Greg the Banker

Elaine’s brother went to college and years after graduating still didn’t have money. He shared a place with friends as they tried to have a life and pay bills. 

Greg is Elaine from the Mix Tapes series’ brother. He had a big scene in Mix Tapes and Stolen Tests and he appears again in Empty Buildings. His character wasn’t around a lot because he was away at school. Here’s why he went to school.

Greg saw what happened when the businesses and factories in town closed. A hundred years ago, Newark became a big town because of the ports and businesses. There were shops and houses. Somehow in the 1970s and then the 1980s everything left. The factories went overseas. Businesses closed or moved to other suburban areas. There was also “white-flight” as whites moved away from cities. 

Greg saw families lose money. Busy factories became abandoned buildings. The politicians and banks took all that away.

Greg hated what happened to his town of Schuyler. He went to college to change all that. Greg studied economics so he could work in a bank that would give loans to the gadget makers and shippers of the future. He could arrange for businesses to grow. The families could come back. The liquor stores will go away and be replaced with fancy restaurants. Those big stores will have customers. He would give loans to the family looking for a house. 

Greg got out of college and worked at a small branch of a local bank. That bank was bought by another and Greg started over again and again. The years went on and Greg could afford a house and a life. There was never a way to save his town.  

you can read about Schuyer in Mix Tapes and Empty Buildings. See the tab for books in this website.