2018 Leasing News Person of the Year Award
Presentation to Jerry Parrotto

Gerald "Jerry" Parrotto (left) receiving 2018 Leasing News Person of the Year Award
from Leasing News Advisor/Associate Editor (volunteer), Ralph Mango. (photo by David Bara)

Ralph Mango nominated Jerry Parrotto, therefore it is fitting that he present the award.

Ralph said at the time, "The Monitor Magazine became the leading magazine of the leasing and finance industry, as well as popular with banks and other lenders. It is read by almost everyone in the industry. His articles demonstrated his knowledge of the industry and trust with its leaders.

"The impact of The Monitor on the industry in terms of salient issues, M&A, employment moves, rankings and evolving trends over almost four decades is significant by any measure. His publication not only brought the latest news but education to the entire industry."

As with editorial decisions, it is the Leasing News Advisory Board that does the nominating and the Chief Editor to make the final decision.  Ralph wrote in an email communication to the entire Board, “Kit, as we expect, you articulated this award in your usual straightforward and precise style. I, too, consider Jerry a friend going back to our Citi days in the early 1980s. For you to recognize a rival says even more about you.”

Others joined in, such as Bruce Kropschot, "I go back over 40 years with Jerry. As a lender to leasing companies at Industrial Valley Bank in Philadelphia, he loaned money to my leasing company in the mid-1970s. I consider Jerry a friend, and I am pleased that he received this award, even though the Advisory Board nominated some other worthy candidates. While the Monitor has a very prominent position in the industry, Jerry remained unassuming and not prone to self-promotion. He is truly a 'nice guy” and worthy of being the 2018 Leasing News Person of the Year."

Paul Larkins, Past President, ELFA, "Jerry is a class act.  He has placed some of the industry’s top talent, while also having the foresight to launch a publication that became a standard."

Paul Menzel, CLFP, "What a great choice for Leasing Person of the Year. Jerry is one of those quiet titans of our industry who doled out acknowledgements and recognition to others with little fanfare for himself. He helped establish and maintain a professional culture in the leasing industry by providing educational articles of the highest quality. He kept us all informed of what good we were doing. It is nice to know that his legacy will live on with The Monitor under Lisa Rafter’s leadership. Thanks Jerry!”

Leasing News would like to thank Lisa Rafter, former Advertising Manager and today Co-Publisher of The Monitor and affiliates, for providing a photographer and helping to arrange the photo session in Pennsylvania at Logan Hotel, Philadelphia.

Previous Persons of the Year:
2005 Paul J. Menzel, CLFP
2006 Paul A. Larkins
2007 Randall H. Brook
2008 Robert Teichman, CLFP
2009 Ralph Petta
2010 Curt Ritter
2011 John C. Deane
2012 Tony Golobic
2013 Bernie Boettigheimer, CLFP
2014 Valerie Jester
2015 Bruce Kropschot
2016 Reid Raykovich, CLFP
2017 Deborah Monosson

Coda:
In a Monitor Magazine interview by David Wiener, Managing Director, Client Relations, The Alta Group, "What’s something that has recently surprised Jerry Parrotto?"

"I was both surprised and humbled to be informed that Kit Menkin, editor of the rival electronic industry publication Leasing News, would be so bold as to name me as ‘2018 Leasing News Person of the Year.’ I was further impressed that Kit would proceed to expound upon the content of our various magazine features and e-mail newsletters in the text of his announcement. (1). Finally, I was personally touched that my 18-year old son, who’s a freshman at Rochester Institute of Technology, would be so proud of his ‘old man’ to boast about this recognition to his college classmates."

https://www.monitordaily.com/article-posts/the-last-interview-former-
monitor-publisher-jerry-parrotto-sits-for-the-first-time-as-an-interviewee/

1. Gerald "Jerry" Parrotto
   January Announcement
   http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2019/01_03.htm#loy2018

 

 

 

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Looking to Improve Your Career
   Post a Free Position Wanted Here

Free Career Positon Wanted goes into our Classified Ad section here
http://leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

It also runs once a week in the News Edition.

Use your personal email address only. We encourage you to add a resume, although not necessary. If you do so, please make sure your name, address and telephone number are not included. If so, we will delete them. The reason is once the resume is placed on line: it remains in Google, as well in Leasing News Editions’ archives. A search of your name will bring up your posting, which will have your address and telephone number for years to come.

It is also a good idea to create an email for the ad specifically that you can delete after use.
This is “free” to those looking for a new position. Each ad is limited to (100) words.

To post your free position wanted, please email: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org. 

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

Leasing News Top Stories
May 12 - May 17

(Stories most opened by readers)

(1) Bulletin Board Complaint#
  Anuva Capital, Buena Park, California
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_13.htm#anuva

(2) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
       and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_17.htm#hires

(3)  Now Open for the Cannabis Industry
    International Financial Services dba IFS
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_13.htm#ifs

(4) This is How Much it Costs to Open a McDonald’s
       generating nearly $2.7 million in annual sales
https://www.southernliving.com/news/how-much-is-a-mcdonalds-franchise

(5) International Financial Services
         Corporation dba IFS
 Joins “Funder”/”Funder Looking for Broker” Lists
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_15.htm#joins

(6) Mystery Solved on NACLB Named “Association”
    By Monitor Magazine
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_15.htm#mystery

(7) Want to Hire Great Sales Reps? Start by Avoiding
           the "Sales Personality" Myth
    Sales Make it Happen --- by Steve Chriest
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_13.htm#myth

(8) Third-biggest US coal company files for bankruptcy
  Fourth major coal producer in Wyoming to file for bankruptcy
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/third-biggest-us-coal-company-files-bankruptcy-193403707--finance.html

(9) Trump administration cancels $929 million contract
         for California bullet train
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article230485439.html?

(10) Why Do Struggling Chains Always Turn to Franchising
    By Jonathan Maze, www.restaurantbusinessonline.com
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2019/05_13.htm#why

 

 

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Story Credit Lessors - Lenders List
"C" & "D" Lessees, Business Loans, Working Capital

With the entrance of Alternate Finance, the number of companies that do "business loans" as well as Merchant Cash Advance has grown for those primarily who accept retail credit cards, such as restaurants and other retail operations.

Nevertheless, in the lease financing business with lower rates, longer terms resulting in low payments, as well as obtaining equipment that has a specific period of usefulness, there are equipment leasing companies that specialize in "C" and "D" credits, often new businesses, or businesses where the principal(s) have Beacon scores around 600 or have had previous difficulties. It is therefore often difficult to become comfortable with the credit and financial statements. It is often like arm wrestling to get the sufficient information to support a positive decision; that means you need to learn the "story" to make a positive decision, often requiring further security, shorter term, or additional guarantors.

Many of these companies may also have programs for “A” and “B” rated companies, but their specialty is not being a “cookie cutter;”  often, they will require full financial statements and tax returns, and the “story about the company, its history, goals, circumstances” to fully understand the full financial and operational picture.

Many of these companies also offer business loans and working capital loans, as well as doing "subprime leases."

Also listed below the dollar amounts are companies that who are known for accepting "subprime leasing."

All accept qualified third party originations and pay a commission.

To qualify for this list, the company must be a funder (as qualified by Leasing News and on the “Funder List” and not a "Broker/Lessor” along with an acceptable Better Business Bureau Rating and no history of complaints at Leasing News, as well as notifying lessees in advance when the lease will end and what the residual will be, specifically not automating extra lease payments, as we as insisting their discounter follow the same policy. We reserve the right to not list a company who does not meet these qualifications.

Funder List “A”
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm 

We encourage companies who are listed to contact us for any change or addition they would like to make. Adding further information as an "attachment" or clarification of what they have to offer would be helpful to readers is also very much encouraged.
kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

Alphabetical list - click on company name to view more details
American Leasefund, Inc.  Bankers Capital  Black Rock Capital Investment, LLC BSB Leasing, Inc Calfund, LLC Cobra Capital LLC Dakota Financial	Financial Pacific Leasing Forum Financial Services, Inc. Gonor Funding Global Financial &  Leasing Services, LLC  Mesa Leasing North Mill Equipment Finance  Northwest Leasing Company, Inc.	Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC Pawnee Leasing Corporation P&L Capital Corporation SLIM Capital, LLC Standard Professional Services, LLC TEAM Funding Solutions Your Leasing Solution, LLC

 

Full List:
http://leasingnews.org/Story_Credit/Story_Credit.htm

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The U.S. labor market is in great shape. The unemployment rate dropped to a 50-year low of 3.6 percent in April, wages are high and total nonfarm employment reached a historical high of 151.1 million, according to the latest estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. is not alone in enjoying a strong job market at the moment though. According to the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook, the employment situation in most of the world’s largest economies has improved significantly over the past five years.

As the following chart shows, Japan and Germany are currently seeing an even lower level of unemployment than does the U.S.  While France and Italy are still struggling with undesirably high levels of unemployment, both countries have seen their job markets improve since 2014 as well. Brazil is the only outlier among the top 10 economies (excluding India for which no data was available). The country’s labor market has worsened significantly over the past five years, leading to a record level of unemployment in 2019.

By Felix Richter, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/18049/unemployment-rate-in-the-worlds-largest-economies/

Lot of Winners at AACFB Annual Conference
Reports Monica Harper, Executive Director

“There were A LOT of winners at the 2019 American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers Annual Conference in Las Vegas and this includes the winners of our golf tournament. Way to go guys!”
  
   - Monica Harper, Executive Director, AACFB

 

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As smartphones have become a constant companion for most people in the United States, landline phones are rapidly losing their relevance.

In 2004, more than 90 percent of households in the U.S. had an operational landline phone; it is now  more than 40 percent. That’s according to data provided by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which has been tracking phone ownership in the U.S. as a by-product of its biannual National Health Interview Survey since 2004.

If the trend continues at the current pace, and there’s little reason to believe it won’t, landline phones could soon become an endangered species, much like the VCR and other technological relics before it.

 By Felix Richer, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/2072/landline-phones-in-the-united-states/

 

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Isuzu Creates New Craft Beer Truck
By WorkTruck, Submitted by Ed Kaye

- Photo courtesy of Isuzu

To showcase how a craft brewer can maximize its investment in a delivery truck, Isuzu, Supreme, and Delivery Concepts Inc. developed a craft beer truck that can not only make deliveries, but also can be used at live events for promoting the product.
 
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, distributor of low cab forward trucks, has developed a truck to help the growing craft beer industry, working in collaboration with Supreme, Delivery Concepts Inc., and Bottle Logic (an Anaheim, California-based craft brewer).

The craft beer industry has been in a red-hot growth pattern for the last five years. Since 2014, craft breweries have more than doubled. According to the Brewers Association, the craft brewing industry contributed $76.2 billion and more than 500,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2017.

Many of these brewing operations are small businesses that brew and deliver in their surrounding communities. To promote themselves, they often take part in local music festivals, street fairs, and other live events that draw festive crowds. They quickly find themselves in the dilemma of requiring a dual-purpose vehicle — one that cannot only make their regular deliveries but also can promote their brewery at live events.

- Photo courtesy of Isuzu

The driver’s side of the body has an 8-tap beer station integrated into the side, with a 10-gallon overflow tank and a special mounting on the body’s interior for the CO2 manifold.

To showcase how a craft brewer can maximize its investment in a delivery truck, Isuzu, Supreme, and Delivery Concepts developed a craft beer truck built with the quality and durability to make deliveries but with features designed for use at live events to promote the product.

The chassis is an Isuzu NRR with a 150-inch wheelbase and a 19,500-pound GVWR to accommodate heavier payloads. The Isuzu low-cab-forward design features a 49.5-degree wheel-cut angle that allows drivers to make deliveries and set up displays in tight quarters that can't be negotiated by conventional cab trucks. Enhanced visibility allows drivers to see the ground within 8 feet of the front of the truck, and an 85-degree door-swing angle means entry and exit are easy for deliveries and set-up that are faster and more efficient.

The NRR is powered by Isuzu’s 5.2L turbocharged diesel engine. which generates 215 hp and 452 lb.-ft. of torque. Its B10 durability rating of 375,000 miles is also evidence of the engine’s long-term dependability.

“The combination of economy, power, maneuverability, and low cost of ownership, made choosing the NRR as the basis for our new craft beer truck a no-brainer,” said Steve Napolitano, co-founder and president of Bottle Logic. “We can’t wait to put this truck to work for us.”

After reviewing Bottle Logic’s operations, Isuzu, Supreme, and Delivery Concepts created a body equipped with:

• A 16-ft. Supreme Kold King insulated body (16’L x 91”H x 96”W) that is cooled with a Thermo King 680R with electric standby. This setup will provide ample space for kegs and crates while keeping the product refrigerated. The electric standby gives brewers more flexibility in loading the truck in the evening for the next morning’s delivery, all while keeping the product cooled.

• A 2,500-pound Maxon TE25L tuck-away lift gate with side steps to help ease loading and unloading during delivery. E-track has been mounted on the interior of the body at a special height to secure kegs during transit.

• Two 24” x 24” toolboxes (one on each side) store tables, chairs and event material. A 15-foot overhead retractable awning provides shade for servers and customers alike. When at live events, this will make set-up and operation a cinch.

• A tap system. The driver’s side of the body has an 8-tap beer station integrated into the side with a 10-gallon overflow tank and a special mounting on the body’s interior for the CO2 manifold. Covering the taps on the exterior is a locking door that swings up to serve as a menu board. LED lights illuminate the taps to provide a clean, high-tech appearance.

Photo courtesy of Isuzu

The NRR is powered by Isuzu’s 5.2L turbocharged diesel engine, which generates 215 hp and 452 lb.-ft. of torque.

Story Courtesy of Edward P. Kaye
Co-Founder Access Commercial Capital
3000 Marcus Avenue, Suite 3E01
Lake Success, New York 11042
(516)444-3621 Direct Dial
(800)571-3900 Toll Free
(516)213-1182 Fax
ekaye@accesscapital.biz
www.accesscapital.biz

http://accesscapital.biz/specialty-vehicle-funding/

Hound/Mix
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  Adopt a Dog

Alister
ID $41353070
Male
Large
Color: Black/White
Neutered
Declawed: No
Housetrained: Unknown

Pennsylvania SPCA
350 E. Erie Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19134

adoptions@pspca.org
213-426-6300

Adoption Hours
Monday 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Friday 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
 

Application:
https://www.petango.com/Guest-Registration?callbackUrl=

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

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5th Annual Conference & Exhibition
October 4 - 6  NACLB  Las Vegas Westin

Over 800 of the nation’s top commercial loan, leasing and mortgage brokers and lenders will converge on the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa on October 4-6, 2019 to meet the top lenders and service providers that cater to the brokerage community. These brokers are responsible for over $5 billion in small business and commercial financing each year.

Keynote Speaker

Robert J. O'Neill

Former SEAL Team Six Leader and Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and New York Times Best-Selling Author.

Among the other speakers are Ken Greene, Esq., well-known Leasing News Advisor and Contributing Writer, speaking on Broker Licensing.

Register Now
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/naclb-2019-registration-53866142081

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa 
Our Discounted room rate is $199.
This discounted rate will end October 2019
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1549659194861&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Full Information:
https://www.naclb.org/

News Briefs----

"We’re still getting residuals from a company 14 years later.”
    Phil Dushey, President, Global Financial Services
https://debanked.com/2019/05/the-road-back-to-residual-commissions/

Boeing discovers flaw in sought-after 737 MAX simulator,
   the same kind that Ethiopian Airlines had
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-discovers-flaw-in-sought-after-737-max-simulator-the-same-kind-that-ethiopian-airlines-had/

Latin Financial CEO Sonia Alvelo Small Business Finance Broker
     Wins Entrepreneur of the Year
https://debanked.com/2019/05/small-business-finance-broker-wins-entrepreneur-of-the-year/

'They Were Conned': How Reckless Loans Devastated
    a Generation of Taxi Drivers
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/nyregion/nyc-taxis-medallions-suicides.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Presidio Bank, Heritage Bank of Commerce ink $200M merger
  total branches would rise to 17 in the San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/marincounty/9610379-181/heritage-presidio-bank-merger

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You May Have Missed---

The 15 states with the most CEOs
https://www.businessinsider.com/states-with-the-most-ceos-2019-5

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Fierce Winter Storm - Poem by Marilyn Lott

The storm raged in over night
Yes, nature had a plan
It brought terrible conditions
For plant, or beast, or man

It came in so very quickly
The wind was hard and fierce
And when I stepped outside
My lungs and face it pierced

Locked in winter's embrace
The world was cold and hard
Frail dry grass was transformed
As I looked out into my yard

The fences were laced with ice cycles
Rock solid they were from the cold
It was so astounding to watch
The winter ice storm unfold

Not a thing was able to move
If the wind blew we’d never tell
It’s the perfect scene to capture
Photographers and artists as well

It’s amazing what nature can do
And tomorrow it could be quite warm
But for now I’ll take out my camera
And capture this fierce winter storm!

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Sports Briefs---

How can Sharks survive this time to reach Game 7?
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/19/how-can-sharks-survive-this-time-to-reach-game-7/

Sharks decimated by injuries in disastrous Game 5 loss
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/19/sharks-decimated-by-injuries-in-disastrous-game-5/

Blues are one win away after 5-0 win over Sharks in Game 5
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/morning-skate/blues-are-one-win-away-after---win-over/article_b2796500-c01c-5234-9e0b-8c7560d20340.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

This secret Nick Bosa can’t hide from the 49ers and their fans
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/05/02/tony-accardo-mobster-greatgrandfather-nick-joey-bosa

Signs point to a megadeal between Eagles, Carson Wentz
http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/76576/Signs-point-to-a-megadeal-between-Eagles--Carson-Wentz

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California Nuts Briefs---

Job boom in Bay Area surges to best month in four years
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/17/job-boom-in-bay-area-surges-to-best-month-in-four-years/

The coolest Bay to Breakers costumes of 2019 Photos
   The Iron Throne, a super bloom and Elizabeth Holmes:
https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/best-bay-to-breakers-costumes-2019-13857505.php

Former 49er’s cherry trees destroyed
 Jeremy Newberry estimates the total loss to be around $25,000.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/05/18/former-49ers-cherry-trees-destroyed/

Massive Redwood City housing, retail
   and office development up for final OK
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/19/massive-redwood-city-housing-retail-and-office-development-up-for-final-ok/

Racial and academic divide in Healdsburg schools spurs call for change
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/9433310-181/racial-and-academic-divide-in

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Bordeaux Winemakers Respond to Climate Change
   with Revolutionary New Regulations
https://vinepair.com/articles/bordeaux-climate-change/

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

This Day in History

    1570 – Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum”, the first modern atlas. Three Latin editions of this (besides a Dutch, a French and a German edition) appeared before the end of 1572; twenty-five editions came out before Ortelius' death in 1598; and several others were published subsequently, for the atlas continued to be in demand until about 1612.Errors, of course, abound, both in general conceptions and in detail; thus South America is initially very faulty in outline, but corrected in the 1587 French edition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Ortelius
    1638 – Dorchester, MA voted to establish a property tax to support public schools: “It is ordered the 20th of May, 1639, that there shall be a rent of twenty pounds a year for ever imposed upon Tomsons Island to be paid by every person that hath property in the said island according to the proportion that any such person shall from time to time enjoy and possess there.”
    1704 – Elias Neau founds school for slaves in New York.  His real name was Elias Naud. He was from France, a seaman who sallied to Haiti before arriving in New York.
    1759 - William Thornton (1759-1828) architect who designed the United States Capitol, was born in the British Virgin Islands.
    1768 – Dolley Madison, a widow, married James Madison.  During the British invasion of Washington, D.C., in the War of 1812, she escaped with valuable state papers from the White House before it was burned by the British.   Strong-willed, she hung her wash in the East Room of the White House to show her disdain for those who thought the presidency was royalty. She was a noted and charming hostess in the complex game of Washington society.   She acted as hostess for George

Washington and reportedly her charm and social grace was a great aid in Madison being nominated for President.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/dm4.html
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/madison/exhibit/index.html
    1775 – The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is claimed by some to be the first such declaration made in the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, at Charlotte, NC, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the Battle of Lexington. If true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the US Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been disputed since it was first published in 1819, forty-four years after it was reputedly written. There is no conclusive evidence to confirm the original document's existence, and no reference to it has been found in extant newspapers from 1775.  The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was first published on April 30, 1819, in an article written by Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander in the “Raleigh Register and North Carolina Gazette” newspaper.  "It is not probably known to many of our readers," wrote the editor of the “Raleigh Register” in an introduction to the article, "that the citizens of Mecklenburg County, in this State made a Declaration of Independence more than a year before Congress made theirs.  According to Dr. Alexander, his father, John McKnitt Alexander, had been the clerk at a meeting convened in Charlotte on May 19, 1775. Each militia company in the county had sent two delegates to the meeting, where measures were to be discussed regarding the ongoing dispute between the British Empire and the Colonies. Relations between the colonies and the mother country had reached a crisis in Boston following the 1774 passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament. During the meeting in Mecklenburg County, the delegates received official news that the Battle of Lexington had been fought in Massachusetts one month earlier. Outraged by this turn of events, wrote Dr. Alexander, the delegates unanimously passed the resolutions at about 2:00 a.m. on May 20.  North Carolinian James Street insisted that this “was the first explicit declaration by any Colony in favor of complete separation from Britain.”  (Street, ”The Revolutionary War (1954), pg. 79).
    1777 - The first treaty between states after the Declaration of Independence was concluded between Georgia and South Carolina at DeWitt's Corner, SC.  Under its provisions, the Cherokees were forced to retire behind a line running southwest through Georgia from the straight part of Pickens County on the North to a point just below the mouth of the Tallulah at the western tip of the state. Since landing on the continent, the natives were moved further and further from their original “homeland.” From an estimated population, some say well into the millions, the population shrank to several hundred thousand, due primarily to disease brought from the old world to humans and animals.  http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/03/mann.html
    1818 – William Fargo (1818-1881) was born in Pompey, NY.  In 1844, he organized, with Henry Wells (1805–1878) and Daniel Dunning, the first express company, Wells & Co, to engage in the carrying business west of Buffalo. The lines of this company (which first operated only to Detroit via Cleveland) were rapidly extended to Chicago, St. Louis, and other western points.  In March 1850, through a consolidation of competing lines, the American express Company was organized; Wells became president and Fargo secretary. In 1851, with Wells and others, he organized the firm of Wells Fargo & Company to conduct an express business between New York and San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama and on the Pacific coast, where it long had a virtual monopoly.  In 1861, Wells Fargo bought and reorganized the Overland Mail Co., which had been formed in 1857 to carry the United States mails, and of which Fargo had been one of the original promoters.  The litany of M&A involving Wells Fargo is lengthy and included expansion into traditional banking services as well in the late nineteenth century.  Today, Wells Fargo Bank is the nation’s fourth largest and is headquartered in San Francisco.
    1825 - Birthday of Antoinette Brown (1825-1921), the first woman minister in U.S. History, in Henrietta, NY. A graduate in theology from Oberlin College in 1850, she was refused ordination by a number of churches, but finally was accepted by the Congregational Church in South Butler, New York (1852-54.) She married into the renowned Blackwell family (Elizabeth was the first woman physician in U.S. history and her sister Emily, also a physician, was one of the organizers of the first woman's hospital.) Antoinette had six children and abandoned her battles for women's rights. Later she resumed her women's rights activities to become one of the most sought after speakers in the nation. She also published a number of well received books, her last book “The Social Side of Mind and Action” (1915) was written when she was 90. She lived to 96, long enough to see women get the vote.
http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/OYTT-images/NettyBlackwell.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0935312048/avsearch-bkasin-20/002-0667839-4443242
    1851 - Birthday of Emil Berliner (1851-1929), Jewish immigrant, who came to the United States in 1870 from Germany and later worked for Alexander Graham Bell's telephone company. In 1877, the year after Graham invented the telephone, Berliner developed an improved telephone receiver. Ten years later, Berliner dramatically improved the phonograph when he developed the flat gramophone record, which quickly replaced Thomas Edison's recording cylinder. He also developed a method for mass-producing records. He also invented the microphone among other achievements.
http://memory.loc.gov/mmem/berlhtml/ http://www.hebrewhistory.org/factpapers/berliner27-II.html
    1856 - Revolutionizing communication, David Edward Hughes of Louisville, KY, received a patent on a telegraph ticker that successfully printed type.  He then sold his rights to the Commercial Company for $100,000 on November 1, 1855, a huge sum of money for the day, perhaps the first “dot commer” of the “communication revolution” to follow. The modern teleprinter, telex system and computer keyboards are all direct descendants of this invention.  http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/HUGHES_BIO.html
    1861 - Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality, which lasted until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state. Meanwhile, North Carolina seceded from the Union.
    1862 - President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act opening millions of acres of government-owned land in the West to settlers or “homesteaders,” who had to reside on the land and cultivate it for five years. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may20.html
    1872 - Madeline McDowell Breckinridge’s (1872-1920) birthday in Woodlake, KY.  U.S. social activist who began by organizing and taking part in grassroots movements in her native Kentucky battling for educational and health facilities.   She campaigned for juvenile courts, branched out into fighting political corruption while heading charity organizations and was even instrumental in building a tuberculosis hospital (a disease she suffered from most of her life).   She headed the Kentucky Equal Rights organization which not only successfully passed suffrage in a southern state, but also obtained rights for married women that "allowed" them to keep their own earnings, have joint custody of their own children, etc.
http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/m_breckinridge.html http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/motherssphere.html
    1873 - Levi Strauss secures the necessary patents for canvas pants with copper rivets to reinforce the stress points. Born in Buttenheim, Bavaria, in 1829, the young Levi Strauss immigrated to the United States in 1847. He arrived in San Francisco in 1853 with a load of merchandise that he hoped to sell in the California mining camps. Unable to sell a large supply of canvas, Strauss hit on the idea of using the durable material to make work pants for miners. Strauss' canvas pants were an immediate success among hardworking miners who had long complained that conventional pants wore out too quickly. In 1872, Strauss received a letter from Jacob Davis, a customer and tailor who worked in the mining town of Reno, Nevada. Davis reported that he had discovered canvas pants could be improved if the pocket seams and other weak points that tended to tear were strengthened by copper rivets. Davis' riveted pants had proven popular in Reno, but he needed a patent to protect his invention. Intrigued by the copper-riveted pants, Strauss and his partners agreed to undertake the necessary legal work for the patent and begin large-scale production of the pants. Davis' invention was patented on this day in 1873. In exchange for his idea, Strauss made the Reno tailor his production manager. Eventually, Strauss switched from using canvas to heavyweight blue denim, and the modern "blue jeans" were born. Since then, Levi Strauss & Company has sold more than 200 million pairs of copper-riveted jeans. By the turn of the century, people outside of the mining and ranching communities had discovered that "Levi's" were both comfortable and durable. Eventually, the jeans lost most of their association with the West and came to be simply a standard element of the casual American wardrobe.
    1891 - The first public display of Edison’s prototype Kinetoscope.
    1899 - The first traffic ticket in the US…and wouldn’t you know, it was in NYC.  New York City taxi driver Jacob German was arrested for speeding while driving 12 miles per hour on Lexington Street.
    1901 - Pianist Jimmy Blythe (1901-31) was born in Louisville, KY. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?UID=8:52:12|PM&p=amg&sql=B10175
    1902 – Cuba gained independence from the US.
    1907 - Forty-one Igorrote, head-hunters and dog-eaters from the wild districts of Bontac providence in the northern part of Luzon, were brought to this country by the steamer Nippon Maru, arriving Friday. Despite the cold air the Igorrotes, almost naked, stood about the steerage deck of the liner and gazed with awe upon the surrounding evidence of civilization. The rumor spread on board that the head-hunters had been imported by Patrick Calhoun for the purpose of breaking the car strike, but this was denied by R. Schneidewind, who is bringing the Igorrotes to this country.
    1908 – James Stewart (1908-97) was born in Indiana, PA.  Stewart was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime Achievement award. Stewart was named the third greatest male screen legend in cinema history by the AFI.  He was a major MGM star. He also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve.
    1913 – William R. Hewlett (1913-2001) was born in Ann Arbor, MI.  Co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard Company.
    1916 - Norman Rockwell's first cover for The Saturday Evening Post appeared on the May20 edition.  It depicted a boy having to care for his infant sibling, pushing the baby carriage while his buddies set off to play ball.  His last Post cover appeared in 1963.
    1919 – Comedian George Gobel (1919-1991) was born in Chicago.   
    1920 - The Chicago police, dressed as soldiers and farmers, raid the Wrigley Field bleachers arresting two dozen Cub fans for gambling as Grover Cleveland Alexander blanks the Phillies, 6-0.
    1921 – Hal Newhouser (1921-98) was born in Detroit.  Newhouser was considered to be the most dominating pitcher of the World War II era of baseball, winning a pitcher’s Triple Crown for the Tigers in 1944. He posted a 29–9 record, leading the league in wins and strikeouts (187). His 2.22 ERA was second in the league, as were his 25 complete games and six shutouts. Newhouser was named MVP and won the first Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award (The Cy Young Award was not created until 1956). In 1945, he became the first and only pitcher to repeat as MVP and helped the team win the World Series. He won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins (25-9), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212). He also led the league in innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts. Newhouser pitched four innings of relief on the season's final day as Detroit rallied for the pennant. He won the second Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.  In 1946, he went 26–9 with a 1.94 ERA, again leading the league in wins and ERA. His 275 strikeouts were second in the league. Newhouser continued to rate among the game's best pitchers for the next five years. He won 17 games in 1947, led the AL with 21 wins in 1948 and rang up an 18–11 mark in 1949. He ended his career with a record of 207–150 and a 3.06 ERA. While scouting for the Houston Astros, he was angered when the team did not listen to his recommendation to draft Derek Jeter and instead picked Phil Nevin. Newhouser was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
    1927 – Bud Grant was born in Superior, WI.  Grant served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for eighteen seasons; he was the team's second (1967–83) and fourth (1985) head coach. Before coaching the Vikings, he was a head coach in the CFL for ten seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times. Grant is the most successful coach in Vikings history, and the third most successful professional football coach overall (behind Don Shula and George Halas), with a combined 290 wins in the NFL and CFL.  Grant was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He was the first coach in the history of professional football to guide teams to the Grey Cup finals and the Super Bowl.
    May 20-21, 1927 - Captain Charles Lindbergh, 25-year old aviator, departed from rainy, muddy Roosevelt Field, Long Island, NY, alone at 7:52am in a Ryan monoplane named Spirit of St. Louis.  He landed at Le Bourget airfield, Paris, at 10:24pm Paris time (5:54pm NY time), May 21, winning a $25,000 prize offered by Raymond Orteig for the first nonstop flight between New York City and Paris, France (3,600 miles).  The "flying fool", as he had been dubbed by some doubters, became "Lucky Lindy," an instant world hero.  Very few in history drew the universal acclaim of this man.
    1931 - Kenton Lloyd “Ken” Boyer (1931-82), baseball player and manager, born at Liberty, MO. Boyer was an exceptional third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the National League MVP award in 1964, and he was an 11-time All-Star.  He managed the Cards from 1978 through June 8, 1980. Boyer was one of three brothers who played MLB, including Cloyd and Cletis, with whom he has the fourth-most combined HRs in MLB history.
    1932 - Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
    1939 – Actor Sal Mineo (1939-76) was born in The Bronx.  He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his roles in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Exodus”.  On February 12, 1976, when he was stabbed to death in the alley behind his apartment building near The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
    1941 - Harry James records “You Made Me Love You,” putting the band on top!
    1942 - Glenn Miller Band records “I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.” Victor.
    1942 – Jill Jackson was born in McCamey, TX.  With Ray Hildebrand, they were Paul and Paula whose hit record, “Hey, Paula” rose to #1 in 1963.
    1944 - The Stan Kenton Band with Anita O'Day records “And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine.”
    1944 - Singer Joe Cocker (1944-2014) was born in Sheffield, England.
 http://www.cocker.com/
    1945 – Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkasian LaPier in El Centro, California. She and husband Sonny Bono enjoyed great success beginning in 1965 with the chart- topping "I Got You Babe." Sonny and Cher became household names with their TV series which ran from 1971 to '75. But a marriage breakup also ended their professional career together. Cher went on to a successful career as a singer and an actress, hitting number one with three singles in the early '70s, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady." She revived her singing career in 1988 with two top-20 singles, "I Found Someone" and "We All Sleep Alone." Recently, she scored a hit with the resurrected 'I Got You Babe' performed with MTV's Beavis and Butthead.
http://www.cher.com/
http://www.cherworld.com/
    1946 – “The next Mickey Mantle”, Bobby Murcer (1946-2008) was born in Oklahoma City.
    1948 - In front of only 5,001 fans in Chicago, Joe DiMaggio strokes four extra base hits for the fourth time in his career as he hits for the cycle for a second time in a 13-2 rout of the White Sox. The 'Yankee Clipper' paces the Bombers' 22-hit attack with a two home runs, a triple, a double and a single and drives in 6 runs.
    1949 – The Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the NSA was established.
    1951 - The first “Ace” to fly a jet was Captain James Jabara of Wichita, KS, a member of the fourth Fighter Interceptor Wing, who shot down his first and sixth enemy Mig jet airplanes over Sinjuiju, northwest Korea.  He eventually defeated 15 Migs over Korea and became the second triple jet Ace.  The first Triple jet Ace was Captain Joseph Christopher McConnell, Jr, who shot down 16 MiG-15s.  He shot down three in one day, May 18. He completed 106 missions in Korea.  His neighbors built him a house in Apple Valley, CA, known as Appreciation House.   He was killed August 24, 1954 at Edwards Air Force base, CA, while testing a new plane, an F-86H.
    1953 - In just their 13th game of the season, the Braves, in their first year in Milwaukee, surpassed their total of 1952 attendance of 28,127, their last year in Boston.
    1954 - Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was released. The record was not a hit until after it was included in the soundtrack of "Blackboard Jungle" the following year. http://www.history-of-rock.com/haley.htm
    1956 - In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb was dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
    1956 - Top Hits
“Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One” - Elvis Presley
“The Wayward Wind” - Gogi Grant
“I'm in Love Again” - Fats Domino
“Blue Suede Shoes” - Carl Perkins
    1957 - Frank Sinatra recorded "Witchcraft"
    1957 - A tornado touched down to the southwest of Kansas City and traveled a distance of seventy-one miles cutting a swath of near total destruction through the southeastern suburbs of Ruskin Heights and Hickman Mills. The tornado claimed the lives of forty-five persons, and left hundreds homeless. It was the worst weather disaster of record for Kansas City. About all that remained of one house was a small table and a fish bowl atop, with the fish still swimming about inside the bowl, rather unconcerned.       
    1960 – Congress’ committee on "payola" indicts eight men accused of receiving $116,580 in illegal payoffs for promoting records. The indictments will lead, two years later, to highly influential DJ Alan Freed's eventual indictment for tax-evasion.
    1960 - A Liverpool band called Johnny and the Moondogs changes their name to the Silver Beetles and embarks on a Scottish tour, backing singer Johnny Gentle. The band members, except for leader John Lennon, take pseudonyms: Paul McCartney becomes Paul Ramon, George Harrison becomes Carl Harrison, and Stu Sutcliffe becomes Stuart de Stael. A punk band called the Ramones would later take their name from McCartney's fake one.
    1961- A white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in United States marshals to restore order.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0520.html
    1964 - Top Hits
“My Guy” - Mary Wells
“Love Me Do” - The Beatles
“Ronnie” - The 4 Seasons
My Heart Skips a Beat - Buck Owens
    1966 - In Windsor, England, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey performed with the rhythm section of the opening act when John Entwistle and Keith Moon were late for the show. When the duo finally arrived, with the show half over, Townshend hit Moon over the head with his guitar.  Keith and John quit the band, but were convinced to return within the week.
    1967 - Only a week after surrendering the top of the R&B chart to Martha & the Vandellas, Aretha Franklin retakes the top spot with "Respect", a tune that will also be Number One on the pop chart. It was originally recorded and written by Otis Redding who would say he prefers Franklin's version to his own.
    1967 - The Beatles premiere their new album, “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”, on Kenny Everett's BBC radio program “Where It's At”. All the tracks are played save "A Day in the Life," which the "Beeb" has banned the day before for its seemingly positive attitude towards drug use. Paul and John give live interviews about the making of the album.
    1971 – Sprint Cup Series champ Tony Stewart was born in Columbus, IN.
    1972 - Top Hits
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” - Roberta Flack
“Oh Girl” - Chi-Lites
“I'll Take You There” - The Staple Singers
“Grandma Harp” - Merle Haggard
    1973 - Ken Moore beat 4,030 competitors to win the 63rd Bay-to-Breakers footrace in San Francisco, CA. Moore stepped his way to the finish line in 37 minutes, 15 seconds over a course measured at 7.8 miles.
    1978 - Mavis Hutchinson, 53, made it to New York City to become the first woman to run across America. The 3,000-mile trek took her 69 days. She ran an average of 45 miles each day. Now that's what we call a daily workout.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Call Me” – Blondie
“Ride like the Wind” - Christopher Cross
Lost in Love - Air Supply
“Gone Too Far” - Eddie Rabbitt
    1982 - TV's "Barney Miller" was seen for the last time in its original network run on ABC-TV. Hal Linden as Barney, Abe Vigoda as Fish and a talented cast continue to bring the fictional 12th Precinct to TV screens through syndication.  http://timstvshowcase.com/bmiller.html
http://www.zxcproductions.com/web/Abe/abe.html
    1983 – The first publication of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal “Science” was written by Luc Montagnier.
    1985 - The Dow Jones industrial average broke the 1300 mark for the first time. The Dow gained 19.54 points to close at 1304.88.
    1985 - The game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland was rained out. Remarkably, this was the first rainout of the season in either league, after a major-league record 485 games had been played without a postponement.
    1985 - Larry Holmes retained the heavyweight boxing title of the International Boxing Federation at Reno, NV by defeating Carl Wilson in 15 rounds. The fight marked the first, heavyweight title fight in Reno since Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries duked it out in 1910.
    1985 - Daryl Hall and John Oates headlined a concert for the grand re-opening of the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The show benefited the United Negro College Fund and also featured two of the original Temptations, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick.
    1987 - The Milwaukee Brewers ended a 12-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox by a 5-1 score. The Brew Crew had opened the season winning 13 games in a row.
    1988 - Frank Sinatra's funeral was held at Beverly Hills' Church of the Good Shepherd, with attendees including Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Liza Minnelli, Jack Nicholson, Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Sophia Loren, Bob Newhart, Faye Dunaway, Angie Dickinson, and ex Mia Farrow. Dylan's statement reads, in part, "Right from the beginning, he was there with the truth of things in his voice... He was one of the very few singers who sang without a mask." Ten years later to the day, May 13th was declared Frank Sinatra Day by the Congress of the United States.
    1988 - Thunderstorms in the south central U.S. produced wind gusts to 70 mph at Omaha, NE, and wind gusts to 80 mph at Midland and Dallas, TX. Temperatures in California soared into the 90s and above 100 degrees. San Jose CA reported a record high of 97 degrees.
    1988 - Top Hits
“Anything for You” - Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
“Shattered Dreams” - Johnny Hates Jazz
“One More Try” - George Michael
“I'm Gonna Get You” - Eddy Raven
    1990 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather across the southeastern quarter of the nation through the day and night. Severe thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes, including one which injured two persons at Algoma, MS, and another which injured nine persons at Rogersville, MO. There were 119 reports of large hail or damaging winds. Thunderstorms produced baseball size hail at Houston, MO and damaging winds which killed one person at Toccoa, GA.
    1995 - Don Henley of The Eagles marries Sharon Summerall in Malibu. Among those present and who performed were Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting and Tony Bennett.
    1996 - The Supreme Court ruled, in Romer v. Evans, against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.
    2001 - Barry Bonds becomes 13th player in major league history to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats. The Giant outfielder went yard in his final two at-bats yesterday and homers in his first two official turns at the plate today.
    2003 - South Carolina's parole board pardons James Brown of all past offenses committed in the state, even the felonies, spurring James to spontaneously sing "God Bless America" at the conclusion of the hearing.
    2006 - Their hometown of Hawthorne, CA dedicates a monument to the three Wilson brothers in the Beach Boys.
    2013 – An F5 tornado struck the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others.