June 27, 2011 — The various jobs I had

Dear William (and Daniel, Catherine, Michael & Baby Girl Y) (and your parents), (and any future descendants and their parents),

Yesterday I told you about my house in Ramos Mejia — today, let me tell you about the various jobs I had:

Folding the Sunday Edition of The New York Times

While in grammar school, during one summer, on Saturdays, my friends and I worked for a guy assembling the Sunday Edition of The New York Times. This job lasted a few weeks; and after that I became a newspaper delivery boy.

Newspaper delivery boy for the New York World-Telegram and Sun newspaper

While in grammar school, every day (except Sundays) I delivered newspapers to my customers. Job involved picking up the newspapers at a distribution point (a small office in the basement of an apartment building), and then walking to the beginning of my route, which included several apartment buildings – I would take the elevator to the top floor, deliver on each floor; and once a week, I would collect the amount due (I do not remember how I settled my account with my boss).

Shoe Shine boy

While in grammar school, I took my Father’s shoe shine kit, and walked a few block, up the hill, to the 67th Avenue Subway Stop at around 5:30 pm. As people were coming out of the subway station, I offered to shine their shoes. This was not a very profitable business, so I discontinued it after a few days.

11/64 to 1/67: Court Drugs, Inc., Forest Hills, NY: Clerk & delivery boy

While in grammar school, and in high school, I worked several days per week delivering drugs and other drug-store-related items to customers in Forest Hills and Rego Park. When not delivering, I was responsible for keeping the stock room in the basement clean and organized; and to bring drugs to the pharmacist as he needed them.

High School and Grammar School tutor — Mathematics & American History

While in high school, my friend’s Mom, Mrs. Irena Laniewska, hired me to tutor her son (and my friend), Lucjan, in American History. I had to take two subways and a long walk to get to his house, but the money was worth it. I had a copy of his History book, and each day I would prepare by reading it so that I could then tech it to him – we both learned history this way.

Lucjan (calls himself Richard now) Laniewski lives in Sandy, Utah. William — note that Lucjan’s last name is Laniewski, but his Mom’s last name was Laniewska; in Polish, where a male surname ends in “ski”, the female surname ends in “ska.”

Mrs. Laniewska was an drafts-person from Poland, but worked as a waitress in a diner in Flushing. I told my Father about her education, and he hired her to work at Electronic Calculus, Inc. She worked with my Dad until his death.

I also put out flyers on the streets that I was available to tutor in math – I got a job from that, tutoring an eight grader who was preparing to go to high school. That also was a good paying job.

1/67 to 1/68: Baruch Library, CUNY: Clerk

At Baruch College (Freshman and Sophomore years), I worked in the library, re-shelving books and checking-out books. One of my fellow student-coworkers was a good looking black woman; I think that she was a year or two older than me. We got along very nicely. One day, she showed up with her hair in an Afro – I was not aware of an Afro before – prior to that day, she had her hair pressed straight down, in a flip. This was my introduction to Black Power; and the power of Hair.

Taxi dirver

Limousine driver

10/68 to 2/69: Columbus Hospital, 227 East 19 St, NY, NY: Telephone Operator

5/68 to 9/68: Flower & Fifth Avenue Hospital, 102 St & 5th Ave, NY, NY: Accounts Payable Clerk

3/70 to 10/70: Investor Centers Inc., 166-07 Hillside Ave., Jamaica, NY: Stockbroker – Part Time

10/70 to 9/73: IRE Investors Corp.; 111 Old Country Rd., Hicksville, NY 11801: NASDAQ Trader/Stockbroker – P/T

3/72 to 9/13/73: Fred Stanwise Agency, Hicksville, NY: Life Insurance Sales – P/T

3/72 to 9/13/73: Wise Planning Corp., Hicksville, NY: Mutual Fund Sales – P/T

New York City Police Department Auxiliary Police Officer (Volunteer)

112th Precinct — Forest Hills, Queens
94th Precinct — Greenpoint, Brooklyn

4/10/72 to 12/72: Kemper Insurance, 90 William St., NY, NY: Fire & Package Underwriter ($7.9k > $8.5k)

4/72 – 12/72: Kemper Insurance Company; New York, New York
Commercial Fire and Package Underwriter. Evaluated the insurable risk of commercial insurance proposals.

12/11/72 to 2/73: Irving Trust Bank, 1 Wall St., NY, NY: Cost Analyst in Cost Services Department ($9k)

12/72 – 2/73: Irving Trust Bank; New York, New York
Cost Analyst. Studied functions of operating departments to identify products, expenses and unit costs.

2/73 tp 11/78: Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb, Incorporated, 40 Wall Street, NY, NY: AVP, Investment Banking ($12.5k > $29k)

2/73 – 10/78: Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb, Inc.; New York, New York
Assistant Vice President, Investment Banking. Special emphasis on Quantitative Analysis.

11/78 to 9/80: Blyth Eastman Paine Webber Incorporated, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020: VP, Investment Banking ($31k > $43k)

10/78 – 9/80: Blyth Eastman Paine Webber, Inc.; New York, New York
Vice President, Investment Banking. Special emphasis on Project Financing, Mergers And Acquisitions, and Quantitative Analysis.

9/80 to 8/81: Dictatype Services Incorporated, 102 Elm Street, Westfield, NJ 07090: Founder and Officer

9/80 – 8/81: Dictatype Services Incorporated; Westfield, New Jersey
Founder and officer of a word processing service firm.

[Business Cards and stationary designed by Ann Neumann]

9/20/80 to 11/19/80: Consultant (while looking for permanent work)

8/3/81 to 3/88: The Western Union Telegraph Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Director of Finance ($45k > ?)

8/81 – 2/88: Western Union Corporation; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Director Of Finance. Functioned as an internal Investment Banker. Some of the more significant responsibilities included: negotiating the sale of various real estate interests; negotiating the financing for a start-up venture (Airfone); administering the activities of an 18,000 acre real estate development; directing a tax benefits sale; directing a public debt and a preferred stock public offering; and supervising the investments of two Pension Plans and a Retirement Saving Plan totaling over $300 million in assets.

3/88 to 1/2/90: Budd Larner Gross Rosenbaum Greenber & Sade, P.C., JFK Pkwy., Short Hills, NJ

3/88 – 1/90: Budd Larner Gross Rosenbaum Greenberg & Sade, P.C.; Short Hills, New Jersey
Associate in the Commercial Litigation Department, with a secondary concentration in insurance defense litigation.

1/2/90 to 9/92: Cassidy, Foss & San Filippo, Broad St., Red Bank, NJ

1/90 – 9/92: Cassidy, Foss & San Filippo; Red Bank, New Jersey
Litigation/trial counsel in federal and state courts, with emphasis on commercial and banking issues — primarily on behalf of the Resolution Trust Corporation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Significant issues involved federal court jurisdiction; removal/remand; real estate foreclosures; and suits on notes. Non-RTC/FDIC litigated matters included a will contest and a dispute as to ownership of land. Also counseled clients in employment law matters; incorporations; and negotiation of various contracts, agreements and modifications thereto.

9/92 to present: Paul G. Kostro, A Professional Corporation, 304 Wells St., Westfield, NJ 07090

9/92 – Present: Paul G. Kostro, A Professional Corporation; Linden, New Jersey
Shareholder and officer of a general practice law firm, with emphasis on litigation, arbitration and mediation of disputes, including: matrimonial matters; commercial matters; personal injury and property claims; work-related accidents, including Workers’ Compensation; product liability claims; Consumer Fraud Act claims; and municipal court matters. Non-litigation matters include: incorporations; and wills and estates.