A Company in Crisis

Tudor Metal Products struggled in the years after WWII.

At 1946 view of Tudor’s Brooklyn factory on Johnson Street.

They weren’t alone in their struggles. Many companies experienced problems in these post-war years as the economy “reconverted” from war production back into a civilian-based production.

Throughout the country there were housing shortages, raw material shortages, and runaway inflation. And on top of these challenges, the two men running Tudor Metal Products, Elmer Sas and Gene Levay, did not share a joint vision of the company’s future.

By the start of 1948, Tudor was on the verge of liquidation.

A Daring Plan

Then Tudor’s accountant came up with a solution. Norman Sas, who was just 23-years-old, would take over from his father and become president of Tudor. His vice-president and treasurer would be Joe Tonole, a toy industry-veteran who was more than twice Norman’s age.

Nobody knew whether this partnership “unique” would work. But it was the only was for Tudor to move forward in 1948. And in reality, it was the only way for the company to survive.

Earl & Roddy

There’s much more information about Tudor’s early days in The Unforgettable Buzz!