Sometimes I wonder if hanging out with seemingly endless stream of cocky celebrities as much as we do in the store influences our lives in really unexpected ways; I have learned from my experiences most of these famous people do share some unique personality traits.  Their self-confidence seems to be contagious.  Otherwise, I don’t know how else to explain my absolutely incomprehensible response to a man who held me up at gunpoint in the store:

It’s March , 1983. Ric Ocasek of “The Cars” and Cyndie Lauper are among the regular ‘new wave’ visitors to music row. Gone were the torn jeans and the rebellious and defiant attitude of the punk generation. In its place surfaced a slick produced danceable sound.

But West 48th street is a true constant in an ever-changing world and took center stage of this new era!

About 4:30 one afternoon in late March 1983, a guy dressed in the typical outfit of the day — black suit jacket, jeans, white dress shirt and a black skinny tie — enters the store. Just another wannabe Duran “clone”, a ‘closet-new wave nerd’ trying (but definitely not succeeding) to be hip. He steps up to the counter that I am standing behind and points to the guitar on display: “Hey, let me see the sunburst Fender strat hanging there”.

“Very cool choice” I snap back as I reach behind me. I hold the guitar in front of him: “Would you like to try it?”

“No no , I really don’t play the guitar,” he replies.

“Music to my ears”, I say to myself”. Every time a ‘non-musician’ shows this much interest in a guitar he always ends up owning it! (Even as an  inexperienced salesman back then I knew I was closing this sale in a moment or two!   “It sure is a beauty”, I continued as I presented the guitar for him to inspect. “Nothing like a cool Fender strat, right?” I excitedly asked.     All of a sudden he blurted out, “I’ll take it!”   “Cash or charge?” I answered. (my  automatic programmed reply)  “NO, you don’t

understand   . I’ll just TAKE IT!”

And at that moment he grabs the guitar out of my hands, opens his jacket and flashes the handle of a pistol in his belt!  My eyes pop out of my head, I felt my heart beating as fast as a double bass drum.  I can’t believe the ‘new wave nerd’ was a stick up man!

“EASY NOW”, I managed to blurt out, as my heart was racing faster and faster. “Be cool and no   one will stop you.”  At that moment he starts backing toward the front door, gripping the Fender stratocaster tightly in his hand.    AS he reaches the front entrance and bumps right into a customer who he shoves to the ground. Just then like a stallion at the starting gate he takes off running down west 48th street towards 6th avenue.

I instinctually take off down the block after him, inconspicuously ducking his over-the-shoulder glances. I stay about a half a block behind him figuring I could point him out to the police when they arrive. I was quite lucky that while the whole episode was unfolding ,the cashier down the counter from me was already on the phone with the police!  I know when the NYPD receives a call reporting a robbery in progress — especially when there is a gun involved — they respond very quickly.  In just seconds, I find myself on 6th avenue and 46th street 2 blocks way from the store and still stalking the ‘new wave bandit’. I remember I kept asking my self, “wonder where the damn cops are?”  The thief finally slows into a trot.  (I guess he didn’t  want to attract any attention to him self.) I am practically at his heals now, 100 yards behind him on busy 6th avenue in midtown Manhattan and we are approaching the subway entrance.  I see his plan of escape the train!  It’s now or never.

I get closer and watch him put the guitar in his right hand and the pistol in his left.  I edge right up behind and in one swift motion I kick the pistol out of his left hand. The gun flies down the side  walk and I and nail the guy with a tackle that LAWRENCE TAYLOR of the football Giants would have been proud of! The crowd, which has now gathered around me, began cheering as I heard the cop car sirens blaring in the background.

The police arrived  and hand cuffed the new wave bandit. Minutes later, I am still shaking as one of the cops hand me back the Fender strat. Even though it bounced a couple of times and did indeed have a few scratches on it and it played perfectly!  I guess the great Jimi Hendrix was right, those Fenders are one tough guitar!

As for the “new wave bandit”, The pistol turned out to be a BB gun type.  Not a real life ‘Dirty Harry special’ I thought he was carrying. The thief later explained to the cops at the station house that he was stealing the guitar so he could give it to his girlfriend for her birthday!

YES THAT’S RIGHT, THE GIFT OF MUSIC! (can you believe that?)

Somehow the N.Y. Daily News got wind of the episode and ran a story titled  “Salesman Takes Lead on Theft!” To this day  , I still can’t believe how many people noticed the article in the newspaper and called me out of the blue.

Even John Grambling of WOR radio had me on as a guest on his afternoon program!

So as you see I did get my 15 minutes of fame.  I also received plaque of appreciation for my    courageous actions.

And what of the ‘new –wave’ bandit? He proved that whether he was a nerd or not was not  was the issue. It  was that he was just a total jack ass to pull a stunt like that!

Lesson Learned- think before you react   I will never do anything like that again