Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

With banks refusing to lend money to nearly everyone, it's no surprise to hear that business is booming at pawn shops. "In many cases now, we're not just the bank of last resort," says Jordan Tabach-Bank, the CEO of a pawn shop in Beverly Hills. "We're the bank of only resort.'' Jewelry and Rolexes, art works by Picasso, Warhol and Basquiat, and Ferraris and Porsches are being dropped off by those desperate for quick cash to pay for mortgages, debts, health care, and plastic surgery. One of the enticements of bartering your worldly goods? Discretion: "We're like bartenders,'' says Tabach-Bank. "People spill their guts to us even if it's embarrassing to them. They know we won't talk.''