09/09/2026
He was going to night school to become a TV repairman.
Thankfully, life had other plans.
It was 1981.
Ed was 22, juggling three jobs: driving for Ridgewood Taxi, painting houses, and helping out a carpenter named Murray in Fair Lawn.
One of Murray's customers, an elderly lady, came home one night to find her back door kicked in. A burglar had let himself in.
Shaken, she asked Murray, "Do you know anyone who installs alarms?"
"I can do that!” Ed chimed in.
He'd never installed a system professionally.
But he had built one for his father's toolshed once, with parts from RadioShack. Close enough.
He quoted her $350.
What he didn't know was she'd already gotten quotes from two other companies for $1,800 and $2,100.
He got the job.
One day later, the alarm was in and working perfectly.
Then her neighbors started calling.
Ed took what little profit he made from that first job and printed some business cards.
On February 26, 1981 he made it official.
It all started because one neighbor needed help. He raised his hand. And he delivered.
45 years later, and the story keeps repeating itself.
(We do charge more than $350 now though.)
