 Roth started as a messenger at the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company at age 17 and rose quickly through the ranks.He began his career at Franklin National Bank in 1934 as a cashier and worked his way up to become the chief executive in 1946.In 1964 Franklin made a bold move to open branches in New York to counter a threat that New York City banks would move to Long Island and Franklin would not have the international services offered by the city's banks.