SLY STONE TO THE RESCUE
Sly of the Family Stone died this week and we have some wonderful memories of him. In the 70’s we had a store on Sunset Strip (across from Tower Records) called The Garment District and all the rock stars shopped there. Sly LOVED fashion and bought just about anything he could find in his favorite colors, black, red, or white – especially if fringe or rhinestones were involved. He became a regular customer and one day he walked in during a dramatic moment. A well-known black actor’s young boyfriend had attempted to steal an expensive pair of pants the actor had admired in a previous visit. I had a shoplifter policy: I offered the boyfriend a choice- either I could call the police and have him arrested, or he could pay me TWICE the price of the item he tried to steal. He didn’t have the money, but Sly stepped in and paid twice the price for the garment , and sent the boyfriend home. It was an odd situation, but I know Sly meant well. That’s just ONE of many fun stories I have about him… he will be missed…
Bia
I remember back in the day you weren’t sure if he’d actually show up for a concert, but if he did he put on an awesome show. Rest easy, Sly.
Gary
Well Janet, I know you have many other stories about Sly, but I will respect your privacy by not letting the cat out of the bag. We have been friends for too long. I miss him too. He was a fun guy. I just finished watching the documentary on him a few months ago which brought tears to my eyes. RIP, Sylvester Stewart
Maybelle
Loved Sly and the Family Stone music. You are so lucky to have known him!
Also, on the comment above – statute of limitations, just saying….
Giovanni Gatoso, Attorney at law
Janet some legal advice, your demand for double the price to avoid calling the police could be considered extortion or blackmail, depending on the jurisdiction.
Legally, shopkeepers can detain shoplifters with reasonable force until authorities arrive and may seek restitution for stolen goods, but threatening to report a crime unless paid a specific amount often crosses into illegal territory.
states like California (Penal Code 490.5) allow merchants to detain shoplifters reasonably, but threats of extra payment could violate blackmail laws (Penal Code 518).
Janet
I detained shoplifters by handcuffing them to my desk until police came or they got money to pay me