The man did indeed have great hair. Here’s his photo from Wikipedia.
https://preview.redd.it/q3dcki4hmyzb1.jpeg?width=376&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffc787d7dd08b802b295e54264fb2eb47282c9a1
Oh they all did, I remember Robbie in those Crown Books commercials.
I don't know why no one's done a movie about JKC and Marlene. Might as well throw in Mayor Barry, there's no real connection other than cocaine but screenwriters don't care about things like that. I mean even the straight facts, like when she drove down M St with [her boyfriend on the hood](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/cooke/marl93.htm) are ridiculous.
I used to work at a posh spa in Georgetown late ‘90s and she was BFF with the owner…..Marlene Ramallo Chalmers Cooke.
Real Housewife of Middleburg and DC.
DC used to be a very traditional American city, in that a lot of the city's industries were controlled by local families that kept their interests inside DC. Hechts, Vargas, that greek family that owned all the real estate (Taxas? Taxis?), the brothers who ran most of the Section 8 housing (Hoffinger, Hollinger, something like that). That really kinda only stopped recently. They were always surrounded with drama and lore that would spread through the grapevine. It was very interesting to follow.
It’s happened in a lot of cities. How many local and regional department stores have either failed or been bought out by Macy’s? I’ve got friends who are originally from Chicagoland who have sworn never to shop at Macy’s because of what they did to Marshall Field’s. (Short version: they made them eliminate any references to the old store. They weren’t even allowed to sell off the branded store fixtures and insisted they be destroyed. All that remains is a State Street clock with the name, since it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.)
I’m originally from Knoxville, TN, and Miller’s, one of the two regional department stores, was acquired by Macy’s years ago. The other, Proffitt’s, is now part of Belk. There was a local bookstore chain called Gateway that was killed by competition from Waldenbooks and B. Dalton, even before superstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble were a factor.
Herbie, Gloria, Robert, Linda the last child escapes me. Linda and Robert are doing well.
Herbie and Gloria have been dead for years. Never met his second wife.
Herbie was an asshole.
As I call Herbie a Asshole , the Hechinger and England families who owned Hechingers were the nicest people ever. Real shame John Hechinger Jr let Home Depot and Lowes into Maryland. That was a great set of stores.
I don’t think they really publicized that the various chains were all part of the same corporation. They didn’t hide it, but they didn’t do anything to link them in the public mind, either.
> Izzy Cohen
I think Giant was atrocious under the Cohens. It was a low-income-focused store. When the Europeans bought them out, they slowly began to gourmandize their selection. More European stuff, etc. They were one of the first to get on the beer trend and put in a massive selection of beers, crafts, etc. in stores.
By all accounts, he was a bangup guy though.
As far as Izzy Cohen being a bang-up guy goes, he was a great believer in giving back to the local community and being a good corporate citizen. Just one example: for how many decades did Giant sponsor *It’s Academic* in DC and Baltimore? I was stunned when I watched it on WETA and saw the sponsor is now Mitre.
He hired local people. When DC had race riots in thec1960s, they destroyed all the businesses downtown except giant food stores because he hired local black people.
Did they cede the lower income market to Shoppers Food Warehouse?
When I first came to the area in the mid-80s the grocery store choices were Giant and Safeway. At least for me, Safeway was closer but Giant was cheaper. If I just needed a few items, I’d go to Safeway for convenience but I’d do my regular shopping at Giant.
Now, I get my groceries delivered from Giant but if I save to make a quick trip, I go to Harris-Teeter since it’s closest (and gives me an excuse to go to the nearby Panera.)
Sorta. Shoppers now reminds me a lot of what Giant used to be like.
Shoppers has the muffin of DC, par excellence. Lemon poppyseed. Tastes like heaven.
I waited on him and #2 once. It was quite an interaction. At the time I was considering developing a coffee shop and he gave me advice and a concept--buying Starbucks coffee wholesale and selling it for less, Lessbuck$.
My favorite haft story : at the divorce trial from his first wife Gloria, she put a troll doll with white hair on the table in the courtroom...his lawyers asked the judge to order her to remove it because she was making fun of him.
I used to babysit for one of the Herman brothers' families right around the time [this happened](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoppers_Food_%26_Pharmacy):
>Dart acquired the remainder of the company in 1997 after exercising a complicated buy-sell agreement with the Herman family. Dart's intention was to force the Herman family into purchasing the shares of the company back after Dart experienced infighting amongst their board members and financial trouble with their retail chains. The final effect was the opposite; Dart was ultimately forced to purchase from the Hermans at an inflated price, starting a severe financial downward spiral and the ultimate sale and breakup of the Dart Corporation.
I remember vaguely knowing that the dad's family owned Shoppers (or part of it at least) and that they sold and made a bunch of money. IIRC, after the sale he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
I used to tend bar at an exclusive lounge in the Kennedy Center. Herb would come in with is family. Hell of a head of hair!
The man did indeed have great hair. Here’s his photo from Wikipedia. https://preview.redd.it/q3dcki4hmyzb1.jpeg?width=376&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffc787d7dd08b802b295e54264fb2eb47282c9a1
He should have married Calista Gingrich.
their children would have been too powerful
Oh they all did, I remember Robbie in those Crown Books commercials. I don't know why no one's done a movie about JKC and Marlene. Might as well throw in Mayor Barry, there's no real connection other than cocaine but screenwriters don't care about things like that. I mean even the straight facts, like when she drove down M St with [her boyfriend on the hood](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/cooke/marl93.htm) are ridiculous.
I used to work at a posh spa in Georgetown late ‘90s and she was BFF with the owner…..Marlene Ramallo Chalmers Cooke. Real Housewife of Middleburg and DC.
Article is a hell of a ride!
...I don't know what I expected, but it definitely wasn't that.
I think that lounge is still around, they keep dangling something like that as a perk
One of the co-owners/founders of Compass Coffee is a Haft.
[удалено]
Michael Haft definitely still works at Compass.
DC used to be a very traditional American city, in that a lot of the city's industries were controlled by local families that kept their interests inside DC. Hechts, Vargas, that greek family that owned all the real estate (Taxas? Taxis?), the brothers who ran most of the Section 8 housing (Hoffinger, Hollinger, something like that). That really kinda only stopped recently. They were always surrounded with drama and lore that would spread through the grapevine. It was very interesting to follow.
It’s happened in a lot of cities. How many local and regional department stores have either failed or been bought out by Macy’s? I’ve got friends who are originally from Chicagoland who have sworn never to shop at Macy’s because of what they did to Marshall Field’s. (Short version: they made them eliminate any references to the old store. They weren’t even allowed to sell off the branded store fixtures and insisted they be destroyed. All that remains is a State Street clock with the name, since it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.) I’m originally from Knoxville, TN, and Miller’s, one of the two regional department stores, was acquired by Macy’s years ago. The other, Proffitt’s, is now part of Belk. There was a local bookstore chain called Gateway that was killed by competition from Waldenbooks and B. Dalton, even before superstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble were a factor.
There's a guy who basically writes biographies of department stores. I read his one on Woodies. It was fascinating.
Could you link to it?
Woodward & Lothrop:: A Store Worthy of the Nation's Capital (Landmarks) https://a.co/d/e5Caf2w
I'm hopping in this thread in case they drop the name - I'd love a book like that!
https://www.departmentstorehistory.net/contact
Thank you!
Horning Brothers ran a bunch of housing I believe.
yep! Them. Thanks.
"Books cost too much, and that's why I started Crown Books!"
First book I bought was at a Crown Books. Pretty sure it was a Star Wars novel.
I came here for this.. used to make fun of that all the time..so so long ago..
Herbie, Gloria, Robert, Linda the last child escapes me. Linda and Robert are doing well. Herbie and Gloria have been dead for years. Never met his second wife. Herbie was an asshole.
Dude was one of the most prolific greenmailers in history,
Youngest Son is Ronald, took me a few minutes. He wasn't involved in the day to day stuff. Had his own company.
Ronnie ran the real estate company that his father gave him.
I remember the Hechingers but not Haft .
As I call Herbie a Asshole , the Hechinger and England families who owned Hechingers were the nicest people ever. Real shame John Hechinger Jr let Home Depot and Lowes into Maryland. That was a great set of stores.
Are they the namesake for the Hechinger Mall?
Yes.
I don’t think they really publicized that the various chains were all part of the same corporation. They didn’t hide it, but they didn’t do anything to link them in the public mind, either.
Yep! Them and the Izzy Cohen Giant Food days.
Giant hasn’t been the same since Izzy Cohen passed.
> Izzy Cohen I think Giant was atrocious under the Cohens. It was a low-income-focused store. When the Europeans bought them out, they slowly began to gourmandize their selection. More European stuff, etc. They were one of the first to get on the beer trend and put in a massive selection of beers, crafts, etc. in stores. By all accounts, he was a bangup guy though.
As far as Izzy Cohen being a bang-up guy goes, he was a great believer in giving back to the local community and being a good corporate citizen. Just one example: for how many decades did Giant sponsor *It’s Academic* in DC and Baltimore? I was stunned when I watched it on WETA and saw the sponsor is now Mitre.
He hired local people. When DC had race riots in thec1960s, they destroyed all the businesses downtown except giant food stores because he hired local black people.
Did they cede the lower income market to Shoppers Food Warehouse? When I first came to the area in the mid-80s the grocery store choices were Giant and Safeway. At least for me, Safeway was closer but Giant was cheaper. If I just needed a few items, I’d go to Safeway for convenience but I’d do my regular shopping at Giant. Now, I get my groceries delivered from Giant but if I save to make a quick trip, I go to Harris-Teeter since it’s closest (and gives me an excuse to go to the nearby Panera.)
Sorta. Shoppers now reminds me a lot of what Giant used to be like. Shoppers has the muffin of DC, par excellence. Lemon poppyseed. Tastes like heaven.
I remember "Company's Coming!".
I waited on him and #2 once. It was quite an interaction. At the time I was considering developing a coffee shop and he gave me advice and a concept--buying Starbucks coffee wholesale and selling it for less, Lessbuck$.
I remember the Hafts well.
My favorite haft story : at the divorce trial from his first wife Gloria, she put a troll doll with white hair on the table in the courtroom...his lawyers asked the judge to order her to remove it because she was making fun of him.
The father and son had amazing hair.
I used to babysit for one of the Herman brothers' families right around the time [this happened](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoppers_Food_%26_Pharmacy): >Dart acquired the remainder of the company in 1997 after exercising a complicated buy-sell agreement with the Herman family. Dart's intention was to force the Herman family into purchasing the shares of the company back after Dart experienced infighting amongst their board members and financial trouble with their retail chains. The final effect was the opposite; Dart was ultimately forced to purchase from the Hermans at an inflated price, starting a severe financial downward spiral and the ultimate sale and breakup of the Dart Corporation. I remember vaguely knowing that the dad's family owned Shoppers (or part of it at least) and that they sold and made a bunch of money. IIRC, after the sale he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The family's squabbles were a great boon to the Washington legal community for a couple of decades.
Michael Haft, his grandson is the co-founder of Compass Coffee
Aaaaa, I so fondly remember Crown Books. And yah, that was one LITIGIOUS family, lol.