Man Killed in East Village Gas Explosion Remembered

Nicholas Figueroa was one of two people killed in the East Village last week. He was on a date at Sushi Park, the restaurant a floor above the explosion. He was just paying the bill when the building went up in flames.

Now all that's left on the corner of East Seventh Street and Second Avenue is blackened rubble strewn along the street. Crews continue to sift debris.

On Monday night in East Harlem, the Figueroa family gathered at their apartment. Nicholas was the oldest of Nixon Figueroa and Ana Lanza's three boys.

"He was my rock," Nixon said, choking on his words. "I got pain, I don't know what to do without my son Nicholas."  

Ana reached out and touched her husband's arm.

Nicholas was the first member of his family to graduate from college —SUNY Buffalo in December. "He was the golden child, he was everything to us," Ana said.

Nicholas and his college roommate Sultan Bagudu were close. Bagudu remembered Nicholas transforming from a shy freshman to a social butterfly who looked for adventure. He went hang gliding and even flew an airplane. He liked to hike and joined the outdoors club. The two swapped Japanese comic books and went to indie rock concerts.

"Nick had a very carpe deim kind of view. You know, life is short and you should experience it do the things you want to do," Bagudu said by phone from Buffalo.

Nicholas Figueroa, (leaning against a tree), one of two people killed in the East Village following a suspected gas explosion.

(Courtesy of Sultan Bagudu/WNYC)

But he said Nicholas loved New York City, and wanted to put his degree in criminal justice toward a career as a police officer. So he headed home to figure things out, working at Chelsea Piers in the meantime.

Nicholas' mother Ana agreed that her son lived a full life. She remembered how he planned a family vacation to visit an ice cave and how he organized a hot air balloon ride. And then she suddenly remembered something her son had said that she'd never shared with anyone, including her own family.

"He had such a strong feeling that he told me, 'Ma I'm going to die at 23.'  He knew, he knew it. He had to live day by day."

"He told you that?" her son Neal said, surprised.

"He did," she replied.

Nicholas was indeed 23 when he was killed in the East Village last week. The family is raising money for the funeral.