New York Magazine - USA (2022-01-03)

january3–16, 2022 | newyork 19

W

henThomasBraunsonIIIwasa

boy,heusedtocry himselftosleep

askingforhisfather.ThomasJr.

wasanaddict, andSharonGross-

Gill,Tommy’smother, wouldrub

hisbackandsay, “Yourdaddylovesyou.Butrightnow

he’s sick,sohecan’t evenshowhimselflove.”

Tommy andhismotherlivedfora whilewithheraunt

intheJacobRiisHousesontheLowerEast Side.Gross-

Gill’s aunthada daughter, AmandaJones,andthetwo

kidsgrewuplike siblings,jumpingontheredcouches

inthelivingroomthat lookedoutontotheEast River.

Inhisearly20s,Braunsonstartedcaringforhisgreat-

grandmother,whowasblind—feeding,bathing,and

walkinghertochurch,accompaniedbyhispitbull.It

wasaftershedied,Jonessays,that Braunsonstarted

gettinghighmoreregularly. He stillgotupeachmorn-

ingtogo towork—asa sanitationworker,forthePort

Authority, inconstruction—buthewouldalsodostupid

things,like shoplift, andhebouncedinandoutofprison

fora decade.

Braunsontoldhismotherthat heknew hewasdisap-

pointingher, andonefallday a few yearsago, hechecked

intorehab.Thatday, hisfatherenteredthefacility too.

They hadbeenseeingeachotherandtalkingaboutget-

tingsober, butit waspurecoincidencethat they ended

upinthesameplaceat thesametime.

WhenBraunsonlearnedhisgirlfriendwaspregnant,

heconfidedtoJonesthat hewasterrifiedofbeinga

deadbeatdad.He andhisgirlfriendwereina badcycle;

onewouldstartusing,triggeringtheothertorelapse.

Hisfamilyhopedthat thebaby, Vinessa,wouldbethe

thingheneededtogethislifetogether.Butsoonenough,

Gross-Gillgota call.Braunsonwasbound

forRikers.“Justbecauseyouhada stepback-

ward,” shesaid,“doesnotmeanthat that’s

thedirectionofyourlife.”

Whenhearrived,hewasputinanintake

pencrammedwithothermen.Thesespaces

aremeanttoholdpeople,fora fewhours,

24 hoursmax,untilthey’reassigneda bed.

Braunsonspentthreedaysthere.Themen

weren’t fed;they weren’t givenmedication.

Someweredopesick.Theytriedtosleep,tak-

ingturnslyingontheflooramidthevomit.

Ontheday Braunsonwasfinallytrans-

ferredtohishousingassignment,hemust havescored

thecocktailofheroin,fentanyl,andPCPthat wouldkill

him.Butfirsthecalledhismother. “Ijust wantyouto

knowthat I’mallright,” hesaid.Shetoldhimtohold

hisheadup,torememberwhohewas.Shesaid,“Ilove

you,baby.” Andheanswered,ashealwaysdid,“Ilove

youmore.”

THE MEN WEREN’T

FED; THEY DIDN’T GET

MEDICATION. THEY

TRIED TO SLEEP,

TAKING TURNS LYING

ON THE FLOOR AMID

THE FILTH AND VOMIT.

THOMAS EARL

BRAUNSON III, 35

APRIL 19

With his daughter, Vinessa.

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF AMANDA HOLLAND VAN STRY (VELASCO); COURTESY OF SHARON GROSS-GILL (BRAUNSON)