The Break-in At Whiting Street

February 23, 1991, Lynn,Massachusetts

I had often cautioned Youngor to avoid wearing her fine jewelry around our neighborhood. Our apartment on Whiting Street was barely one block away from the Lynn Commons, which in the early 1990s was a high crime area; the go to place for drugs & prostitution. Muggings and robberies were not uncommon in that area. On the night of the 23rd Youngor was working a 3-11 shift at Lenox Hill. I got home at 7 p.m., climbed the 3 flights of stairs to our apartment & noticed right away something was wrong. Someone had used a sledgehammer to bash in the front door. Inside the apartment it was clear we had been ransacked.

Initially I was suspecting a COINTELPRO type operation.  I saw my recent issues of MOTHER JONES, THE PROGRESSIVE & NACLA REPORT ON THE AMERICAS on the floor, and thought the Bush Administration was harassing anti war dissidents. My mind changed upon looking more closely at the items missing. Youngor’s jewelry, our stereo, & Youngor’s Color TV were gone, the items easiest to paen for cash.  I immediately called Youngor at work & then the Lynn Police. They showed up an hour later & dusted Youngor’s empty jewelry box for fingerprints. I knocked on the door of every neighbor on the floor, thinking someone must have heard a sledgehammer hitting a door. No one saw anything, I was told. We never found out who was responsible.