14 • F O R E V E R YO U N G of seven-day work weeks selling for the Sweets Company of America (the maker of Tootsie Rolls). He rarely had a day off. It was no surprise, therefore, that when Harold married Rose Riesman in 1929, they spent their honeymoon in Calais, Maine on the Fourth of July, calling on customers for Tootsie Roll. Don’t get me wrong, Harold was happy to have the job. It was the beginning of the Great Depression and while people didn’t have a lot of money, they would often treat themselves to a candy bar or snack when they could. Harold’s biggest seller was a penny Tootsie Roll that came 120 in box. These weren’t the little midgees with the twisty tops. They were the full size Tootsie Rolls. I think they came 100 boxes in a wooden carton and the cost was $80 a carton. That’s a lot of Tootsie Rolls for $80 bucks. After several years working exclusively selling Tootsie Rolls for the Sweets Company, business slowed. It was the Great Depression and everyone was struggling. The Sweets Company was sold to a packaging firm. Burt Rubin, a prince among men, took over the candy operation while his brother ran the carton business. The tough times impacted my dad too. They increased my father’s territory to include New York State and as far as Erie, Penn. Mom and Dad. A rare day off at the beach.