When the Bryant Park Corporation's shoe shine booth was burnt to a crisp on March 22nd and on April 6th, it was a mystery as to who lit the match... but now the man behind the fires has been caught! 71-year-old John Swain was identified by witnesses and confessed the deed to authorities yesterday at his home in the Bronx.
Swain had been working at a Grand Central Terminal stand, and the BPC's Daniel Biderman told the NY Post that he was surprised Swain was behind the fires, noting he "was a key player" in establishing a shoeshine stand at Grand Central. "He was an intelligent guy, the kind of guy who you could work with."
Officials at the BPC say Swain had worked the Bryant Park booth in the past, but they never swayed him from doing so again. However, one official had heard that when Swain "tried to come back he was told by those [men] who were working there that Biederman didn't want him to." The booth was originally put up over a decade ago to replace the shoe shiners office chair set-up, and shoe shine men are allowed to use the stands for free, and generally police themselves.
Swain was arrested and charged with two counts of fifth-degree arson. We've contacted the BPC for an update on the booth's replacement, and will update when we hear back—hopefully this one will be the last!
