jay/day

After months of guilt, I have finally coerced Ed Ronk into submitting a photo and an update about what he is doing these days. He begins with an explanation for the beefcake photo ...

This is actually from a couple of weeks ago when the family was on Spring break in Florida.

So I guess this should go into the category of true “Chiat/Day” by-products of which I’m sure there are many. Meet Emily (12 years old) and Anna (4 years old) standing with their mother (then known as Mary Mirisola and their father Ed Ronk). Mary still uses the “Mirisola” name sometimes though for things where it will have more leverage—like reservations at Italian restaurants.

About seven years ago we finally moved out of the city and into the “burbs” –Westfield, NJ (and ugh—I still get on that train every morning kicking and screaming)—but it has been great for the kids and a entirely new experience for Mary who, of course spent most of her life growing up in Greenwich Village. We both worked at Chiat/Day in the early 80’s and I even go back as far as when they were located in the building of the “Devil”(666 Fifth Avenue) before making the move to 79 Fifth Avenue in January; with no heat and electricity the first couple of months (remember those great meetings we used to have at a bar called “Cody’s” every day around 4:00, because with no lights, we couldn’t see anything in the office any more!)

After Chiat/Day and a long sabbatical to Europe, I then went on to work at the now defunct Levine, Huntley, Schmidt and Beaver for about 8 years. It was a very similar environment to C/D and, in fact, quite a few ex C/D’ers passed through LHS&B in those years and even outside of C/D—we would all sometimes sit around and tell “Jay” recollections.

Mary also went on to work at LHS&B where we actually ended up “tying” the knot (but for those in the “know”—we did first meet at C/D). After LHS&B, she went into sales and worked for Simmons selling research and then America Online selling online advertising for about five years. She stopped working a few years ago to take on the full time job of raising two wonderful daughters, which as you can see from the attached photo, are very lucky they don’t look a thing like their father.

For the last 10 years I have been a partner in a small advertising agency called GRW Advertising in NYC that specializes in Arts & Entertainment and Retail. We primarily handle a lot of Dance and Theater, but have a few oddballs that fall into our lap from time to time (media accounts, hospitals, real estate firms, doctors etc.). It’s been a great experience and I certainly wear lot of hats from time to time.

FAVORITE CHIAT/DAY MEMORY

I, like many, could probably go on for pages and pages about Chiat/Day memories, but the one that will always remain at the top of the list for me goes back to the very early days up at 666 Fifth and involved the “bunny-napping” of Steve Alburty’s chocolate bunny “Harvey” from his desk top.

For those of you who weren’t there or don’t recall, somebody had swiped a big chocolate bunny given to Steve from a printer around Easter (and as I recall, the original culprit was Geoffrey Roche, but as the gag got bigger and bigger—there were many participants).

And Steve Alburty was mad—I mean really mad! I know we probably all have seen the wrath of Steve at his worst—but this time he was ready to blow like a volcano and stormed around the office in search of “Harvey” to no avail.

The next day—Steve received an inter-office envelope (we still did inter-office mail the old fashioned way in those days) which contained “the ransom note” and of course—one chocolate bunny ear. Steve, of course, refused to pay the ransom and continued in his rampage around the office in search of “Harvey”.

The next day, a front-page mock-up from the New York Post was hung in the kitchen for all to see with the blistering headlines and story of this brutal and inhumane “bunny-napping.”

And then finally (and I do believe it was Good Friday—but I could just be throwing that in to enhance the story!) the entire office got together for the funeral procession and marched off to Steve’s office with his "Harvey" in a miniature pine box—sans one ear of course.

I had only worked at Chiat/Day for a few weeks at the time and I can remember thinking-“wow, this could really be a fun place to work!”

And the reason I know the finite details of this story so well—is I sat in the cubicle right next to Mr. Alburty. In those days, all “newbies” had to take a turn sitting next to Steve as part of their “hell week” training.

Anyway—I love the website and Steve and Co., are doing a great job of bringing back all of those wonderful memories and up-to-date tabs on all former “culprits.” I along with many I’m sure would like to thank you for all of your time and effort invested in it.

And I certainly welcome anyone interested in emailing me to continue “reminiscing” at

Ed

P.S. from Steve: poor Ed also had the misfortune of sitting across the divider from me at 79 Fifth when I was breaking up with the Great Love of My Life. (Or was it the one who had moved into my cabin and bought a dog for me without asking?)

Also, be sure to check back here later in the week, as I have the bunny and the ransom note and will post pictures.