Masselli, pharmacist Gerald Weitzman, and community activist Reba Moses found a landlord in the North End of Middletown who agreed to rent out the first floor of their property. Mark camped out outside 635 Main Street for three consecutive nights, sleeping on the sidewalk with a sleeping bag and pillow, in a desperate attempt to meet the erstwhile tenant of the run-down storefront space, who had been eluding Mark and the building’s landlord for weeks.
Finally, on the third night, the tenant appeared. Mark confronted him, saying, “This is my building now, and I have a lease for it,” even though Mark had not yet signed the lease. The ruse worked, and the tenant, no doubt spooked by this strange midnight encounter, handed over the keys to Mark.