By day, Dana B. Friedman, 63, is a trial attorney at Kleinberg & Friedman law firm downtown. By night, the Kew Gardens resident transforms into ol’ Saint Nick, donating “truckloads of toys” to charities, something he started doing after 9/11 by giving back to first responders’ families.
“I hope the kids get out of it as much as I get out of it,” said Friedman. “The joy is just overwhelming.”
With over 100 Santa appearances this season, Friedman leans into time management. The law comes first, but, “I’ve always been able to adjourn conflicted matters and never have missed an appearance, whether judicially or as Santa,” he said. “It’s something I’m extremely proud of.”
The roles rarely co-mingle, but once, when en route to a charity event, Friedman got a last-minute call to fill in for another attorney. He wore a long black trench coat over his Santa suit, but the judge wasn’t having it and asked him to remove the coat, revealing his signature red and white attire.
“I believe the suit and tie represent respect for the law and quite possibly the judge felt I was not showing proper etiquette and decorum,” said Friedman, who confirmed to the judge he was on his way to a charity event. “I didn’t want to use our philanthropic deeds to be improperly taken into consideration. However, I won the hearing.”
His firm’s paralegals weren’t always on board with his side ho-ho-hustle. Initially, he got mixed reactions from colleagues, but after seeing joyful children at his charity events, “most have seen the light and joined in the fun as elves or Santa’s helpers.”
Friedman has nine Santa suits — one is always in his car for last-minute invitations, and said the Santa gig has made him a better lawyer. “It’s made me a better listener,” he said.
Whenever he wears the Santa garb, though, “I’m the real thing,” he added. “That’s it, period. End of story. I treat it that way.”
So does Greg Walsh, 60, of College Point, Queens, owner of Greg’s Trees, which has Christmas tree stands in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. For the past six years, Walsh has been Santa at his locations.
“I have a big white beard, rosy cheeks, blue eyes,” said Walsh. “I don’t want to say I’m fat, but I’m almost 300 pounds, so I look like Santa — there’s no doubt.”
Gary Dreifus, 68, a Merrick resident and CEO of Magical Promotions, a company dedicated to the art of magic, lists Santa Claus as a job title on his LinkedIn profile, and for nearly 50 years he’s played jolly old Saint Nicholas.
Having worked at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s in Manhattan, Dreifus has been encountering a new trend: pets. Last year, an elf asked him to pose with two puppies. “The puppies were the size of horses,” he recalled. There was also a celebrity appearance from Wrinkle the Duck who waddled last year’s NYC marathon. “The duck was on my arm, not in my lap.”
George McTyre, 61, of New Haven, has appeared as Santa in Hallmark movies, at Radio City and parties at country clubs and homes. He’s experienced heartwarming moments, such as when one girl said, “‘I already got what I wanted for Christmas. My leukemia’s in remission.’ They were getting Christmas pictures because she was going to be OK. I cried, the elves cried.”
Another extreme involved a frisky grandmother in her 80s. “She grabbed my ass and she was coming in for a kiss,” said McTyre. “I had to make a joke saying, ‘Mrs. Claus won’t like this.’”
Speaking of Santa’s better half, Ann Votaw, 48, of Inwood, temporary administrative assistant, channels Mrs. Claus through freelance work. “I’m an independent Claus,” said Votaw, who mentioned the role is a “joyful part of myself.”
Although Santa’s typically the main draw, Votaw says Mrs. Claus is “a good warm-up. I’ll say, ‘What are you going to tell Santa?’ They get so nervous if they forget to tell him what they want. My job is to remind them.”
Several summers ago, Robbie Eicher, 38, director at RWS Entertainment Group, worked as an elf at Santa’s Village Theme Park in Jefferson, NH. The Hell’s Kitchen resident recalled daily meet-and-greets. Two fawns, little Comet and Cupid, were on leashes to meet morning guests at the front gate, but Comet busted loose.
“We had a moment of eye contact and then, boom! He was gone,” Eicher said. “Running through the parking lot, I started chasing him yelling, ‘Halt! Halt!’”
He finally caught up with Comet near the dog kennels. Eicher turned to the kids and said, “Good thing Comet hasn’t been to flying lessons yet or he’d be halfway across the world now.”
Many Santas are volunteers, but it can be a lucrative gig, too. Mitch Allen, 51, is “head elf” at HireSanta, based in Southlake, Tex. His staffing agencies place Santas and Santa’s helpers throughout the country.
A Santa working the full season can earn between $7,000 and $15,000, working six or seven days a week. An elf in NYC can earn $20 or more per hour.
“You have to be energetic, have a twinkle in your eye, gotta love kids and not only do you have to be patient with children, you gotta be patient with their parents,” said Allen, adding that this is a great job for people in the drama industry or college students, since the hours are flexible and you’re getting some experience.
Mall-style work is generally between six and eight hours a day, but some Santas do freelance gigs, sometimes at four or five different locations in the same day.
You’ll do best if you have “a real beard, real belly and are real jolly,” but there’s also a need for diversity, whether in language or ethnicity. “This year we have a deaf Santa,” said Allen.
It’s not all about making extra money, though.
“It’s really about the love and joy of Christmas and helping to spread that,” said Allen.
“When you put on the red suit and you’re listening to the Christmas hopes and dreams of children, it’s a magical experience. You’re bringing a little bit of light into the world.”
