Andy Garcia

Yeah, and he would go in there and he'd put a rack with sneakers that were like $1.50 for a sneaker, very cheap sneakers. The company was called Leeds, in fact. And I would go with him on the weekends with the promise that he'd take me to McDonald's afterwards, you know. And then he'd go there, and then he'd put your rack, and then he'd come back two weeks later. You sold four sneakers.

Yeah, and he would go in there and he'd put a rack with sneakers that were like $1.50 for a sneaker, very cheap sneakers. The company was called Leeds, in fact. And I would go with him on the weekends with the promise that he'd take me to McDonald's afterwards, you know. And then he'd go there, and then he'd put your rack, and then he'd come back two weeks later. You sold four sneakers.

You owe me $5, and I'll reload those sizes. It was like a consignment business. And based on that, he started his own consignment business with socks. So it was his first business he started on his own. He got a...

You owe me $5, and I'll reload those sizes. It was like a consignment business. And based on that, he started his own consignment business with socks. So it was his first business he started on his own. He got a...

a distribution from a gentleman out of Puerto Rico who was making these socks that were traditional in Cuba called Casino and Once Once 1111, which are those kind of nylon socks that are kind of see-through with patterns, very popular in those days and within our culture. And he started putting those on his own in consignment, and he started building a business.

a distribution from a gentleman out of Puerto Rico who was making these socks that were traditional in Cuba called Casino and Once Once 1111, which are those kind of nylon socks that are kind of see-through with patterns, very popular in those days and within our culture. And he started putting those on his own in consignment, and he started building a business.

And he had T-shirts and this and that. And all that stuff eventually grew to a multimillion-dollar fragrance business.

And he had T-shirts and this and that. And all that stuff eventually grew to a multimillion-dollar fragrance business.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, exactly.

We were never on salary. Like, you know, when we needed to go out one night or whatever, my mother had the, you know, the bank envelope with a zipper. And she would go, come over here. And she'd go like this. Thanks, Mom. But there was no, like, your own salary. Here's your payment. All the money went to that zippered envelope in the business.

We were never on salary. Like, you know, when we needed to go out one night or whatever, my mother had the, you know, the bank envelope with a zipper. And she would go, come over here. And she'd go like this. Thanks, Mom. But there was no, like, your own salary. Here's your payment. All the money went to that zippered envelope in the business.

And they ran the family out of that envelope, you know.

And they ran the family out of that envelope, you know.

No, no, no, no, no. He had trained me. I was ready. Both him and my brother and I were very involved in the business and the business already was taking off. You know, the fragrance business. When I decided to, you know, I was in college, so to go the other direction, of course, he had seen me on stage and stuff and but I was difficult for him.

No, no, no, no, no. He had trained me. I was ready. Both him and my brother and I were very involved in the business and the business already was taking off. You know, the fragrance business. When I decided to, you know, I was in college, so to go the other direction, of course, he had seen me on stage and stuff and but I was difficult for him.

Not that he was saying, you know, don't do it, but it was like, you know.

Not that he was saying, you know, don't do it, but it was like, you know.

Yeah, right, right. Probably pretty similar. He wasn't as, it was more like a private struggle for him, I think. You know, it's like, I always joke that I think my father would probably say like, I love my son, but he's not Humphrey Bogart. You know what I mean?

Yeah, right, right. Probably pretty similar. He wasn't as, it was more like a private struggle for him, I think. You know, it's like, I always joke that I think my father would probably say like, I love my son, but he's not Humphrey Bogart. You know what I mean?