No, the execs couldn’t do it because of their long hours. But there are still a number of townies, who carry on the tradition. It is considered a big deal in the town, and the firemen can make a lot of useful connections if they are so inclined. The execs just sleep in their mansions and run for the train at 6 AM, but the townies run a lot of the businesses and most of the town government.
One issue in nearby NJ is that in affluent areas young people (the few there are) do no work at all. Foreigners are trafficked there to work the convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, landscaping, etc. for “the execs”.
When I was younger many (American) high school classmates had jobs; now I see my children’s classmates and this is no longer the case.