27 September 2007

Well, Whaddaya Know?



For years, I've passed by the ancient George Modell pawn shop on Atlantic Avenue and wondered about it, but never went it. At the same time, I would periodically visit a Modell's Sporting Goods store for a soccer ball, ice skates or whatever. Yet I never made the connection between the two, until now.

Both chains (there are four Modell pawn shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and nearly 100 sporting goods stores) are run by descendents of the same immigrant family. Morris and George Modell hightailed it out of Russian in the 1880s, fleeing the pogroms there. First they ran a pushcart, then they opened a haberdashery on West and Cortlandt Streets. Morris stuck with the clothes, while George went off on his own in 1893 to buy and sell jewelry. Morris's son Henry began to dabble in sporting clothes in the 1920s, and after WWII, went 100 percent into sporting goods.

George Modell, Inc., is now run by the third and fourth generation of that family. Modell's is also family-owned. No signs as to whether the two sides of the clan feud with each other (as is often the case when there are two family-owned businesses in this city). There is this, however, on the Modell's Sporting Goods website: "Modell's, founded in 1889 by Morris A. Modell, had its first store located on Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan. Four generations of the Modell family have developed the family business into a chain of stores located in the northeast." No mention of Morris there. I know he was only with the firm for four years, but still. A founder is a founder

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

BTW, there is another Modell pawn shop on East 23rd Street.

RI 360 said...

The 23rd Street shop I believe is between Lex and Third just across from Baruch College.

Anonymous said...

Do you know if the family any relation to that arch scumbag Art Modell?

Anonymous said...

You should get your facts right. And no, there is no feuding between the Modells that run the sporting good stores and the pawnshops.

Brooks of Sheffield said...

Hello, Modell family member! Glad to hear there is no feuding. Of course, I wasn't presenting that idea as a "fact," only a mischievous suggestion. Other than that, what facts were wrong? I derived the history from fairly solid written accounts. I'll happily correct whatever details are wrong.

Unknown said...

I believe Joe Koski from Heaney Koski Pawn shop worked there. Heaney Koski was at 214 Atlantic Ave.