Fear on Madison Avenue

Two weeks have passed and there is still no arrest in the Jan. 27 murder of Henry Menahem, who was shot to death during the robbery of a Madison Avenue jewelry store. Posters stapled to sidewalk lampposts and street signs ask for tips about the fatal shooting, promising anonymity and a $2,000 reward. Police sketches of the unidentified, masked murderer are posted in businesses near R. S. Durant, at 962 Madison Ave., between East 74th and 75th streets. Many store owners and managers say they have always made security a top priority's after all, this is New York City's but the unexpected murder of the 71-year-old New Jersey man are making them fine tune their operations. â??Everybody on Madison should have ceiling cameras in the stores that are noticeable, said Donaldo Clough, manager at Pat Areias, a boutique that sells custom belts and jewelry two doors from the crime scene. â??We"re going to put in three cameras, of course. Clough, who knew the victim for several years, noted that employees at R. S. Durant, â??always leave the door open. That neutralizes a store"s first line of defense, especially on a block where most stores have a buzzer system for entry. John Lazarof, owner of Mariko, on Madison Avenue between East 78th and 77th streets, has changed his door policy. Usually, Lazarof would buzz customers in as they approached his door. Now, he waits until the customer tugs on the handle. â??We"re just extra careful, Lazarof said. â??You have to let people see the door is locked. He is confident that he won"t lose business from customers walking away; loyal patrons understand that in the city, any extra bit of security is necessary, he said. â??People from out of town say, â??Why are you locked?" Lazarof said. â??But this is New York. Even though that phrase invokes gritty, dangerous, Taxi Driver-like images from the 1970s and 1980s, crime is at a low and fatal robberies, such as the one that took Menahem"s life, are still a rarity on Madison Avenue. At a Feb. 9 safety seminar hosted by the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, Council Member Dan Garodnick told about a dozen business owners and managers that this murder was an aberration, not a change in the level of safety. â??We"re not going to retreat on crime, he said. â??We want to make sure today you have all the tools to keep you safe. Inspector James Murtagh, commanding officer of the 19th Precinct, where the crime occurred, said the relative safety of New York City could breed complacency, which leaves businesses vulnerable. â??When we get lax in our security consciousness, people take advantage, Murtagh said. â??Security works in levels's not the money you spend. He told the business owners and managers that doors with buzzers should be locked at all times and that cameras must be visible to customers and potential thieves. Cameras also must be tested regularly to make sure they are working properly and pointed toward the front door. Though the Madison Avenue BID and 19th precinct hold monthly meetings where security measures are discussed, there were new faces at this forum, prompted by the fatal robbery. Rona Blumenthal-Roth, a store manager at Morgenthal Frederics Opticians on 944 Madison Ave., between East 74th and 75th streets, had never been to a community meeting in the 20 years she"s worked on the avenue. Blumenthal-Roth said she will use tips from the forum and will network with other stores to be aware of suspicious activity. â??I"ll definitely be going to more [meetings], Blumenthal-Roth said. â??[The murder] was a little bit too close to home.