Chapter 19 Black Dog - 3

The way Reber approached, beckoned, and conquered the young woman seemed almost miraculous to Tsby. The woman's name was Hester Crawley.She was in her mid-thirties, not remarkably beautiful, but had a pleasing face and a sensual figure.For a New York woman like her, Zby could only watch her walk past him without daring to fantasize about it any more than he imagined himself buying the one hundred and two-story Empire State Building.On the first night, he saw Reb walking towards her twenty paces in front of him, bumping into her on purpose, so hard that a paper bag the woman was holding burst open and spilled the large contents inside. Parts spilled on the pavement.The young woman was furious, but she quickly calmed down when she saw the ridiculous clumsiness with which Reber hurried to pick up everything.They walked away together, and Zby saw them laughing from afar as Reb waited for the woman with what was left of the paper bag for her train.

The next night, Reber took the train with her. On the third night, Leiber didn't go home all night, and he didn't show up until after ten o'clock in the morning of the next day, exuding a faint fragrance from his body. On that very day, in the afternoon of July 22, 1950, they—Zby and Reb—went to the offices of a major newspaper on East Forty-second Street that Zby had been selling for a long time. For many years.They took the elevator to the floor where the managerial department of the newspaper was located. "You wait here for me," Reb said to Zby. "I can't leave the stall to little Ernie. I'm so worried. What if those three sons of a bitch come back?  …"

"They won't come again." Zby sat down, feeling uncomfortable in the midst of the well-dressed secretaries.He watched Reb pass them by.Most of them looked up, attracted by the tall figure and his slow, regal gait, and by his eyes.Reb returned to the upholstered door in the office where Hester Crawley sat, behind which was the most sacred place.Reb started talking to her, and at first she shook her head firmly.For interminable minutes, she refused to answer, while their conversation was interrupted by people coming and going and the phone ringing in her charge.After each such interruption, she resumed dealing with Reber.Leiber was always smiling, as charming as a goblin, and he was probably repeating his reasons.In the end, she succumbed, as she had done not so long ago.She and Reb looked at each other and smiled, and Hester shook her head with a look of disbelief, as if to say: You can tell me to do anything...

Reber came back and sat beside Zby and said to him in Polish, "There's a door. She promised to squeeze us in between two appointments with other people. But it's going to be a while." "Where are we going to be stuffed?" "To meet the big shot." "For what? For God's sake, tell me," Zibby asked, flustered. "I've explained it to you." "You explained it, but I don't understand it." Reb laughed. "Just leave it to me alone, can you trust me, Zby?" "Of course I can," said Zby, with great sincerity. "Of course I can trust you."

They waited almost two hours, while many men and women passed before them, and some of them saw these two men in blue labor shirts sitting in front of one of the most powerful newspaper magnates in the world. Seeing the room, he couldn't help but look at them with surprised eyes.At last Hester Crawley made a sign to them.They got up and walked over.at the door.The young woman whispered one last time to Reb: "I'm really crazy. How can you let me do this, you bastard?" But with a sweet smile she even found a chance to gently caress his hand. . According to Zbyniev Cybulski (whose name is now Zbyniev Cybulski), on July 22, 1950, around 5:30 p.m., it was Reb Klimt The date and time Rhodes began his astonishingly wondrous rise to fame.

"I know," said Reber to the man sitting across from him and Zby, "that your time is precious. I've come to talk about an idea I have. This idea will enable you to launch your paper." Save 5% of the cost, increase the speed of delivery of these newspapers by 15%, and increase the sales volume of all 312 outlets in the southern part of Manhattan by 18% to 20%. That's just for the time being. My ideas can apply to your other areas as well. That's what I'm here for. Now you can throw me out if you want to." But his gray eyes shone brighter than the daylight.

The great man asked what his idea was, and Reber told him. The big man then asked, "What kind of person are you?" "My name is Anton Jack," Reber said. "German?" "Swiss." "If I agree to this, am I going to deal with you?" "Not with me. But with the company represented by Mr. Cybulski as its first general manager." Then Reber immediately said in Polish: "Zbi, please don't open your mouth. If my right hand gestures, you say 'yes'; if my left hand gestures, you say 'no'." The big man looked at Zby. "Your company has united three hundred and twelve newspaper vendors on the southern side of Manhattan?"

"Yes," said Tsby, mentally repeating himself desperately: the right hand says "yes," and the left hand says "no."Right hand "yes", left hand "no", right hand "yes", left hand "no"... "The newspaper vendors really listen to you?" "Yes," said Zby. "At the moment our papers are delivered to short sellers by a service we set up ourselves, and the head of this service is named Finnegan. Do you know Finnegan?" "Yes," said Zby. "Do you really believe your company can be more efficient and reliable than Finnegan's?"

"Yes," said Ziby; now he was in such a frenzy that he could barely understand what he was being asked. "I know enough exceptions could be invoked to get out of the deal we made with Finnegan, but he's not the type to just let his business get shot. His Irish guys are too. So. If there's going to be some trouble on Finnegan's side, do you think you can work it out without my intervention?" "Yes," said Zby. "When do you estimate your business will be open for business?" "Nine more days," Reber said. "Open before dawn on August 1st."

After walking out of the hall with a giant globe, Zibi dared to speak.He lowered his voice and asked in Polish, "Who is that Finnegan he asked me just now?" "He's the one who wants you to pay the dollar and fifty cents a day. Actually, that's his business, because he's getting paid by the newspaper. Three hundred and twelve newspaper vendors by a dollar and fifty cents." , earning four hundred and sixty-eight dollars a day, or more than 170,000 a year. Compared to him, those three guys with knives are nothing but children." Reber smiled, and went on: "Finnegan is also a man who will try to break our ribs, you and me. Probably with iron bars. That's his usual style."

"Can he do it?" "I don't think it can be done," Reber said. "Otherwise I'd be really surprised." After Zby, Simon Gozchenak and others sent invitations, only 278 out of 312 newspaper vendors responded.They were the future shareholders of the first company founded by Reb Klimrod. The first general meeting of shareholders was held on the evening of the 22nd in a house not far from the World Trade Center. As far as Zby knows, Setiniaz also thinks so. This adventure is also the first appearance of two Romanian Jews, Lierne and Berkovic, as lawyers. No one can deny that these two people are The first two of Wang's famous black dogs. At the time, Reb Klimrod was two months shy of his twenty-third birthday, and in a matter of days he took the first steps toward building his future mythical pyramid, doing so It does have its frightening, fascinating, and truly mind-twisting qualities. Reber began speaking under the pseudonym Anton Baker, explaining to the attendees the full benefits of a course of action he suggested.They will form a company in which both they and he will be fundamental shareholders.A basic shareholder, but not the only shareholder—he had to make that clear.The company will purchase trucks and motorcycles to ensure delivery of all newspapers and other publications they underwrite.The company did this on the basis of a contract signed by the three major New York daily newspapers, which agreed to commission them to distribute their publications in the southern part of the island of Manhattan.For the general manager job he recommended Zbinew Cybulski, who today had struck a deal with the newspaper magnate on East Forty-second Street. The necessary funds will come from bank loans. He said Zby and he would be in charge of convincing the bank and also finding the right truck and driver. By the night of the 31st of July, everything will be ready. Someone immediately pointed out that Finnegan's group of Irish people would definitely not let it go if they were robbed of their business, at least a fierce fight would inevitably be inevitable.Reber replied to the question that Ziby and he would take care of the Irish and Finnegan himself, and they--all the newspaper vendors--would just let the Irish come to him, Anton Baker. He explained to the attendees how the company in which they would own 30 percent would work.If they wanted to be shareholders, they had to stop paying the Finnegans a dollar and fifty cents a day from the first of August, but they had to give that money to Zby.Take it easy, this isn't a finnegan's extortion being replaced by another extortion because this dollar fifty cents is no longer a payout they never pay back, no, this money will make them a shareholder, it will be given to them soon bring in profits. He told them how he and Zby would develop the business so that the dollar and fifty cents they put in regularly would be returned to them in profit, bit by bit, very quickly, perhaps within two months. take back.He didn't even think that within three months their profits might exceed the dollar and fifty cents they spent. His explanations were all in English, but he knew that a large part of the participants were immigrants who came to the United States not long ago, so he repeated his explanations in Polish, German, Spanish and Italian, and French.Also in Yiddish. He paced slowly among them, talking with remarkable persuasiveness in his slow, soft, deliberate, reassuring tone, leading them by the nose, step by step, without haste— This is of course a figurative example. Tsby even began to feel an immeasurable sense of pride in being this man's friend and confidant, and that Wang had lived in Tsby's house during his sojourn in New York. Did they take any risks by agreeing, asked Tsby?They've been paying those Irishmen a dollar and fifty cents a day for years, and he doesn't want them to pay more.And, if Finnegan's thunderbolts were to strike them, they could use him—Anton Baker—as a lightning rod altogether. Cybulski didn't know Dolph Lazarus's name at all.In July 1950, Reber Klimrod used this name to open several doors.He may even turn to such well-known figures as Meyer Lansky, Lepke Bouchardt, Mendy Weiss, Abu Landau, Beau Weinberg, Abu Na Zwierman, Bugsy Siegel, and "Dutch" Schulz (nicknamed "Crazy Dutchman", formerly known as Arthur Flegenheimer) (Note: These people are all He was the leader of the American Mafia in the 1940s and 1950s). Many of these people had died or gone to prison in July 1950, but Klimrod was able to find several people who knew Lazarus and would be willing to listen to someone introduced by him. talk. Otherwise, the situation on July 23rd, the day after the general meeting of shareholders, cannot be explained. "Say it again, what's your last name?" "Ubrech. Or Beck. Or Klimrod. Call it whatever you like." The man across from him was named Abby Levine.After Lepke Butchart was executed for a commonplace murder in 1944, Levin took over the leadership of the apparel trade union organization and the clothing-related transport federation.His eyes moved from Reber to Ziby. "What does it have to do with him?" "He is the nominal head of the company." "But you're actually behind the scenes?" Leiber nodded, his eyes flickering. "How many shares?" "Sixty percent." "By means of a commission agreement, this one," he said, pointing to Tsby, "as your trustee?" "yes." "How much money do I have to put up to invest?" "No," said Reber. "I'll pay the driver, all possible expenses, if the Irishmen do their thing. You don't have to pay a penny." "Let the outside world know that I have intervened in this matter in name, and the price is 10% of the shares, isn't that true? Do you think Finnegan will die once he hears that you have someone backing you?" "Exactly," Reber said. Levine smiled back. "Where do you come from, boy?" "Tangier," Reber said. "Saul Mancusa and others were there with me at the time, and they could vouch for me." Again there was silence. Then Levine said, "Forty percent goes to you, thirty percent goes to me, and thirty percent goes to your people." "Here's twelve percent," Reber said. "You don't bet a penny, and you can make fifteen or two thousand dollars in two or three months, every month. What I'm telling you is just part of my plan. I have other Imagine. I'll come and talk to you in the next few days." "Finnegan may not be so easy to convince. No one's sure what the Irishman will do. Give me twenty-five per cent." "Fifteen," Reber said. They looked at each other and smiled.Abby Levine started driving taxis in the twenties, then worked as a bodyguard, and finally entered the scene with Louis Bouchardt (known as "Lepke") and Jacob Shapiro (known as "Jack") Led by the inner gang.He spent a year in the New York City Jail in 1943 for racketeering, but his time there was the most comfortable; he could go home whenever he wanted to. "If you give 20%, we can make a deal." "Nineteen. This is the last line." "That gives you fifty-one percent. You gotta get some insurance on those cars of yours." "It's already arranged. Alcor." Levine nodded approvingly.Alcor was the name of an insurance company run by Lewis and Pizzo.Pizzo, a close political associate of New York Mayor Vincent Mauperitelli, also controls the Yonkers racetrack.In fact, Alcor was just one of a large number of insurance companies united into a syndicate run by none other than James R. Hoffa, vice-president of the International Teamsters Union. "Double protection, yes?" Levine pointed out. "My friends and myself on the one hand, and Jimmy and the Teamsters on the other. Finnegan should have moved to Alaska if he'd been wise." "Be prepared." He gestured to Lierne, signaling him to take out the prepared contract and hand it over to Levin.The ratio they just negotiated has long been written on it! After they signed, Leiber said to Levine, "One more thing to ask. Suppose my friend Zby and I, or another friend and I, were to start the same business in another city other than New York..." "What other city?" "Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Montreal. Of course, just as a start." He laughed: "It can be done in other places, but not immediately (* this Half a page is missing.) To a bank in Newark, New Jersey.It was the afternoon of their meeting with Abby Levine.Zby signed again, this time on a $30,000 loan deal negotiated by Berkovich.The attorney photographed the agreement with the newspaper mogul on Forty-Second Street, and the point about Levine's participation in the share might have been mentioned, even though it was Levin's appointed puppet. After they left the bank, Berkovich immediately returned to New York, and together with Simon Gorzchenak and others, went to visit various newspaper vendors to make as many people as possible become shareholders of the company.Only nine out of 312 refused. Zby took the train to Baltimore with Reb and Lierne.In Baltimore the next day (just eight days after Leib's arrival in New York), Zby signed a contract with the U.S. Army for thirty-four GMC trucks and sixty-six motorcycles, which had just arrived from Europe The source of the remaining combat materials and motorcycles brought back is the same. Zby was bewildered for a time (he was rarely troubled, and only briefly), because he was faced with this bewildering series of transactions, one of which had some connection between which he was not very clear. "But even if Rayber asked me to sign the Declaration of Independence, I'd sign it. I could trust him. I'm fucking sure of that. Isn't it? Look at me, now I'm a millionaire in the Florida sun! And I started out as a miner in Nowa Huta, when I was ten years old!" He only asked one question: "Should we keep all these trucks in their original khaki color?" "We're going to repaint all the cars; it's been decided. Tonight. I don't think you'd object to a change to green, Zby?" After that, things naturally moved a little faster. Once they got back to New York and met with Berkovich's team, Reb and Zby visited three factories, two in the Bronx and one in Brooklyn, that made hot dogs, burritos and fruit juice candy.Sign the contract that day.According to the contract, the first batch of food will be supplied on August 1st. The contract also stipulates that this supply and marketing relationship can be terminated at any time, as long as the other party is notified two weeks in advance. On that day, July 25, Tsby found out that, in addition to being president of the Southern Manhattan Newspapers Guild and general manager of Independence Newspaper Distribution, Inc., he was also the chairman of a Yava Foods corporation. "What does Yava mean?" "A remembrance," Reber said. "What the hell are we doing with these millions of hot dogs?" "Sell it, Zby. Sell it with your newspaper and magazines. It's approved by the mayor's office. You and your three hundred partners now own the trucks. These deliver every morning and early afternoon." But what do you do the rest of the time, Zby? Do you think it's right to keep your trucks and drivers idle the rest of the time? Do you understand that? Besides, it's just an organizational arrangement Questions on the Internet. The truck delivers newspapers and hot dogs. As for the sodas and fruit juices..." "What soda?" "Come to think of it, Zby, don't you just give those people something to eat and nothing to drink?" For drinks, they go to New Jersey again.In one day, July 26, they contacted six factory owners, three of them accepted the strange conditions put forward by Yava Foods Corporation. Because the company has its own vehicles, trucks will come between midnight and four o'clock in the morning to pick up the goods. "Think about it, Zby: it's the only time of day we can be sure there won't be any extra deliveries. We just double the number of drivers and the truck can run twenty hours a day. It's just a maintenance problem. " The problem was solved on the night of the twenty-sixth by buying a huge garage (with credit from a Brooklyn bank).The role of the garage is to implement the maintenance of trucks and motorcycles, and it can also double as a warehouse. Zby recalled that in his dealings with the suppliers of drinks, Leiber, and Lierny in particular, demanded that all contracts be limited to a one-month period, and that thereafter be renewed every two weeks, In order to notify the other party to terminate the contract two weeks in advance if necessary. From the very beginning Klimrod set out to be self-produced in all respects. The business of running a newspaper, or rather the running of many newspapers, was also started at the same time. The printing house was in Flatbush, Brooklyn.There was a time when the mill flourished, more than a decade ago, when it belonged to the Monaghan brothers.There, among other books, was printed an Italian-language newspaper edited by a man named Tresca, an anarchist, anti-fascist, and anti-communist, and published in 194 He was assassinated in three years.One of the Monaghan brothers died, and the other went out of business.In early 1946, shortly after Roger Dunne retired from the Pacific Marine Corps, he bought the plant.Dunn said he first met Reb Klimrod on the night of July 36th.Leiber came to visit alone, and after explaining his purpose, Dunn was very surprised. "Several newspapers? How many newspapers do you want to start at the same time? What do you say your name is?" "Beck. It's not really several different papers. I think the classified pages could be the same for each paper. The same for the other pages. But we're going to switch languages: one in German, one in Italian. , one in Polish, one in Yiddish, etc." "Even if the content is the same," Dunn said disapprovingly, "I have to rearrange. Every row of a different text has to be dismantled." The workshop, which occupies a large area, has been emptied.It was around 7:30 p.m., and the last two left half an hour ago.At that time Dunn's business was in a dying state, eked out by printed notices and catalogs. "I've never seen a printing press before," said Baker, in his strangely slow, soft voice, with a foreign accent that was hard to pin down. "Perhaps you could walk me through the production process...if you have time. I know it's rather late." Dunn looked into the gray eyes, which were at about the same level as his own.He heard himself reply that he had nothing urgent tonight.In the next hour, as the owner of the factory, he guided the guests to visit and even introduced the functions of the edge trimmer.With probably undisguised regret, he paused for a moment beside a large rotary printing press that had not been in operation for four years.He asked how the visitor had come to find him. "I was told about you by a man who was the foreman of the Brooklyn Eagle. About a young printing proprietor who was in trouble financially and who was willing to take a risk. . . . Legal in every way. Is that what you mean?" "yes." "I've already answered your question. Fifty thousand copies will be printed at first. I'll have ideas, editors in four languages, distribution, advertising, long-term and short-term financing. Our newspaper..." "'Our' newspaper? . . . " "Your and mine, if you agree to a partnership. Our newspapers will be shipped free for ten days. I can move dozens of trucks and dozens of motorcycles to your rotary press outlet to load papers. On the South Side of Manhattan Island." 303 outlets and 2,106 other outlets throughout the metropolitan area, our paper will be in partnership with The Times, Herald Tribune, Mirror, World-Telegraph, The "Post" and "The American" are displayed under the same conditions. The newspaper vendors in the southern part of Manhattan Island will be our partners, and they agree to sell our newspapers for the first month without commission. More importantly, they will pay Readers recommend these newspapers; they are in a good position to know who may be interested in German, Yiddish, Polish or Italian papers, and the purpose of the partnership and limited stock will apply to all newsvendors in New York as long as they Embracing the public purpose of the newly formed New York Immigrant News, Inc." "you are right……" "...free distribution. I know. One of my lawyers is working with his team on a list of businessmen who are both potential advertisers and recent immigrants to the U.S. who can say the four I mentioned. one of the languages, and a large proportion of their customers are likely to be readers of our papers. These merchants will all be free subscribers. They will form the basis for the establishment of the advertising management department that is to be established. Whatever the reason Institutions, both public and private, that have newly arrived immigrants or people who have hitherto only spoken their native language for this reason will also be given free subscriptions. This approach will reassure our future advertisers that within three weeks the inaugural issue's circulation Up to 45,000 copies, or at least 200,000 readers—200,000 select readers. That's what attracts advertisers." Roger Dunne gaped... "Listen to me again," said Baker. "With the help of the bank, I could do this business with a printing house bigger than yours, or even with an existing newspaper. But I don't want to do that." Do. I'm going to keep control of the deal. Our paper will be half the size of a normal daily..." "Tabloid," Dunn finally said. "Yes, tabloids. Because it is more convenient to read this kind of newspaper in the subway, because the full-page advertisements of tabloids are more expensive than the half-page advertisements of large newspapers, because formally, twelve-page newspapers actually only have six pages. Our newspaper will publish ten pages. The second page, six of which carry classified advertisements, which is the same for each issue, but will be printed in four languages. It can also be said to be the same stem but different branches. The small advertisements will be collected by the newspaper vendors partnered with us. As Shareholders of the New York Immigrant News Co., Ltd., it is in their interest that the newspaper of this company will soon make money. Four motorcycles will make frequent rounds of the newsstands, taking the advertisements from these people. And so on until we Until I have my own office. Right now I have two places to consider, one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. Tomorrow I will be considering the Bronx and Spytem Island. Will be back with you after the motorcycle tour Come on, no later than 9:30 p.m., this is the deadline, and the advertisements submitted before then must be published in the newspaper the next morning, unless the client makes other requirements." "How long does it take you to put out six small pages (eight columns each)? The foreman at the Mirror told me last night that it would take him an hour. Your factory doesn't have the typesetting for the Mirror." capacity. Let's say it takes three hours. Let's say it's four hours, considering you'll have to set aside two typesetting machines for other pages, just in case something gets published at the last minute. That is, typesetting will It ends at 1:30 in the morning. You said that it takes half an hour to cast the plate into blocks. Then, you can start printing at about two o'clock and send it from four o'clock. Our dispatcher will come at about 4:40 Pick up papers. Newspaper vendors all over New York will get papers by about six o'clock at the latest." "To be honest, I don't think the profit from the sale will play much of a part in the financial balance of the business. Advertising and advertising will play a bigger role. The paper will start making money from about the fifth issue. Our aim is to Provide a means of exchanging information for Americans of German, Italian, Polish or Jewish descent." "Together with the Advertising Managers, I'm also trying to set up a legal and social information clearinghouse, which will be free and open to all subscribers. You don't have to worry that the newspaper will be printed in Yiddish, Polish or German, although Each of these types of characters has special typesetting requirements, which is up to me to consider. I have found three typesetting machines for you, on credit, including letters and fonts that you may not have. Do you have them? No, don’t you .As for typesetting and proofreading staff, I have also arranged. They are all journeymen, you don't have to worry, they work in the merged "Sun" and "Times" printing press. I talked to them, they are willing to do a little Part-time job. Any questions?" "God Almighty!" sighed Roger Dunne, sinking into a chair. Anton Baker (Roger Dunn did not learn his real name much later, when Dunn himself became one of the courtiers) smiled and shook his head slowly. "Your investment is just paper and ink." "And my workers' wages. And mine. And the electric bill. And I'm not sure what the bills will be..." "Just a week," "That's not counting the other jobs I've lost because of it. I don't have the resources to do so much at once. I'm going to lose my clients." "You have almost no customers. Within three months your factory was due to close." "That's my business." Baker carried a cloth bag on his shoulders.He placed the bag on a heavily ink-stained imposition table, laying an old proof first to keep the bag from getting ink.He undid the cloth belt, and dared to produce several stacks of bills, some of which still had the Newark Bank's signature. "Three thousand one hundred and forty-three dollars," he said. "That's all I have at the moment. I can pay the first few installments down. Pay it all." "It's only enough for two installments, at most," Dunn said. "I'll pay you again in the future. You print newspapers for me, and I pay you, just like paying ordinary printers, you pay for each issue. But when the newspaper starts to make money, I don't want Find another factory, or I'll buy my own print shop. Then you can close the shop and go back to the Marines." He remained motionless, his eyes fixed on Dunn's.What's even better is that his expression seems to be very interesting. "I don't see anything like that," Dunne said ruefully. "Of course you'll take it. We're both acting. That's why I find it funny." Dunn walked away along the imposition table.Pass the typesetting machine and enter the room where the rotary printing press has not been used for four years.He was very angry with himself, but at the same time felt strangely agitated, and started to giggle.He thought: I am such a fool. "What if I do it with you?" he asked. "When the money starts to come in, you'll get your cost back, plus a twenty-five percent profit, plus a five percent stake in New York Immigrant News Ltd." "Ten percent," Dunn said. "Okay," Baker said in a soft voice, still amused. He put the cloth bag on his shoulder without making a sound, and walked behind Dunn.The two looked at the huge machine together for a while.Then Dunn kicked the concrete footing. "You see: For four years I've dreamed of seeing this machine turn again, and be a real print proprietor again." What he saw was a warm and friendly smile. "Then the day has come." In Reb Klimrod's strategy at the time, it was a conscious desire to rely on some immigrant men and women who had not been in the United States for too long.This was the case with Lierny and Berkovich, even though they had come to America in the thirties, when they were both fifteen years old. They also have other things in common: both are from Romania, both are Jewish, and both share a spirit of perseverance. With this spirit, they qualified as lawyers by going to night school. The journey of the two to obtain this diploma Equally slow and arduous, both have traveled a bumpy road, often working hand-to-mouth jobs—Lierne in the clothing industry, Berkovich in the dental and medical equipment industry.Later, the diplomas were finally obtained, and it seemed that they could receive benefits, but fate also mocked them. One was sent to the Coral Sea with the US Navy to fight the Japanese, and the other was sent to Tunisia, Sicily, Italy and France to pursue Hitler. army.After being demobilized in 1945, the two strangers finally returned to New York safely (Lierne was still walking with a limp), and resumed the struggle they had left off three years earlier. They seek luck with the same gloomy ferocity, and they crave it day after day, no matter what form it may take.David Setiniaz, who had always disliked them, nicknamed them "King's Black Dogs" one day. Lierny and Belorovitch were not the only black dogs, there were other black dogs, there had been many of them, whole herds, scattered all over the world.But the two Romanian immigrants in New York were the first two, and certainly the best. 有一首古老的童谣大家都知道，罗伯特·佩恩·沃伦（注：美国教育家和作家。）从中为他最好的小说找到了书名，其中唱道，“国王所有的马和国王所有的人……”他们确实是王的人，是王臣，是他的马和他的象，或是他的车和他的卒，是他在自己的棋盘上任意移动的棋子。 列尔内身材修长，眼睛深凹。他很少说话，说起话来声音仿佛发自空穴，在两阵令人难堪的静默之间冲口而出，好象是被他无法表达的一种憎恨推出来的。他以前当过纺织品和服装售货员，从而留下一种古怪的习惯动作，他会把手指在桌子或文件上轻轻地弹，一次又一次，一次又一次，直到几乎要把他说话的对象催眠为止。（很难说他不是故意这样做的。）他作为雷伯·克立姆罗德这边的人，第一次露面是在曼哈顿岛南区的报贩股东大会上。后来，是他陪同雷伯和兹比去见艾比·莱文，以便在他已经草拟好了的合同上签字。据塞梯尼亚兹所知，办报的手续以及与之有联系的一连串行动也是他干的。 当然还有渡口行动。 “三条渡船，”弗格森说。“再加上两个货栈，还有码头，还有办事处。” 他在列举了自己拥有的这些财产之后，用志得意满的目光望着那三个人。 “合在一起，我每月可赚大约一千美元。而我现年五十四岁。我指望再干十一年，你自己可以算出一个结果来。我算下来可得十二万，只要经营得法。” “嗯，嗯！”雷伯平静地应道。 弗格森对他瞧了瞧。他的三个谈话对象中，这一个最引人注目，他年纪最轻、个子最高，而他的眼光简直能穿透一扇门。 “'嗯'意味着什么呢？” 雷伯冲着他笑。 “你已经不是五十四岁，而是六十三。你所谓的'办事处'所在的那幢房子己被征用，而且你已经得到赔偿，四五个月以后它将不复存在。它的价值还不及一个没葱味的汉堡包。你的三条渡船中有一条全仗上帝保佑才没有报废，它每天都得修补。你银行里顶多只有三干二百五十美元，这笔钱是每月三百二十美元分期付款的保证金，因为去年十月十四日你在阿尔伯克基买下的那所房屋还得付六千七百七十五美元．你仅有的车是一辆一九三八年的福特，它已经跑了七万英里。你只有一个儿子，他是食品厂的工程师，当然在阿尔伯克基；你妻子一天要向你重复五六遍，说她在纽约已经呆够了，这里气候寒冷，每两年才能见儿子和孙子一次，至于你的实际收入，我们估计每月在八百五十到九百美元之间。” “你是什么人，联邦调查局的？” “我现在向你提出如下的建议，”雷伯说，“接受不接受由你决定：给你雅瓦食品总公司百分之十的股份，你将出任这家公司的副总经理。你以这种资格……” "That is how the matter?" “一家新成立的公司，负责生产、分送食品，在很多情况下还负责销售。作为副总经理，你将得到二百美元周薪，并且每年可望调整薪水百分之十。终生不变。只有一项特殊条件：你在公司里不发挥任何作用。这建议最符合你的理想，你将既有头衔，又有相应的薪水，却不需要干活。你实际上可以按月在阿尔伯克基领钱，哪家银行由你挑。如果你能证明公司的经营方式有丝毫不合法之处或者你的薪水没有按照我说的标准支付，交易将立即终止。那时你的动产和不动产将还给你。你会对我说，在那种情况下你可能发现你的业务处于紊乱状态，我会回答你将经过对资产按现时的行情估价加上每年百分之十的通货膨胀率，我们将得出一个赔偿的数字，如果我们不遵守协议的条款（尽管这是不可能发生的事），我们将付给你这笔赔偿金。” 弗格森三艘往返于曼哈顿与新泽西州霍博肯之间的渡船之一刚刚靠岸，正开始卸客。 “弗格森，”雷伯说，“你回答吧，'是'还是'不'？有关雅瓦食品总公司财务状况的全部资料将由纽瓦克我的银行提供给你。如果你接受而且我看不出你和你的妻子有什么理由拒绝。那么，三天之内你就坐火车去阿尔伯克基。” 一推一挽。每一家新建的公司都是前一家推出来比而它本身又挽出跟在后面的另一家。这是雷伯·克立姆罗德的一贯策略。他总是以闪电般的速度将他的好几项行动联结起来，没有丝毫具体的基础设施，没有办事地点，也没有行政机构，几乎都是这样。 从一九五〇年七月二十一日（在纽约成立自力报刊发行有限公司的文件上注明的日期）到同年八月二十四日，一连串的合约全部最后拍板。大卫·塞梯尼亚兹指出，这是一种非凡的节奏。 在这个时期内，克立姆罗德至少成立了五十九家不同的公司。 就拿自力公司来说吧，即负责发送报纸的公司，其股东包括报贩、服装业各工会（雷伯是与工会组织正式合伙的第一人）、国际卡车司机工会以及克立姆罗德本人，在这段时期内又已经成立了十二家公司。十二家公司在法律上各自独立，用的都是纽约模式，它们分布在费城、巴尔的摩、华盛顿、波士顿、匹兹堡、辛辛那提、底特律、克利夫兰、印第安纳波利斯、芝加哥以及加拿大的多伦多和蒙特利尔。所有的公司都遵守与工会合伙的原则，和纽约的一样，但不一定生搬硬套。在芝加哥，塞梯尼亚兹发现屠宰工人联合会在那里的自力公司中持有百分之七点五的股份。 但在这十二家公司中有一点是不变的：雷伯·克立姆罗德至少掌握百分之五十一的股份，不管合伙者是谁。名义上他从不自己出面而总是以委托书的形式通过中间人成为大股东。 十二家自力公司是在十九天内由艾比·莱文和他的一些朋友帮助建立起来的，每次都有一名黑狗到那里去，或列尔内，或贝尔科维奇，有时则是第三个这样的律师阿布拉莫绍奇，他也是在那一时期出现的。但是，尽管他们彼此不相识，他们的工作方法却相似；或者说，克立姆罗德的指示是如此明确和不可通融，简直无法判定那件事是哪个办的。第二轮是雅瓦公司。 第一家于一九五〇年七月二十五日诞生于纽约。第二家——在芝加哥——则是八月六日。随后是十足的排炮齐射（由贝尔科维奇主持）；从八月八日至十二日，四天之内在其他城市出现了七家雅瓦公司。 纽约雅瓦的情况是独一无二的。克立姆罗德并没有从弗格森那里把渡口的买卖盘下来，而是把它换成他刚刚成立的公司的股份。也就是说，根本没有投入本钱——这也是不奇怪的，因为他没有钱。从七月二十一日到八月二十四日经过他手的全部资本，就是从纽瓦克银行借来的那三万美元，他用这笔钱从剩余军用物资中买了卡车和摩托车，还有三千多美元则在七月二十六日全给了罗杰·邓恩。 在一九五〇年夏季的这三十三天内，雷伯·克立姆罗德做生意没有用他自己的一分钱。他于七月十六日两手空空来到纽约，搭西蒙·高兹契尼亚克的弟弟驾驶的一辆卡车乘了一段路；在纽约的第一个星期，他住在齐布尔斯基家，靠着帮齐布尔斯基或高兹契尼亚克卖报维持生计。他生平第一次来到美国是个身无长物的移民，唯一的行李就是一只小布袋里边放着两本书和一点点马钱子箭毒。 这一时期的第三批行动是《移民新闻》和印刷业。最初两张报纸，一张依地文和一张德文，于八月二日出版。意大利文版是五日创刊的，波兰文版稍迟，至少在纽约如此，因为在芝加哥和底特律波兰版出得最早，甚至先于纽约。以后又有西班牙文版。他创立的广告经理部几乎收到立竿见影和意想不到的效果。克立姆罗德要邓恩搞一期试刊，让跑街用以拉广告客户。这在当时是一个新点子。出到第五期，从广告费收回的成本已超过百分之七十。接着，小块分类广告和启事开始源源而来，数量之多简直令人不敢相信。最初，他需要用四版篇幅来登；到八月十六日增至六版月底已达十版，这就迫使报纸增加一张篇幅，至九月底又增加一张。 这些出版物在非英语圈子里取得了空前的成功。这些人中大部分几乎不会说英语，他们正在找工作，找以前侨居到美国来的亲戚和老朋友，更重要的是他们觉得需要与各自故土的文化保持联系。于是雷伯又创立了信息中心，那些报纸的订户都可以到那里去了解任何种类的信息。他开始租用一些在正常情况下每周只用一次的客车。他组织周末的旅队收费合理，把几百个家庭送往泽西海滨、长岛和别的地方度假。 正是从这些活动开始，他渐渐建立起一个个度假中心和旅馆联营组织，更不必提运输方面的业务了。 报纸出到第二十四期，销数就达到并且突破十万份大关。同一张报纸在十个、二十个、三十个城市中出版。邓恩把纸型通过卡车或飞机运出去，相应的印刷业主，比方说在芝加哥，只消排内容针对该地区的几个版面就可以了。当时的《移民新闻》大约有八十六种不同的版本，实际上百分之六十至八十的内容是相同的。总发行量超过一百万份。 第四次排炮齐射也发生在同一时期，即一九五〇年七八月间，虽则当时应运而生的许多事业要到以后的几个星期或几个月才蓬勃发展。 与弗格森的摆渡业挂钩这一行动是很典型的。跟弗格森签订合同是在八月十六日。第二天，渡船上就设立了快餐柜，其结果是：一个住在新泽西州霍博肯或纽瓦克的雇员，在坐渡船过哈得逊河到曼哈顿去上班的时侯就能吃到早餐。由黑狗们——主要是莉莲·莫里斯——组成的一个班子，当天就开始对纽约周围的其他轮渡公司进行游说，建议设立同样的快餐柜。食品和饮料供应自然由雅瓦食品总公司垄断，不久，这个机构就由莉莲·莫里斯主持经营达二十四年之久。 这仅仅是第一步。后来雅瓦食品总公司把它的业务扩展到航行在五大湖以及北美所有主要河流的船只，接着又打进海运公司和航空公司。 扩张的第二步采取的形式是把过去属于弗格森的货栈和其他建筑物利用起来。冰淇淋厂于八月二十日正式成立，虽然要到四个星期以后才开始生产，编制为五十人。法律上它由雅瓦食品总公司的一家子公司领衔，由雅瓦负责运销。在布朗克斯、布鲁克林、新泽西州租借房屋场地的一系列合同订于八月二十二日。热狗、卷饼、芥末酱、三明治所需的各种成分以及糖果的生产是在十月十日至三十日之间开始的。雷伯早期与供货者所订合同中有些奇怪的条款，由此可以得到解释，他从第一天开始就打算做到自产自销。 塞梯尼亚兹甚至发现几份通过雅瓦食品总公司的另一子公司租赁曼哈顿三个地方的协议书。最早出现在这些地区内的犹太和德式熟食联营组织以及快餐食堂，以后有了惊人的发展。 雷伯·克立姆罗德到达纽约是七月十六日。四十天后他已经成立了五十九家公司，而任何时候都没有用自己的钱信任何投资，事实上他也没有饯。 但这并不是最根本的问题。