Jack Brod
Encyclopedia
Irven "Jack" Brod was an American
business
man and innovator
. He was the President
of Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service, currently a successful New York City
-based jewellery
business, which he established with his father in the Empire State Building
two months after its opening in 1931. Brod was a tenant
of the Empire State Building for around seventy-seven years, and was the last remaining original tenant at the time of his death.
, Georgia
to parents who emigrated from Russia
and changed their last name from "Brodsky". Brod attended the University of Alabama
, although he did not continue his studies after moving to New York City
with his family prior to graduation. Before partnering with his father, Alexander, in leading the Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service, Brod was employed as a private investigator
, amongst other professions.
During World War II
, after forming the business in New York, Brod served in the Army Air Corps
as a corporal
. He was assigned by the Corps to England
, where he loaded bomb
s into aircraft. During his assignment, he purchased rare antiques and collectibles from the formerly-wealthy owners of English houses who had suffered due to the war and the Great Depression
. Brod shipped the items back to the United States by boat for sale and private collection.
was opened by U.S. President
Herbert Hoover
on May 1, 1931. Exactly two months later—on July 1, 1931—Brod and his father moved into the seventh floor and established what became the Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service (commonly known as Empire Diamond), making use of the name of the building it occupied for radio
advertising purposes. The first office was 400 square feet (37.2 m²) in area, and at the time of the establishment of the business, work was still being completed on the interior of the building in the lobby
and the upper parts of the tower.
Following his duties in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Brod returned to his business. He innovated, producing new ideas including one of the earliest jewellery catalogues and a toll-free telephone
service for diamond
orders. During Brod's life, his business moved locations within the tower, with the "moving up" given a synonymous comparison to the success of the Empire Diamond business. His company moved up to the 14th floor, before relocating to the 15th and then the 66th. During 2001, Brod invested in another move—to the 76th floor—which was the final before his death in 2008.
Brod was, as of 2008, the longest-ever tenant of the Empire State Building, and was also the last of the original tenants to end tenancy in the building (either through death or relocation to another site). He worked six days per week up until his death, aged 98, because "he love(d) selling diamonds", and often joked that he'd only retire from employment when "they plant me
".
well into his 80s. He owned a boatyard
on City Island
in the Bronx
, and also owned a boat production factory in Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
. He was married (and subsequently divorced) three times, and was survived by two sons and two daughters, and three grandchildren.
Brod died at his home in Manhattan
on January 6, 2008 at the age of 98.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man and innovator
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
. He was the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service, currently a successful New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
business, which he established with his father in the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
two months after its opening in 1931. Brod was a tenant
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
of the Empire State Building for around seventy-seven years, and was the last remaining original tenant at the time of his death.
Early life
Brod was born in NewnanNewnan, Georgia
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to parents who emigrated from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and changed their last name from "Brodsky". Brod attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, although he did not continue his studies after moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his family prior to graduation. Before partnering with his father, Alexander, in leading the Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service, Brod was employed as a private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, amongst other professions.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after forming the business in New York, Brod served in the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
as a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. He was assigned by the Corps to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he loaded bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s into aircraft. During his assignment, he purchased rare antiques and collectibles from the formerly-wealthy owners of English houses who had suffered due to the war and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Brod shipped the items back to the United States by boat for sale and private collection.
Professional career
The Empire State BuildingEmpire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
was opened by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
on May 1, 1931. Exactly two months later—on July 1, 1931—Brod and his father moved into the seventh floor and established what became the Empire Diamond and Gold Buying Service (commonly known as Empire Diamond), making use of the name of the building it occupied for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
advertising purposes. The first office was 400 square feet (37.2 m²) in area, and at the time of the establishment of the business, work was still being completed on the interior of the building in the lobby
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
and the upper parts of the tower.
Following his duties in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Brod returned to his business. He innovated, producing new ideas including one of the earliest jewellery catalogues and a toll-free telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
service for diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
orders. During Brod's life, his business moved locations within the tower, with the "moving up" given a synonymous comparison to the success of the Empire Diamond business. His company moved up to the 14th floor, before relocating to the 15th and then the 66th. During 2001, Brod invested in another move—to the 76th floor—which was the final before his death in 2008.
Brod was, as of 2008, the longest-ever tenant of the Empire State Building, and was also the last of the original tenants to end tenancy in the building (either through death or relocation to another site). He worked six days per week up until his death, aged 98, because "he love(d) selling diamonds", and often joked that he'd only retire from employment when "they plant me
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
".
Personal life
Brod had a strong interest in boating, and sailedSailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
well into his 80s. He owned a boatyard
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
on City Island
City Island, Bronx
City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi long by .5 mi wide. At one time attached to the town of Pelham, Westchester County, it is now part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As of the 2000 census the island had a population of 4,520. Its land area is 1.023 km²...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, and also owned a boat production factory in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was married (and subsequently divorced) three times, and was survived by two sons and two daughters, and three grandchildren.
Brod died at his home in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on January 6, 2008 at the age of 98.