|
|
|
Jewish World Review March 14, 2014 / 12 Adar II, 5774 Field Marshal Fritz and his favorite nephewBy Dave Weinbaum
JewishWorldReview.com |
About ten years ago, I needed a new lawyer. I was in the middle of a long lawsuit
and my attorneys at the time sucked-big time! A friend directed me to a St.
Louis lawyer who had just turned 70, but was considered one of the
best in the state.
Part of the process of meeting Chuck Todt was checking him out on the Net.
Thinking it an innocent coincidence, I mentioned that I found a man who was
dressed in a Nazi Field Marshall uniform by the name of Franz Todt. When I
asked if Chuck knew him, his face lit up. "That's Uncle Fritz!"
"Uncle Fritz?" I yelled back with incredulity, "He was a Nazi big shot! You do
know I'm Jewish, don't you?" He proceeded to explain that while Franz was a
Nazi big-wig, he represented the engineering wing of the party. His company
built the autobahn, amongst other things. Franz didn't approve of what Hitler was
doing to the Jews, according to Chuck. The German Todt was assassinated-
shot out of the sky while flying back to Berlin after having a shouting match
with the Fuehrer.
I was born at night, not last night and didn't believe that a man could get into
the higher ranks of Nazi Germany by being out of goose-step with the program-
and I told Chuck as much.
Chuck explained that he was different from his uncle. He was nine years old
when Fritz was assassinated. He also represented many Jews, even some Orthodox
ones and that he had long-term relationships with Jewish businessmen,
attorneys and judges.
I took a chance on Chuck and-in retrospect-I'm a better person for it.
Phil Todt, Chuck's dad, was a major league baseball player. Phil was the
cleanup hitter for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 20's and early 30's. His last team
was the Boston Red Sox. Chuck would regale in tales of walking over Babe
Ruth's passed out drunken-stupor of a body in his family's South St. Louis home
when the Bambino and other ball players visited to hunt and party.
In his youth, Chuck was a pretty good ball player. He was so good Connie Mack
visited his home and tried to sign the young Todt to a minor league contract. Phil
wouldn't sign for him because he knew Chuck lacked the arm it took to be a pro.
So the young Todt worked his way through law school and eventually established
the Todt Law Firm.
The first thing Chuck would do before trial discovery was "rubber hose " his
witnesses. One expert he put through the ringer was the reigning Chief Justice
of MO's Supreme Court at the time, the Honorable Duane Benton, now a
Federal Appellate Judge in Kansas.
Judge Benton was my attorney for six years and wrote the agreement that was
being challenged. I took great pride when Chuck told me I was a lot easier to
prepare than His Honor.
Unlike many clients who sit next to their lawyers at the table in court, I was
relegated to the fourth row. One associate's job consisted of turning around every
30 seconds to make sure that I was wax museum in my reactions to the goings
on. However, Chuck, who resembled Ted Knight of Mary Tyler Moore fame…
only with a brain, did the German version of an Irish jig in front of the judge,
looking straight at me after a slam-dunk cross on an important witness. If he could
have, he might have added a split at the end.
When we won he demanded I kiss his ring. I refused: telling him it was about
time a German actually saved a Jew.
Chuck became very important to me in my businesses and budding radio career,
having negotiated my first radio contract when he was 81. The standing joke with
Todt was when you mentioned you needed his help with anything, he'd say, "I've
done that before!" Soon we'd preempt him by following our requests with a
mandatory, "Yes, we know, you've done this before?."
Chuck and his lovely wife Alice started to hang out with me and my friends
--often attending Cardinal games and going out for supper. And boy! Did he
love his vodka!
Alice and Chuck would go to three AM mass at his Catholic Church and pray
for me many a time.
Occasionally, I would stay at their house only to have a delicious breakfast of
lox, bagels, onions, capers and herring in the morning. The Catholic Todts and the
Jewish Weinbaum would pray together while holding hands.
This year, Chuck got sick. A number of illnesses seemed to plague him. Finally,
after almost two months of being incarcerated in Barnes Jewish Hospital and its
rehab facilities, Chuck was told he was going home on February 13, Valentine
Day's eve.
I talked to him on the afternoon of the 12th. He was eager to get back to work
and was looking forward to taking a Viking River Cruise in Europe with Alice,
me and my girlfriend Lisa.
I received a call from Chuck's cell the next morning. I answered, "Chuck, are
you on your way home?" There was a hesitation on the other line. His
associate, Alex, responded, "Dave, Chuck died last night."
I was stunned.
My question was answered, though.
Chuck was on his way home.
Please send us your feedback.
• ARCHIVES
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
DaveWeinbaum.com. He is a businessman, writer and part-time stand-up comic and resides in a Midwest red state.
© 2014, Dave Weinbaum |
Columnists
Toons
Lifestyles | |||||||||||||
