Before moving into the Garden, Jacobs took over the New York Hippodrome for fights, and I joined his publicity staff. One day, Damon Runyon approached me and asked me to a special conference with Farnsworth and Uncle Mike. It was an executive directors’ meeting and Uncle Mike spoke up: “You know, Nat, we’ve been losing a lot of money in our boxing promotion here. We’ll have to let some of our help out.” Before he could say any more, I realized what was coming and told him that so far as I was concerned, he could forget the $75 per week I was getting to act as radio contact man. He and Runyon were very pleased and thanked me profusely. Then a thought came to me. “I’ve got a proposition, Mike,” I said. “How would you like to have a sponsor for your fights? I think I can arrange it.” Runyon and Mike didn’t believe it could be done. “Nobody will pay to have our fights put on the radio,” said Jacobs. “I disagree with you,” I replied. Whereupon Jacobs, after a short conference with his colleagues, made me a proposition. “We have arranged eighteen fights for the Hippodrome but might run twenty-six. If you can get a sponsor to buy the radio rights for $5,000 you can have ten per cent, and we’ll keep you on our staff and continue to pay your weekly salary of $75 so long as the broadcasts continue.” “That’s too cheap,” I replied. “I’m sure I can get you twice as much.” “If you can,” Jacobs quickly answered, “we’ll continue your salary and give you twelve-and-a-half per cent of the gross.” I accepted and we shook hands on the deal. I left the office, and the next morning returned with a report that I had sold the broadcast rights to Adam Hats at $1,200 per fight for the first eighteen shows, and at $750 for each fight over that number, with the stipulation that my buddy, Sam Taub, be assigned the broadcasting job. Thus I had arranged for the first paid sponsorship of boxing bouts in the world. My report was greeted enthusiastically by Jacobs and the press. Mike called in his partners and that afternoon Sol Strauss, his lawyer, drew up the contract which was brought to Elias Lustig of Adam Hats, and the deal was completed. Uncle Mike asked if I wanted a contract to bind his deal with me, but I told him I would take his word—no contract was required. However, as in other business deals between us, Mike reneged soon after the broadcasts got under way. He was that way. He never went back on his word when it came to transactions he had made with fighters and managers, but in private affairs I found that he was far from the honorable gentleman the press so often made him out to be. For several weeks he paid me my salary but not a penny of my commission on the radio deal. And when I pressed the issue, he let out a roar such as only he could make when angered. “You’re through,” he shouted. “The fights are drawing nothing here with radio. We don’t need you any more for publicity. We are scarcely pulling in enough to meet expenses.”