Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

14. Related Party Transactions

(a) A subsidiary of the Company leases a warehouse and store in Wharton, New Jersey comprising of 27,000 square feet from a company owned by Mr. Paul Hildebrandt under a lease that expires July 31, 2017. The Company paid Mr. Hildebrandt's company $220,788 and $215,534 during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. William Salek, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, is the son-in-law of Mr. Hildebrandt.  Mr. Hildebrandt served as a Director of the Company from July 2004 to January 2005.

(b) Pursuant to a secured note dated July 29, 2004, as amended, the Company owes Goldman Associates of New York, Inc. (“Goldman Associates”), the principal amount of $750,000 at December 31, 2011 collateralized by the assets of the Company. The secured note is subordinate to the borrowings under the credit facility, bears interest at the prime rate plus 2% and is due on January 1, 2014. Michael Goldman is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Goldman Associates and is Chairman of the Board of the Company.

(c) Oscar Folger and Jeffrey Folger, of the law firm of Folger & Folger, are counsel to the Company.  Rita Folger, a more than 5% shareholder of the Company, is the wife of Oscar Folger and the mother of Jeffrey Folger.  Professional fees paid to the law firm of Folger & Folger for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 were $60,719 and $20,093, respectively.

(d) Pioneer Realty Holdings, LLC, a New York limited liability company (“Pioneer”), is the owner of the premises located at 836 Route 9, Fishkill, New York, formerly known as 2213 Route 9, Fishkill, New York that is leased to a subsidiary of the Company under a lease that expires on March 31, 2017, subject to two five-year renewal options.

William Pagano, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company, has a 55% interest in Pioneer and each of Mrs. Folger and Jeffrey Folger has a 20% interest in Pioneer Realty Partners I, LLC, which has a 40% interest in Pioneer.  The Company paid Pioneer $270,516 and $268,896 during the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

(e) Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger are each holders of convertible unsecured notes in the amount of $100,000, issued pursuant to the terms of a private placement made on July 29, 2004, as amended. The convertible unsecured notes bear interest at the prime rate plus 2% and are due on January 1, 2014.

Interest expense on each of the notes held by Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger amounted to $5,250 for each of the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

(f) Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger were each holders of unsecured notes in the amounts of $90,000, $171,033, $35,000 and $100,000, respectively, issued in connection with the Company's August 20, 2009 tender offer to purchase any and all shares of its convertible preferred stock at $1.25 per share. The unsecured notes bear interest at 12% and are payable in twenty equal quarterly payments beginning October 10, 2009.

Subsequent to the expiration of the Company's tender offer, the Company repaid to Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger the unused portion of the above notes. These repayments amounted to $50,947, $96,818, $19,813 and $56,608, respectively. As a result of these repayments, Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger were each holders of unsecured notes in the amounts of $39,053, $74,215, $15,187 and $43,392, respectively.

At December 31, 2011 the remaining principal on the above notes to Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger were $18,186, $34,599, $7,072 and $20,206, respectively. Interest expense on the notes held by Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger amounted to $2,728, $5,184, $1,061 and $3,031, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2011. Interest expense on the notes held by Mr. Hildebrandt, Goldman Associates, Mr. Pagano and Mrs. Folger amounted to $3,601, $6,843, $1,400 and $4,001, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2010.

(g) In March 2011, the Company privately placed 4,500,000 shares of common stock at $0.50 per share for total proceeds of $2,250,000. Of these shares, 3,000,000 shares were purchased by Goldman Associates of New York, Inc. (“Goldman Associates”), 600,000 shares were purchased by Rita Folger, 400,000 shares were purchased by Paul Hildebrandt, 200,000 shares were purchased by William Pagano and 300,000 shares were purchased by John A. Hildebrandt.

(h) On February 24, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Company appointed Melissa Goldman-Williams to serve as Vice President of Operations. Mrs. Goldman-Williams receives a salary of $135,000 per year. Mrs. Goldman-Williams is a director of the Company and is the daughter of Michael Goldman, the Chairman of the Board of the Company.

(i) On May 27, 2011, the Company borrowed $200,000 from Goldman Associates, which was non-interest bearing and paid in full on June 28, 2011.

(j) On July 29, 2011, the Company borrowed $250,000 from Goldman Associates. Interest accrued on the loan at a per annum rate equal to the lesser of (i) 3% plus 90-day LIBOR and (ii) 4%. The loan was repaid on October 20, 2011.

(k) On March 1, 2012, the Company borrowed $350,000 from Goldman Associates. Interest accrues on the loan at 4% per annum and is due on May 24, 2012.