b'\x02Trailblazers in a Mans WorldAnn Sabatino GiudiceNYCHA, SuperintendentMember since 1970I started with the Housing Authority in 1970 as a receptionist [the clerk-typisttitle] at Carey Gardens in Coney Island. My youngest son, Sal, was 7, my daughter,Annette, was 10, and Danny was 16. My oldest son, Charles, was 20. I used to go home during lunch to check on the kids;I lived only six minutes away by car, in the Sheepshead- Nostrand Houses.Im fortunate that my neighbors were so good to me. We were like family, and they looked after my children.Then I went to ODwyer Houses, where I continued as a receptionist. I took the civil service exam for superintendentssecretary [senior clerk title] and in 1975 I went to Riis Houses in the Lower East Side as a superintendents secretary.In 1977 I went back to Brooklyn, to Breukelen Houses. I used to kid around with the fellas on the heating crew. Therewas a firemans exam coming up and my oldest son, Charles, was taking classes. I used to drive him, because they were atnight and he didnt have a car, so I enrolled in the class, too. I studied during my lunch hour, and on Sundays with myson. I did it because it was a promotionI had four kids and was divorced. (Now Im married to Sal Giudice; weve beenmarried for 25 years.) It wasnt easy. I prepared supper for my kids in the morning. I worried about them. I passed theexam (one of two women). My son did, too.Thats when I joined Local 237. Before that I was a member of District Council 37.I was on the heating crew at Central Maintenance, traveling to different locations. It was dirty work, crawling in holeswith rats and roaches. It was hard keeping up with all those young men. The supervisor told the guys they had to treat mewith respect, and they did. They were good to me. I always had a partner, wherever I went. They included me when theywent to lunch thats important when youre in an area you dont know.The worst part of the job was wearing that uniform. I was used to getting dressed for work. I always wore a dress or asuit in the office. Now I had to wear baggy pants, heavy work shoes, a heavy chain with keys hanging from my pants. Nomanicures, no jewelry (but my son told me to keep my wedding ring on!). I wore my hair short. Now everyone dresseslike that and wears their hair short, but then it was different.I passed the assistant superintendent exam and in 1981 was promoted to assistant superintendent, at Van DykeHouses in Brooklyn. It was tough. They never had a woman in charge before. There were a lot of macho men working inmaintenance. They accepted me as a superintendents secretary, but once I became a supervisor, it was different; I wasmaking more than they were.I worked at Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses as assistant superintendent, then in the elevator mechanic section in thecity, where I was in charge of violations [as Assistant Superintendent of Elevator Violations at Central Maintenance] anddid mostly paperwork [submitting reports on the status of violations, non-technical and mandated inspections].79 '