After reading these post's I will email my father AKA JACK(always with pipe in hand) Acacia this site. HE would be thrilled to see this.I remember most of the names that are mentioned here. I know as a few years back he was still seeing and hanging out with Joe Kay. Please email me if you would like to reach him.I hope everyone is good.
patty_leee@hotmail.com

Not too many people know that the original techs of the company were Joe Kay, Jack Acacia and Ernie (can't remember last name) in the Bronx store. Also, the Wizard and Lenny in Bklyn service. Dave Panoff was just starting to coordinate service for the amll chain at the time - I'm talkking about the mid 1970's when I worked in Bronx service and learned how to mount phono cartridges and deal with all the REAPS. These REAPS turned out later to benefit my ability to deal with screaming customers. A good learning tool !

Actually, as I remember it, The Wizard, Officer Tony A. and Richie Doc. were the first employees in the tech. dept. Tony was the "lunch" guy but used to tinker with some minor adjustments in the early days.

True about Tony, and Richie Doc tinkered but the acutqal repair guys were Wizard and Joe Kay a little later on. Before then things were lunched or reeped and returned -giving the customer a new unit instead of dealing with repairs. Who else can verify this. I started in Bronx service in 75 or 76 then Bklyn service in 77.

As service manager in Bklyn, Tony A hated when I would EX Merch for lunch as they always piled up in the back room on him. But I always had to follow MC's strict orders!

Jack & Joe...HAAA! Great guys. I worked as a tech originally in Bronx Central with Joe Kay, and spent many Saturdays later on in Edison service helping out, first on Rt. 27, then Carter Drive. I learned a lot about electronics from Joe, and Jack filled me in on the profitability of selling R & R contracts right from my bench to the customers, and yes, always with pipe in hand...or mouth.

I'd love to get in touch with Jack and/or Joe. Anyone remember Cosmo? I still speak with him, and we've been wondering where we could find these old mentors.