When my fiance used to work in Union Square and I at home, I would walk through Washington square park to Union square and hang in the park or at the local Green market scoping for those elusive home made Apple donuts. There were many times I see this old cat, crouched over some cutting boards give his pitch for these $5 Swiss-made vegetable peelers in $1000 suits and a light British accent.
At first I was questionable of this man’s sanity and the more I saw his pitch and the rake in from it, I was amazed. This guy was out with a simple and friendly message for “the best peeler in the world” and “buy 4…. if you have friends unlike me”. He had a sense of accomplishment on his face, every time I saw him, as you would think any millionaire ceo would have. What I later learned is this guy has money, a Park Ave apartment, full 3 page article about him in Vanity Fair and goes out to all the nice restaurants in the upper west side. He survived his 4th wife and has put all his kids through college slanging vegetable peelers (or some product) for 60 years. He’s definitely a only in NYC type of character and will be missed by the community.
Here’s video of the pitch:
Here’s a bit done by NBC’s Today Show where Ades puts his wisdom in words, “Never underestimate a small amount of money gathered by hand for 60 years.”
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