He grew up in South Carolina, where his parents were sharecroppers. “My mother passed when I was 14. Fortunately, on the farm, we had a pig that I sold for $74,” Bates shared with PIX11 News.

He grew up in South Carolina, where his parents were sharecroppers. “My mother passed when I was 14. Fortunately, on the farm, we had a pig that I sold for $74,” Bates shared with PIX11 News.

When Joseph Berkowitz arrived as GC of Munchkin in December 2023, he found a company "riddled with hostility, impropriety, and intimidation," according to his 17-page lawsuit.