It's a vague recollection but I think options commissions at Bear -were- $100 per side back in 1995/96. Now, I didn't work in investment banking, I was a lowly programmer in the Securities Lending department. Also, you had to use Bear to trade if you were working for Bear.

That said, I was green and didn't know anything about trading at that time. I found work by being good at what I do :D.