Ernest Slotar – Phone Conversation Transcript
The following transcript was prepared by very good listener, Jason M. Ritchie, a U.S. war veteran, who served honorably and with commendations for 4 years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine Sonar Operator with Top Secret clearance. Comments in red belong to JMR.
VOICE MAIL FROM DIAMOND DEALER ERNEST SLOTAR
MARCH 24, 2008 PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN GARY S GEVISSER and ERNEST SLOTAR
Ernest: Hello
Gary: Ernest
Ernest: Yes
Gary: It’s Gary (pause) Gevisser
Ernest: Hello Gary.. Let me just take this in my office just one moment please (starts at 8 seconds) (in that time I hear a faint “yeah”, papers shuffling like turning of pages, maybe he is sitting down still looking for notes on you. He has phone turned down on table, that’s why I hear the papers shuffling, this takes 17 seconds)
(25 seconds)
Ernest: (greets with) “hello”
Gary: Hi there
Ernest: Good good afternoon, how are you?
Gary: Good, how are you doing?
Ernest: I’m well thank you.
Gary: I got this strange message
Ernest: Is it strange, I hope not strange. I hope its courteous, I’m always courteous. I have a good memory of you guys. You know, you were always a gentleman; um tell me about yourself, you live in San Diego? (dodging the fact you have a message)
Gary: UH actually Del Mar
Ernest: Del Mar ok, in that area
(unknown voice say “right” in the background)
Gary: Right, do you ever get out here?
Ernest: Oh I wish I did get out more often. I don’t travel as much as I’d like to. Its always good to get out of the office, you know the pressure in the office are always strong.
Gary: What’s the pressure these days?
Ernest: Business is always pressure. Its always pressure, it never seems to get easier, uh you know just to maintain figures, it’s, it’s a tough economy, we’ve thankfully we maintain the figures, but it is hard work.
Gary: How how tough is it when you got Debeers there price fixing for you?
Ernest: (it sounds like he covered up the phone when he said this, it maybe someone sitting next to him listing in on the conversation)
“oh whatever it is, it’s a thing I won’t” (what did he mean by this, it’s a good thing he want, want what??? want what tell you how the price fixing happens and where.)
Cont Ernest: inaudible… tell me about you’re a married man? (he said he had a good memory of you, why does he keep saying tell me about yourself)
Gary: I am
Ernest: Do you have children
Gary: Well I inherited 2
Ernest: Good for you, nice…good for you, So you have a whole family and you look after it. (I hear in the background during this part a during the second good say “hi” maybe)
Gary: uh You know the family, you know this loyalty business is something that I am delving into and….
Ernest: How long have you been married for.
Gary: Uh , I think its going to be 4 year this April 22nd
Ernest: And you live in Del mar, and now I know that area, and what sort of work do you do Gary?
Gary: Actually I’m uh.. Just uh.. writing these days.
Ernest: OK OK
Gary: And I am.. do you remember when we last spoke, cause you were saying how good a memory you have?
Ernest: I remember speaking to you, I remember you telling me things, Yeah I do remember, you were living in San Diego as well.
Gary: yeah that was only a couple of years ago.
Ernest: Oh yeah well years go by, you know, we do a lot (he sounds disturbed here when he says that) “so let me ask you, um how your parents?”
Gary: Parents… uh.. you know.. They’re living.
(goodbye in the back ground,,, who said this?)
Ernest:… inaudible did he say “wait”
Gary: They would prefer, they would prefer that there wasn’t this book out there that I told you about… called “The Diamond Invention”
Ernest: I, I don’t want to go into the politics. (frustrated)
Gary: What do you mean by the politics?
Ernest: (frustrated) uh uh you know, I just wanted a nice con conversation (stuttering) and tell you respectfully, I remember, I have a very good memory, when my wife returned from South Africa… with Melissa.. And she undergone that surgery. (he slowed down his speech)
Gary: That was March 17th 1978.
Ernest: And you were so you were so very kind and very nice to them, and one tries not to forget those things you know. It has always been a memory in our family. I remember how nice you were.
Gary: you weren’t.. you weren’t in the business at that time though.. in the diamond business.
Ernest: That’s possible, I think back in 79.. I may have started.
Gary: And that’s when you started with Stephen Cohen [Codiam Inc.]
Ernest: Yeah we were buying goods from Stephen.
Gary: Do you still see him?
Ernest: No I never see him (at time 3:16 “by 2003” whisper who said this , who is he talking to?) “I haven’t seen Stephen Cohen for many years.”
Time 3:20 inaudible “trum”
Gary: and when was the last time you dealt with him?
Ernest: oh it could be ha ha ha ha (why was he laughing?) “ah you know.. When you worked for him (Stephen Cohen) “you were there for a year or so, weren’t you?”
Gary: Right
Ernest: Yes, it was round about that time.
Gary: 1980.
Ernest: Yeah that’s when it ended.
Gary: yeah do you remember my mother had you sell a diamond for her?
Ernest: Yes yes I think.
Gary: Do you remember the type of stone it was?… (pause 2 seconds)
I’m just testing your memory.
Ernest: I I don’t.. you know… listen.. I think it was 3 carat stone, it was (inaudible). I don’t remember the detail.
