Authorities have arrested five people in connection with the deadly gas explosion that took place in the East Village last year. Four of the five arrested have been charged with involuntary manslaughter as the explosion, killed two men, injured dozens of others and forced hundreds of people to vacate their homes. The blast, which took place 121 Second Avenue and brought three buildings down to the ground, is now being said to be a direct result of “landlord hungry to cash in on soaring rents at the expense of doing the proper work to ensure the safety of both the residents in the building and the surrounding neighborhood,” according to Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr. More below.
(Photo) Man Refuses To Leave Gutted NYC Rent-Stabilized Apartment
Rory Denis refuses to move out of his rent-stabilized East Village apartment in New York City, regardless if he’s the last tenant left as the building undergoes major construction and gets gutted from top to bottom. The 66-year-old, who has lived in the building since 1979, claims “I have nowhere to go. I’d literally be homeless if I did. This is my home, and I have memories here,” said Denis.
