Hopping over the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 6 Holding Grudges: Brush that Chip Off Your Shoulder

“Discipline, which is but mutual trust and confidence, is the key to all success in peace and war.”

—General George S. Patton Jr.

On the cab ride down to the West Village, I kept replaying what my boss had told me earlier in the day in my head. “Come on over to my apartment. I want to have a private conversation with you.” Mike Fascitelli wasn’t just my boss. He was also my friend and mentor in the real estate division of Goldman Sachs’s investment bank. Though he wasn’t a partner yet, he was clearly on his way to big things at the firm. He was someone people liked and wanted to work hard for—a true leader.

Still, I had a knot in my stomach. Fascitelli wanted me to go to his Jane Street apartment . . . not meet in the office . . . for a private conversation. . . . What exactly did that mean? I continued to dissect his words, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was on his mind.

It was 1991. The real estate market was struggling. Just looking out the window of the cab, you could see a city languishing in a recession. Vacant lots sat where gleaming towers were supposed to rise. Empty storefronts were everywhere.

“Come on in. Have a beer,” Mike said as I entered his apartment. Mike was 35 at the time. He was fit, with a thick head of dark hair and piercing eyes. He must have worked 15-hour days, yet he kept in good shape and was an energetic guy.

“Okay,” he said as the Chicago Bulls game played in the background. ...