East Village couple Adam Berk and Karen Kushkin were out celebrating a $2,850 default judgment against their landlord, Steven Croman, of Croman Realty, in January when someone broke into their ground floor apartment, burglarized it, and set it on fire. Their beloved Labrador, Foster, died a week later as a result of smoke inhalation, and although the couple isn't directly accusing Croman of arson, they tell the Post he still deserves the blame.
In February, detectives arrested "career criminal" Jorge Molina after he was caught using a credit card stolen from the apartment. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of stolen property in June, but investigators were unable to prove that he started the blaze. But Berk tells the tabloid, "I blame the criminal the least; I blame Croman most of all." The couple had been locked in a bitter legal dispute with Croman Realty in the months leading up to the fire; at issue, apparently, was Croman's refusal to lock two doors that allowed easy access to their back yard.
They happened to be out celebrating the small claims ruling in their favor on the night of the burglary and arson, the Post reports. They've since moved into a new apartment and gotten a new dog, and say they're considering filing a civil lawsuit against Croman Realty. Croman isn't commenting, but the property manager says the couple was to blame for allegedly leaving a window ajar the night of the break-in. You may recall that Croman bought the Amato Opera on the Bowery back in 2009 for $3.7 million, or $681 per square-foot.
