bianca@bronxdoc.org · October 01, 2015 · Workers · 0 comments

WEB_Jerome-Ave-Workers_BW-Portraits_011

© Jesus Emmanuel

Gino Matías

1544 Jerome Ave, Bronx NY

Gino Matías standing on the porch of his office trailer located on 1544 Jerome Avenue. He has been renting this property for more than ten years after his father-in-law retired from the automobile business. Gino is 57-years-old and plans to continue repairing windows until he retires.

“Well put it like this… I ain’t save the money to get this business because this used to be my father in law business. I started working for him since the 1986 until he left this business, aound 2004-2005. They ask me if I wanted to keep it and continue on the business. You know, they left the door open for me to take it. You know, I inherited. I spoke to the landlord, he gave me the keys and I’ve been doing it since then. I grew up in Manhattan and over there it was a different story: I was a sweet guy, you know what I mean?… Over here in the Bronx I became a business man. That man changed my life, he took me out of the streets giving me the opportunity to do something constructive instead of been in the opposite, you know? ‘The other things.’ That really changed my directions, it makes me what I am today: a father with a son who just graduated from college.”

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