"The Bank of Italy [now Bank of America] has acquired through various ways much of the choice farming land of California and is still gathering it in. The great octopus is near to us... and ready for all and sundry of the unwary... As sure as they get their talons into you, you'll lose. Their policy was spawned by the devil and their chain of banks is, each one, a little hell" (124)- Building the Bank of America: A.P. Giannini
During the Depression, people accuse Giannini of being a power and land hungry tyrants. The author of this hagiography contends, however, that normal people - those who Giannini had built his bank with (a fine distinction, since East Coast banks dealt only with WASPs until Giannini made his bank enormous) - didn't feel the bank to be a monster ready to 'gobble them up'. Instead, they poured their money into it and took out loans. As if there was a different choice at this time.
And there we have it: finance and tentacles linked via Bank of America and its innovative turn to branch offices. The tentacles begin to stretch!
