I got a call from a friend of mine to work as a caterwaiter on Long Island. I'd never heard of the company he was with and I had misgivings about any job that took me out of the city, but I needed money, so I signed on. They gave me an address in Manhattan and told me to show up at 3:30 p.m., ready to be driven out to the location. When I arrived at the designated meeting place, my bullshit meter was ticking like a Geiger counter at Chernobyl. The staff of fourteen waiters was all male, which was not completely unusual, and all black, which was. I had never seen so many black men congregated for a catering function before; it was quite a shock. I didn't know there were so many of us working these gigs. I asked my friend what the deal was--why were only "The Brothers" working this gig--but he had no idea.