Lifelong Family Friend/Game Distributor Salesperson
D. Lazar Company, Atlas Music & Novelty
I have had the pleasure of knowing four generations of Lazars: Hyman, Bernie, Dale and Brent. It has been my pleasure to interact with them for over 75 years! I first met Bernie in 1940 at the old YMWHA in Oakland. I was new to Pittsburgh, fresh out of high school, and Bernie offered his friendship to me, a friendship that grew to be something very special for me. After WWII Bernie recommended me to B D Lazar Company, a distributor of coin-operated amusements, for a part time sales role, placing a machine called “You Play We Pay” on a route. I have very fond memories of placing, loading and collecting this machine. That part time role soon became a full time job. Bernie was a man of his word and if he told you he would do something he did it, respecting the needs of others in business and in his personal life. Everyone liked Bernie. The business later changed when Dale got active. He brought a modern approach and, as we all know, H Lazar and Son grew under his leadership to what it is today. But my best memory of Dale is as a fine person. When his father and mother had to move to a nursing home, Dale visited them daily and made sure their living area had a feel of home by hanging familiar pictures on the walls of his room. And to this day, Dale enlivens the lives of nursing home residents, staff and visitors through his jukebox donations and the Jukebox Memories Project.