Chapter Two pages 21-23

Based on Claude’s actions one would assume he was a mobster. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are it’s a duck. Claude had the body guards, the money, and allegedly enough fake passports to get anywhere in the world. He had his goons, ran a sports book and dabbled in pharmaceuticals with a call center in Trinidad. Rumor had it he also had numerous girls on the side but by the way he worked I just don’t see where he could find the time. In my opinion he was a mobster because he didn't just look the part. It’s who he is! Then again I could be wrong, I didn’t see everything and Claude certainly didn’t show everything, he was exceptionally private.

The word and signature of Claude was worthless as renegotiating was part of his every day diction, upon one of my first phone conversations with Mr. Ripner he said “he had never, not paid anyone that he owed”. I think the double negative in that statement gave Claude the idea that he was true to his words. I am not sure if he was Claude or one of his many aliases that included “C”, Clyde Rose, or Charlie Victory when he made that ridiculous statement. Fact is he paid a lot of people what he owed them but would also neglect on a number of large debts. The standard practice of negotiating on a large debt which I heard from Shaun K. was “How about if we send you $10,000? It's $10,000 more than what you had when you were introduced to BOS”. That's a nice thought but the problem is when debts are $40,000, $150,000, and $500,000 the offer wasn't too nice so most people owed were not happy with that negotiation, so than BOS would give you the alternative, which was nothing. It’s tough to negotiate with a company that hides behind international borders to default on payments.

Everything I admired about Claude seemed to be an illusion and what you thought was commendable, ultimately you would have to question. He wasn’t an easy man to figure out and he wanted it that way. His admirable qualities also had limitations and stipulations that you never would be aware of until after the fact. He worked hard. Indeed he worked like 10 men but he worked hard on not paying me and was he doing that to others? He was an innovative marketer. The only thing innovative about Claude’s marketing prowess was how he was the first to put his name on other people’s ideas that he promised to pay. Before I got to BOS, they were head and shoulders above the competition in the world of print advertising, I wonder if he took anyone there for a ride? He took a lot of risks with his money that paid off in marketing. Again he would never give anyone the full amount and would use the excuse of the media not working for him to default on payment. Clear Channel in Los Angeles and San Diego were victimized by non-payment of approximately $100,000 in 2000. Claude was a great negotiator. This one is almost true; as mentioned he would use international borders to back out of a deal once the deal was agreed so he knew he had nothing to lose. He was a great listener. I knew I would find something definitive if I thought long enough. He was an excellent listener, although he would never admit that at times when he would say he didn’t hear you request payment for services. His ears performed a biological shutdown when you mentioned a date for deadline and payment. I know he was a great listener because he listened intently to many of my ideas which he would enact. Only problem with my ideas was……. they were my ideas. So usually within 24 hours of hearing a good idea he would put the Claude Ripner stamp of originality on an idea as his own. I didn’t care as long as I was to be paid.

Other parts of the tour included the wagering room which was a great white room with white tiles, white ceiling, white floor, white cubicle desks and black chairs for the betting clerks. Talk about bland. If nothing else it kept the workforce focused on just taking bets. I didn’t venture into the betting room too often but when I did, there were a few managers all over the workers. A lot of the managers were US rejects that enjoyed the power trip of getting to tell shy little young girls and boys what to do. The only thing I would have added to this room would have been padded walls with optional strait jackets for the wager clerks once they entered the room. Just give them a phone headset to speak broken English to the customers and a pencil they could hold with their teeth for pushing buttons on the computers to log into players accounts and input their betting action. The BOS betting room was the room for no individualism.

Claude would later comment to me that he paid his workers better than the average Costa Rican. This was true but he was comparing apples to oranges when comparing his workers to fast food burger flippers as he paid less than his competition. With the millions he was making the workers were lucky to get around $3 an hour while competitors in the same building were getting $5 per hour. The wagering clerks seemed to take on the look of the owner. No smiles, just businesslike, expressionless faces staring at their monitors and being watched upon like little children should they make too much conversation when they were to be sitting and waiting for the next sports bet. I would later compare this to the wager clerks in Curacao that were happy jovial people. It was a positive atmosphere in Curacao and the clerks were getting around $10 per hour. Same could be said for the operation down on the 6th floor at Infinity Sports Book and Casino where the very professional upbeat, best damn owner in the offshore gaming industry! Chuck Bauer took great care of his workers.

Unlike most wagering rooms that I have visited over the years BOS needed to restrict the idle conversation because it was so large with a few hundred wager clerks on duty during busy times. Too much idle chat and the wager clerks would have undoubtedly made more mistakes with an individual’s bets that would be rectified but would irritate the anxious gambler who usually calls in just seconds before his game is about to get started.

The next room was the customer service office and this was a little bit more upbeat room with boys and girls flirting amongst each other led by the customer service manager, Keith. I was impartial with Keith and upon formally meeting with him I noticed he was the reserved fellow on the elevator I met while first entering the BOS offices who had very little to say. I didn't trust him. I socialized with him and on the lighter side I believe he took cheap to a new level. I could safely assume he made his local Costa Rican dates making $3 an hour go Dutch on dates. I also suspected Keith of having a casting couch somewhere in the Mall San Pablo because he always seemed to be with the new female employees while going out on the town. Not sure if it was easier for him to meet women when he was there direct superior or if it was just a cost savings because I never saw him in any of the cat houses. I rarely hung out with him socially but when I did he was nowhere to be found when it was his turn to buy the round or he would just stare blankly hoping no one would notice him while he became the invisible drinker.