THIS
IS
RICHARD
MESEROLE
PART III
"...SHE WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, SOMEONE TO BE
THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN AND TO BE WITH ME FOR OUR
LIFETIME......"
PICKED UP THE JOB REAL FAST AND IN THREE MONTHS I
WAS THE HIGHEST PAID PRESSER ON THE LINE.THE
COMPANY(3GGG'S) WAS A COMPANY WHO HAND MADE HIGH
PRICE SUITS AND COATS. IT WAS NOW SPRING TIME.I LIVED IN A
FURNISHED ROOM AND ONE NIGHT I WENT ROLLER SKATING
AND MET A 17 YEAR OLD PHILIPPINE GIRL NAMED ANITA.
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR BOTH OF US. I WAS 25 AND SHE
WAS 17. SHE WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, SOMEONE TO BE
THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN AND TO BE WITH ME FOR OUR
LIFETIME. SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN JUNE.
ANITA'S FAMILY WAS A LARGE ONE. SHE HAD FOUR SISTERS
AND THREE BROTHERS AND TO ME THIS WAS WHAT A FAMILY
LIFE WAS ALL ABOUT. HER FAMILY ALL TOTALED WAS ABOUT
SIXTY PEOPLE. A FOURTH GENERATION FAMILY SOON TO BE A
FIFTH GENERATION. MONEY WAS NO PROBLEM TO THE WEALTH
OF SOME OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS,PLUS HER FATHER WAS A
WEALTHY RETIRED NAVAL OFFICER.
WE WERE MARRIED IN NOV. 1951. WENT ON A HONEYMOON TO
P.R. AND THEN BACK TO THE STATES. THEN TO THE APT. WHERE
I FOUND OUT ANITA DID NOT COOK. CALLED MY NEW FATHER-
IN-LAW AND HE TOLD ME NONE OF THE WOMAN COOKED. IT
WAS A TRADITION FROM THE ISLANDS THAT A LOT OF
PHILIPPINE PEOPLE STAYED WITH WHEN COMING TO THE
UNITED STATES, AS DID MY FATHER-IN-LAW AND FAMILY.
SOLUTION NEEDED.. .WE GAVE UP THE APT. AND MOVED INTO
MY IN-LAW'S SIX BEDROOM HOME FOR TWO YEARS TO LEARN
TO COOK. IN 1952 OUR FIRST DAUGHTER (MARLENE)WAS BORN.
IN 1953 MY MOTHER GAVE ME THE RUN DOWN HOUSE THAT
JOSEPH MESEROLE OWNED. I GUESS SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS
WOULD REPAY ME FOR THE YEARS LOST WITH HER AS A
MOTHER - SHE WAS WRONG, BUT I SAW A WAY TO MAKE SOME
MONEY. AS THE HOUSE WAS ALMOST UNLIVABLE I STARTED
WORKING ON IT DOING ALL THE REPAIRS WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF THE PLUMBING, HEATING AND ELECTRIC WORK. WHEN ALL
REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE I WENT TO THE BANK AND RECEIVED
A $5000 LOAN TO MAKE A APT. ON THE SECOND FLOOR. ONCE
DONE WITH THE IMPROVEMENT, I RENTED THE APT OUT FOR
$150.00 PER MONTH AS THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT WAS $76.00
PER MONTH I KNOW HAD $74.00 PER MONTH TO PUT INTO THE
FAMILY BUDGET. 1ST SON(MARC) IS NOW WITH US. I STILL WAS
WORKING FOR (3GGG'S) AND WORKING PART TIME DOING
REPAIRS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES. THEN I DECIDED ONE DAY
THAT I NEEDED MORE MONEY TO GET BACK IN THE STYLE I
HAD BEEN USED TO IN HOLLYWOOD. I QUIT (3GGG'S) AND
DECIDED TO GO INTO THE HOME IMPROVEMENT BUSINESS.
I WENT AND BOUGHT A PAPER AND SAW IN THE WANT ADS
THAT A CONTRACTOR WAS LOOKING FOR SUBCONTRACTORS
TO DO REMODELING WORK. I WENT TO HIS OFFICE AND
APPLIED. HIS NAME WAS SULTAN. HE DID REMODELING WORK
WHILE OPERATING A PLANT THAT WEAVED STAINLESS STEEL
THREAD. I THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT GUY AS SOON AS I MET
HIM. HE TOLD ME HE HAD THIS JOB THAT HAD TO BE DONE. AN
APT. THAT HAD BEEN TRASHED BY THE TENANT. HE SAID "I WILL
TAKE YOU OVER THERE SO THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME A
ESTIMATE". I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO ESTIMATE, SO I HAD TO
FIGURE WHAT TO DO. AS WE WERE NEARING THE APT. SULTAN
SAID TO ME "PLEASE BE FAIR AND GIVE ME A FAIR
PRICE" BINGO... THIS WAS MY WAY IN... I SAID TO SULTAN" BE
FAIR TO ME AND PLEASE INFORM ME OF YOUR LOWEST BID". HE
REPLIED THE LOWEST BID WAS $8000.00. WE LOOKED OVER THE
APT. TAKING A GAMBLE I QUOTED HI A PRICE OF $6500.00
HE SAID "GREAT, LETS GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AND MAKE UP A
CONTRACT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE OFFICE, SULTAN DREW
UP THE CONTRACT STATING THE WORK HAD TO BE FINISHED IN
30 DAYS. "HE THEN ASKED ME IF I NEEDED MONEYS TO GET
STARTED". I AGREED TO EXCEPT $3000.00 AND THE CHECK WAS
WRITTEN OUT. SULTAN SAID "PLEASE A GOOD JOB, RICHARD"
I WENT TO THE BANK AND DEPOSITED THE CHECK AND THEN
WENT TO ANOTHER PAPER AND PUT THE SAME AD IN AS
SULTAN DID. TWO DAYS LATER TWO MEN ANSWERED THE
AD AND I WENT THRU THE FORMALITY THAT SULTAN HAD
GONE THRU WITH ME. THEY APPEARED TO KNOW THE BUSINESS
AND GAVE ME A PRICE OF $4000.00 . 1 AGREED, TOLD THEM ABOUT
THE 30 DAY LIMIT. I TOLD THEM I WOULD SET UP A ACCOUNT IN
THE LUMBER YARD TO GET THE SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THE JOB.
TO MY AMAZEMENT THEY COMPLETED THE JOB IN 22 DAYS.
THEY DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB. THEY WERE GREAT
CRAFTMEN. SULTAN WAS PLEASED. I MADE $2500.00 IN 24 DAYS
AND THE $100.00 BILLS WERE REGISTERING IN MY
HEAD, DING, DING, DING. I WAS ON MY WAY AGAIN. SULTAN I DO
BELIEVE WAS MORE PLEASED THAN ME. HE HAD A JOB TO
REMODEL A BASEMENT. AGAIN $2800.00 IN 21
DAYS, DING, DING, DING. THEN CAME A CHALLENGE, A
KITCHEN. BEFORE TAKING THIS ON I HAD MET A FELLOW
NAMED CHRIS. HE WAS A SALESMAN IN THE HOME
IMPROVEMENT LINE. HE WAS KNOWN AS A TOP SALESMAN AND
ALSO THAT HE WAS A DRINKER. HE HAD WHAT I NEEDED, A
ESTIMATE BOOK THAT HAD ALL THE PRICES AND THE COST OF
MATERIALS AND WHAT TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER.
I CALLED HIM UP AND INVITED HIM TO LUNCH. WE HAD LUNCH
AND HE GOT DRUNK AS A SKUNK. FOR $10.00 I HAD MY DRINKS
WATERED DOWN BY THE BARMAID. I TOOK HIM TO HIS APT. GOT
HIM SETTLED DOWN ON THE BED, WE HAD TAKEN HIS CAR SO I
HAD THE KEYS . I THEN WENT TO A REAL ESTATE OFFICE WHERE
A FRIEND OF MINE WORKED. SHE MADE ME A COPY OF THE
BOOK ON THE XEROX MACHINE WHICH WAS NEW TO THE
BUSINESS WORLD AT THIS TIME, AND A BREAK FOR ME DROVE
BACK TO CHRIS'S APT. LEFT A NOTE THANKING HIM FOR A
GREAT AFTERNOON AND TO CALL ME TO DO IT AGAIN. I WAS IN
MY GLORY, NOT ONLY COULD I NOW PRICE THE JOB S, BUT KNEW
HOW MUCH MONEY I WOULD MAKE. FOR THE KITCHEN JOB FOR
SULTAN I MADE $4200.00 DING, DING, DING.
To be continued
.................
Return To Greenpoint | Back
To The Beginning