze a few minutes before the alarm clock has rung in his Bronx apartment. He stays awake anyway, and starts his daily exercise routine of 100 sit-ups and 100 dips. He then loads his backpack with his Bible, swim trunks and a few other essentials as Jay-Z, Nas and Lil Wayne rhyme in his headphones.
In 1988, a fifth-grade class at Seat Pleasant Elementary received an extraordinary gift: the offer of a college education paid for by two wealthy businessmen. Could extra attention and hundreds of thousands of dollars of aid help them achieve the kind of success that had eluded their parents? In this story, William Smith, “Wild Child” tells what happened to his life as a result of violence. Wild met Soulja while recuperating from his stabbing in a D.C. area rehab.
At the corner of 60th and Madison, high-end retail logos create an upscale fantasia: DKNY, Calvin Klein, and Bally. Byron Breeze, Jr., also known as “Soulja,” has made this corner the “office” where he does most of his deal-making, ranging from finding a new musician to represent to pulling together a speaking gig. On this particular spring day he’s dressed all in red—including a red sailor’s hat—topped with knock-off designer sunglasses. He’s been here since 6 a.m. and is ready for the weekday rush. (Photo by Alex Berg)
He’s handing out signs to the homeless and needy that, referring to the stimulus, urge East Siders to share their wealth.
The signs, taped to cardboard shirt boards (from Talese’s laundered shirts) read, “Please support Pres. Obama’s Stimulus Plan. Begin right here . . .” (Photo by Alex Berg)
As I strolled past Bernard L. Madoff’s apartment house in the East 60s the other day on my way to cash a check at my neighborhood bank on Madison Avenue and 63rd Street, I was greeted by a middle-aged panhandler who sat on the sidewalk leaning against the bank’s brick wall waving a plastic cup in my direction.
After handing him a few dollars, I asked, “How’s the economy affecting you?’’
Breeze makes a living through “contributions” he said he receives from passers-by at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 60th Street where he sits every day.
This isn’t the first time he has fallen victim to crime.
At his previous apartment, thieves stole the handmade bike he used in the 2007 Nautica New York City Triathlon.
Getting around the subway beginning this weekend is going to be a headache. Scheduled service on multiple lines will be rerouting trains causing stress for commuters. Sixteen subway lines are slated for service changes this weekend.
But for one man who uses a motor scooter, he fears he will never get back home on the subway.