I lived in a Sassouni-managed building in the East Village. Don't pay attention to positive reviews. If your standard for management companies in this city is ""they didn't make my life totally miserable"" then you've got the tenant version of battered wife syndrome.
The fact is, any company that puts so little effort into treating their customers is just as bad as one that is mendacious, negligent, or law-breaking. While my super (or rather, the super's assistant who did all the work) was terrific, every other person was lazy, uncaring and/or incompetent. To wit: upon moving out, the super spent about 90 seconds looking around the apartment to inspect for damage, cleanliness, etc. He said it was fine. Then, when I finally (over two months later) received my security deposit back, it was $200 less than the total amount. The office told me there was damage. I asked what specifically. They couldnt answer me. But they also refused to issue me the correct amount for my deposit. They know it's not worth suing someone for $200, so it's a nice last f*ck-you they can give to their former tenants.
I know that sometimes you're stuck and have to hold your nose and work with certain companies. I would encourage you to expend every effort to avoid having to live in a building managed by Sassouni.
more