A Park Avenue doorman has laid bare scandalous insight into the lives of New York’s wealthiest elite in a bombshell new memoir.
Stephen Bruno’s two-decade career began in 2004 when, aged 22 and living in the Bronx, he took a job in Manhattan that would transform his life.
During his tenure at two prestigious Park Avenue buildings, Bruno, now 42, witnessed a parade of eccentric behavior from steamy affairs to surprising stinginess – and was even chased by a man with a hammer during one particularly terrifying night shift.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Bruno recalled once catching two male tenants sneaking into each other’s apartments on different floors.
‘During the overnight shifts, I noticed one gentleman would go from the 14th floor to the 7th floor during the night. The one gentleman was involved with another gentlemen,’ he said.
‘Another time, someone would meet a girl on the corner in a convertible. You see it all,’ he added.
Stephen Bruno, a Park Avenue doorman and now author, has revealed the scandalous secrets and terrifying encounters from his two decades of service to New York’s elite
Bruno’s memoir offers a rare glimpse into the hidden world of New York’s elite through the eyes of the man who held the door
Bruno’s memoir, ‘Building Material,’ is set to be published by Harper on September 24
Bruno’s new memoir, ‘Building Material,’ is set to be published by Harper on September 24, 2024.
It offers a rare glimpse into the hidden world of New York’s elite through the eyes of the man who held the door.
Ahead of its launch, Bruno has exclusively revealed some of his most memorable moments on the job to DailyMail.com.
Before becoming a doorman at 22, Bruno described himself as an ‘incredibly immature trouble-maker,’ who had been expelled from college and kicked out of his church.
Bruno’s mom had begged his brother to put in a good word for him at work.
And as a troubled young man with no motivation or direction at the time, he credits his new job for ‘saving his life.’
‘The job just saved me,’ he admitted. ‘I was totally apathetic about my future – I had no plans. I was just kind of breathing through life and I conveyed a general sense of really not caring.’
‘Almost immediately that changed,’ Bruno continued.
‘As a doorman you have to care about everything – down to the color of your socks. The job immediately provided structure and got me to care about the small things and that got me to care about the big things – like schools.’
During his tenure at two prestigious Park Avenue buildings, including 411 Park Avenue, Bruno witnessed a parade of eccentric behavior, steamy affairs, and surprising stinginess from some of the city’s wealthiest residents
He once caught two male tenants sneaking onto each other’s floors, Bruno revealed to Dailymail.com
But it wasn’t all glamour and intrigue.
Bruno said his most dangerous encounter during his time as a doorman was when he was chased by a hammer-wielding maniac after a night shift.
‘There have been dangerous moments,’ he recalled. ‘One time, after a night shift, around 7am, a pickup truck drove over the corner so abruptly and fast that I thought it was a police officer.’
‘Suddenly, a man pulls a hammer out of his jacket and just starts chasing me.’
Eventually, the maniac drove off and did the same thing again to someone else on the street.
‘I almost got impaled by that hammer. That was the most dangerous situation I’ve ever encountered,’ Bruno confessed.
Bruno recounted his most dangerous encounter of his time as a doorman: being chased by a hammer-wielding maniac after a night shift
He also revealed the stark contrast in generosity among tenants.
While some showered Bruno with lavish tips – one tenant once gifted him $750 and never asked for a thing – others were shockingly frugal.
One tenant just gave him a candy bar for Christmas – after asking for favors all year round.
‘It’s insulting,’ Bruno said. ‘I give more to my coffee guy.’
The most demanding and difficult tenants were typically the cheapest, Bruno added.
‘When you think about the disparity between how hard you work for them and how they live, and then how little you can get at Christmas – it’s insulting. At that point, I would rather get nothing.’
Despite the few bad apples, Bruno said overall the tenants were great people who ‘respect the working man’.
The generous and kind people, you ‘never forget,’ he said.
He also revealed the stark contrast in generosity among tenants. While some showered Bruno with lavish tips, including once a $750 tip, others were shockingly frugal with one giving him a candy bar for Christmas
However, after decades of rubbing elbows with the upper echelon on New York City society – including hosting fundraisers for former President Bill Clinton – Bruno’s perspective on wealth evolved over time.
‘After 20 years, I’m not so impressed by wealth anymore,’ he stated. ‘I’ve been in their homes, met their families and friends, driven their cars – held their babies, even walked their dogs. They’re people just like you and me.’
‘Sure, they have more zeros in their bank accounts, but they have fears, aspirations, and failures too.’
Bruno added that his days of idolizing the wealthy are over.
‘You’re told to worship them with their marble floors,’ he said, ‘but they’re just marble floors to me now.
However, after decades of rubbing elbows with the upper echelon on New York City society – including hosting fundraisers for former President Bill Clinton – Bruno’s perspective on wealth evolved over time. Bruno said his days of idolizing the wealthy are over
Now as he prepares to embark on his writing career, he reflected on the lessons learned. ‘If I could speak to my 22-year-old self, I’d tell him not to take the job for granted. This job has taken care of me so much’
Bruno’s journey from a directionless youth to a seasoned doorman wasn’t without its challenges.
He recalled the stern words of his first superintendent in his book: ‘The residents are not your friends. They don’t care about you. To them, you’re just another guy working in the building.’
Yet Bruno persevered – completing his education part-time and graduating with an English degree from John Jay College.
Now as he prepares to embark on his writing career, he reflected on the lessons learned.
‘If I could speak to my 22-year-old self, I’d tell him not to take the job for granted,’ he told Dailymail.com.
‘I was lucky I didn’t get fired. Now, I’m a great worker and take a lot of pride in what I do, Bruno added.
‘This job has taken care of me so much, and I wish I could have shaken myself back then and said, «This job will take care of you if you take care of it.»‘
