Lug Nuts
Why so many auto recalls?
by
Rocky Spino
Copyright 2011 Rocky Spino,
All rights reserved.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0173-7
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Acknowledgements
My Family, who taught me, works ethics. Studebaker and the US Navy, who trained me in business ethics.
Dedication
The totally, genuine, dedicated, American Auto worker, union and salary alike. Those who stayed true, honest, hard working, loyal, focused on putting forth a “fair day’s work for a fair days pay”. Those who never yielded to larceny or selfish agendas. Those who put pride, quality and safety, first in their work efforts. The good neighbor, the good citizen. Those who realized that the job was the boss and their efforts today would determine the future destiny of the organization.
It was an honor to have worked side by side with you.
Stories are true. Names, organizations, and places have been changed for the protection and privacy of everyone involved.
Purpose: Main causes for auto recalls. Business lessons learned, never allow the “something for nothing culture” to become “The Standard Operating Procedure” for any business, or generation.
Author/Writer Team: Ghost, for protection and personal safety.
Family:
Grandparents, Alexander & Agnes Spino
Grandmother’s cousin Lena
Oldest Uncle Otis and Aunt Cynthia
Uncle Jasper and Aunt Helen
Father, Alexander Junior(called Junior) and Mother Lydia
Story by myself, Rocky
My younger brother, Frank
Family background
Family Lessons Learned, Foundation, Life events and Change
Grandparents Alexander and Agnes Spino sold their small livestock farm in Preveza, Greece. My grandparents were fearful of the prelude of events prior to the start of WW1. They arrived through Ellis Island in 1915. Grandmother Agnes had a cousin Lena who lived in Racine Wisconsin, so the family decided to settle there. Cousin Lena and Grandma Agnes combined their homeland family recipes, together with Grandpa Alexander’s livestock knowledge to build the foundation for the Family Delicatessen known as “Spinos”.
Spinos beginnings were humble at best. The early 1920’s were hard times. Grandparents Alex and Agnes, Uncles Otis, (oldest), Jasper (middle), and Father Alexander Junior, (youngest), (who was always called Junior), and Cousin Lena, worked with perseverance, not only getting the Delicatessen started, but made it a humble success.
This was a unique group of people. They not only needed one another, they unconditionally loved, liked, and raised one another. There were no jealousies, no vendettas, not even a crossword. They stuck together like glue. When one hurt they all hurt. They played off each other like a well oiled machine. It was amazing to see, true teamwork in motion!
Grandpa Alex, never cursed, he held them together with his form of simple logic. Grandma Agnes calmed you with her simple, mystical, and soothing smile. Her demonstration of love and affection was absolute. The Family Deli was the professional glue. All these factors combined, held them together through troubled times, WW1, the Influenza of 1917, prohibition, the great depression, and WW2. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, all involved in one way or another, in the family business. Greeks married Greeks, family was everything.
My father joined the Navy during WW2. Shortly after the war, he met my mother Lydia at a Greek festival in Chicago. They married in 1946, moved back to Racine and the Deli. I Rocky, came along in 1947, and my brother Frank, in 1950.
We all worked the Deli from as far back as I can remember. The lessons learned were remarkable. We learned that to work was a privilege, it was automatic, understood, without question, without complaint, it was absolute! We were taught to do the tasks the right way, safely, the first time and every time. We were taught to think proactively. Each phase of our efforts was “customer focused”. Our customers deserved only the best quality of products, service, cleanliness, and attention to detail. Nothing was overlooked to insure customer satisfaction…Ever! The family was driven. They brainstormed, developed short, mid and long range plans. We learned to think business, every phase, from set up to finish, with customer satisfaction, as our ultimate goal.
You followed up with customers. You learned their names, family member’s names, acknowledged birthdays, attended funerals. We were more than a family business, we were good American neighbors.
This training did not make you a workaholic; it prepared you for anything life threw at you. It taught you to treat others as you would like to be treated. It installed a sense of fair play and good citizenship into your being.
Make no mistake, we were not naive, we were street smart. We were not push over’s. We would fight in a minute, with anyone who crossed us. Larceny towards us was quickly and harshly addressed. Our platform was simple, friendly, fair, firm.
Deli work was never idle work. Every effort had meaning. We stayed busy without complaint. We were on the go continuously. Every stroke was a power stroke.
The income from the Deli was modest at best. There were fifteen of us scraping a living from one place of business. We were lower middle class, and every dollar counted. The deli did well enough to support all, however the oversight to expand would prove to change our lives in the years to come.
Growing Up
To be raised in the 1950’s, Greek/American & Catholic, in a tight knit family business, was truly a blessing, you realized this much later in life! You had the unconditional love of this Greek family, sharing a common goal. You were taught the value of teamwork, respect and most importantly, love. You were highly praised for your contributions and achievements, and sternly reprimanded for your misgivings. You belonged to the family and the family belonged to you. You were blessed with loving grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, parents and a brother. You had good neighbors. We looked out for one another. The neighborhood was not without issues however, you somehow felt untouchable, even alienated from neighborhood foolishness.
Catholic school was absolute! You were regimented, you were taught. You learned. You were introduced to the arts, sports, bingo, “the CYO”, most importantly “The Law”, Church Law. The Church had an advantage; it worked on you at a young age with parental consent. As time went on the Church became mechanical. It lost the mystique and intrigue. Make no mistake it never lost persistence. Priests visited your home, they were your sponsors, they reported to your parents. They made every effort to keep you on the right track, and they let you know that it was their train!
I am not complaining. The Church gave substance and a moral foundation. Catholicism paralleled with our Greek family upbringing. You chose which path to follow.
Catholic grade schools in Wisconsin allowed for a unique sporting opportunity, Ice Hockey. My brother and I did participate in other sports. It just seemed