You may have heard of several individuals Nathan regularly employed. Remember Mendy the G? The grave digger from Ste Sophie, who injured his healthy foot during the last burial he did? Yep, it was Nathan who had arranged for the body to be brought to Mendy. It was also Nathan who made certain that his client provided Mendy with a generous payment to compensate for his forced retirement. Perhaps you recall little Issie the ‘heater’. Nathan had arranged for Solly’s Soda Store, originally owned by the late Abe Rabinowitz, to be the only building on the block left unaffected by a fire in the neighborhood. It was one of Little Issie’s customary insurance fires, and it was only due to the close relationship Nathan had with the late Abe, with whom he had played pinochle for over 20 years, that Solly’s was not affected. Little Issie had initially balked at this arrangement, but Nathan would not be dissuaded. The event went off flawlessly.
The very definition of a ‘fixer’ job was to never let those who work for him, or who he was working for, get caught. Nathan succeeded at both.
A few of the solutions Nathan found may have skirted legal boundaries, most did not. The vast majority were far from being dangerous, disreputable or even indefensible, though several were certainly odoriferous.
It would not be appropriate to only describe Nathan as a ‘fixer’. That was too negative a connotation. particularly attached to someone who was so likeable. The term may have been whispered, but never overly.
While this was clearly the more interesting, and certainly more colourful and lucrative profession, it was not Nathan’s only one. His other was considerably more mainstream and much less stressful. He was an antique dealer. Not just any antiques. Nathan specialized in Depression glass, and would regularly roam rural Quebec seeking it out. These were pieces of tinted glass, usually pink, green or light blue, that were given away or sold at very low cost during the Great Depression.
Of course, once Nathan gained access to a home, there were often other antiques which, if the price was right ,he was only too happy to purchase. In the majority of cases, the owners were unaware of the value, and were surprised and pleased when he offered to buy them. Yes, he would realize a profit, but Nathan would not even think of taking advantage. He was always reasonable and fair.
Depression glass was his passion. Whether due to it’s translucence or that it reminded him of the difficult times his family experience during the depression is unclear. While not as valuable as Mid-Century or Red Sea Glass, it was desirable to many upper class homes in Montreal. What was a necessity for some became a luxury item and status symbol for others.
