I’ve been blessed to work with some of the most talented professionals in the men’s fashion industry, many of whom I consider friends. It’s impossible to name them all, but I’d like to recognize Johnny D’Amico, Joe Gromek, Pier Guerci, Steve Grossman, Robert Kaplan, Dick Lembeck, Alan Levine, Chris Littmoden, Eric Lundgren, Aldo and Sebastiano Moscini, Nat Pittiger, Bill Roberti, Jack D. Simpson, Mickey Soloman, Walter J. Stevens, Ed Turco, Rhoda and Jack Uchitel, Dominic Verde, Eric Wilkinson, Stevie Fellig, and Steve Levitan and his family.
I especially want to thank all my hardworking and loyal employees. Your passion and dedication inspire me daily.
My spiritual mentors, Rabbis Arthur and Marc Schneier, Israel Shemtov, and Rabbi Luzer. Thank you for your prayers and wisdom throughout my long journey.
I want to thank all the wonderful friends we have made over the years, including: Bob Strauss; General Colin and Alma Powell; William T. Sullivan of the Ronald MacDonald House; Daniel Reingold with the Hebrew Home for the Aged; Marty Markowitz, former Brooklyn Borough President; Marvin Scott; Al Shragis; Tom Clancy; Bruce Llewellyn; Mike Rotchford and Charlotte Kolb; Judge Roz Mauskopf and family; Cardinal Edward Egan; Sir Gilbert Levine; Ron Perelman; and Maurice R. Greenberg.
A special thanks to all my friends who have stuck with us over the years. We love you all. Magda Silberman, Judy and Harry Goldstein, the Heller families, the Berebichez family (Oh, those Acapulco years!), Pam and Mark Rubin, Miriam Silverman, Marcy Brown, Sandy and Artie Rosenbluth, Marcia and Michael Cherbini, and last, but not least, the old Brooklyn friends: Edie and Bob Wallach, the Katz family, Sheila and Stan Josephson, Iris and Donald Seckendorf, Linda and Bob Siegfeld, and the two who have stuck the longest, Norma and Richard Berlin and their families and the newcomers, Marlene and Marty Jacobson.
I am grateful to the brilliant and talented roster of world-class designers and industry greats we’ve had the pleasure of working with through the years: Donna Karan, Alexander Julian (I’ll always be honored to be called your “maker”), Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Isaac Mizrahi, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, the rag & bone dynamic duo of Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, and several more.
I also wish to thank the talented and dedicated team at Regnery: publisher Marji Ross, editor Tom Spence, Harry Crocker, and the entire publicity team. Thanks also to Patrick Smith of Wynton Hall & Co. and to my New York City literary agent Glen Hartley at Writers’ Reps for his passion and belief in this project.
Finally, Martin Greenfield Clothiers would like to extend a warm thank-you to all the celebrities we have had the privilege of working alongside and dressing through the years: Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama; Vice President Joe Biden; Senator Bob Dole; Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; Sammy Davis Jr.; Frank Sinatra; Dean Martin; Jerry Lewis; Michael Jackson; Martin Scorsese; Terence Winter; Baz Luhrmann; Catherine Martin; Steven Soderbergh; Jimmy Fallon; Denzel Washington; Leonardo DiCaprio; Tobey Maguire; Johnny Depp; Ben Affleck; Steve Buscemi; James Spader; Donald Trump; Walter Cronkite; Stone Phillips; Michael Strahan; LeBron James; Shaquille O’Neal; Patrick Ewing; Carmelo Anthony; Kobe Bryant; John Cusack; Conan O’Brien; Jonah Hill; Clive Owen; Kanye West; Joel Edgerton; Eddie Cantor; Ben Stiller; Sir Ben Kingsley; Matt Czuchry; Michael Shannon; Oscar Issac; Kevin Bacon; Paul Newman; Al Pacino; Michael Douglas; Ellen Mirojnick; John Dunn; Bobby Cannavale; Vincent Piazza; Michael Stuhlbarg; Michael K. Williams; Stephen Graham; Dabney Coleman; Michael Pitt; Raúl Esparza; Richard Belzer; André Holland; Alan Alda; and many, many more.
INDEX
500 Club, the, 205
A
Academy Awards, 170, 201–2
Affleck, Ben, 208
Aliyah Bet, 76, 80–82, 85, 87
Allies, Allied, 19, 29, 47, 53, 56, 59, 64, 112, 177
America. See also United States
airpower in World War II, 29
culture, 129, 133, 139, 146–47, 155, 199
fashion in, 160–74
Greenfield’s citizenship in, 133
Greenfield’s family in, 82–87
Greenfield’s first experiences in, 96, 98–107
Greenfield’s love of, 110, 113–14, 133, 145, 217–19
Greenfield’s voyage to, 87–96, 125–26, 135, 157
inmates in German camps, 46
Israel and, 81
liberation of Germany, 52–57, 82, 111–12
military power in World War II, 31, 49–50, 52–53, 60, 75
politicians in, 175–98
segregation in, 131
American Airlines, 125, 127–29
American Army, 52, 55, 112, 130, 198
American Film Institute, 145
Andretti, Mario, 169
Anthony, Carmelo, 210–11
Appelplatz, 47, 50, 60
Arabs, 80, 87
Arbeit macht frei, 13
Arkansas, 182–83
Armani (brand), 165
Armani, Giorgio, 166
Arthur, 209
Atlantic City, 202, 205
Auschwitz, 213
Greenfield at, 2, 5, 7–8, 13–14, 17–29, 46, 65, 73, 79, 88, 111, 136, 219
B
Bachelor in Paradise, 146
Baltimore, Maryland, 82–86, 90, 95, 97–100, 102, 104
Band of Outsiders, 171–73
Barkley, Alben, 111–13
Bar Mitzvah, 217–19
Bell, Lake, 174
Benedict XVI (pope), 214
Ben Maksik’s Town and Country, 134
Bergdorf Goodman, 166
Berger, Antonio (“Uncle Antonio”), 83, 123–27
Berger, Fischel, 3
Berger, Geitel, 3, 19, 57
Berger, Irving (“Uncle Irving”), 82–86, 90, 94–95, 98, 124
Berman, Barbara, 98
Berman, Frances, 98–101, 104
Berman, Moe, 98–101, 104
Berman, Natalie, 98
Berman, Rikki, 98–99
Berra, Yogi, 97
Biden, Joseph “Joe,” 193–94
Bismarck Tower, the, 49
Blacklist, The, 214–15
Bloomberg, Michael, 194–95
Boardwalk Empire, 147–48, 201–2, 211
Bogart, Humphrey, 145, 199
Bradley, Omar, 54
Bradshaw, Terry, 211–12
Brand, Russell, 209
Bremerhaven, Germany, 87
Brihah, 80
Britain, British, 173, 177
Palestine and, 80–81, 87
Broadway, 139, 142
Bronx, NY, 83, 86, 95–97, 140, 190, 198
Brooklyn Dodgers, 97, 113
Brooklyn, NY, 102–4, 134, 157
celebrities from, 148, 171, 212–14
Greenfield living in, 104–5, 111, 119, 124, 131–32, 136, 144, 219
Martin Greenfield Clothiers factory in, 157, 169, 172, 178, 190, 195, 200–1, 207
Brooks, Albert, 215
Brooks Brothers, 162, 185–86, 191–92, 194–95, 201
Brown, James, 212
Bryant, Kobe, 209
Buchanan, Tom (character in The Great Gatsby), 200
Budapest, Hungary, 9, 11–13, 21, 63, 67, 70–72, 91, 217
Buna camp, 25, 32–33, 65
bombing of, 29, 31, 46
hospital in, 26–28
Buna Works factory, 28–29
Burns, Ed, 215–216
Burton, Montague, 140
Buscemi, Steve, 148–49, 211
C
Cagney, James, 145
Cantor, Eddie, 139–48, 199
Capitol, the, 110
Carpathian Mountains, 3, 31, 125
Catholics, 214
Charlotte Hornets, 168–69
cheap suits, 114–15, 158
Chelsea, NY, 206
Chesterfield cigarettes, 120
Clinton, Bill, 180–85, 196, 211
Clinton, Hillary Rodham, 180–81
Colgate Comedy Hour, The, 141
Co
lumbian Club, the, 128–29
Columbia University, 176–77
Communists, Communism, 71, 74–75, 84, 108, 126, 159–60
components of a suit jacket, 158
Constitution, the, 110
Costume Institute Gala, 174, 210–11
Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards, 165, 168
Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) prizes, 165–66, 172, 174
crematoria, 4, 17–18, 29, 46, 55
Cronkite, Walter, 159
Cy Martin’s, 142
Czech army, the, 65–67, 80–81, 175–76
Czechoslovakia, Czechs, 94, 102, 111, 129
German camps and, 50, 56, 64
Greenfield’s life in, 1, 3, 74, 76
Soviet takeover of, 74–75, 126
D
Dallas, TX, 125–27, 129–30, 132, 159–60
D’Amato, Paul “Skinny,” 205–6
Danny’s Hideaway, 109
Davis, Bette, 145
Davis, Sammy, Jr., 141–42, 204
Day, Doris, 127, 129
Death March, the, 32–43, 46, 56, 68–69, 219
democracy, democratic government, 74–75, 84
Democrats, 193–94, 196–97
Depp, Johnny, 201
DeRosa, Stephen, 147
Diamonds, 157
DiCaprio, Leonardo, 200, 203
DiMaggio, Joe, 97
displaced persons (DP) camps, 64–65, 75–76, 79–80, 83, 89
Dole, Bob, 192–93
Dole, Elizabeth “Liddy,” 193
Doral Hotel, 109
“Dumber They Come, the Better I Like ’em, The,” 141
Durante, Jimmy, 139
E
Ebbets Field, 97, 105, 113
Eddie Cantor Camp Committee, 140
Edgerton, Joel, 200
Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Ike”
as general, 53–55, 84, 91, 110, 112
as president of Columbia, 176–77
as president of the United States, 177–78, 183
Elka (“Aunt Elka”), 83, 87, 95–97, 125
Ellis, Perry, 171
Emmy Awards, 202, 214
England, English, 46, 152, 158, 173
English (language), 94, 98–99, 101–5, 107, 109–10, 113–14, 166
ESPY Awards, 209
Europe, 75, 81, 91, 140, 146
evil, 20, 75, 186
Ewing, Patrick, 159, 210
Exodus 1947, 87
F
Fallon, Jimmy, 173–74, 212–13
FDNY Engine 55, 148
Fendrich, Mark, 87, 98
Fields, W. C., 139
Final Solution, the, 45
Florida, 148, 162, 185
Fontainebleau Hotel, 148
Ford, Gerald, 179
Ford, Glenn, 145
Fox Football, 211
France, French, 80, 87, 123, 177
Fromme, Lynette “Squeaky,” 180
G
Gabersee DP camp, 75–76, 79–80, 86, 89, 124
Garner, Jennifer, 208
German army, 2–3, 13, 36
at the concentration camps, 5–9, 13–15, 20–28, 31–32, 35, 37–38, 42, 48–52, 59–60, 68
surrender of the, 64
Germany, Germans, 43, 45–46, 55, 63–65, 79, 87–88, 140, 197
American occupation of, 75
American politicians and, 111–12
postwar suicides in, 76–77
Gestapo officers, 4–5
GGG, 100
celebrity customers of, 140–44, 147, 176–80, 204–5
Kalvin’s job at, 101–4
Martin Greenfield Clothiers at factory of, 203
Martin’s career at, 106–9, 115–22, 133–36, 138, 142–47, 154–59, 175
suits made by, 99, 119, 128
Gilda, 145
GIs, 53–54
Gleiwitz camp, 32, 34, 42, 46, 56, 65, 219
Goco, Zaldy, 206–7
God, 25, 62, 142, 156
Greenfield’s questioning of, 56, 76, 197–98
sense of humor of, 15
work in Greenfield’s life by, 21, 28–29, 31, 38–39, 52–53, 76–77, 198, 218–19
Golden Fleece collection, the, 162
Goldman, Abe, 117
Goldman, Ikram, 187
Goldman, Mannie, 99, 117, 177–78
Eddie Cantor and, 139–43
Goldman, Morris, 99, 117
Goldman, William P., 99
biological son of, 155–56
role in Martin’s life, 105, 115, 117–19, 121, 123, 135–36, 147, 151–57, 176–78, 204–6
Good Morning America, 210
Gotha, Germany, 54
Gotham, 215
Grand Central Station, 132, 186
Great Debaters, The, 203
Great Gatsby, The, 200–2
Greece, 80
Greenfield, Amy, 218
Greenfield, Arlene (née Bergen), 134–38, 143, 151, 186, 196–98, 218, 222, 224
Greenfield, Bonnie, 218
Greenfield, Cheryl, 218
Greenfield, David, 218
Greenfield, Jay
birth of, 136–38
wife of, 218
work with Martin Greenfield Clothiers, 147, 162–63, 172, 180, 187–89, 200, 203, 206–7, 210–11, 213
Greenfield, Martin
bar mitzvah of, 217–19
move to New York, 104–5
name change, 100–3
time at GGG, 105–57. See also names of specific clients
time at Martin Greenfield Clothiers, 157–216. See also names of specific clients
Greenfield, Rachel, 218
Greenfield, Sofia, 218
Greenfield, Tod
birth of, 138
wife of, 218
work with Martin Greenfield Clothiers, 147, 163, 169, 172, 187, 203, 211, 218
Gretzky, Wayne, 209–10
Gridiron Club, 180, 184–85
Grünfeld, Abraham, 3–5, 39, 57
Grünfeld family, the, 2–3, 203
Grünfeld, Joseph (“Father”), 2, 7–14, 24, 57, 65, 67–68, 74, 79–80, 86, 88, 139, 156
Grünfeld, Maximilian “Max,” 2, 68, 83, 95. See also Greenfield, Martin
name change, 100–3
time in concentration camps, 2, 13–53. See also specific camps
time in Hungary, 9–12
voyage to America. See under America
Grünfeld, Rivka, 2, 6–7, 57
Grünfeld, Simcha, 2, 7, 57
Grünfeld, Sruel Baer, 2, 6–7, 57
Grünfeld, Tzyvia (“Mother”), 2–3, 6–8, 11, 57, 83, 95, 98, 124, 139
Gussie (Martin Greenfield’s aunt), 98
Gypsies, 46
H
Hampton Synagogue, 217
Hart Schaffner Marx, 188
Hayworth, Rita, 145
HBO, 147, 202, 215
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), 65, 67, 70
heder (religious school), 3–4
Hickey Freeman, 188
Hillcrest Country Club, 143–45, 147
Hinkle, Billy, 200
Hollywood, 129, 138–39, 142–45, 147, 169, 194, 199, 210
Holocaust, the, 80–81, 87, 136, 144, 197, 203, 218. See also Shoah
Holocaust Museum, 197–98
Holyfield, Evander, 209–10
Holy See, the, 214
homosexuals, 46
Hope, Bob, 146
Hotel Adolphus, the, 127–29
Hotel Brickman, 125
Hungary, Hungarians, 2–3, 9–13, 67, 96, 102, 107, 137
I
IG Farben, 25–26
Isaac, Oscar, 215
Iskowitz, Edward Israel. See Cantor, Eddie
Israel, 76, 87, 141, 177
Italy, Italians, 64, 80, 82, 192
suits and, 108, 115, 158, 166, 168, 188, 207, 212
J
Jackson, Michael, 206–8
Jagger, Mick, 207, 215
James, LeBro
n, 159, 209
Jedem das Seine, 45
Jehovah’s Witnesses, 46
Jewish World, 218
Jews, Jewish
faith of, 55, 76. See also Judaism
Holocaust and, 2, 7–15, 50
Israel and, 76, 80–83, 87
life in Pavlovo, 2–3
John Paul II (pope), 213–14
Johnson, Jimmy, 212
Judaism, 142. See also Jews, Jewish
Julian, Alexander “Alex,” 167–70
K
Kantrowitz, Esther, 139
kapos (supervisors), 15, 18, 26
Karan, Donna, 164–67, 170–71, 180, 182–83, 185, 211–12
Kenneth, Malcolm, 154
Key Largo, 145
kibbutz, 76
Klein, Calvin, 170–71
Knick, The, 215
Krakow Philharmonic, 213
L
Lansky, Meyer, 147
Late Night, 212
Levine, Gilbert, 213–14
Lewis, Jerry, 205–6
liberation, 29, 31, 49, 53, 55–57, 68–69, 92, 111, 198
Life magazine, 76–77
Lincoln, Abraham, 110
Lincoln Memorial, the, 110
Little Caesar, 145
“Little Camp” of Buchenwald, 47
London, England, 151
Long, Howie, 211–12
Los Angeles, CA, 142–44, 172, 207, 212
Louie (“Uncle Louie”), 96
Lucky Strike cigarettes, 120
Luhrmann, Baz, 200–1
M
Madden, John, 212
Magda (Greenfield’s friend), 74
Maguire, Tobey, 200
“Makin’ Whoopee,” 141
Manson, Charles, 180
Marcus, Stanley, 159–62
Marshall, George, 54, 112
Martel, Ned, 187
Martin, Catherine, 200–1
Martin Greenfield Clothiers, 147, 157, 159, 163, 173, 186, 203, 215
Martino, Renato Raffaele, 214
Mendel (Grünfeld family friend), 67–69
Mengele, Josef, 1, 6–7, 72
Menswear Designer of the Year Award, 165–67, 172, 174
mentally disabled persons, 46
Mercedes cars, 47, 62–64, 95
Mermelstein, Kalvin, 86, 90, 94–95, 99–102, 104
as Martin’s roommate, 106, 109–13, 119–20, 124–25, 132, 187–88, 199
Mermelstein, Yitzhak, 9–11
Met Ball, the, 173–74, 201, 211
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 174, 210–11
Mexico, 83, 85, 123–29, 132
Miller, Ben, 99–104
Mizrahi, Isaac, 171
Monowitz camp, 25. See also Buna camp
Moore, Sara Jane, 180
Most Violent Year, A, 215
Mukačevo, 2, 4–5
Muselmann inspections, 25
My Life Is in Your Hands, 139
Measure of a Man Page 19