One afternoon, while I was tucked away in the cramped office at the David Rubenstein Atrium, the door swung open abruptly, and in walked Richie Greene, clad in a form-fitting, dark two-tone suit, trailed by two high-ranking security officers. I had no idea who he was, but his entrance was marked by a barrage of profanities—“f**k this and motherf**k that!” As he caught the sound of my English accent, he quipped:

“Do you have a Green Card?” And just like that, he was gone, leaving a whirlwind of energy in his wake.

Moments later, Jean strolled in, a smile spreading across his face.

“Who was that guy?” I asked, still taken aback.
“Ah, that’s Witchie Gweene,” Jean chuckled. “He’s the director of security. He likes to cuss!”

Richie took the lead role of all VIP and high-profile events. I watched him coordinate with the FBI during the visit of the Chinese ambassador, handling everything with aplomb, grace and efficiency.

I got to know Richie better after I relocated to the main operations building. His office was just down the hall from mine. With a background shaped by service in Vietnam and time spent as a front-line operative on the NYPD’s SWAT team, Richie quickly became not only a good friend but also a reliable drinking companion.

Remarkably, his colorful language seemed to vanish whenever I visited Lincoln Center for an evening out with my wife. On those occasions, Richie and the LCPA team made it a point to ensure our nights were nothing short of special.

Lincoln Center Security

Every morning at 8:00 AM sharp, the security team squeezed into the conference room at 146 West 65th Street. This cramped bunker, with its unforgiving metal chairs and blasts of arctic air from the oversized AC, became the daily hub for the energy of old-school West Indians, sharp-witted Black Americans, seasoned Italian Americans, stoic Latinos, proud Africans, and a spirited Greek.

Amid this group was Officer Maclean, one of the few women in the security ranks. She was a beacon of positivity and treasured by her colleagues for her affable nature. Whenever I saw her, she’d flash a smile, and with a heartfelt tap to her chest, say:

“Make sure you have a blessed day.” It was a simple greeting, but it had a way of leaving me with lasting warmth.

Sergeant Harry Fisher, better known as Fish, was an imposing figure—well over six feet tall and almost as broad. Despite his formidable size, he had a genial, jolly demeanor, though he took his job seriously. Fish worked the early morning shift, so when I arrived at 7:00 AM, I often found him outside my office, making photocopies for the daily briefing, his deep sighs echoing through the hallway. There was something about him that reminded me of John Candy’s character in Uncle Buck—a blend of humor and quiet pathos.

One day, our human resources department announced a Harry Potter-themed competition, inviting staff to name the perfect campus location for an entrance to a secret wizard hollow. The prize was a pair of tickets to the premiere of the next Harry Potter movie. A week later, it was revealed that Sergeant Harry Fisher had won. The next day, I ran into Fish and congratulated him on his victory. With a wide grin, he confessed, “I love Harry Potter; I’m a huge fan. My wife and I even had a Harry Potter-themed wedding!”

**Security Officer Dalmineras** (center)

After joining the main operations team in 2013, I made it my mission to walk the campus daily, checking for areas in need of care. Every time I entered David Geffen Hall, Officer Dalmineras would glance at me, then look away. The other guards were always quick to nod, fist bump, or share a bit of gossip, so Dalmineras’s cold shoulder threw me. After a month of constant silence, I caught myself thinking, “If he’s not going to say hello, neither will I!”

Eventually, I decided to stop acting like a ten-year-old and asked a colleague about him. That’s when I learned Dalmineras was Greek. Now, Greece isn’t just a country to me—it’s a love affair. I dream of moving to Crete, spending weekends in Athens, and feasting on grilled fish in Kos every day. I’ve been vacationing there since my twenties, and it’s never disappointed me.

Armed with this new knowledge, the next time I entered David Geffen Hall, I walked right up to Dalmineras and extended my hand. He gave me a blank stare and a half-hearted handshake.

“You’re Greek?” I asked.
“Yeah, who told you that?”
“I love Greece. I’m headed there this summer.”
“You do? You are?”

I produced my phone and showed him pictures of the apartment I’d rented for two weeks in Kos. As he scrolled through, his face lit up.

“Kos is in Greece?”
“It’s one of the islands.”

I found out that Dalmineras was a Hell's Kitchen native who had never set foot in Greece but from that day on, things changed. When I walked into David Geffen Hall, I’d get a shy smile, a firm handshake, and an eager chat about all things Greek. I’d share stories about my travels and even introduced him to my favorite childhood book, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, which inspired the PBS series The Durrells in Corfu.

Richie Greene & the Security Department

Lincoln Center Security