I first heard of Mickey Barreto a few hours after he was arrested early on Valentine’s Day this year. He had been arraigned in a Manhattan court in what prosecutors said was a blatant, persistent scheme to take ownership of the once-grand New Yorker Hotel in Midtown. Mr. Barreto’s bizarre takeover bid was based on a one-night stay he booked more than five years ago.
As a reporter for the Metro desk who covers the intersection of real estate and politics in New York, I often write about developers, property owners and real estate deals. But never had I come across a hotel guest who became a long-term resident and eventual owner, at least on paper. I knew I had to find out how it all began.
Mr. Barreto’s saga had the makings of an only-in-New-York story. So my editor, Judy Tong, and I decided I should write a short article about the charges. I called a number for Mr. Barreto, but no one answered. While I waited, I kept reporting.
I learned that Mr. Barreto’s entanglement with the New Yorker Hotel began in July 2018, when he booked a one-night stay for $200.57 and refused to check out the next morning. After bellhops removed his things from his room, 2565, he went to New York City Housing Court, arguing that an obscure section of the city’s rent law allowed him to stay at the hotel at a discounted rate on a long-term lease. He was right, a judge said.
Over the next few years, Mr. Barreto, now 49, made moves that went beyond the rights of a permanent guest, twice filing deeds with the city’s Department of Finance claiming that he had taken ownership of the New Yorker Hotel. According to him, the judge’s order allowing him to reside
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