newer ideas. The soft water from Long Island was preferred by German brewers, and breweries in Brooklyn proliferated at this time. Michael was the brewer, superintendent, and engineer, and found that his hours were from four o'clock in the morning to ten at night. By 1888, the ability of Gottfried as the financial head of the firm, and the excellence of Michael's products helped them prosper and the partnership became a corporation in 1898, and they gained a national reputation. The demand for the products of the plant — a typical German beer was then a novelty in the American brewing industry — necessitated enlarged facilities. A new era began: the acquired plant was demolished and a new plant was erected. Subterranean cellars made way for a building of cellars above surface, under modern refrigeration. The plant represented a new achievement in brewing construction. Michael easily adopted new principles and contributed many ideas of his own. Continued success justified this enlargement of facilities, and twice more during his lifetime the plant was expanded in size and facilities. The brewery's reputation spread abroad, and for years brewing academicians, experts, and scientists from Europe and South America visited to study Michael's work. Many of his ideas were copied abroad. The plant enjoyed the distinction, as the result of Michael's constant scientific advances in his field, of the continued exchange with European authorities of German brewing ideas, a unique achievement for an American manufacturer. Piels union employees are reputed to have been guaranteed ice cold beer on tap 24 hours a day in their union contract. Michael retired from active management as the technical head of the corporation in 1900, devoting his last years to the acquisition of German paintings of hunting scenes. Advertising In the 1950s, Piels had a very successful television advertising campaign when the Young & Rubicam ad agency created Bert and Harry Piel, the fictitious animated owners and pitchmen for the brewery. United Productions of America animated the spots, while the character voices were provided by the comedians Bob and Ray. Harry (Bob Elliott) was tall and soft-spoken, always calming down the short loudmouth Bert (Ray Goulding) whenever something went wrong. The Bert and Harry commercials aired from December 1955 until 1960. In the 1960s, the brewery ran advertisements featuring New York City journalist Jimmy Breslin. Like most regional breweries – including its New York competitors Ballantine, Schaefer, and