On Tuesday morning, December 26, 2023, a 56-year-old real estate broker, Thomas “Tom” Cooper, is believed to have jumped to his death from a luxury building in New York City.
The incident took place at a four-story structure located on East 67th Street. This area is renowned for its proximity to Madison Avenue’s upscale shopping zone.
Renato Cera, the building’s superintendent, recognized Cooper, a resident of the building and a real estate broker affiliated with Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Police disclosed that Cooper left behind a suicide note before leaping from the top floor of the building at 18 E. 67th Street around 7:19 a.m. He was discovered on the sidewalk and immediately transported to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
Cera expressed his sorrow while recalling Cooper as a congenial individual who frequently engaged in amiable conversations with him. According to Cera, Cooper lived by himself and apparently did not have relatives visiting him. The last interaction between Cera and Cooper was about two weeks prior, during which Cooper appeared content and exchanged pleasantries with Cera about the maintenance of the building.
He noted that Cooper had undergone stomach surgery during the summer, but the details of the operation remained unclear. Cooper had been living in the building for at least a year, the duration of Cera’s appointment as the superintendent.
Cooper’s final post on Instagram was a joyful image of him next to a magnificent Christmas tree in the lobby of The Police Building at 240 Center Street.
Vincent Scaldaferri, a site supervisor at a nearby building, initially mistook the falling figure for a bundle of laundry. He recounted the shocking scene of the body’s impact on the sidewalk, observing the victim’s convulsions and severe injuries. Scaldaferri was so affected by the event that he chose not to work that day, attributing his absence to the traumatic nature of the incident.
The building from which Cooper fell, erected in 1905, is distinguished by its exclusive apartments. A notable example is a three-bedroom unit that was leased for $9,000 a month last year.