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Monte Pío was a company we had here that allowed us to benefit from situations such as the one I just described, for loans and the like. We all contributed a small amount. I don't recall how much, maybe 5 pesetas or so a month. That meant that a sum would accumulate and it was there to help us out. Anyone who needed to could drop by and say, "Let's see if I can get a loan for …. 30,000 pesetas". If there was money, you got the loan. I, for instance, was able to get my loan. Others also asked and got theirs. Later Monte Pío built up and became stronger and we could take out up to 50,000 and pay it back in a year or so. Eventually the system went south because there was a treasurer who had a knack for slot machines. All in all, it was not something we could count on later for retirement.
He began to work at the Museum as an elevator operator, then as a guard and finally, from 1997, as a carpenter for the Museum, which was his true profession.
Interview recorded on December 19, 2017
