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Louis 'Lou' Sugarman, Retail Deli Professional
Facts and Events
About Louis "Lou" Sugarman
Louis "Lou" Sugarman was born 12 May 1910 in Los Angeles County, California, son of Isadore "Isaac" Sugarman (b. 1875) and his wife Mollie Vischnuk (1884-1972), both immigrants from Poland that emigrated to America just after the turn of the century. Lou attended John Muir High School and went on to graduate from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, California. His early interest was in gardening; when a young man, he ran the largest school garden in the City of Los Angeles and worked in the retail produce industry after school when he was just 14 years old. He also worked in a retail produce stand at the old famous Grand Central Market, but someone suggested to him early on that there may be more money in delicatessens, so Lou, being an ambitious lad, went to work at a deli specialy concession there which featured all items except cheese and meat.
In 1927, he started learning the grocery business, when he went to work for Adolph Schneider & Son in the Circle Market on 60th and Broadway in Los Angeles. In the succeeding three years, the operation grew to three locations and Lou worked in all three of them. In 1930, he went back to working in produce, working the next two years at the Chapman Park Market on Sixth St. in Los Angeles, but later he went back to the delicatessen side, working at the well-known Broadway Market at Third & Broadway.
Lou's supermarket career began in 1930's, when he worked as the Deli and Liquor Manager for King's Market on Kings Road and Beverly Blvd. until 1937. Then he opened the Deli concession in the Rancho Pico Market in West Los Angeles. Among the many fond memories of that store was working with Cam Stewart, the former President of Certified Grocers, who ran the Grocery concession at the time. In 1939, Lou went to work at the Wonder Supermarket in Ocean Park in the Deli department, and two years later he also bought the produce concession there, which he operated until after the war. He operated the service deli and wine and beer concession of the Giant Food Market from 1950 to 1960, when he joined the Shop-Rite chain as its Deli Buyer.
Shop-Rite Markets had five stores when Lou joined the company, and it added two additional locations but had two stores burned down during the Watts riot. During his career at Shop-Rite, Lou was active in a local Southern California food-industry trade association, the Dairy/Deli/Bakery Council (DDBC), an organization that still exists today in 2014. He served on the Deli Council Board of Directors from 1967 to 1969. For his leadership in the Deli industry, he was recognized by the Deli Council in May 1966, when he received its "Big Cheese" Award.
Lou left Shop-Rite in 1969 to join deli industry veteran Bill Taggard's deli brokerage firm, Deli Specialties, which later became Thunderbird Marketing Corp., where he continued to work for several years.
Lou Sugarman passed away on 18 February 1980 after a long battle with cancer. He was survived by his wife, Helen; sons, Marvin and Wayne; two sisters and a brother and seven grandchildren. He will always be remembered for his dedication and support of the supermarket delicatessan industry.
Image Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 California. Department of Public Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Death Index, 1940-1997.
Name: Louis Sugarman
Social Security #: 563185477
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 12 May 1910
Birth Place: California
Death Date: 18 Feb 1980
Death Place: Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name: Vischnuk
- California, United States. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. (Sacramento, CA, USA: California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics.).
Name: Louie Sugarman
Birth Date: 12 May 1910
Gender: Male
Mother's Maiden Name: Wishnuck
Birth County: Los Angeles
- Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index: Death Master File, database. (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service).
Name: Louis Sugarman
SSN: 563-18-5477
Last Residence: 90046 Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
BORN: 12 May 1910
Died: Feb 1980
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951)
- United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625).
1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule
Name: Louis Sugarman
Age: 9
Birth Year: abt 1911
Birthplace: California
Home in 1920: Los Angeles Assembly District 64, Los Angeles, California
Street: Angelina st
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Isaac Sugarman
Father's Birthplace: Russia
Mother's name: Mollie Sugarman
Mother's Birthplace: Russia
Attended School: Yes
Household Members: Name Age
Isaac Sugarman 45
Mollie Sugarman 35
Ida Sugarman 15
Esther Sugarman 13
Alek Sugarman 11
Louis Sugarman 9
Hyman Sugarman 7
Jeanette Sugarman 5 [5 0/12]
- United States. 1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T626).
1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule
Name: Louie Sugarman
[Louie Sugerman]
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1910
Birthplace: California
Race: White
Home in 1930: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's Name: Isadore Sugarman
Father's Birthplace: Poland
Mother's Name: Molly Sugarman
Mother's Birthplace: Poland
Occupation: Salesperson, Grocery Store
Attends School in previous year: No
Veteran: No
Rent/home value: N/A
Age at first marriage: N/A
Household Members: Name Age
Isadore Sugarman 60
Molly Sugarman 45
Esther Sugarman 24
Alex Sugarman 22
Louie Sugarman 20
Heinir Sugarman 17
Jeanette Sugarman 15
- United States. 1940 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T627).
1940 U.S. Census Population Schedule
Name: Louis Sugerman
Age: 29
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1911
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Street: Horner
House Number: 8566
Farm: No
Inferred Residence in 1935: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Resident on farm in 1935: No
Sheet Number: 24A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 573
Occupation: Salesman, Delicatessen
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 37
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: High School, 3rd year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 60
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 50
Income: 809
Income Other Sources: Yes
Household Members: Name Age
Louis Sugerman 29
Helen Sugerman 27
Marvin Sugerman 4
Wayne Sugerman 2
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