Coin Washer Keeps Tradition Alive at S.F. Hotel

Rob Holsen likes to tell people he launders money -- literally. His business card for San Francisco's Westin St. Francis hotel reads: Rob Holsen, coin washer. It's a service that dates back to the 1930s, when the rich and famous frequented the hotel's popular Mural Room restaurant, which is now the hotel lobby. It was a time when women wore white gloves, and the hotel management wanted to keep them clean.