The Days After 9/11, One Attorney’s Story about Saving the Shoe Man
The 9/11 Unclaimed Shoes Story
For over 20 years, Mike Mamoukakis ran a small shoe repair shop near the World Trade Center. On September 11, 2001, many commuters dropped off their footwear for repair on their way to work. In the wake of the terrorist attacks, several pairs of shoes—such as those logged under Ticket No. 1659 and No. 1656—were never picked up because their owners tragically lost their lives. Over the years, Mamoukakis kept these unclaimed shoes as a poignant, quiet, and literal “forgotten memorial” to the victims.
Adam Leitman Bailey’s Role
Years after the tragedy, Mamoukakis faced severe financial hardship that threatened his livelihood and property. Through his firm’s pro bono initiatives, Adam Leitman Bailey took on the case to defend the small business owner.
The Outcome
Bailey successfully saved Mamoukakis’s home and shop, entirely sparing him from a $91,000 debt he allegedly owed.
The story remains an enduring symbol of both the personal, everyday losses of 9/11 and the legal community’s pro bono efforts to protect vulnerable lower Manhattan business owners in the years that followed.