John Thomas Financial Inc. is a brokerage house straight out of the movie Boiler Room, with brokers fueled by vending machines stocked with nothing but energy drinks and music from Rocky films blaring from speakers. Its founder, Anastasios “Tommy” Belesis, even had a role in the sequel to Wall Street.

Junior brokers cold-call prospects for up to 14 hours a day, working from a memorized script that they rehearse by screaming pitches across the room to each other before the opening bell, a former employee of the firm told BuzzFeed.

BuzzFeed obtained both that script, used by brokers of every level at the 200-employee firm, as well as another script known internally as the “Golden Pitchbook,” which is given only to a privileged few senior brokers at the firm. Considered a performance reward for top brokers, the “Golden Pitchbook” is handed down from their mentors at the firm who have also received the elusive tome, the source said.

“It’s secret, privileged information,” said the source. “Some people at the firm don’t even know about it.”

via Exclusive: Secrets From The Sexist Pitchbook Of One Of Wall Street’s More Notorious Firms.

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