When Joel Russ emigrated from Austria-Hungary to the United States in 1907, he kicked off his career by selling strings of mushrooms that he carried on his shoulders. After running his business out of a pushcart and then a horse and wagon, Joel was able to open up his first brick-and-mortar “appetizing” shop in 1914 (first on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side, and later at the current location on East Houston Street in 1920). During this time he and his wife, Bella, had three daughters: Hattie, Anne and Ida. Hattie began learning the business in 1924 and her sisters came in to help shortly after. The shop was renamed “Russ and Daughters” in 1933, which caused quite a ruckus in the neighborhood—women just didn’t run businesses in those days. Sadly, Joel passed away in 1961, and later Anne’s son Mark Russ Federman took over the shop in 1978. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Fifteen Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Like Clockwork In this new column about time, we learn how slipping off our watches makes us feel like deadline-damning renegades. Food Issue 19 My Kitchen Table: Dominique Crenn French-born chef Dominique Crenn knows how to keep a level head and relishes the nights when she gets to cook to her own soundtrack.
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