This is an interesting opportunity for me to address the whole "mafia" misconception. If your hero grew up in Bensonhurst and he has contacts there, he knows mob people, grew up with them, and, other than knowing that their family is "connected", doesn't treat them any differently than any other neighbor. Most mob members are very small time. If he knows someone who grew up to become a member of "Murder Inc." and he is an honest man, he doesn't go out of his way to socialize with them any more, but, other than that, he doesn't acknowledge it one way or the other. Other than the very famous kingpins, you wouldn't know by a family that it has connections....it's just likely that all the relations are successful in business because people want to curry favor with the powerful family. It's odd...but it hasn't changed in forever.
As for the apartment, depending on your timeframe, they could have bought it PRIOR to the latest real estate boom and acknowledge that she'd never be able to afford it now...but there are only a few years left on the 15 year mortgage...or something like that. In the mid '90s, there was a glut of housing and all prices were depressed. The latest boom didn't start until interest rates came way down. It has long been acknowledged that the "rent control" argument didn't even save the Friends apartment from being a total farce. Not only is it impossible that they afford it, but there's NO WAY the main room could have a loft layout with the bedrooms off to the side. So just discount that. Jerry Seinfeld's apartment was about right for a west side unit...1BR, galley kitchenette, no DR, about 650 sq feet. It would cost about $2500-3000.
I have a girlfriend who has an amazing railroad apartment in a brownstone in the west 80s. It appears large because everything is off one long hall that runs front to back (as Brownstones tend to do....they are deep and narrow). She pays $4000 a month. She affords it by renting the house she and her ex husband used to own in the suburbs for $3500 and splitting that with him. So it costs her $1750 from the house plus $2225 from her income. She's a software salesperson and makes about $150,000 a year. You may think that's alot of money, but she's in the highest tax bracket for federal and NY State is a high income tax state (about 11%). So she only sees 50% of her income. Figure 75,000 less rent = $48,000. -401K = 35,000; - phone, gas, electric = 31,000; - insurance = 30,000 - commute or garage for car plus car insurance = 24,000; -food (groceries and restaurants) = 12,000; - clothes and sundries = 0.
I know these sound like wacky numbers, but it really is possible to be poor in NYC on 150K per year. The problem is that EVERYTHING is a little more expensive than everywhere else. Not just housing. Even if she went to suburbia (NJ) to shop for clothing and sundries, it would be a small boon.
Sherry (We can keep this online if others are interested, or Lynn and I can continue this offline...whatever makes the group happy)
