▁the ▁best ▁way ▁to ▁understand ▁C ino ▁and ▁Stewart ' s ▁relationship ▁is ▁to ▁consider ▁their ▁different ▁models ▁of ▁producing ▁plays . ▁C ino ▁rarely ▁extended ▁a ▁run , ▁as ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁affect ▁the ▁next ▁play ' s ▁opening . ▁If ▁play w right s ▁wanted ▁longer ▁runs ▁and ▁more ▁expos ure ▁for ▁a ▁popular ▁play , ▁they ▁went ▁to ▁La ▁Ma Ma . ▁There ▁was ▁an ▁un sp oken ▁agreement ▁between ▁C ino ▁and ▁Stewart ▁that ▁the ▁plays ▁produced ▁at ▁either ▁theatre ▁could ▁continue ▁to ▁a ▁second ▁run ▁at ▁the ▁other . ▁When ▁C aff e ▁C ino ▁burn ed ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁hosted ▁benefit ▁shows ▁to ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁theatre ' s ▁re open ing . ▁Joe ▁C ino ' s ▁family ▁offered ▁Stewart ▁the ▁theatre ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁but ▁she ▁decl ined . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁▁ 3 2 1 ▁E . ▁ 9 th ▁Street : ▁C afé ▁La ▁Ma Ma ▁ ▁La ▁Ma Ma ' s ▁first ▁home , ▁the ▁bas ement ▁at ▁ 3 2 1 ▁East ▁N inth ▁Street , ▁was ▁renov ated ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁nine ▁months . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁neighb ors ▁became ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁different ▁men ▁visit ing ▁at ▁various ▁times ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁space . ▁Moreover , ▁as ▁an ▁African - American ▁woman , ▁Stewart ▁was ▁not ▁wel com ed ▁into ▁the ▁neighborhood . ▁Barbara ▁Lee ▁Horn ▁writes