Favors – The Accidental Gangster

Throughout my life, people from all walks of life, have come to me for favors.  Now, in the old days back east, when someone asked for me or my friends to do a favor, they knew that more than likely they would be called upon to return that favor. This way is only right in my book, after all, isn’t that how life should work?  Oh, how I miss the good old days! It is not like that anymore and I learned the hard way especially in Hollywood.

In my book The Accidental Gangster, I discuss what happened after my release from prison, and what I expected.

Today, if I ask for a favor, I do not even get a call back or a text!  That seems to be the thing today, a world with no respect.  I have a scar on my right hand where I smacked a guy in the old days who did not return a call.  If I did that today, I be right back in prison.

I have gotten young people acting jobs, I got scripts read for screen writers, all with the promise they would return the favor, but not even one has ever been returned.  Nowadays, I hear constantly, you will be the first on my list when I make it! I just chuckle to myself now, and forget they even said it.  I learned not to expect anything. Can I still open doors for people, of course I can. You must understand my approach to asking a favor is different. I do not text or email or call, I just walk in on the individual and if he or she is in a board meeting it doesn’t matter, I get their attention just by being there.  Oh, how I miss the good old days!

Ori Spado