Paying Homage to the Head Beagle

Fleeing the fascism and corruption of Sicily, my grandfather, Joe Vaccarino, entered the US through Ellis Island. He lived on Mott Street in New York City’s Little Italy, which is now part of Chinatown. Back in the day, Grandpa Joe hung out on the street. He played kick-the-can and bocce ball. Eventually, he moved uptown to the Bronx and later to Yonkers. He was a money lender, a spalloni, one of those who moves money. La Stessa Cosa. A man of honor. By the standards of today, he would simply be called a hedge fund manager. 

Grandpa Joe was part of the immigrant culture that made New York City great. His friends were from all walks of life and came from all religions and ethnic groups. He lived the following creed: I help you. You help me. We all rise together. Now we are all strangers wandering in a strange land. The changing global economy has made us immigrants in the new world order. Some people are throwing out all of the old ways of doing things. Others are stubbornly resistant to the changes taking place and insist on doing the same old things the same old way, even when it is clear that these methods no longer work, when a more prudent course of action is finding the right way to blend the old with the new. 

A new populism is rising, and now, more than ever, there is a great need to help one another. Grandpa Joe didn’t just rise up out of poverty and become an overnight success on his own accord. He had a little help from his friends. In every network, industry, trade, profession, sector, town, city, or organization there is a key influencer who is the reigning power and has the power to give someone a come up. I refer to the key influencer as the head beagle. 

Remember the Godfather? The dominant attribute exhibited by Vito Corleone is he didn’t talk too much. A gesture with his hand, a raised eyebrow, and the smallest simple physical movements were great evidence of his strength. What he didn’t say was sometimes more important than what he actually did say. And when he did talk, the room grew quiet; everyone gave him their rapt attention and listened. Even if iPhones had been around, no one would have been checking their messages. 

It’s never a bad idea to be strategic and to think like a clever Sicilian. The Godfather knew how to build a network. The Godfather knew how to surround himself with a close-knit circle of allies, strategic partnerships, and key influencers—head beagles—who understand this guiding principle: I help you. You help me. We all rise together. 

Every industry has a head beagle or two, several or many. Most head beagles do not show up at business networking events. They don’t have the time and they don’t like being swarmed by insufferable glad-handers who want something for nothing. The beagle knows the rules—the hidden rules that aren’t posted anywhere on the internet. The head beagle doesn’t like email. She doesn’t do social media. Head beagles do not leave a digital trail. Head beagles don’t want to get sued. He doesn’t want to get killed. She doesn’t want to lose business. Above all else, they don’t want to lose their power. The head beagle is the one who always says: why didn’t you pick up the phone and call me? 

The term and concept of a head beagle is derived from the world of old money and old family connections. They have a deep abiding attachment to horsemanship, beagling, a preppy brand of elitism, toney private schools and ivy league colleges. It is hard to believe that there is a world of old money and old family connections in America that prevails even in the postmodern era, but these head beagles are silent kingmakers who shun publicity. Being a head beagle is not an honorary title limited to the horsey set and old money. There are head beagles everywhere.

We all need help from a head beagle. It’s one thing to network and to develop a solid contact base, and quite another to gain access to a head beagle. The head beagle can make you or break you.

Returning always to the Godfather, he was the ultimate head beagle and knew how to build a network. Nothing is accomplished in America without networking, without utilizing whom you know as a resource, and finding out whom you still need to know. Introductions count. Recommendations and referrals are paramount. The right contacts must be cultivated in order to get that job, get that movie role, get that promotion, to gain admission into school, entrance into your favorite club, restaurant, or organization, to get that big break, to build a business, and even to build a good name. 

Asking for favors is a customary art form in the Sicilian culture. Even though Sicilians asked for favors from Don Corleone, they understood the unspoken rule. They knew one day, at any given time, the Don would come to ask them for a favor to pay him back. In the American culture, The Godfather is a great metaphor for life and business. Most people approach the head beagle asking for favors and a come up—for nothing. They don’t seem to understand that to get you need to give. You need to be able to communicate the value you will bring to the relationship. You need to let the head beagle know exactly what you will do when you are called upon to return the favor. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The essay version of Paying Homage to the Head Beagle is an excerpt from the book American Spin by Patricia Vaccarino, Published by Xanthus Communications LLC and PR for People (May 1, 2015). American Spin is available in print as an ebook on Amazon.