O'Reilly Doing Devastating Expose on Cantor Fitzgerald Tonight

The O'Reilly Factor/Fox News | truthkeeper

[truthkeeper]

Did anyone watch O'Reilly's opening segment? He's exposing an awful story concerning the shabby treatment of surviving family members of Cantor Fitzgerald, the firm that lost 700 of the 1,000 employees in the attack on the towers.

His guests were one of the widows, Linda Fiori, and a writer named MacDonald of Forbes Magazine. The firm CEO, Howard Luttman (not sure about the pronunciation/spelling, maybe someone can correct), has been all over the airwaves crying and carrying on the past couple of weeks about how he is desperately trying to help the stricken families. (I personally saw him on Larry King a couple of weeks ago sobbing away.) The man has been begging for business and donations, saying he's pledging 25% of future business for the families. He presented them as a close-knit, devoted, and caring group; "we're like a family here."

Mrs. Fiore, however, revealed that she has never been contacted by Luttman, even after she called his house and spoke to his wife (or possibly the maid; in any event she was told "I'll have him call you back."). She hasn't received a dime of money from Cantor Fitzgerald, and not one person from the firm came to her husband's funeral, even after she sent the obituary to them. Furthermore, O'Reilly revealed that all paychecks had been stopped four days after the attack. It doesn't look like any money is forthcoming, not even the bonuses these people already earned. Mrs. Fiore was desperate, and said she's been entirely dependent upon her family and neighbors who have been giving her money. She stated, "I don't want a handout from Cantor Fitzgerald...I just want a pamphlet or information stating what they will be doing about the money." (My paraphrasing.)

O'Reilly was plainly disgusted. He asked the writer what kind of man this Luttman was, and her response was not very flattering. She said he took control of the company while the previous owner, Bernie Cantor, was dying. She added that, as a result, he was banned from his funeral. O'Reilly: "Okay, I'm getting the picture about this guy."

I can't tell you how bad this story made this Cantor Fitzgerald CEO look. You'd have to see it for yourself...it's quite an eye-opener. (Watch the rerun.)

[Woodman]

If you made $250,000/year salary + bonus and your employer also gave you 3 times you salary in Life Insurance, would you go out and buy enough to cover the first $750K??? How would your widow feel if she found out that she might (if she was lucky) get a check for $25,000?

[Woodman]

Please see my 72 or 73

[Alberta's Child]

Funny how all these stories come out now about this guy being such a slimeball, but nobody let that get in the way of working for him.

Just an observation.

[Bernard]

If these people, most of whom live like they make $500,000 a year when they probably make $100,000, can go flat broke in three weeks it's difficult to see what a company can do to save everybody. It's a shame that people with a Lexus and a Mercedes SUV in the driveway have to actually make payments, but a lot of people have lived their lives in the last 20 years as if they never have to become adults.

Get some insurance. It's not that big an expense, even if you're over 50 and smoke. (Now how would I know that?)

[Andrew Byler]

He lost 700 of 2500 employees, and one of several offices, many of whom had become superfluous and he was just looking for an easy way to dump. Cantor had 150 bond traders lost, and plans to replace them with its eSpeed computer bond trading system - no new hires! If you'd read the Wall St. Journal about Cantor, you'd know this.

[Howlin]

He also opened up a huge "family center" at one of the big uptown hotels in NYC the day after the attack.

And I heard him myself say that HE was going to take care of ALL of "his families" for the rest of their lives on one of his many TV appearances. What a fraud.

[truthkeeper]

Cantor started trading bonds again on Thursday after the attack. The firm's large offices in Connecticut, LA and elsewhere were entirely undamaged, and many of those killed were easily replaced by the firms eSpeed trading system for Bond trades.

Actually, I heard him say the same thing on Larry King Live just a few nights after the attack, so you must know what you're talking about. He was literally begging for business so that, in his own words, he "could take care of the families by giving them 25% of the profits for the rest of their lives." And now this??

I won't say what I'm thinking now, but P.T. Barnum comes to mind...

[Woodman]

The E-speed developement team and offices were wiped out (floor 101 WTC 1), the only good thing is most programers I know don't show up for work early enough to have gotten caught in the tower. The plus side was that Cantor also had a "bunker" office in NJ(?) and was back up and running very quickly.

[truthkeeper]

Just an observation.

A good one, too.

[LarryLied]

I agree with you. If I made for a couple years what these people make, I'ld be set for life. But human nature being what it is, I might not. When the money is rolling it, it because like water, always there. When it dries up...oops...how could I have been so stupid.

[Eva]

How can family's become so desperately broke so quickly?

Pretty easily if you live near NY City and have a huge mortgage or rent to pay, plus kids and no health insurance. Most people in this country live pay check to pay check, no matter what their income level is. Even is these people had their own stock accounts, chances are the documents went up in flames.

[Chemnitz]

It was a great expose of that phony. I also liked O'Reilly's close questioning of where all the money is going. Tons of money are pouring in and the victims see nothing. No one is overseeing the use of the money.

[Mo1]

Hey there Habs .. I saw this guy on Larry King .. I have to admit .. it was a good show .. tears and all .. but after what I just heard on O'Reilly .. well .. would ya like to take a guess at what I'm thinking ..

[habs4ever]

Maybe you misunderstood my question, but if the premiums have been paid, where is the insurance money then? It should be handled by a benefits group, correct? Segregated?The claims shouldn't be that difficult if they have a death certificate and proper paperwork.So why are you saying the money isn't there?

[truthkeeper]

And I heard him myself say that HE was going to take care of ALL of "his families" for the rest of their lives on one of his many TV appearances.

A-HA...I knew I wasn't hallucinating when I heard him say that!

[Aggie Mama]

Do to not saving any dough, she may (gasp) have to get a job

Speaking as one who is dependant upon my husband's income while I raise our children, I take great offense to that. If she just lost her husband, and assuming she has young children, don't you think the best place for her to be is with the children trying to provide some sense of comfort? That's why responsible adults carry LI, but if it hasn't paid out yet, then she's screwed.

[Faithfull]

Thank God someone said what I was thinking. I did see the woman on O'Reilly and although my heart breaks for her, I asked the same question. Okay, she said she has a huge mortgage- gee, maybe she will have to downgrade her home , something our family did when my dad died. I do think the Cantor company should continue paychecks until they figure out the amt. of death benefits due, but I am shocked by O'Reilly and the people who think they should be taken care of for life. Geez...this post scares me too. So many looking for help...that is what families are for. And then one must dig in their heels and make the best of it.

[Alberta's Child]

My apologies for that rant.

In the case of the story that I was talking about, the family had just gone out and bought a house for $600,000 or something like that. My point was that they could easily have bought a $500,000 house and used the difference for life and disability insurance.

[habs4ever]

Mo, you can't go around yelling to everyone that pisses you off to fasten their teeth on part of your anatomy, can you?I'm shocked, shocked, you would even think that!!!! LOL :-)

[Alberta's Child]

Problem is the Insurance money isn't there.

Something doesn't sound right about that. Do you mean that the company itself provided the insurance? Unless that is the case, then Cantor Fitzgerald shouldn't have anything to do with the insurance claims.