how did wally amos lose his company how did wally amos lose his company

Wally Amos was a walking, breathing brandwho couldn't seem to cash in on his own success. By 1985, Famous Amos reported a $300,000 loss on sales of $10 million. "At the time, my career wasn't going too well. But hes hardly struggling. That was the whole schtick.". And I'm going to do it again, even better. What Did People Eat On LA's Beaches 100 Years Ago? How the Cookie Crumbled Founded in 1975, the company took off almost instantly. There are people who convince themselves that they cant do anything with their lives because of whats happened to themand theyre right. But his trademark smile, optimistic outlook and uncanny ability to promote remain unchanged. The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company was officially born in March 1975 at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles. Amos is a popular motivational speaker who has used his celebrity status to promote literacy and to support drop-out prevention programs. I'm especially glad that Famous Amos Cookies are now in the hands of people who love, live, and breathe great-tasting cookies." By the mid-'80s, Famous Amos was losing money and Amos slowly lost control of his creation. He was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, until he was 12 years old. While Famous Amos soon lived up to its name, thriving for nearly a decade, the company's founder lost control of his business. "I'm not concerned with whether people appreciate me or not. In 1998, the Keebler Company purchased the Famous Amos brand, and Amos resumed his role as the brand's spokesperson. ''It was just an uphill battle, looking to establish a new cookie company without having the resources and still in the minds of everybody being Famous Amos,'' he said. and Formosa Ave., in front of a Brazilian restaurant, you might notice a square metal sign. "I don't take things seriously," he says. She introduced young Wally to the simple delights of a warm, chocolate chip cookie. He accumulated all his fortune being the founder of the most common cookie brand Amos Cookies. Having your face or company named after you, you cant take that to the bank. I think its more than a fetish. U.S.A. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [On-line] http://www.famous-amos.com (accessed on August 15, 2002). "If I could love myself once a week or so in my home kitchen, I thought, why couldn't I love myself full time, share that love with as many people as possible, and at the same time earn a living doing what I loved most, with a product I loved the best? Charles wouldnt disclose revenues for Famous Amos, but noted it was the companys fastest-growing cookie brand. In the past five years, women in L.A. and throughout California have started creating a new future for custom car culture. For several years, life was very good for Amos. However, he ran low on funds and returned to his entertainment industry Rolodex in search of backer. IE 11 is not supported. They were saying I didnt even have the right to my own name, Amos said in Parade. ", Amos's name soon became synonymous with the crisp chocolate chip cookies he whipped up in his L.A. kitchen. Amos started baking to console himself, since cookies always made him feel better. I'm not in the cookie business anymore.". Born July 1, 1937, in Tallahassee, FL; married, wifes name Christine; four children. Ebony, September 1979, pp. Amos struggled to keep up with the brands rapid growth. Amos's penchant for cooking led him to enroll at the Food Trades Vocational High School, where he studied culinary arts for two years. At one point, he lost his house. A True Story, Baldwin Hills, 'The Black Beverly Hills': The Life And Times Of The Community, A Los Angeles Family Seeks Answers And Accountability After Black Mom Dies In Childbirth. ''We can dramatically increase distribution of the brand and that is everything from building its presence in convenience stores, mass merchandisers, obviously grocery stores and drugstores,'' Mr. Grieve of Keebler said. Amos wasn't through with the cookie business, however. "When I began to bake them myself, it became my own creative project for the hour or so it took to mix the batter and pop 'em in the oven," Amos writes in The Power in You. New World Order - Daniel Lpez - EFO 241. Incorp, 12 East Armour Boulevard Like all sugar-induced highs, Wally later wrote in Watermelon Wisdom: Seeds of wisdom, slices of Life, it didnt last. In the mid-80s, the company began churning through owners until Amos was demoted to a figurehead, then bought out entirely by a foreign banking conglomerate. Shortly before graduation, Amos dropped out of high school to join the United States Air Force. Now, under terms of his deal with Keebler, he has regained the right to use his name and he sells the muffins as Uncle Wally's. The concept of a zero-preservative, craft-made cookie was uncommon, says Jesse Szewczyk, author of Cookies: The New Classics. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. His entrepreneurial spirit in tact, Mr. Amos switched to a line of low-fat and fat-free muffins. His son Shawn called him a bearded, amped-up Willy Wonka whose mother used to beat him with an electrical cord, angry at Wallys fathers infidelities, their poverty, and at the structural strains of the Jim Crow South. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. But the reason is that theyve told themselves they cant. I didn't even want to talk about chocolate-chip cookies, really. How he lost his money: Amos started a cookie business after deciding to leave his cushy job as a talent manager for the William Morris Agency in New York in 1975. Neither he nor Keebler would disclose how much the company was paying him to bite into Famous Amos cookies in public and urge people who spot him in airports to buy them. Amos founded the cookie company in 1975 and things just didnt go as planned. He also worked as a talent agent and discovered Simon & Garfunkel. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. As a man who had made his living promoting other people as an agent, he used his background to come up with ways to sell cookies. . He showed his interest in cooking at a young age. He moved to New York Citys Harlem at age 12 to live with his Aunt Della. When his parents divorced, Wally was booted to Aunt Dellas in Harlem. Wally Amos, famed entrepreneur and founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand, was born Wallace Amos Jr. on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. Amos appeared in the October 6, 2016 episode of the American television show Shark Tank seeking $50,000 funding for 20% equity of his company "Cookie Kahuna". "Workshop to Feature Famous Amos Founder." I don't live my life for other people. Wally Amos, creator of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies, creator, in fact, of the whole idea that chocolate chip cookies might be worthy of their own stores, turns up his nose these days at Famous Amos Cookies. "I walked into the little cubicle that was my office, and got out my phone book," Amos writes in The Cookie Never Crumbles. [12], In 2014, an article in Fortune magazine lauded "The cookie comeback of 'Famous' Wally Amos" as Amos bought back his handmade cookies under a new name The Cookie Kahuna. The Famous Amos brand got backing from celebrity investors like Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, who gave Amos $25,000 for his new business. It honors a cookie. "He's the white sheep of the family. It could be worth a few million in a couple of years. Amos had finally found a superstar worthy of his managementhis own gourmet cookies. "He was a fun, positive personality. Why did Wally Amos lose his company? In the early 1960s Amos took a job in the mail room at the William Morris Talent Agency. Box 897Kailua, Hawaii 96734. Wally Amos gained prominence as an entrepreneur in the mid-1970s when he developed and marketed a brand of chocolate-chip cookies under the name "Famous Amos." mitataksemme sivustojemme ja sovellustemme kyttsi. In 1992, President Baking Company bought Famous Amos for $61 millionmore than 55 times what Wally Amos sold his controlling stake for just a few years earlier. "Amos, Wally 1937 Before long he had worked his way up to secretary for Howard Hausman, an executive vice president at the agency. . All Rights Reserved. He created a massive global brandFamous Amos Cookiesand then lost it all.vMost cookie lovers don't know he hasn't been part of that company for almost 30 years.It was a devastating loss, but one he takes full responsibility for. Wally later made a comeback in the world of cookies under a new name, The Cookie Kahuna, in 2014. Fax: (816) 502-4155 17678; December 20, 1993, pp. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Wally Amos had long ago lost control of Famous Amos, the cookie company he founded in 1975, and had even lost the right to use his name or the famous likeness of himself with his. At the time, Mr. Amos challenged the barriers of entertainment as a Black man and went on to create a flourishing cookie empire. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit LAist.com/radio. Of his experience living with his Aunt Della, Amos noted "for me, chocolate-chip cookies have always been an expression of love.". Why did Wally Amos lose his company? an agent and by 1974, he was looking for something new. That's not what I want to do. Washington Business Journal (December 12, 1997): p. 61. Amos envisioned his cookies in luxury retail stores over the usual local supermarket. His mother, especially, was an uncompromising disciplinarian. Wally Amos entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author founded the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company in 1975 selling bite-sized homemade chocolate chip cookies. He was an amazing marketer and had great promotional instincts. Two sales later, the new owners added shelf-stable ingredients and repositioned the cookies as an affordable brand, prompting its famous founder to depart. How is he? . Why did Wally Amos lose his company? Kun kytt sivustojamme ja sovelluksiamme, kytmme, tarjotaksemme sivustomme ja sovelluksemme sinulle, todentaaksemme kyttjt, estksemme roskapostia ja vrinkytksi sek toteuttaaksemme tietoturvatoimia. 1996: Uncle Noname released line of low-fat baked goods. A guy who loved people and loved life.. '', Keebler, a unit of Flowers Industries, which had inherited the reformulated cookies, agreed to meet Mr. Amos's conditions. By 1985, on sales of $10 million, the Famous Amos Cookie Company reported a $300,000 loss. "Crack Reporter Brings Famous Amos to His Knees." "The secret of Famous Amos was my attitude. After spending several years in New York City, Amos dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Air Force, where he earned his G.E.D. ''In quicksand, if you start flailing all about and panicking with each movement you go in deeper, but if you just stay calm and look about, chances are you'll see a twig or something you can reach to pull yourself out. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). His hat and shirt were added to the Smithsonian Institution's advertising collection. Famous Amos became a fixture in Hollywood, its proprietor staging celebrations much like the music revues he had helped organize in the 1960s. American television personality, entrepreneur, and author, "No longer Famous, Wally Amos still baking", "The Cookie Comeback King: Wally "Famous" Amos", "A Famous Cookie And a Face to Match; How Wally Amos Got His Hand And His Name Back in the Game", "Wally Amos | Bio | Premiere Motivational Speakers Bureau", "Wally Amos Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau", "Son of 'Famous Amos' Cookie Maker Mixing His Own Batch of Blues and Soul", "Famous Amos gives cookie business another try", "No longer famous, Wally Amos still bakes sweet treats", "Famous Amos Creator Lives Near Charlotte as He Plans Next Venture", http://johnmcalley.com/assets/pdfs/feature-writing/FamousAmos.Spirit.Web.pdf, "Shark Tank: The Cookie Kahuna, from Famous Amos Creator, Crumbles in the Tank, Fails to Get A Deal", "Shark Tank Cookie Legend Wally Amos Pitches New Cookie Kahuna Brand Boom", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wally_Amos&oldid=1138663722, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with failed verification from December 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In 1980, Amos appeared in the February 5 episode of. It was bittersweet, says his son. Wally Amos had long ago lost control of Famous Amos, the cookie company he founded in 1975, and had even lost the right to use his name or the famous likeness of himself with his salt-and-pepper beard, Panama hat and embroidered Indian shirt. Los Angeles wasn't the promised land Amos had hoped for. Under the Uncle Noname label, by 1996 Amos had again scored success with fat-free gourmet sweets. Among the products developed by the company are pound cakes in such flavors as banana blueberry and orange cranberry, and fat-free muffins in a variety of flavors, including corn and honey raisin bran, apple cinnamon, chocolate passion, and blueberry. Leading American Businesses. When he sold Famous Amos in 1985, Wally Amos lost more than a company. but as a child he had an innate spirit and gift to. Will Orange County's Fledgling Clean Power Agency Survive? The episode is named "Famous Wally Amos: The Cookie King". nyttksemme sinulle kohdennettuja mainoksia ja sislt kiinnostusprofiileiden perusteella, mitataksemme kohdennettujen mainosten ja sisltjen tehokkuutta. Fax: (503) 627-2406 I think it's more than a fetish. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. In 1975, Amos launched the first Famous Amos store on Los Angeless Sunset Boulevard. The cookies were an immediate sensation; 2,500 people to his stores opening party. Part of his responsibilities included booking acts such as the Temptations, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Goldsboro, and he is even given credit for signing a then-unknown duo named Simon & Garfunkel. "When she baked cookies and shared them, she was expressing her love for me and the rest of the family." The muffins, for instance, are a leading brand in Pathmark supermarkets in the New York area and are available nationally in stores like Costco warehouse clubs and Edwards supermarkets. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. Within months, Amos had opened two more West Coast franchises, and the New York-based Bloomingdale's department store had begun selling the gourmet cookies. He brought them to meetings and gatherings, always getting enthusiastic praise. In its first month of business, Nonam reported $33,000 in sales. That business was named after Amos and faced. Amos ultimately advanced to the position of a full-time William Morris talent agent where he contributed to the careers of such entertainers as Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. This simple, affectionate act had lasting consequences in the life of the young boy, who eventually went on to make his living from fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Within months, Amos had opened two more West Coast franchises, and the New York-based Bloomingdale's department store had begun selling the gourmet cookies. Aunt Della loved to cook (714) 645-1395 1992: Started Uncle Noname Cookie Company. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, The Early LA Daredevils Who Defied Gender Norms, The Groundbreaking Suicide Squad That Tested Early Rockets And Flirted With The Occult, Why A Property Worth Millions Was Returned To The Tongva Tribe, The Rise Of Lady Lowriders And Other All-Women Car Clubs In LA, The Murderous Lover Who Lived In A Silver Lake Attic. Amos, Wally, and Leroy Robinson. Address: Office c/o Uncle Nonam Cookie Company, 984252 Pupuole St., Waipahu, HI 96797. Amos headed the rock n roll department, where he signed Simon and Garfunkel and worked with Motown megastars The Supremes, Diana Ross, Sam Cooke, and Dionne Warwick. People . Amos was disciplined, cared about quality-control issues, and was not afraid to leave one endeavor to explore another. Pollack, Judann. Instead, he started thinking of ways to promote his business. New York: D. I. After his discharge from the Air Force, Amos enrolled at the Collegiate Secretarial Institute in Manhattan. He was the first black talent scout in America. Amos also started a new cookie company, called Chip & Cookie the "only company baking from pure, unadulterated Wally Amos recipes," according to Amos's website. And was promptly sued. He changed Uncle Noname to Uncle Wally's, and published his fifth book, The Cookie Never Crumbles: Inspirational Recipes for Everyday Living, in 2001. Keebler also gave Amos another gift: the use of his name and face. His fourth and longest marriage had collapsed, as had his business, with $108,000 in unpaid rent, but Wally was not deterred. Similarly, why did Wally Amos lose his company? This time, having learned from his previous business errors, Amos has employed a professional management team to run the dollars-and-cents end of the company. ''They can conceptualize brilliantly but then struggle to implement.''. The company, based in Shirley, N.Y., expects to produce 250 million muffins this year and 1 billion muffins annually by 2010. Who owns Famous Amos cookie company today? Business Leader Profiles for Students. [18], Amos had lived in Hawaii from 1977 until 2018. And he has become somewhat of an E-mail fanatic, sending a network of cherished friends and associates regular morale-boosting messages. Mr. Amos started the original Famous Amos Cookie Company with $25,000 from the singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, celebrity friends he knew from his days as a talent agent. Amos was born to Wallace & Ruby Amos. Amos, Wally and Camilla Denton. . Between visits to the rooms of patients (none of whom seem quite sure who the ebullient, kazoo-blowing guy is), Amos takes a pit stop. With the help of a friend, Mr. Amos eventually got the house back. He was living close by in Hollywood and he was starving. "I was confident Masekela's career would bankroll our dream. Famous Amos cookies were crisp and nutty, with a satisfying bite that most chocolate chip cookies lacked. Some cookies were too small. So it seems. What of the man who started it all? Friends clamored for a store. 548; May 1983, p. 53. The Amos household was characterized by a strict code of personal behavior. Most of the dedicated Famous Amos shops were shuttered. He retained a position on the board of directors but was relieved of day-to-day responsibilities in the company. He later said of the experience, "We certainly had no monetary wealth, but Aunt Della's home was always rich in the principles and qualities vital to a childs upbringing. Everyone was stoned and had the munchies so he was always warmly greeted. [On-line] http://www.kelloggs.com (accessed on August 15, 2002). Today, Famous Amos is an international brand you can find in most grocery stores. Cookies made him famous, but Amos has his own take: I want to be known as a guy who cared about people. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. The rise and fall of Wally Amos, who founded Famous Amos cookies, is an unexpected story of great success and tragic downfall. "In the lower right hand corner there was a William Morris logo, and in the other corner was an A&M Records logo that showed that the cookie had a record deal. "My responsibility, as I see it, is keeping our visibility level very high," he explained to the Los Angeles Times in 1985. And Keebler was willing to let him use his name for his own business. On March 10, 1975, Amos took the advice of some friends, and with $25,000 from singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, [4] he opened a cookie store at 7181 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California, naming it "Famous Amos". The muffins are sold in more than 3,500 stores nationwide. "Where are the seniors?" Contemporary Black Biography. Current Biography Yearbook. Box 419627 Amosby then, on his third wife, kid, and cookie company, began selling self-help. Wally Amos was a walking, breathing brand who couldnt seem to cash in on his own success. The senior Wallace Amos, whom his son once described as a "good person . ''And they were using a real low-grade vanilla flavoring, and I always used vanilla extract. He sought help to save the company, and ultimately himself. Forbes (December 20, 1993): p. 146. ". Returning to New York City, Amos went to college to become a secretary, and after graduating, took a mailroom clerk job with the William Morris Agency. 1989: Ended relationship with Famous Amos Cookie Company. In financial terms, Wally wrote in 1996, all Ive done since is amass debt and miss payments.. When Cuban-born Carlos M. Gutierrez ascended to the top spot at the Kellogg Company in 1999 he became not only the youngest chief executive officer (, 14200 S.K. (February 23, 2023). "Amos, Wally If I can eat it, I can sell it.. I started losing the company in 1985. In 1986, President Reagan presented him with one of the first Awards of Entrepreneurial Excellence. He turns to the on-lookers. Uncle Wallys Muffin Co. was originally founded as Uncle Noname Cookie Co. in 1992, a few years after Amos lost Famous Amos. Famous Amos was seen in the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade every year from 1977 to 1981, as well as on the label of each cookie bag. In 1967, Amos decided to leave William Morris and launch his own talent agency. Wally Amos had long ago lost control of Famous Amos, the cookie company he founded in 1975, and had even lost the right to use his name or the famous likeness of himself with his salt-and-pepper beard, Panama hat and embroidered Indian shirt. You have to focus on what you can do, he said. As Amos told Diane Toops of Food Processing magazine, "It took me a while to catch up with my name. Theres something very nice about it. Asked about his future in Upscale magazine, Amos grinned and said: The possibilities are endless.. Ever the optimist, he views the experience as yet another reminder of the power of faith and positive thinking. He represented musicians such as The Temptations, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. Amos said: "We were made to think, to be curious, to seek solutions, and not add to problems." Following his parents' separation in 1948, Amos was sent to New York City to live with his Aunt Della, who often baked homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. Amos attracted clients by sending them chocolate chip cookies along with an invitation to visit him. Other biographers spin a sadder story. After his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Harlem, to live with her sister Della. It's how he makes a living, on the road half the year -a literacy conference before Orlando, an insurance meeting after leaving. Andy Warhol came and they had cookies and milk and champagne. "One year, the theme of the block party was 'Cookies and Milk with Amos and Andy.' In some areas I am more noted for reading then I am for cookies! "The cookies' reputation began to grow as my contacts multiplied," he recalled in his book, The Power in You. Long Island Business News (October 21, 1996): p. 41. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Like our content? In a world of mass-produced food products, Amos seemingly hit upon the universal "soul food": the American home-style chocolate-chip cookie. The shop cleared $300k its first year. "We might be related." . Here was proof, Wally later wrote, that a black high school dropout from a broken home in Harlem could make it in this country.. The company,. Fine, 1988. Its part of my philosophy, Amos explained in Parade. Wally Amosentrepreneur, motivational speaker, and authorfounded the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company in 1975 selling bite-sized homemade chocolate chip cookies. In 1998, Keebler purchased the brand, keeping Amos as the spokesperson. He has a net worth of $20,000. "Just look at these," he says, looking down at the hard, small, unappealing cookies. Amos no longer sports a beard or his iconic Panama hat, now displayed in a Smithsonian museum. [4] He started the business with the help of a $25,000 loan from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. At one point, he lost his home. "He had great instincts about story, and he had great instincts about how to make people feel good," Shawn says. Contact at: Uncle Noname Cookie CompanyP.O. It seemed to be shining as if neon paint had been used. For an entrepreneur who was down on his luck it was almost too good a deal to pass up. "Famous Amos Gets its First National Push from Keebler." Best Known For: African American entrepreneur Wally Amos founded the Famous Amos cookie brand. He has a thing for baked goods, specifically, cookies. Wallace Amos Jr. was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936, the only child of Wallace and Ruby Amos. Garden City: Doubleday, 1983. ", In the late afternoon, he visits a day care center for senior citizens. That's not a bad pitch.''. In the back of his mind, however, he considered the idea of selling his cookies. "Wally Amos Launches Baked Goods Line Out of Long Island Headquarters." In 2012, Amos appeared in the February 16 episode of. He'd come to the store all the time and my dad would give him free cookies. He started in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency and in 1962 became the first Black talent agent in their history. He eventually returned to Famous Amos as a "director of cookie fun," and travels the country lecturing on how to overcome misfortune and concentrate on the positive aspects of life. His cookie shop, Chip & Cookie, is a couple of miles from his home in the oceanside community of Kailua. "When the store opened, it was him in the back making cookies and me standing on a milk crate in the front, selling.". He opened a small shop on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, and began making mass quantities with the same recipe hed used in his own kitchen. 23 Feb. 2023 . "My dad is a master showman," Shawn says. "Famous Amos is Back in the Chips." On the corner of Sunset Blvd. Film and television stars, pop singers, and politicians all professed a craving for Famous Amos cookies. He and Andy would sign autographs. Determined to make his mark by signing a blockbuster act, his tenacity was rewarded when he discovered the singing duo Simon & Garfunkel. When he decided to go into the cookie business, Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy were among his backers. Cookie included baked goods, storybooks and a variety of merchandise. Within months, Amos had opened two more franchises on the West Coast, and New York-based department store Bloomingdale's had begun selling gourmet cookies. He used to hand out cookies with abandon. His cookie shop, Chip & Cookie, is a couple of miles from his home in the oceanside community of Kailua. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. To Wally, setbacks were burnt cookiessacrifices on the alter of carelessness. In nine books, hundreds of speeches, and countless baking metaphors, Wally pours half-full glasses. Amos!" Amos, the former talent agent, became a star in his own right. Famous Amos cookies began to be found in vending machines and in warehouse food clubs; the treats were marketed to people who had heard of the products but never had bought them. But Wally Amos isn't one to fret over the loss of his name or his company. Web site: http://www.saltoninc.com Web site: http://www.quiksilver.com With financial backing from singers like Gaye and an innovative marketing initiative, which included an extensive advertising campaign and a gala grand opening, the first Famous Amos cookie store opened on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975. He worked dilligently, eventually becoming manager of the supply department at the ritzy store. "I don't eat 'em anymore, man," says Amos. Two years after opening his first store in Los Angeles, Amos was at the helm of a large corporation, selling cookies as well as other "Famous Amos" paraphernalia, worldwide. However, in 1985, mismanagement forced Amos to gradually sell off parts of his company. In 1975, he explained his strategy to the New York Times: The marketing campaign worked. [10][failed verification] A Famous Amos distributor at the time, Lou Avignone, heard Amos on a local radio talk show and, inspired by Amos' story of his early business success with Famous Amos and his spirit, contacted Amos with the idea for starting a new business. Baldwin Hills communities began with an Olympic village in 1932 and later became home to affluent Black families in L.A. In 1989, yet another group of investors dismissed Amos from the company he had founded. At one point, he lost his house.