Francisco aka Frankie, 59

Frankie is from the Bronx but has lived in all parts of the city such as Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Frankie has children in Atlanta and a son here in New York. He tries to take the train to Atlanta if his financial situation allows. He has grandchildren too and describes himself as a “family man”. Frankie said he is struggling because the “economy is fucked up” and his “arm is fucked up”. He said his brother broke his arm three weeks ago and abused him as a child. He called his brother the “snake, crack-head in the family”. He said he has no family here. “All I got is me”. His last consistent job was in construction. Frankie said that the companies he worked for underbid and do projects for less than they are able. Because of this, Frankie said workers get underpaid and laid off all the time. Frankie has been staying in a shelter around the corner.  He said he spends the night there but they don’t have a bed for him so he has to leave at 7 am. When he gets kicked out, he sleeps on the subway if he needs more sleep. He walked me to his subway of choice to show me. Frankie gets a disability check from the government since he hurt his ankle on a construction job in 2008. He said a friend stole $600 of his money without having his pin number. He said he has to report it. He said usually the check lasts him but since it was stolen, he has no choice but to panhandle, because he does not want to sell drugs or rob and steal. He just needs a couple dollars so he can “get something to eat” and “go about his business”. Frankie does not have his phone because somebody stole his iPhone 11 and he only bought it 4 months ago so does not want to buy another one. Frankie said in 2013, all went “downhill” because when he got disability, an ex-girl of his found out. She lives up in Albany and sued him to support children that he said are not even his since she knew he got a $300,000.00 settlement.  He said she did not know how to pick the father so she chose him. He said the lawyers threatened to take anything he had including his insurance and passport. Frankie told me about how the streets are competitive for who handles the right spots like opening certain doors. The picture features everything Frankie owns. He said the lady at the storage unit stole all his stuff. He said he only missed 2 months and had been paying the bill for the last 7 years. He said he lost “suits, ties, Versace, Gucci, [Lacoste] Gators, all that shit gone” that he wears.  He said that he is a “warrior” and talked about some of the horrible things he has seen. He talked about the danger of homeless shelters. He said “white people don’t go in there and I don’t blame them”. He said “everyone is doing drugs in there” and “people on parole are in there…rapists, murderers, and pedafiles”.  Frankie said “a dude tore a ligament in his hand”. Frankie said there are no requirements. He said “you walk in the fire and you don’t even know it until someone ignites that shit”. Frankie said the people who run the shelters “know people like that are in there but they don’t tell you shit”. Frankie laid down and showed me how he sleeps with his clothes on and one eye open every night.. He said “he might take his shoes off”, but “does not sleep on his stomach” because he “does not know who is staring at his ass”. Frankie said he takes videos of people doing drugs and shows it to the people who run some shelters and asks “do you want me to be around this” and he said “they don’t care as long as no one fucks with their money. I can be a dead body. They don’t care about me”. He said this is why people also want to steal his phone. We talked about cops and he said “cops aint doing their job…just cleaning it up after…that’s good” but now some people’s life are in danger because they are not doing their job. Frankie also talked about the struggles of not getting housing because he is very functional although he is handicap. He said the people who get housing are the ones who are not functional and go to the bathroom on themselves etc. Frankie was proud that his son, Frankie Jr. was happy to see him the other day…He said probably because he thought Frankie was dead. Frankie voiced his pride that his children and grand kids do very well, have never been to jail and never do drugs. He wants his children and the next generations to learn from him and do better in life. We care about you, Frankie. Safe healing, see you soon.

Story by Tara