Otto Schneider

The Mortal Man

Everyone knows the Great Depression, but not nearly as many people will recognize Black Monday. For Mr. Schneider, it was the end of his life. Growing up in a White, middle-class family in New York City during the 50s, he lived a pretty easy life. The worst he had it was the occasional dirty look or insult for being born to German immigrants. Beyond that, there wasn't much to tell; stable home, married his high-school sweetheart, went to college, got a degree in finance, his life's story was remarkably unremarkable. Once he became a stockbroker, something clicked. He was really, really good at handling other people's money. The rush of what was, essentially, gambling on somebody else's behalf was intoxicating. And all it took to convince them to trust him with their finances was a smile and a handshake. Having a talent for aggressively growing clients' accounts certainly helped.