G. Wayne Miller on his book Kid Number One: Alan Hassenfeld and Hasbro (2/24/20)
Having escaped religious persecution in Eastern Europe in 1903, the grandfather and great-uncle of the former Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld arrived in America as penniless teenage immigrants—refugees who went from hawking rags on the streets of New York City to building what became the world's largest toy company, Hasbro. Alan's father, Merrill, brought Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe to consumers and his only brother, Stephen, made Hasbro a Fortune 500 company and Hollywood player. Alan was the free spirit who wanted to write novels, date beautiful women and travel the world. He never wanted to run Hasbro and no one ever believed he would—or could. In 1989 Stephen died of AIDS. "Kid Number One," as Alan liked to call himself, was suddenly chairman and CEO. Silencing the skeptics, he took the company to greater heights and then almost killed it with a series of bad decisions including Hasbro's acquisition of rights to POKéMON. G. Wayne Miller’s book “Kid Number One: Alan Hassenfeld and Hasbro” takes a hard look at Alan’s rise and fall in the company. Join us for a look at the darker side of toy making in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.