Rise + Fall

In the beginning, there were only two major electronics retailers in the greater Boston area. One, which was called “Stone Electronics”, owned and operated by Dom Cataldo and the other, called “The 21" which was owned by Albert Herman Katz and operated by his son Herman Katz.

Stone Electronics was located in the quant suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts right in the heart of Brookline’s shopping area called Coolidge Corner. It’s competitor however, The 21, was located right in the heart of Boston proper.

From the Summer of 2003 to the Winter of 2004 these two companies were at war with each other and it was a war that was personal. Both companies did whatever they could to keep the other company down. Price slashing on DVD players, extra deals and promotions on cell phones, cost cutting on the shipment of high ticket items like Television sets. Since The 21 and Stone sold very similar products, it was difficult for both both Cataldo and Katz to exist in such close proximity to each other and try to out-sell the other but they tried and both sides tried very hard.

Unfortunately it got to the point where both companies had to start letting employees go to stay in business since cost cutting and price slashing got to be too much. Both Cataldo and Katz were both hurting from this war. So, in early 2005 both companies decided to stop fighting and for at least a period of time exist together in peace.

The employees on both sides decided that it would be best if they formed a union to ensure that they would never again be let go without just cause. So, both Katz and Cataldo decided to let their employees form a union and so under the guidance of JRRU (Johnson-Rader Retailers United), Local #505 was formed. The bargaining unit consisted of employees on both sides who helped draw up the contract and was United under the Local representative, Mr. Walter Perry who for a very long time worked with JRRU and was very experienced in drawing up these type or contracts.

For the first time in a very long time, in the early months of 2005 we had something that we have not seen in over 18 months and that was peace. Peace between Katz and Cataldo. Peace between Stone Electronics and The 21. Unfortunately though, it was not a peace that would last for very long.

As mentioned earlier, both companies were hurting from the fallout of this great war. Even with the newly formed Local #505 and the protection of JRRU, business was down. Business was hurting more for Katz and The 21 however than it was for Stone Electronics. On top of that, The 21 owner Albert Herman Katz was falling ill due to a lifetime of smoking and drinking and his health was quickly deteriorating. His son, Herman Katz who was in charge of Operations for the company before was now in more control of the company as he no longer had to seek out the approval of his father before making a final business decision. Business began to rise for Stone, while at the same time it was beginning to fall for The 21.

Herman Katz did what we needed to do to make an attempt to save his father’s company while he was still alive to see it. He did the one thing that nobody ever wants to do to their company. He put it up for sale. It wasn’t very much longer after that that The 21 was sold and their new owners, were Parrot Inc. a pager company that was based out of Rhode Island. The President of Parrot Inc was the cunning and brash but also intelligent and savy, Trisha Von Wetzelberger but everyone who knew her simply called her, Mz. Von Wetzelberger.

The 21 was back on top and it was not long before Parrot and Von Wetzelberger started making moves. Their first order of business was to purchase another small company based in Cambridge called Wireless Wizards. Wireless Wizards was a cell phone retailer that only had one store in Cambridge and was co-owned by Jenny Wilson and Victor Barraza. Now, Jenny and Victor were separated but after their separatation decided to keep their business. This was until Parrot Inc came along. Victor and Jenny were bought out and The 21 now had a second location in Cambridge.

The war with Cataldo and Stone Electronics was back on and this time it was Herman Katz, the son of Albert Herman Katz under the ownership of Von Wetzelberger and Parrot Inc that were winning the war and Stone Electronics who had to make the next move. But what about Local #505? It would not be long before more moves were made in the shadows that would rupture the contract between Parrot Inc and JRRU and changes made that would alter the lives of many.