Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Masao Watanabe Interview
Narrator: Masao Watanabe
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: June 19, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-wmasao-01-0014

<Begin Segment 14>

TI: Was it really -- I imagine it was very difficult for your mother and your other brothers and sisters who were there when this happened.

MW: Yeah. My older sister and younger sister were there and I know my mother was -- well, it was... well, she was kind of sickly at that time, so I don't know if it hit her as bad, or worse, than us.

TI: Well, with your father being taken away from the FBI, what happened to the business?

MW: Well, we -- it was, I guess you would call it distress sales or anything, but something like that. We had to sell the few things that we had, like the trucks and equipment. Initially, I don't know how much time we had, but I do know we were selling our cars.

TI: And you say "we." I mean, who had to take that responsibility of selling?

MW: Well, I like to think my older brother. [Laughs]

TI: And he did or you'd like to just think? [Laughs]

MW: [Laughs] He did.

TI: Okay.

MW: But I think I probably told him to get off his behind a couple of times.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.