How did you get started? How did the firm get started? I started by trading my own account at the San Diego branch of Conti-Commodity in 1979 when I was 20 years old. Those were wild and woolly days! About 20 traders came in to the office on a daily basis to hang out and watch the big quote board on the front wall in the office. With the noise from the mechanical numbers revolving with each price change and the board lighting up either green or red for new highs and lows along with the squawk boxes blaring and…