In September of 1960 to September of 1962, I got a job as a house counsel with a corporation called Tenax, Inc. It was a New York corporation and its operations got it in trouble with the Attorney General of Massachusetts.
It sold freezers and had a contract with a food and meat suppler. The price of the freezer was in 4 figures, about $1495 which was later discovered that it sold for $400 on the market. And plenty of complaints on the amount of food. Toward the end of its business it was discovered that the individual in charge of food supply was hitting the food supplier for a percentage of its delivery amount which cause the supplier to cut down on the weight to make up its pay to the company representative.
It was a hodge podge affair. I I discovered this difficulty about a month after I took the job and and their problem with the Attorney General and the fact that attorneys they hired before I cam, quit when they found out what the problem was all about.
So I sat down with the Boston manager and explained to him that Massachusetts laws were different than New York laws. Consequently if the corporation wanted to do business in Massachusetts it was required to conform to our laws.
2nd if I was to act as its attorney, I should have some say in the manner in which they and their sales person brought in business and I should be able to settle any legal complaints which I though would be equitable since the Attorney General was being hit with a lot of complaints they were only pushing him to bring an action against that corporation and its officers.
Also they should see the food supplier did not short change its customers. And any complaint on food quantity be honored. I also told htem that they were lucky that the media did not get into the comflict by seeking to get page 1 stories. New York agreed.
They also had besides New York and Boston in a number of other states the same business. But I did not get into how they ran their business in other states.
I began sending letters to people who were not paying and also were I should filing complaints in Courts. Of course this brought the customers or attorneys to me and I would settle the cases. Whaever I settled for, New York did not complain as the settlement took into consideration the cost of the unit, plus operating expenses and a fair profit.
I also received a copy of a letter that a customer sent to the A.G. that the salesman and company were not fit to do business with, but the attorney was respectful and fair.
The Tenax people I soon learned that they also were in 14 other states. When I was told that there was to be a meeting of all the attorney in New York and handed an airplane round trip ticket. I took the first flight out and when I was in New York took the bus and got where I was to be.
Evidently the front office had discussed me but the other atorney as I was seeted at the other end of the head table. Next to the General Attorney when he came to Boston I had him home for dinner.
In New York at the meeting it went all the way after luncheon hour. The attorney from the other states complained that they would have appreciated at least a cup of coffee at a break, while we were waiting for the elevator. They also stated that they had to leave at an early hour and didn't have any breakfast. Some said no matter what their wives would not get up to make them breakfast under any circumstances.
I kept quiet and one of the layers asked me, "How about you?" I said my wife awoke and made me breakfast while I was dressing.
They were skeptical and the Chief Attorney said No that's a fact. I had dinner at his house and his wife is a very warm-hearted woman and hostess. and I have no doubt that she wouldn't get out of bed to make breakfast while he shaved and showered. The reaction what what a lucky guy. The General Corporate attorney then said by the way "I owe a hat." This caused one of the other attorney "What is that all about?"
So he explained that he was at the Boston office with me. And my secretary had been invited by the vice president to spend some time at the main office at New York and said that he told me taht they had asked the Boston secretary that they wanted to train her for bigger jobs. ut in reality he wanted her there to have sex with her. She was a looker. She was about 5 ft. 7 in. to 5 ft. 8 in.He then asked me how did you know they wouldn't get to her?" I said I know the people I deal with. She came to me and asked my advice. And I said I told her I didn't approve of her going. I told her that the offer of a bigger job was not there. They had other things in mind.
She replied No way! Also I said I had any number of men come to my office attorney to discuss settlement. And a number of them would stop with her on the way in or out.
So the Chief Attorney continued that they showed my secretary a great time. Took her to dinner, theater, etc. and to her hotel. She could hold her liquor was alert and the hotel was one I recommended. It was an all women hotel (forgot the name) and men were not allowed to go upstairs to their floor to say good night. They said goo night on the ground floor. And the stairways were monitored by female employees.
I said it was to have been a month, but she came back in two weeks. I further told the Chief, forget the hat. When I said they wouldn't get to home plate I knew what I was talking about. And you had already lost.
