Hell’s Kitchen building super Regis Moore has a lifelong history of picking himself up — but a brutal attack on Saturday morning left the 73-year-old local in hospital and in need of support. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for Regis with a target of $20,000 to help with his recovery and “to help him pay bills, medical expenses and loss of income.”
Joumana Najjar, who works for the property management company, launched the campaign yesterday calling Regis “one of our most sweetest and sincerest employees.” Regis has always been resilient — spending time homeless on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen collecting cans in his late 30s/early 40s and being hit by a car on 10th Avenue.
Moore was blindsided by a man on W47th Street near 10th Avenue early on Saturday morning. The attacker began running towards Regis before viciously slugging him in the gut knocking him to the ground. NYPD has not made an arrest but has been appealing for help in identifying the assailant. They describe the alleged attacker as being around 28 to 30 years old, wearing a red jacket, gray sweatpants, black shoes, and a dark-colored baseball cap.
In the early 80s, Regis made $25 per hour at Reynolds Corporation in Woodbridge, NJ, printing colored labels on aluminum cans. When the plant closed he lost his job, then another job, then his apartment and took up residence on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.
The New York Times reported in 1988 that Moore (then 40) “ekes out a living of $24 a day working again with aluminum cans. Like 60 or so other homeless people, he scavenges, sorts and stacks cans at We Can, an unusual nonprofit redemption center in a muddy lot on West 43d Street.”
In a press report in 2014, Regis talks about being hit by a car on W47th and 10th Avenue. “There’s a blind spot when you cross the street on the far side. You need a rear view mirror to walk across the street. I got hit right where they were” he told amNY.
Regis has been the building super on W47th Street for more than 10 years. “Regis has been an exemplary employee. He is one of the most dedicated and reliable individuals you will come across. He is always beaming with positive energy and constantly wears a pleasant smile on his face,” Joumana said.
He is now at Mount Sinai Hospital with injuries including a fractured shoulder and several broken ribs. The latest update, via the GoFundMe page, says “he is in a lot of pain and the pain meds are taking a toll on his stomach.”
The GoFundMe organizers said in their appeal: “We recognize these are trying times but ask if you have anything to contribute towards this fund it will be appreciated immensely. Every little bit helps and counts.” www.gofundme.com/f/regis-recovery-fund