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AN
OFFER HE COULDN'T REFUSE
It was hot in Chicago
that summer in 1969, very hot, but having been with the Air Force, stationed
in Phoenix, the hot windy-city air was like a refreshing breeze to Tommy
B. and especially after a bitter cold Canton, Ohio winter. "I'm
not in Canton anymore Totto" Tommy paraphrased in his mind. Not
employed, but full of self confidence, he set out to stake his claim
in the ''Big City" - determined to make Chicago his new hometown.
With just a couple thousand dollars left from what he had saved, he
took inventory of his skills. the knowledge he had acquired working
as an air traffic controller for the Air Force and the experience he
had gained working for the Cable TV company in Canton were valuable
assets he would leverage to find work again in the Cable TV field. Having
researched "who's who" in town, he uncovered the name of a
man, "Gustavo 'Big Gus' Faccio," who controlled the local
Cable TV license in a Chicago suburb. Now, Tommy B. is not best known
for his formal interviewing etiquette. Time spent thinking about what
you want to do, is time wasted. Face-to-face, one-on-one and unscripted
- that was Tommy B's way and of course a little vino goes a long way
with a good meal. (I'm jus' sayin)
"Signor, Faccio
are you in a hurry?" Looking up from his table having finished
his last bite of lunch at the Palmer House Hilton an older stout, but
refined gentleman suited in Armani tapped a linen napkin to his mouth
and said "Who wants to know?" "Who is not important but
if you're interested in doubling the number of cable subscribers you
have right how over the next year, I'd like to buy you a drink at the
bar and tell you how I can make that happen." Astonished, but like
a moth drawn to a light, the dapper-don dressed gentleman slowly pushed
himself away from the table, maintained eye contact, stood up and said,
Sonny you're either full of yourself or full of bull. I'm not sure which,
but I need to find out. Yeah, you can buy me a beer, pal." The
two men took corner seats at the bar overlooking the dining area (it's
an Italian thing), sipped their beer and the young Tommy B. made the
man an "offer he couldn't refuse." (Really)
Let me make sure
I understand jus' what you're sayin here. At the end of one year, you'll
double my cable customers from 3200 to 6400 subscribers and, you want
no paycheck during that time, but if you hit that goal you want a salary
of $125,000 a year? "Are you nuts or just nutty?" Big Al asked
then said, Sonny boy, if you can do that, you've got yourself a deal."
With a handshake and an offer signed on a napkin, the Tommy B. aka The
Nutty Italian, as he was then nicked named became a "cable guy"
in Chicago. Little did either one of them know then that a lifelong
friendship and mutually rewarding business relationship was "cut
in stone" that day. After picking up the tab, Tommy B. slipped
outside to catch a cab back to his apartment.
"You
know you're on the road to success if you would do your job and not
get paid for it".
- Oprah Winfrey
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