On the Job

Robert Aquino wants you to know he isn’t the bad guy; he’s just doing his job. Two years ago, he left his trucking business behind and signed on to work for TWI Inc., a repossession company in Fort Myers. Now, the self-proclaimed "sneaky guy" repossesses hundreds of cars a month from debtors.

What is a day on the job like for you?

Long hours, that’s for sure. I work 60 to 70 hours a week, easy. I like to take one day off a week, Sunday, to spend with my [wife and daughters]. You pretty much write your own paycheck: The harder you work, the more time you spend doing it, the more money you make. Not to mention the job’s a hell of an adrenaline rush.

What does it take to be a repossession agent?

I took a 40-hour course at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. We were taught how to operate within the law and how to conduct [ourselves] in a [safe] manner. You have to be physically fit, [because] you never know when you’ll have to run from a dog, gun or baseball bat. You have to know basic [auto] mechanics so you can recover vehicles safely.

How do you get a vehicle someone won’t just hand over?

Sometimes you sit down the street in an unmarked vehicle and watch [the debtor’s] day-to-day habits. You follow them. They go to gas stations, parks—people are creatures of habit. They go to work thinking their car is safe in the parking lot; next thing they know, you’ve taken it.

What is the scariest thing you’ve experienced as a repo man?

I had a shotgun pulled on me last year. I was talking with the debtor, and he was telling me he sent the check. The son got tired of hearing me go back-and-forth with his father, so he pulled a shotgun on me and asked me to leave. So I left.

How has your job changed with the current economic downturn?