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Abraham HirschfeldEccentric multimillionaire real estate developer of Polish origin
Date of Birth: 12.12.1919
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Abraham Hirschfeld
Abraham Jacob 'Abe' Hirschfeld was a Polish-American real estate investor who gained fame for his eccentric behavior, love of working the crowd, $2 ties, strong Yiddish accent, and involvement in a contract killing of his former business partner. He was born on December 12, 1919, in Tarnow, Poland, and immigrated during the British Mandate in Palestine in the early 1930s. He stated that most of his family did not follow his example and perished during the Holocaust.
Career
In the 1950s, Hirschfeld found himself in the United States, where he amassed his fortune through the construction of open-air semi-covered parking lots. Throughout his career, Abraham participated in numerous unsuccessful political campaigns, including running for the U.S. Senate in 1974, New York City Council, Manhattan borough president in 1997, vice governor of New York, New York State Comptroller in 1998, and mayor of Miami Beach, Florida. He served as treasurer of the New York Democratic Committee in the 1960s and was elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in 1989.
In 1956, the wealthy developer acquired the Hudson Theatre, one of the oldest theaters on Broadway. In 1989, he financed the Broadway show "The Prince of Central Park" and comedian Jackie Mason's comedy show "Love Thy Neighbor." Together with his daughter Rachel Hirschfeld, Abraham co-founded the evening newspaper "Open Air PM." In 1998, the eccentric businessman offered $1 million to Paula Jones, who accused Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton of sexual harassment, in exchange for retracting her allegations.
Legal Troubles
In 2000, Hirschfeld was charged with solicitation to commit a crime, as he had hired a hitman to kill his former business partner, Stanley Stahl. Abraham received a three-year prison sentence, of which he served two years. After his release, Hirschfeld attempted to run for the United States Senate, calling himself "Honest Abe," in a parallel to Abraham Lincoln. On February 5, 2003, he appeared as a guest on "The Howard Stern Show" alongside comedian Gilbert Gottfried. During the American talk show, Hirschfeld shared stories of his time in prison and expressed his views on rebuilding the World Trade Center in New York.
Legacy and Death
Despite his controversial life, Hirschfeld was recognized as one of the "Most Influential Business Geniuses of the Century" in Time magazine's "Builders and Titans" list. He passed away at the age of 85 on August 9, 2005, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, due to a heart attack caused by advanced-stage malignant tumor. He left behind his wife Zipporah Tyker Hirschfeld, who died on November 25, 2006, and their two children, daughter Rachel and son Eli.
