Our Story
Revealed for the first time, those who were in the thick of it are writing about the mysterious underbelly of the mortgage banking industry from the origination side. Like a comical set of stories from a corporate frat house, these unique, real-world vignettes of a mortgage lender will open your eyes. They are far from representing the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of some backwoods company with obscure mortgage brokers. The Company was the preeminent mortgage banking firm in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, during the late 1980s to mid-1990s.
This book wipes the lipstick off the mortgage banking industry while answering the question borrowers wonder most about: Can I afford to buy a house? The American dream of homeownership – the most significant financial decision in the lives of many Americans – was entrusted to the hands of an infamous cast of characters, The Bugeater Lunch and Supper Club. How could this group, reminiscent of The Three Stooges, generate millions of dollars in revenue while carrying on like a bunch of frat guys on Spring Break?
The good folk who punched a clock and followed the rules while conforming to the corporate way of life will be astonished when they dig into this story. Readers who might question the reality of the events depicted herein will soon realize that nobody could make this up. Like Prohibition, this short-lived golden age of mortgage banking spawned in swindelous style cannot – and will never – happen again.
Authors
Authors
Rick Soper – An Irish Italian born in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day; Rick is true royalty. His passions run deep in rock
’n roll and sports. He watched the Celtics play at the Old Boston Garden as a kid. He was one of seven young
men who received a scholarship to play basketball in Greece. His favorite rock ’n roll band is The Rolling Stones,
and his knowledge of the band is encyclopedic. Rick was in the crowd of 600,000 in 1973 at the famous
Summer Jam at Watkins Glen that featured The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and The Band.
These days, Rick is most likely to be found at the beach, vodka tonic in hand, or watching a vintage spaghetti
western. Rick’s loving and driven dedication to memorializing the unbelievable antics that occurred every day at
The Company resulted in the book you are holding in your hands. For decades, he declared, “We gotta write a
book someday!” With Rick’s rich Boston accent and deep voice, we’re looking forward to getting him lots of
voice-over work.
Michael Gleeson – Mike was born and raised in O’Neill, Nebraska, the birthplace of the famous coach Frank
Leahy. He was one of eight siblings. Their father was the mayor, so the unruly siblings were all untouchable. Mike
carried this charm and has remained relatively unscathed throughout his wild and crazy life experiences. As a
student, he was instrumental in getting his college to install a bar when he single-handedly procured funding
from Coors and Schlitz. Mike ran it profitably for two years with wildly outrageous stories connected to this
venture. He acquired his comedy skills from the great Bill Murray when he was classmates with Bill in college.
While it’s impossible to choose only a few highlights here, Mike has led a life full of hard-to-believe anecdotes,
coincidences, and lofty acquaintances with the strange and unusual reputation of running into people he knows
everywhere he goes. Everywhere. We are looking forward to publishing his next book that will tell the true tales
of The Seven Degrees of Michael Gleeson. We can’t wait to get started on it.
David Riddle – David was raised in Japan and California until his family relocated to the East Coast of the US.
Golf, Guitar, and Grandkids rule David’s world, not necessarily in that order. Just call him Triple G. He started
golfing at 12 when his family lived in Okinawa. There was absolutely nothing else to do. He golfed every day after
school for 50 cents. As a result, he played Varsity golf in high school and college after his family returned to the
United States. David is successfully training his grandson, who recently caddied at the Arnold Palmer
Invitational. When he isn’t golfing or doting on his grandkids, David is channeling his inner Johnny Winter while
playing his 2004 Firebird through his Princeton Chorus amp or his 1990 white Gibson Flying V. David is
undoubtedly Johnny Winter’s biggest fan and has become a talented blues guitar slinger in his own right. We’re
looking forward to booking David on a Johnny Winter tribute tour. Auditions for the band start soon.
Cover Artist
Laura Ricci, the talented creator of our book cover, has recently published her first book which she both wrote and illustrated. You can find it available for purchase here.
Reviews
“I’ve known Mike Gleeson as the greatest Nebraska fan in the world. Not the richest, that’s Warren Buffet. I had no idea Mike was in the mortgage business. I had no idea he ever had a job. I can’t wait to read about it.”
TONY KORNHEISER
​Co-host of Pardon the Interruption on ESPN since 2001, Host of the Tony Kornheiser Show, ESPN Analyst and Commentator
Links
Louie's Rogue on Yelp. Yeah, it was as bad as the book describes:
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The Pakistani movie, White Gold:
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From Chapter 4, Michael Wilbon Washington Post Articles about Nebraska Football
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From Chapter 18, story on page 189, the 1986 White Gold Movie Poster
On the PTI set with Kornheiser & Wilbon
Michael Gleeson, Bill Murray, & Eddie Gleeson
Pardon the Interruption shout outs to Mike Gleeson
