The doorman returns, a profession that provides security, cleanliness, services, and community life.

CONDOMINIUM DOORMAN JOB

For decades, the profession of doorman was a symbol of Italian prosperity. Both for the owners and tenants who benefited from their work, and for many Italians who saw this profession as a great opportunity for social and economic growth . I remember a survey I conducted in the Marche region, regarding the rapid industrial boom of the 1960s and 1970s: before then, impoverished farmers from the Marche region would come to Rome on foot (yes, walking) to hunt for a job as a doorman.

This precious profession, so narrative-rich that it has spawned a vast literature of books and films, from Totò and Peppino to Simenon to the best-seller The Elegance of the Hedgehog , has gradually faded , buffeted by the winds of wasteful modernity. The microcosm of the concierge, even before the many services offered, has been deemed useless, partly due to the usual laws that have increased its costs, not its salary, which have become prohibitive for many condominium owners.

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GOALKEEPER JOB

But the wheel of economics and lifestyle, fortunately for us, always turns, and sometimes leads us to rediscover pleasures and opportunities we had forgotten. Thus, doormen , according to various field surveys conducted by associations such as Confedilizia and Assoedilizia, are slowly making a comeback . In Milan , there are more than 8 and growing, in Rome the percentage of those working part-time is increasing (34 percent), and even in Naples, the legendary jack-of-all-trades, all-knowledge doorman is being hired again.

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THE RETURN OF THE GOALKEEPER JOB

Where does the return of this figure and this job come from? Again, modernity, but in this case it's been metabolized and well-interpreted. In our apartment buildings, we need more security and cleanliness : doormen ensure both. So much so that in buildings where they are employed, thefts are 80 percent lower than in buildings without doormen. And as for cleaning, the idea of ​​outsourcing everything to external companies often disappoints residents.

Then there's the boom in online shopping , which means packages and mail. Who receives them? No one, unless there's a concierge. Finally, the job of concierge is increasingly proving to be a key factor in fostering healthy immigration: in Milan, for example, there's a very high percentage (75 percent of foreigners working as concierges) of Filipino concierges. They're excellent and kind.

The return to the doorman, a profession that needs to be reevaluated , is a typical example of new jobs emerging from old ones, and should also be encouraged with tax breaks for condominiums that hire this type of person. But it also represents the rediscovery of a community paradigm , a desire to be together, to feel part of a community, even that of a small condominium. With a man, or a woman, or both, and their families, who effectively become the guardians of our shared life.

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